We all know the devotion of Sri M to Shirdi Sai Baba and his experience of the same mentioned in his Autobiography. we have come across a great devotee of Baba, who has also recently read Sri M s Autobiography and Shirdi Baba rare photos has brought Sri M and Baba together. Lets dwell into the nectar of true devotion in the fallowing sharing of Guru Bhakti - Interview with Sri K. V. Ramani - A well-known name amongst Shirdi Sai Baba temples and Sai devotees (Hindu Dated 14 Feb 2014) shirdisaitrust.org/shirdi_sai_baba/Shirdi_Sai_%20Trust_%20News/images/n40.jpg Staunch Sai devotee and philanthropist par excellence Sri K. V. Ramani has magnanimously donated Rs. 112 crores for the construction of “Sai Ashram” project for Shree Sai Baba Sansthan Trust, Shirdi which is serving humanity by providing accommodation facility for Sai devotees. Sri K. V. Ramani hails from Chennai and is a software expert and globe-trotting industrialist. But, he loves to describe himself as a Sai devotee Personally he does not like any publicity, is pleasant to interact with, and charitable in disposition. When contacted for an interview, he flatly refused stating that any such interview would tantamount to publicity. , when explained that this magazine serves as a bridge between Sai Baba, Shree Sai Baba Sansthan Trust, Sai temples and Sai devotees and an interview with devotees like Sri K. V. Ramani would help to achieve that purpose, he finally agreed. During this interview Sri K. V. Ramani paid great attention to see that nothing is said by him about himself even inadvertently. His Sai devotion can be realized in this interview. Q : It is known that Sri K. V. Ramani is a Sai devotee, a willing donor for Sai seva activities. Kindly tell us specifically about your family, Family Deity, etc. A : I was born and brought up in Chennai. In those days, my late father Sri Krishnamurthy Iyer was a renowned lawyer and we were living in Mylapore. I studied in P. S. High School and Vivekanand College, Madras University. Our Family Deity is Shri Venkatachalapathy and Shri Padmavathy in Tirupathi. Since our residence was in Mylapore, Shri Kapaleeswarar and Karpagambal Shiva temple, Ganesha and Anjaneya Swami temples near Mylapore were all worshipped by us and often visited by our family. Q : While living in Mylapore did you realize Shirdi Sai Baba? A : Occasionally I used to visit Mylapore Sai Baba temple, but did not worship Sai seriously. You could blame my age for that, because whichever temple I visited, my prayers were limited to seeking good marks in exams, etc. Q : Then, at what point of time, were you attracted to Shirdi Sai Baba? A : I think it was in the year 1977. A relative of ours was seriously ill and was bedridden for nearly a week. The best doctors were consulted and all possible medical treatments were given, but the doctors nearly gave up all hopes. The relative had to be saved somehow, from the critical condition. We did not know what to do. It was at that time, a lightning thought occurred in my mind to pray to Sai Baba! I immediately prayed to Sai Baba from where I was, sincerely from the depth of my heart, to cure the patient. In addition, I also vowed to Sai Baba that I would visit and pray to Sai, every Thursday at a Sai temple. That is how Baba pulled this sparrow by a string to Sai and has taken complete care of me, protected me and made me progress materially and spiritually for over last 36 years! Q : What happened to your relative? A : Prayer to Shri Sai Baba yielded full beneficial result immediately. Sai blessed us with His Grace and our relative recovered completely. The most astonishing thing was that I prayed to Sai Baba at about 6 p.m. and within two hours, at about 8 p.m. my relative was cured completely. Doctors were greatly puzzled. They could not believe it. They said, “We do not know about nature and cause of the illness and the cure! Also, the reasons as to, how, why and what happened is not clear. But, the patient is perfectly alright now and can be discharged now”. From that memorable divine event, my devotion to Sai Baba increased. From that day till today, every Thursday without fail, I am going to Sai Baba temple, to have Sai’s Darshan. During my travels, especially abroad, when I am unable to visit Sai Baba temple on Thursdays due to circumstances, I pray to Sai from wherever I am. Q : Not knowing anything about Sai Baba in the beginning, your devotion to Sai sprouted in later years and it is the same case with most of Baba’s devotees. At the same time, through their ancestors, some sort of connection to Baba must have existed. In your case, was there any such link, through your father or mother? A : I don’t think my parents were devoted to Sai Baba that much. But, my father’s younger brother, our uncle Sri Ramamurthy at Secunderabad was a well-known Sai devotee. I did not know this. Only recently, I came to know that he was a Sai bhakta and performed Sai Pooja and Aaratis every Thursday in his house. Q : Since