BABA'S ELEVEN SAYINGS
1. Whoever puts his feet on Shirdi Soil, his sufferings would cor to an end.
2. The wretched and miserable would rise into plenty of joy anc happiness as soon as they climb the steps of my mosque.
3. I shall be ever active and vigorous even after leaving this earthly body.
4. My tomb shall bless and look to the needs of my devotees.
5. I shall be active and vigorous even from the tomb.
6. My mortal remains would speak from the tomb.
7. I am ever living, to help and guide all, who come to me, who surrender to me and who seek refuge in me.
8. If you look to me, I look to you.
9. If you cast your burden on me, I shall surely bear it.
10. If you seek my advice and help, it shall be given to you at on
11. There shall be no want in the house of my devotees.
Saipadananda
"Love His name, love Him as Gospel Truth. Day in and day out, commune with Him in the inner silence and pray for light, earnestly. Do Japa and be in constant remembrance of Him. Be charitable in thought, word and deed. Live for the light of Truth."
- Sri Radhakrishna Swamiji
Contents
- Editorial
- Benediction
- Love Thyself
- Children: Love Ye One Another
- A Jeevan Mukta Leaves His Body
- Ramana's Biographer - B. V. Narasimha Swamy
- Sri Sai Koti Mahatharaka Nama Yagna
- Clues To A Sai Life
- PowerOf Guru
- Law Of Love
- Sai Satsang At Hosur
- The Circle Of Love
- Thy Holy Feet
- Sai-Saying & Happenings
- The Deathless Swamiji
- Swamiji's Motto
- An Angel Of Love
- A ProphetOf Love
- A Touch Of Love
- Riches We Often Miss
- Sai's New Year Gift
- A Happy & Prosperous 1990
- Mahasamadhi Celebrations
- Sai Maharaj On Simhasana
Sadguru Sainath looks compassionately at the devotees from the newly made 'Simhasana' with a beautiful 'Prabhavali' behind, at Sri Sai Spiritual Centre, Bangalore.
Editorial
The Path of Love
The Sadhana of love is a very high sadhana. Love is also called bhakti, or devotion. Love is a dynamic and inspiring throbbing of the heart. Love is the very nature of Sai Baba, whom our Parama Guru Narasimha Swamiji called 'Supreme Bliss' and Satchidananda. It exists in its fullness within man. Even if he does not experience it, it is nonetheless there. A blind man who has never seen the light may say when he hears others talk about it, "There is no light I have never seen it. I don't know anything about it." Yet the light exists; it is only that he has no eyes. Similarly, there is love, whether or not it is experienced. If you have not followed the path of love, if you have not tried to find it, how can it be attained? Love is nectar. Love is immortal. Through love alone the gopis of Gokul found God. Through love alone, Sri Radhakrishna Swamiji found Sai Baba. Love is a glimpse of the secret inner cave. Love that dwells within flows out through different sense organs. When it flows to the eyes, it makes forms beautiful; when it flows to the ears, it makes sounds melodious; when it rises to the tongue, it makes tastes sweet and pleasing. Love is the blissful 'Atman' whose outward expression makes sensuous objects enjoyable. If this outpouring throb of love were to stop, the senses would become lifeless, joyless, useless, just as zeros without a digit in front are meaningless and nothing but zeros.
Love is just love. Sai Baba is that love. Sadguru Radhakrishna Swamiji is that love. Don't ask them even for liberation. There is enough love in the human heart for not just one man but for thousands, but because of desire and useless thinking, an unfortunate person cannot see it. Once he becomes free of these.
He discovers pure, immortal and complete love. And that is Sai-love. The body is the servant of the indwelling 'Atman'. It is always at your service and ready to go wherever you take it. If you want to take it to hell, it will go there as soon as you ask it. If you want to take it to Heaven, it will go there. If you seat it on an elephant or a horse, it is happy. If you feed it khir, puris and halva, it is happy; if you feed it with chillies, chutney and dry chapatti, it is happy too. It is happy with everything. It is happy if you adorn it with jewels, but it is just as pleased with torn old clothes or a loin cloth. The body is such a servant, such a slave, such a friend that there is no one else in the world like it.
Think of the five primal elements that make up your body. Think of earth, which is so beautiful, which is the womb of many different kinds of food and the mother of so many different beings. Think of pure water, which brings life to grains, flowers, fruits, trees, and plants, which is so full of love that it washes everything of its dirt and is the friend of everyone. How full of love it is! Think of fire, which lives in all beings according to their needs and is equally the friend of all. In man it becomes the gastric fire and digests food. It lives in wood, in stone, and in every object in keeping with the nature of each. It is a wonderful example of all-pervading, desire less love. Think of air, which is the life of man, his 'prana'. It pervades in the world, animate and inanimate, in equal measure. It sustains the movement of the universe and everything in it. Once prana leaves the body, it becomes a useless corpse. Think finally of either, which reminds us of the detachment of the inner 'Atman' and which encompasses all activities in its vast spaces. These are the five elements of which the body is composed and the conscious of 'Atman' pervades every cell. First contemplate on fully this beautiful body and then love it as SAI BABA.
