Saturday, October 31, 2009
Full Text of Swami's Divine Discourse on 29th October 2009 in Hadshi
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Sai Spiritual Showers - Issue 1/11
Sai Spiritual Showers - Issue 4/10
We resolved to spend the rest of our life in the hallowed sanctuary, Prasanthi Nilayam. The atmosphere was inviting, vibrant with fraternity; felicity, charity and love, unfolding and enfolding. We were glad we had sailed into its calmness and coolness and we decided to drop anchor there. We were only about fifty residents and at the Bhajan sessions in the mornings and evenings, about twenty visitors joined us. On some days, the headmen of the villages around came, with a few farmers to lay before Baba local conflicts for solution, or seek His blessings for ventures in cultivating commercial crops; they led newly bought bullocks so that His Blessings could endow them long life and sound health.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Friday, October 23, 2009
KUCHING DEVOTEES' VISIT
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Instructions for the Japa Mala
Monday, October 19, 2009
VEGETARIAN RECIPE - BRIYANI RICE
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Sai Spiritual Showers - Issue 3/10
"If you are interested in paranormal powers, you must absolutely get to know Sai Baba," a woman botanist told me, whom I had looked up in New Delhi, on account of the medical plants I had gathered in the course of my trip through Asia. She described to me miraculous events which she had witnessed herself, especially miraculous healings of lame persons, of persons born blind, affected with cancer and others who were gravely ill. I had been advised to request a meeting with the famous enigmatic miracle man, even before my departure for my year long study tour through Asia which I undertook together with my husband in our Volkswagen bus. Hardly had I set foot on Indian soil when again and again I met people who had experienced Sai Baba. He is said to be no 'normal saint', but a divine incarnation, possibly of Siva"
"During our stay at Bombay, we visited the lotus temple (Dharmakshetra) of Sai Baba. We arrived just at the time of the evening Puja. The white lotus flower, symbol of purity and spirituality, shone in the evening sun like a golden jewel. Before the clear evening sky and the distant gleaming sea, this temple seemed to lose its earthly heaviness and to transform itself into light and the radiance of the sun. I entered the interior of the temple in a 'lost-to the world' mood. In the flickering light of the candles and oil lamps, one could recognise an altar with the flower bedecked picture of the re incarnated Sai Baba on the right side, that of the Sai Baba of Shirdi on the left, and in front, a devout crowd of followers. The room was filled with spiritual songs and the sound of cymbals. It was an impressive ceremony.
Did the people who gathered there revere a Saint or a Divinity? The present Sai Baba is addressed as Bhagawan (God) and that is also what He calls Himself. As it is, He adds that every one is God, since the Godhead is active in each of us. He travels through the country preaching. He preaches of the love of God in man, of peace, tolerance, and the spiritualization of life. He sees His task in reconnecting men with God, in helping them in their needs and suffering. He is living completely in the service of humanity. I have met persons in India who revere Him as Christ returned to earth."
"I resolved not to leave India without meeting Sai Baba. But, this was easier said than done... Sai Baba is constantly on the move. Not even His closest circle of collaborators and devotees could give definite information on where the Master could be found at any given time, for how long He would be there, or what were His future travel plans...After having been three times in vain at Brindavan, Kadugodi, near Bangalore, I managed at last to speak to a professor of the Arts and Science College founded there by Sai Baba. ....He said, "The only chance you have to meet Swami is come back again—perhaps one day you will be lucky enough to be called by Him.” It took five months of efforts, coupled with many hardships, till we finally had that good fortune.