then, how did your devotion to Sai Baba increase? A : I started my career in software in the year 1970, with training from IBM in Software and Systems Analysis and Design. From then, till 1985, I worked and built a career in software field, rising from programmer to manager level responsibilities in private sector. In 1985, I established my own private company “Future Software”, specialising in communications and networking software. Later in 1990, I also partnered with minority interest, with Hughes of USA and started “Hughes Software Systems” in telecommunications software in Delhi. In the mean time in 1989, seven of the software industry persons including me, felt the need for an organization to assist and work for the growth of software industry. Thus I was also an instrumental with six others in establishing NASSCOM, which has today contributed to the emergence and growth of a technology industry from India. Apart from being a co-founder and elected as an Executive Council Member several times, I also became the Chairman of Nasscom during 1997-98. At that time, my reputation, status and growth of my business undertakings were all on the ascendancy. I sincerely believe that Shirdi Sai Baba’s full Blessing and Grace showered upon me was the reason for all this accomplishment. Q : In the software sector, do you say that Sai Baba only was the reason for the success of all your ventures? A : Sai Baba only brought me from a career job to industry! Sai Baba raised me step by step, from job to business and then to devotion and now to service and spirituality and Sai is still raising me. As a Sadguru, Sai first develops and makes you ready for the next step and then takes you to the next higher step, to ensure your success! Ramani before devotion to Sai Baba was very different. After Sai entered my life and I started to worshipping Him, I am a distinctly different person. Q : When did you start Shirdi Sai Trust? A : With Sai’s Blessings, Shirdi Sai Trust was founded in 1996. Before this, in 1993 Shri Sai Trust was started. Baba has ordered me to help many people and fulfil my karma and dharma to the extent possible. Accordingly, by utilizing a specified portion of what He has given me as income, every month, I am executing Sai’s orders through the Trust. In the beginning, I was carrying out the duties of these Trusts from our home itself, on Saturdays and Sundays. At certain point of time, this could not continue as the growing activities of the Trusts, was affecting the normal daily family and office routine. Under such circumstances only, I shifted the trust activities here to Krishnankarnai, with staff to support me. Q : When you shifted the Trust activities to Krishnankarnai, did you decide to construct a meditation hall to Baba? A : No, No! The plan at that time was just to build a small meditation mandap, 11 ft. by 11 ft. for me and my family to meditate exclusively. But, with Baba’s Grace, it turned out to be a bigger center when we started the construction, leading to the inauguration of the meditation hall on 3rd April 2003. Q : Please tell us the financial standing of the Trust? A : Since inception, I was contributing a part of my income to the Trusts. Sai is providing enough funds required for the two Trusts and as ordered by Sai, we do not take any donations from others for these Trusts. In 2004, I sold my investments in both software companies for a good value. Already by Baba’s Grace, I had wealth which was good for three generations. Therefore, I gave eighty percent of the profits from my share of the companies to the Trusts. That is 80% to the Trust and 20% to the family. Based on this contribution in 2004, the Trusts grew financially much stronger. Q : Did you spend from these funds to build Shirdi Sai Ashram? Kindly tell us more about Shirdi Sai Ashram? A : Sai Ashram is a place for the devotees to stay in Shirdi. By Sai Baba’s Grace, we built the accommodation in twenty acres of land given by Shree Sai Baba Sansthan Trust, Shirdi. We undertook the total responsibility for construction of the project. By awarding twelve contracts, it took five years to complete the construction at a total cost of about Rs. 112 crores from Shirdi Sai Trust, Chennai. Apart from this, land was made available and about Rs. 50 crores was spent by Shree Sai Baba Sansthan Trust, Shirdi for external infrastructure development works. In Sai Ashram, 1,536 rooms have been built, 384 rooms with a/c and 1,152 rooms without a/c. In these rooms, 9,000 devotees can stay. Sai Ashram also has 192 dormitory rooms and about 5,000 people can stay in these dormitories. The project has all common facilities for the comfortable stay of devotees, including an open air theater for bhajans, kirtans, palkhis etc. In the total built up area of more than 9,00,000 square feet, nearly 14,000 devotees can stay comfortably. The Sai Ashram project has been fully handed over to Shree Sai Baba Sansthan Trust, Shirdi without any rooms for us and they will do