Aradhana
The tenth 'Aradhana' of our Gurudev Radhakrishna Swamiji is round the corner and his very life and mission is the path of love. Let us rededicate ourselves to love everyone boundlessly, desirelessly and uniquely. If you have never loved anyone, how can you find peace? Dear Gurubandhus you must become pure, unattached, and without that ill will that makes you see differences. There is nothing in Sai Baba's creation that is against you, that wishes you Ml. You should learn to make Sai Baba's creation friendly to you. If your mind could go deep within yourself even once, it would stay there. Do not consider your mind as an enemy. It has great power; utilize it with constant recitation of 'Vishnu Sahasranamam' to have magnificent and creative power.
Spirituality is not withdrawn. Spirituality is harmony. To let nothing disturb your inner harmony is to be truly spiritual.
Spirituality is not aloofness but arpanam— action, word and thought offered as a sacrifice to the Lord of Love.
- T. L. Vaswani
Benediction
My beloved children,
Only love will take you to Sai Baba. First fully know your body, once you know your inner being, you will realise that the body is not illusory but a beautiful temple filled with knowledge; by loving it you will make your own spring of love flow.
Understand that the ever new joy that reveals itself as you recite 'Vishnu Sahasra Namam' dwells in the heart as a free inspiring force. Develop this love, and let it flow from you to others.
Love increases through giving, not through taking. The feeling of 'mine and yours' is a great obstacle in love. Your love should be equal and unparalleled. Respect your body as the temple of Sai Baba. Become a priest offering it the right food and the right relaxation. Let there be one desire in the body - the desire for love; one wish - to attain the vision of inner light that comes through recitation of 'Vishnu Sahasra Namam'; one hopes for a body that is moderate and disciplined and radiates inner love. Everything is possible through love. The lover can see Sai Baba through love, and through love he can easily attain the supremely unattainable. No sadhana is as easy as love. This is because you know what love is. It is something you have to get from outside through sadhana. The stream of love is already there inside. You have to spread this love and it this way it will fill you. The more you give, the more it will grow. He who spreads his love is welcomed with love everywhere.
The activity inside you always goes on. It never stops. Your nerves, muscles, and blood cells are constantly performing their functions. You should also do your work with love, enthusiasm, and determination, whether you are at home, office or elsewhere. May my Guru Narasimha Swamiji and Sai Baba fill your lives with bliss. This is my blessing. Revered Narasimha Swamiji's own, Beloved Sai Baba's own SAIPADANANDA
Love Thyself
By H. H. Narasimha Swamiji
Love is the mighty energy that transforms man. So do not let your heart become dry. Do not let every fool you meet convince you that love does not exist within you. Man is unfair to himself because he is ignorant, and when he starts believing he is a sinner and ordinary, he makes other people feel the same.
I once went to bathe at the confluence of Bhima and Amaraja at Ganigapur. As I was sitting there, a priest came up and asked me to make a vow. I did not want to, but he would not listen and kept insisting. He brought flowers and water, saying "Swamiji, repeat PAPOHAM - 'I am a sinner.' "
"You are the sinner, not me, "I retorted, "Even at this holy place you have not stopped making fools of the pilgrims. I shall say: PUN-YO-HAM, PUNYA-KARMA-HAM, and SANKALPA-ROHITOHAM - I am virtuous, I am a doer of good deeds, I am without desire."
When he heard this, he went away. Through such bad company, men are led to believe that they are without joy, that they are unreal, unhappy, poor and subject to decay, and because they think like this, they cannot let the inner love bloom.
Love turns man into an ocean of happiness, an image of peace, a temple of wisdom. Love is man's very 'Atman', his true beauty and the glory of his human existence. So, first love yourself, then your neighbors, and then the whole world. This is Bhakti; this is the way to the joy of Jnana and this is the fulfillment of your life. All other sadhanas are contained in the sadhana of love. Sai Baba is that love. He is the supreme bliss that is the reward of all sadhanas. He is adored through love.
"What is prayer?" they asked me.
And I said:—"True prayer is the hungering and thirsting of the heart I"
- Keshub Chandar Sen
Every virtue has its place in life; but the greatest of virtues is forgiveness.