"There, at last! A slim figure, clad in yellow, slides out of the villa. The gates swing back. For one moment, Sai Baba remains at the gate. We have known Him for a long time from countless pictures... now, the small person starts moving—all concentrated energy and vitality, an impression no photograph can convey. People prostrate before Him; whoever is near enough kisses His feet and the hem of His robe. A biblical scene... Bhagawan jokes and laughs with some persons in the crowd as though they are old friends. Now there lies an atmosphere of relaxed cheerfulness over the scene. Once, Sai Baba cuts through the formation of visitors and makes His way to a lady who tends to Him a child which pulls faces and is obviously mentally disturbed. He caresses the child and seems to speak comforting words. Several times we observe how He produces Vibhuti by making a quick circling movement with His flat outstretched hand. Then He distribute s it to some petitioners. Now He is again standing in the midst of the crowd, calmly looking around. The visitors follow each of His movements like spell bound. Again, He shoots like an arrow toward a specific person, or, He moves hesitatingly in a circle.... After His tour among His devotees, Sai Baba proceeded up to the College building. The students listened spell bound to the words of their great Master. Just by the expressive gestures with which He underlined what He said, they had an absolutely convincing effect. Then, Sai Baba disappeared in the interior of the building, where He talked further with His students.”
"Next morning!... opening of the gates: the saffron robed slim figure between the reverently inclined visitors, who were grouped most densely around the tree with the idol of Krishna. Sai Baba jokes; accepts petitions, distributes Vibhuti, and even gives autographs today. The light is favourable; we are taking photographs and are filming somewhat with palpitations. After Sai Baba has once circled the tree with the Darshan craving crowd, He walks toward our VV Bus which is parked near by ....He asks in pure English if we have driven the 'many miles' from Germany to Whitefield in this car. And, He adds, "You come with me!"
"We follow Sai Baba into a small room. He takes His seat on a throne-like armchair covered with red velvet. Aside from us, a young Parsee and two young Indian couples from Bombay with a child each, are among the chosen. We squat in a half circle at the Master, separated according to sex... He nods at me and asks whether the unaccustomed way of squatting does not give me too much trouble; I should not hesitate to stretch my legs.”
"Then, Sai Baba asks us what we want. We pray that He should first consider the other visitors, since we were no `devotees' and had come only out of scientific interest in His much praised paranormal faculties. He cheerfully makes a play of words on 'saintist' and ‘scientist', emphasising that a scientist who only declares as true and valid what is calculable and ponderable, what can be fitted into the accepted so called 'natural laws' can never penetrate into the essence. The most important thing in the world is love. Without love, there is no meaningful existence. At these words, He again makes a movement in the air with His right hand, palm downwards; He now turns it upwards and hands me a small photograph with His picture, which He then dates and signs 'with Love'...
I have with me Murphet's book, “Sai Baba, Man of Miracles" and "PSI" by Ostrander / Schroeder. He holds the first in front of Him and says with a smile, 'Well. Well. Sai Baba—Sai Baba. The author is a good man." Then He turns over the leaves in the PSI book. I described PSI as a collective concept for everything paranormal and as an example, the apparition of Rosenheim and other psychokinetic cases, relating that the Soviets especially are engaged in the investigation of PSI.” …Sai Baba said, "Yes. Every one has these abilities and he can also increase them through training." …I said, “It is to be feared that these forces will be used for strategic purposes, political prestige, therefore for selfish and destructive aims. That is why I was interested in knowing whether all men possess these powers and whether they may be used for good or evil.”
He said in reply, "Whoever intends to bring about evil with His powers will reap evil. Whoever wishes to use them for himself will lose them. Those abilities are often limited to a certain time and a specific mode of operation. Especially, if they are practiced without piety.”...
"The atmosphere was refreshingly cheerful and pleasant. This meeting had nothing solemn or pathetic. His naturalness and high spirits were especially comforting. Once more He began to laugh—His clear and hearty laughter. Anyone may be cheerful who has within him the serenity of Divine Peace."...
After, about one hour's conversation (with the people who were in the room), Sai Baba withdrew to adjacent room with the American lady and the Professor. A volunteer brought us grapes. When the conversation in the adjacent room was over, Sai Baba took leave of us, with the request to visit Him again, "I am very happy that you came. Thank you very much.”