the management, allotment of all the rooms, maintenance, etc. Q : What are the activities you carry out through the Trust? A : We evaluate and assist public charitable trusts and societies, who are constructing Sai temples in India. So far, we have made partial donations to about 450 Sai Baba’s temples. For many temples, we have provided Sai Idols. We also utilise these Sai Baba temples as the vehicle for extending service activities such as, annadaan, education and medical assistance for deserving people. Presently, free lunch and dinner is provided for about 10,000 people daily. For people below poverty line, we also provide educational and medical assistance. This way every year approximately 4,000 persons receive medical assistance and about 3,000 students receive scholarships. All these assistance programs are given through Sai Baba temples, selected hospitals, selected educational institutions, old age homes and orphanages. Assistance of any kind is not given directly to any individuals. Assistance is given only after the requests are properly evaluated and reviewed by the respective Sai temples, educational and medical institutions and by us. All the beneficiaries are selected only on the basis of the merit and real need. Q : You are rendering service through Sai Baba temples. Why not serve other temples also? A : Sai Baba is not a religious Guru. He is a Spiritual Sadguru. Sai is a “Samartha Sadguru”, transcending all the religions. Sai’s teachings were common to all and not oriented towards any particular religion. “Sab ka Malik Ek” - “All religions are one and the same,” says Baba. Therefore, we follow this message and assist Sai temples, without limiting ourselves to any particular religion, to create universal brotherhood. If we start assistance to temples, we should also include churches and mosques and all other religious institutions. This is way beyond our scope and is not the objective. Baba taught me human compassion as the guiding principle and to consider people, beyond considerations of religion, caste or creed. This is what I try to follow using the Sai temples as the vehicle to help and assist all people, irrespective of their religious or other denominations, to contribute for the benefit of the society. Q : Your Trust services are mostly social in nature. What does your Trust do on the spiritual lines? A : For the spiritual service and progress Avatar Purush Baba is there. What can we mere mortals do! As for the Trust, it can do only its allotted duty of charitable social activities. SAI BABA is not a RELIGIOUS GURU. SAI is a SPIRITUAL GURU and AVATAR. Q : Coming back to devotion, during your prayers, they say that Sai talks to you? A : Sai talks directly with anyone who prays to Sai with full faith, sincerity and devotion. They need not seek the assistance of any middle men. Q : Can you kindly tell us about the matters that Sai Baba told you during your prayers? A : Such divine experiences vary from one devotee to another and it will not be the same. In Shri Sai Sat Charita, Sai has advised us not to steal rags, when Sai is ready to give full gold shawl to us - Shri Sai Sat Charita Page 218. In the same way, Sai Baba has ordered me that I should not reveal the spiritual experiences given to me by Sai, to others including members of my family. Sai Baba Himself directly bestows such experiences to each and everyone of His devotees, based on their faith, beliefs, sincere devotion and spiritual evolution. Sai has asked devotees to pray to your Family God and then only come to Him, as a Guru. Sri Chandorkar story, Shri Sai Sat Charita Page 204. Sai grants favours for some devotees through important events and material gains in their life. For some devotees Sai gives personal experiences with wonderful, limitless beneficial results. He increases the devotion of some by appearances and messages in dreams. Thus, the experiences Sai bestows differ from person to person, based on their devotion and spiritual progress. Q : Many persons claim that “Baba speaks to me’’. What are your views on this? A : I do not know about these claims. As far as I am concerned, my experience is as follows. Our brain many times thinks of many ideas. Many thoughts occur and disappear. On certain occasions, the thought in our brain strikes us like a lightning and we know and feel that “this is not my thought”. It is like pronouncements from a Divine Force in the outside world entering our brain and body, creating a new awareness in us. Our rishis and sages have absorbed the Vedas and Mantras like this only and handed over to the future generations of mankind. Similar examples are found in experiences of other religious leaders also. We can experience this sometimes while reading “Shri Sai Sat Charita” also. We must be completely surrendered to Sai through our devotion and love for Sai without any ego, for this spiritual awakening to happen in us. Q : You are often referring to “Shri Sai Sat Charita”. When did you read it