Chapter 1
Knowledge or Self-Realization is not possible, unless there is the prior act of grinding of all our impulses, desires, sins; and of three Gunas, viz. Sattva, Rajas and Tamas, and the Ahankar, which is so subtle and therefore, so difficult to get rid of.
Nipatniranjan said…Do not be afraid, hold fast to the handle of knowledge of this mill, as I do, and do not wander far away from the same, but turn inward to the centre, and you are sure to be saved.
Chapter 2
The stories, parables and teachings of Sai Baba are very wonderful. They will give peace and happiness to the people, who are afflicted with sorrows and heavily loaded with miseries of this worldly existence, and also bestow knowledge and wisdom, both in worldly and in spiritual domains. If these teachings of Sai Baba, which are as interesting and instructive as the Vedic lore, are listened to and meditated upon, the devotees will get what they long for, viz., union with Brahma, mastery in eight-fold Yoga, bliss of meditation etc.
He should get rid of his ego, surrender it at My Feet. He, who acts like this in life, him I help the most. When his ego is completely annihilated and there is left no trace of it, I myself shall enter into him and shall Myself write My own life. Hearing my stories and teachings create faith in devotees’ hearts and they will easily get self-realization and bliss; let there be no insistence on establishing one’s own view, no attempt to refute other’s opinions, no discussion of pros and cons of any subject.”
Unless there is strong body-consciousness and egoism, there would be no discussion, in other words, it is egoism which breeds discussion.
Whatever is bound to happen must happen, even great men have failed; man proposes one way, but God disposes the other way. Brush aside your cleverness. Pride or egoism won’t help you.
No discussion whether man is free or bound, is of any use in spiritual matters, but on the contrary real Paramartha is possible, only as the result of the teachings of the Guru; Great Avatars like Ram and Krishna, who had to submit themselves to their Gurus, Vasishtha and Sandipani respectively, for getting Self-Realization and that, the only virtues necessary for such progress are faith and patience.
Chapter 3
“You do your duty, don’t be afraid in the least, steady your mind and have faith in My words. If My Leelas are written, the Avidya (nescience) will vanish and if they are attentively and devoutly listened to, the consciousness of the worldly existence will abate and strong waves of devotion and love will rise up and if one dives deep into My Leelas, he would get precious jewels of knowledge.”
“If a man utters My name with love, I shall fulfill all his wishes, increase his devotion. And if he sings earnestly My life and My deeds, him I shall beset in front and back and on all sides. Those devotees, who are attached to Me, heart and soul, will naturally feel happiness, when they hear these stories. Believe Me that, if anybody sings My Leelas, I will give him infinite joy and ever-lasting contentment. It is my special characteristic to free any person who surrenders completely to Me, and who worships Me faithfully, and who remembers Me, and meditates on Me constantly. How can they be conscious of worldly objects and sensations, who utter My name, who worship Me, who think of My stories and My life, and who thus, always remember Me! I shall draw out My devotees from the jaws of death. If My stories are listened to, all the diseases will be got rid of. So, hear My stories with respect, and think and meditate on them, assimilate them. This is the way of happiness and contentment. The pride and egoism of My devotees will vanish, and the mind of the hearers will be set at rest; and if he has wholehearted and complete faith, he will be one with Supreme Consciousness. The simple remembrance of My name as “Sai, Sai” will do away with sins of speech and hearing.”
Sai Baba’s stories serve a similar purpose (light houses) in the ocean of worldly existence. They surpass nectar in sweetness, and make our worldly path smooth and easy to traverse. Blessed are the stories of the saints. When they enter our hearts through the ears, the body-consciousness or egoism and the sense of duality vanish; and when they are stored in the heart, doubts will evade, pride of the body will fall, and wisdom will be stored in abundance. The description of Baba’s pure fame, and the hearing of the same with love, will destroy the sins of the devotee and, therefore, this is the simple Sadhana for attaining salvation.
Singing and hearing the stories and the glory of the Lord (Sai Baba) is very easy. We have to turn our attention towards them. The listening and singing of the stories will remove the attachment to the senses and their objects, and will make the devotees dispassionate, and will ultimately lead them to self-realization.