-Rajarishi Yuddhishtra
Children: Love ye one another
By H. H. Sri Radhakrishna Swamiji
(H. H. Sri Radhakrishna Swamiji was the chief guest at the gathering of Contributors to SAI LEELA magazine held on the 28th and 29th January 1979, held at Shirdi. Dr. S. D. Parchure, an ardent devotee of Swamiji was then the Executive Editor of Sai Leela magazine and has recorded Swamiji's speech for posterity. We are presenting this inspiring speech to our readers on the eve of Swamiji's Tenth Aradhana - EDITOR)
I thank the Shirdi Samsthan for having given me an opportunity to partake in this illustrious gathering of the contributors to SAI LEELA magazine. It is indeed a great day for me to meet all sincere devotees on this holy soil of Shirdi.
Lord Krishna gave an assurance in the 'Bhagavad-Gita' that He will be taking 'avatar' whenever there is some danger to religion. We find that Lord Krishna is fulfilling his promise by appearing on this earth in the form of saints. Sai Baba is such an 'avatar' which has tried for the uplift of all who came into his contact. The life of Sai Baba is like the fragrant 'agarbathi' which burns away all the time and which ultimately disappears, but when it is burning it continues to give over fragrance all the time. Sai Baba's greatness as a 'Guru' is beyond our expression.
Sai Baba fulfilled the desires of everyone. We call him as our father, mother, friend and we offer all our learning and wealth to him. Sometimes a doubt arises in our mind as to how Sai Baba can act as a mother. I will give you an example.
One lady got a child and she wanted that her child should be fed on her milk, but to her dismay her breasts were dry. She tried all remedies but they were not of any avail. The lady conceived again and when she was in her 8th month of pregnancy she came to me along with her husband, and requested me to pray to Sai Baba to give milk to her second child. I assured her that this time she will get milk in the breasts after her delivery, by the grace of Sai Baba. I gave her Udhi and asked her to pray to Sai Baba with full devotion. The lady went away and in course of time gave birth to a child. Her husband came to me saying that her breasts were dry totally and that he was afraid that his second child also may not get mother's milk. I asked the husband to go and pray to Sai Baba after giving him Udhi and directing him to apply it to the lady's breasts. After the gentleman had gone I prayed to Sai Baba to fulfill the wishes of the lady and lo, on the third day, this mother could feed her baby as the breasts were full of milk. This is one example wherein Sai Baba acted as a mother, because this is one thing which only a mother can really understand.
Missing Boy Returns
Once, a gentleman came to me and informed that his son had run away and his whereabouts were not known for 2-3 days. I told him to pray to Sai Baba and by His grace, his son would return. On the fifth day he got a telegram from Calcutta that his son was safe and he would reach Madras in a day or two. After the boy returned to Madras, he was brought to me by his father. When I enquired with the boy about the reason for his running away, he told me that his parents were angry with him and therefore he ran away from the house. The boy said that when he was at Calcutta, Sai Baba appeared in his dream and told him to go to the station. There he met a person who enquired about him and gave a telegram to Madras and arranged to send the boy back to Madras. On further enquiries with the boy, he said that Sai Baba was seen by him with the tin-pot in his hand as he was proceeding to beg for alms.
Here again, we find the motherly behavior of Sai Baba. His ways are unique and inimitable. When we come to Shirdi, we forget all our differences and become one. If our entire nation brings into practice the teachings of Sai Baba, national unity is not a far off possibility.
The desires of various people are fulfilled in various ways by Sai Baba. Somebody needing money for his daughter's marriage is given money while those needing service get the service by the grace of Sai Baba.
In order to meet Sai Baba, you have to enter Dwarakamayi after crossing three steps. What are these three steps you have to cross in order to be successful in life? Out of the six enemies of man, lust, anger and greed are the foremost, which you have to conquer before you are blessed by Sai Baba. The three 'Gunas' - Satva, Rajas, and Tamas are also indicated by these three steps and the 'prakriti' and 'purush' are attached to each other by the Gunas.
I see the image of Sai Baba on the face of everyone sitting here. Sai Baba has assured us that as soon as we call Him, He would rush to our help. So keep faith in Him and invoke His favor. He never fails His devotees.
I wish happiness to everybody. Any sort of sorrow let nobody suffer from.
A Jeevan Mukta Leaves his Body
By R. PARTHASARATHY
I have to report with profound regret to readers of Saipadananda the passing away of Poojya Sri V. Rajagopala Aiyer, eldest brother of H. H. Sri Radhakrishna Swamiji, in his purva ashrama, in Madras, on October 22, 1989, at the ripe age of 93. He was a Jeevan Mukta and over a long period of intimate association with him I found in him many of the qualities and characteristics which marked our own Swamiji. Dominant among these qualities were his compassion and love which overflowed like the waves of the ocean and brought solace and confidence to all those who went to him. He was strong, healthy and mentally alert till the last few days of the illness and he never wasted a moment of his life. He was either writing spiritual truths or thoughts and messages on important days and functions organized by the Sai Spiritual Centre, Bangalore, or busily engaged in his lovely garden nurturing flowers and fruits. He was doing all his writing in his own hand till the last few days before his passing away.