first? A : Shri Sai Sat Charita is a treasure chest containing the essence of the holy books of all the religions and is overflowing with the spiritual guidance for the reader. Every time you read Shri Sai Sat Charita, you get new meanings or revelations from this Sai literature. I cannot remember the time I started reading Shri Sai Sat Charita. It was several years ago. Q : How many times have you read Shri Sai Sat Charita? A : Even that, I cannot remember. “Many times” is all that I can say. Q : You tour often and keep yourself busy always. Do you find time to read Shri Sai Sat Charita? Don’t you find it difficult? A : There is no problem at all for finding time to read Shri Sai Sat Charita. About 20 minutes is enough to read one chapter. For our spiritual advancement, can we not find and allot at least 20 minutes each day? Q : Kindly tell us about your experiences on reading Shri Sai Sat Charita. A : Each time I read Shri Sai Sat Charita, I get a different meaning from the same text. I feel differently rejuvenated after reading each and every time. I also get guidance, further clarity and new meanings for spiritual progress on reading Shri Sai Sat Charita. Whatever confusion or problem I am facing, there is a solution found in reading Shri Sai Sat Charita. Q : Tell us about your Shirdi visits. When did you go to Shirdi first? A : I do not remember the year in which I went to Shirdi for the first time. I have gone to Shirdi many times and each visit has been special in some way! I could make the Shirdi visit, only on Baba’s call and invitation. If Sai does not will it or does not call you, you cannot visit shirdi. Q : Has there been any instance when Sai did not call you to Shirdi? A : I was going to Mylapore Sai temple regularly and did not plan to go to Shirdi for many years, after my devotion to Sai started. Later, on many occasions, I planned to go, but could not visit Shirdi. I really tried hard several times and for a long time, but I could not make the very first visit to Shirdi. For all such instances, Baba surely must have had some very good reason. For instance, after starting “Hughes Software”, I was working for 15 days a month in Delhi and 15 days in Chennai. On one occasion, I started with a close friend from Delhi, with the intention of flying from Delhi to Mumbai and driving from there to Shirdi. But, on the way to Delhi airport, we heard about the bomb blasts in Mumbai and we were concerned. We sought guidance of Sai and cancelled the trip to Shirdi. Later, from newspapers we came to know about the big bomb blast that occurred in Mumbai airport, very close to the time of landing of our flight! Sai averted the risk for us, by cancelling our planned visit to Shirdi and protecting us from any danger! After that, a few years later, there was a sudden invitation to me, from a group of eminent Sai devotees, to attend a Sai Naam Saptaah in Shri Khandobha temple in Shirdi. I attended the function and had a great treat of Sai Darshan to my heart’s content. Such are the many wonders effected by Sai Baba. Q : Baba has showered many gifts to you. At the same time, do you concede that Baba does give testing times to some others? A : Sai Baba’s ways are unique. Sai Baba always tests everyone for their Shraddha and Saburi, i.e. Faith and Patience. Being a Sadguru, Sai guides everybody day and night. Depending on the ability and merits of each person, Sai takes us along the path to our progress. Sai only knows what should be bestowed on us and the best time for giving it. Before Baba gives anything to us, He judges whether we are qualified to receive it. Shri Sai Sat Charita page 91 - Instead of making ourselves fit and suitable to receive the gift or boon we seek, we continue to expect Sai to give everything we want. Also, another important aspect is that Sai knows our past, present and future and only grants what is good for us and not necessarily what we seek which may not be good for us. That is why it results is disappointment for us. On the other hand, when we do not expect anything from Sai Baba, and offer pure devotion and love to Sai and follow Sai’s teachings and do service, we get much more than what we deserve. But, when we do not get what we desire, it is not testing! In material world, we should have Faith and Patience and wait for Sai to grant what is good for us. In spiritual pursuit, we should take it as if we are not fit to reach next higher stage in our life. We should take it as an experience gained and necessary for our spiritual progress. We can consider it as a lesson or teaching for our life. Q : Where else could Sai devotees turn to, without praying to Sai Baba? Is Sai not their only Solace and Protector? A : Yes indeed. You could tell Sai your difficulties and seek redress. Sai will do needful. Sai is the only Protector for us. There is no second opinion on that. But, your request is only a prayer to Him. What I want to say is about “Bhakti”. We ask Baba for something. If we get it, we are