(The above article was culled from an English Translation by Leone Muller of New York of an article in German on "Sai Baba, Godman" by Dr. Sigrid Lechner Knecht of Federal Republic of Germany, published in the October and November issues of the ‘Esotera' magazine, republished in July 1976 issue of Sanathana Sarathi.)
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Sai Spiritual Showers - Issue 2/10
Monday, October 5, 2009
Sunday, October 4, 2009
DASARA DIVINE DISCOURSE 2009
Friday, October 2, 2009
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Sai Spiritual Showers - Issue 1/10
"Baba is actually an ocean of Love and Compassion towards suffering humanity. Here is the key, if there is one at all, to unlock the Truth about this Incommensurable Personality—not even all His miracles! With His astounding control over forces of nature, He could have kept Himself aloof as a dread and awe inspiring Personality, irascible and unbending like some of the great Rishis of our ancient Aryavartha. But what do we actually find? Baba is so gentle, so like a child, so full of laughter, jollity and bonhomie, so full of compassion and love for everybody! My very first sight of Him moving among His followers gave me a thrill of this recognition of His boundless love for humanity and the very first glance at me showed that He knew me and recognised me, and I felt as if we had known each other for ever so long!"
I was thrilled to see Baba moving among the people, from place to place selecting the persons to be interviewed by Him that evening. Soon He came to the spot where I was standing. He shot a glance at me and I felt as if a streak of lightening had passed through me, for in that glance there was a clear indication that He had recognised me. It was a glance one gives to a person whom one knows well but who has not been seen for a long time... Even to this day the wonderful glance of recognition He had shot at me remains with me in all its intensity.
By this I do not mean to suggest that I was a specially privileged sort of person. Nothing of that sort. During all these years Baba must have come across lakhs and lakhs of persons like me, but I believe when He specially comes down to select persons for interviews from among the masses of people gathered there, a glance by Him at any single person gives Him in a flash the past, present, the future and the complete psyche of that person. And knowing the intensity of that person for interview, or the urgency of his problems, He selects him for interview. Otherwise to ordinary eyes His selection seems to be extremely haphazard. He moves like a Christ among His followers is how a Professor of Philosophy of an American University has described Him, as told by Kasturi to me. He looks into the eyes of everyone assembled, going from place to place among them to have a closer view of them and from each particular group selects one or two."
That forenoon, He called us in, that is to say, the kith and kin of the bride and bridegroom, for He had promised to "wed" them together and bless them. "It can be imagined in what a trepidation we all were. We were about to meet Baba face to face and at close quarters—and to speak also to Him. At that particular moment I was completely ignorant of the manner He would adopt to meet us. Would He be distinctly aloof doing only the task He had allotted Himself? Would He be serene and grave? Would He condescend to talk to us? All such questions were there in our minds—at least in my mind! I was really in tenterhooks!
In five minutes He entered the room turning aside the screen over the door leading upstairs to His quarters. He scanned all of us with eager laughing eyes and made humorous comments as He did so. He joked with the bridegroom, and said laughingly, "See how she giggles, and that in front of elders! Other people would be shocked to see her giggle like this, especially when she is a bride sitting by the side of the bridegroom,” and so on and so on, in an extremely light hearted and cheerful mood. In five minutes we felt He was just one of us—One whom we had known intimately since a long long time. He joked and laughed with us just as any intimate member of our family might do, In fact, I felt how at home He would be in our family group—with Shankar, Chidam, etc. In fact, I felt as if He was one of our own—an intimate sunny natured relation whom we had not seen for some time! He talked to us as if He had known us intimately all along. Nobody out of hundreds who had had contacts with Baba and spoken to us about Him had ever given this particular picture of Baba. Their stress was all on the miracles performed by Him. This intense humanness, this wonderful camaraderie He has for all persons whom He meets; this remarkable quality of feeling Himself one with the people around Him, this superabundance of good humour, jollity and love and affection for all people made a powerful impact on me; for the picture I had had of Baba was something entirely different from this! Then and there I was convinced that if at all any living person is to be called `Bhagawan' it can be only He... His is a whole and undivided love for all humanity.