happy and often forget Sai and think that we got it due to our own efforts! If we do not get it, we blame Baba. We say, “Baba did not do anything and He is testing us so much”. We must look at the worldly material life and Godly spiritual life separately and differently. Prayer is different from devotion. In prayer, which is materialistic, we pray and seek something from Sai. But, in devotion, which is spiritual, we offer unconditional love to Sai, without expecting anything from Him, except His Grace and Blessings. Q : Can all the devotees differentiate as above and believe in it? A : Why not? Sai says He would be with us for 72 “Janmas”. Our previous births, the present one and next births are all known to Him. Baba keeps giving everything to all His devotees, based on their merits. Therefore, Sai does not leave any necessity for us to seek any favour from Him. Truth is that Sai keeps on giving more than what we deserve, on His own volition. Let me repeat that Sai only grants what is good for us and not necessarily what we seek which may not be good for us. That is why it results in disappointment for us. What is the difficulty in realizing and accepting this? Q : Nevertheless, only when a need arises or only when the devotee finds themselves in a dilemma, the devotee feels the urge to ask Sai. What is wrong in that? A : Yes, we are anxious in times of trouble and pray to Sai for help. This is prayer for a cause and seeking Sai’s help by prayer is alright. After praying to Sai, be patient till the result comes through. That is what Baba means by offering “Shraddha” and “Saburi” or Faith and Patience as dakshina to Sai. When we lose Faith or Patience we lose the trust in Sai. When we lose the trust, we complain that Baba is testing us. Is testing us the sole purpose of Sai’s Avatar? But, Bhakti is different from prayer! Sai says, “In all situations trust in me. Even if the whole world turns upside down trust in me”. Do you believe in it or not? If you do believe, the question of praying to Sai for a purpose does not arise. You should believe that Sai knows what is best for you and is always there to take complete care of you. This is total surrender to Sai and is the real and true devotion. To put it succinctly, granting all our needs just like that, it is not Sai’s only concern. While bestowing all our wishes, He has taken it on Himself the responsibilities to elevate us to the real goal in life, the path of Self Realisation. In Shri Sai Sat Charita, Sai has said that He has to account for all His devotees to Allah! Q : What is Sai service and how do we serve Sai? A : We frequently talk about Sai service. We are really not serving Sai! At best, we are serving Sai devotees in different ways. This service to Sai devotees is in itself a good purpose, as it leads to our own spiritual progress. When we progress in spiritual evolution, it pleases Sai, as this is the real purpose of Sai’s Avatar! Sai is God and does not need our services from human beings for Him! Sai is serving us. As a Sadguru, Sai is always watching us and serving us. Sai is serving, guiding and preparing the devotee continuously and only after the devotee attains all the necessary requirements, Sai takes you to the next stage of spiritual progress. Sai gives bountifully and generously. What is the use of raising a person to a higher step, if he doesn’t know how to climb? As a Sadguru, will Sai not consider this, before trying you to take you to the next higher step? Q : Is there any method of seeking favour from Baba? A : We should know how to seek and reach to Sai Baba, as the method is very important. Sai always protects His devotees by His Glance, just as the tortoise feeds her young ones, whether they are near her or away from her on the other side of the bank, by her loving glances. Guru’s tortoise like loving glance gives us happiness. (Shri Sai Sat Charita, Page 98) For example, we may refer to T.V. If you switch it on, you will hear the jumbled noise only in the first instance. Only if we know how to tune it, we can see the required channel or program. For a moment, consider Baba like a T.V. station or cell phone tower. Sai is continuously transmitting and receiving or in other words, talking and listening in all the channels and frequencies. Only when we pray to Sai with full devotion, we can speak to or hear Sai in any one of the channels or frequencies tuned in by our devotion. There is a difference between just asking Sai plainly and asking Sai in an enlightened manner. If we do not know how to tune, there is no use even if we stand upside down for twelve hours and do penance, as our prayers are not reaching Sai. Sai Baba is always showering His Benevolent Grace on all. When you pray to Sai with devotion you become deserving to receive His Grace. First of all, we need to become worthy to receive Baba’s Grace. Q : You keep stressing on being deserving. Do we have that deserving status from birth? When we seek asylum and surrender to God, how can Baba reject us? A : I did not say Baba rejects without compassion. He grants His Grace to each one according to what he deserves and only to the extent he is qualified to receive it, at any point of time. Whether we were born with or without the qualification, is not the criterion. We can become deserving by our acts, in this birth also. We are born with “karma” and this cannot be refuted. Therefore, Sadgurus like Baba redress our problems to the extent and limitations of the effects of karma, or mitigate the adverse effects of karma or they grant us the strength to bear it. Sadgurus do not fully annul the effects of karma; because then in any case, we have to be born again and suffer the effects of our karma in the next birth. Therefore, the Sadgurus give their grace and protection and reduce the bad effects of the karmas and want us to fully finish off the effects our karma in this birth, without affecting us greatly. This will lead us to more progress in this or our next birth, ultimately leading to salvation or the merger of our soul with the Parabrahman. (Shri Sai Sat Charita, Mr. Ambadekar story, Page 139) Q : How do you see karma, its effects on us and the solution for us? A : I see karma in three perspectives :- First, karma from our previous birth, i.e., experience the effect of our actions in the previous birth. Secondly, the result of good actions or bad deeds of our parents. Thirdly, we have to face the reactions of the actions done by us, in this birth itself. We face the effects of all these three karmas in our present life. We also commit various sins to accumulate wealth and leave the wealth behind for our children. After our life ends, the family enjoys the wealth; but we alone suffer the effects of these sins and karmas! Therefore, Sai has taught us to keep only the wealth needed for you and your family and use the rest of the wealth to work out your karma and dharma. In this way, we will at least lighten our burden of karmas after our life ends. This is why Sai asked for dakshina from the devotees, to teach us non attachment, habit of sharing our wealth with others and to reduce our karmic bad effects. (Shri Sai Sat Charita, page 192) We cannot avoid or escape from this Nature’s law of karma. Even if we are badly affected by the first two cases of past karmas referred above, by living a life of practicing good deeds and dharma in this birth as taught by Sai, we can reap good results in overcoming the bad effects of our past karmas. By strongly clinging on to a Sadguru like Baba, we can get many beneficial results. How we dedicate and surrender ourselves totally to Baba is the most important aspect. In Shri Sai Sat Charita, page 192, Baba says, “Debt, enmity and murder have to be atoned for, as there is no escape from them.” These are our terrible karmas, from several births. Sai can stop the bad effects of our past karmas. But, we have to have another birth to face these effects. Even then, by completely surrendering to Baba, Sai can dilute the resultant harmful effects of our karmas and we can get a relief from the effects of these karmas in this birth itself. This is demonstrated by Sai in the Dr. Pillay story in Shri Sai Sat Charita, page 183. Sai Baba guides by diluting and removing the effects of our karmas and actions and leads the devotees to progress. Sai is granting us a good and fruitful life leading ultimately to “Moksha” or freedom from the karmic cycle of birth and death. Sai has taken the full responsibility on our behalf. The sole purpose of Sai Baba’s Avatar, is to help and enable us at every stage in this birth itself, to reach the stage of freedom from rebirth, and attain the realization of Brahman or merge with the Formless Source of all creation. In His unique way Sai Baba is keeping a constant watch to help us and is rendering a great service to all of us. (Shri Sai Sat Charita, page 85) To worship Sai with Faith and Patience and with full devotion is the only way open to us to become free from our karmas. Q : How do we worship Baba? A : We can worship Sai, in whichever way each devotee likes. But, the worship should be with full faith and devotion. You may worship Sai in Nirgun as Formless God, Parabrahman or in Sagun Form with traits in the Physical Form of an Idol or Picture.Shri Sai Sat Charita, page 63 and 99. Sai does not want eight types of poojas or sixteen types of upachars. Sai resides where there is true love and devotion to Sai. (Shri Sai Sat Charita, Pages 19 and 72) There is no need to offer gold, silver, precious items or money or share in business (Shri Sai Sat Charita, page, 132) to Sai, since Sai has given all of these to us in the first place! We have to offer pure love and devotion, by silently meditating on Sai and chanting “Sai, Sai, Sai” in our mind. That is enough! Sai is the Supreme Being, the Parabrahman. Instead of doing the pradakshina around many temples and worshipping several Deities, worshipping Baba alone is enough. Worship of all the Incarnations or of all Religious Deities are the same. That is the Ekatva or the Advait principle. They are different roads to reach the same goal in life. This is what Sai means by His pronouncement “Sab ka Malik Ek”, or There is only one God! Q : How do we find out or differentiate between charitable activities and ‘Sai service’? A : Whatever we are doing to benefit or improve the life of other human beings or animals or other living beings, is considered charitable activity in general. Whatever we do as poojas, bhajans or other Sai prachar work, could be considered as service to Sai devotees. But, by these activities we are not rendering any service to Sai. Therefore, these are not “Sai service”. It is Sai Who is doing great service to us, by trying to make us progress in material terms and then advance spiritually to become better human beings. Sai the great “Maha Purush” Who has taken this Avatar, solely to save the mankind. Sai protects and guides us from all directions. There is no need for us to seek or pray for anything specifically from Sai. Sai knows everything about our past, present and future births. Sai trains us and helps us towards spiritual progress, to advance towards freedom from rebirth. Sai is the Saviour not only for mankind, but for animals, birds and all living beings. He is the Brahman – Formless Primordial Creator, Who has come in human form for our sake. Sai Avatar itself is a service for advancement of all living beings. Q : In this interview, finally what would you like to say? A : Firstly, apply Udi on your forehead and swallow a little bit daily and then offer your prayers to Shirdi Sai Baba with devotion and read at least one chapter of ‘Shri Sai Sat Charita’, without fail. At least one day in a week, go to a Sai temple, and pray to Sai with Faith and Patience, chanting “Sai, Sai, Sai” in your mind silently. Shri Sai Sat Charita, Pages 61 & 72. Sai will first grant all your material prayers and wishes required for your life. With this wealth, provide for your family; but you must also help others with a portion of your earnings given by Sai. Then, simply concentrate and meditate thinking only of Sai. When you are free from material wants and ready for next stage of life, Sai will take you towards spiritual progress. Thereafter, with renewed devotion, surrender completely to Sai Baba. This experience is different for each devotee and therefore, do not compare yourself with other’s experience and try to follow different practices followed by others! Sai has said that He is not just this body of 3 cubits length and also that He will be ever active from the Samadhi. (Shri Sai Sat Charita, Page133) Therefore, try to experience Sai within yourself and not just as His Physical Form in an Idol or a Picture. Try to feel Sai’s presence within us and see Sai inside every human being and all living beings. (Shri Sai Sat Charita, Pages 85, 230) That is the spiritual quest. When you can feel Sai’s Formless Presence within you and in every other form of life, Sai Baba will surely come running and seeking you to and grant His Blessings for your spiritual progress. This spiritual path will lead you closer to Sai Baba and you will merge with Sai. (Shri Sai Sat Charita, Page 230). Achievement of this union or total merger with Sai is the sole purpose and only goal of life for all Sai devotees. Shri Sachchidanand Sadguru Sai Nath Maharaj ki jai! Courtesy : Based on extracts taken partly from Sai Marggam, Tamil magazine, Diwali 2013 special issue and with additional views given by Sri K. V. Ramani. Baba’s love for Bhaktas Collection Mohan Yadav Public Relations Officer, Shree Sai Baba Sansthan Trust (Shirdi) We think that we love Baba and go to Shirdi for His Darshan. But it is Baba Who loves us more and it is His wish to see us, so He pulls us lovingly to Him. Baba has said, ‘‘My man can be in any place - even thousands of miles away. I will draw him to me with a string tied to his feet, like a sparrow.’’ And the pull can be from birth after birth, and it is His love that we are attracted to Him. One may recall this episode from Shri Sai Sat Charita - One day, after Baba’s meal, there was no one in the mosque, while wiping His hand on the towel, Baba pinched Shama (Madhavrao Deshpande) on the cheek affectionately. Shama feigning anger said, ‘‘Deva (God), is it proper for You to pinch me like this? We dont want such a mischievous God. Is this the fruit of our intimacy?’’ Baba replied, ‘‘O Shama, during the 72 births that you and I are together, I never pinched you till now, and you resent my touching you.’’ Shama replied, ‘‘I want a God Who will always love us and give us new dishes to eat. We do not want riches, but only firm faith in Your Feet.’’ Baba said, ‘‘Yes, I have come for that. I have been taking care of you and have received your love and affection.’’ Baba’s love for us is beyond our comprehension. Jai Sai!
Posted on: Tue, 29 Jul 2014 13:12:44 +0000
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