He should turn all his attention towards Me and avoid the company of atheists, irreligious and wicked people. He should be modest and humble towards all, and worship Me with heart and soul. If he does this, he will get eternal happiness.
Baba liked prayers and cries to God better than anything else.
“Be wherever you like, do whatever you choose, remember this well that, all what you do is known to Me. I am the Inner Ruler of all and seated in your hearts. I envelope all the creatures, the movable and immovable world. I am the controller- the Wire-puller of the show of this universe. I am the Mother – origin of all beings – the Harmony of three Gunas, the Propeller of all senses, the Creator, Preserver and Destroyer. Nothing will harm him, who turns his attention towards Me, but Maya will lash or whip him, who forgets Me. All the insects, ants, the visible, movable and immovable world, is My body or form”.
Leave out various hindrances, viz., indolence, sleep, wandering of mind, attachments to senses etc. and turn their whole and undivided attention to these stories of Sai Baba. Let their love be natural, let them know the secret of devotion, let them not exhaust themselves by other Sadhanas, let them stick to this simple remedy i.e. listening to Sai Baba’s stories. This will destroy their ignorance and will secure for them salvation. A miser may stay at various places, but he constantly thinks of his buried treasure. So, let Sai Baba be enthroned in the hearts of all.
Chapter 4
“Whenever there is a decay of Dharma (righteousness) and an ascendancy of unrighteousness, I manifest Myself, for the protection of virtuous and the destruction of vicious; and for the establishment of righteousness, I manifest Myself Age after Age.”
When spiritual preceptors are not respected but humiliated, when nobody cares for religious instructions, when everybody thinks himself very learned, when people begin to partake of forbidden foods and intoxicating drinks, when under the cloak of religion people indulge in malpractices, when people belonging to different sects fight amongst themselves, when Brahmins fail to do Sandhya adoration, and the orthodox leave their religious practices, when Yogis neglect their meditation, when people begin to think that, wealth, progeny, wife are their sole concern; and thus, turn away from the true path of salvation then, saints appear and try to set matters at right path by their words and action. They serve us as beacon-lights, and show us the path, and the right way for us to follow.
Chapter 5
“Poverty is better than kingship, far better than Lordship. The Lord is always brother (befriender) of the poor.”
One should get rid of egoism and do the duties of a disciple to attain the highest end, viz., self-realization.
Chapter 6
Four paths, viz., of Karma, Dnyan, Yoga and Bhakti lead us separately to God. Of these, the path of Bhakti is thorny and full of pits and ditches and thus, difficult to traverse; but if you, relying on your Sadguru avoid the pits and thorns and walk straight, it will take you to the destination (GOD).
“There will never be any dearth or scarcity, regarding food and clothes in My devotee’s home. It is my special characteristic, that I always look to and provide for, the welfare of those devotees, who worship Me whole-heartedly with their minds ever fixed on Me.
Lord Krishna has also said the same in the Gita. Therefore strive not much for food and clothes. If you want anything, beg of the Lord, renounce worldly honours, try to get Lord’s grace and blessings and be honoured in His court. Do not be deluded by worldly honour. The form of the Deity should be firmly fixed in the mind. Let all the senses and mind be ever devoted to the worship of the Lord, let there be no attraction for any other thing. Fix the mind in remembering Me always, so that it will not wander elsewhere, towards body, wealth and home. Then it will be calm, peaceful and care-free. This is the sign of the mind being well engaged in good company. If the mind is vagrant, it cannot be well-merged in Him.”
Chapter 7
He, who completely surrenders himself to the Lord, by getting rid of his egoism and body-consciousness, thus becomes one with Him and has nothing to do with any questions of caste or nationality.
Chapter 8
In this wonderful universe, God has created billions of creatures or beings inhabiting heaven, hell, earth, ocean, sky and other intermediate regions. Of these, those creatures or souls, whose merits preponderate, go to heaven and live there till they enjoy the fruits of their actions and when this done, they are cast down; while those souls, whose sins or demerits preponderate, go down to hell and suffer the consequences of their misdeeds for as long as they deserve it. When their merits and demerits balance each other, they are born on earth as human beings and are given a chance to work out their salvation. Ultimately, when their merits and demerits both are worked out completely, they get their deliverance and become free. To put the matter in a nutshell, souls get their birth or transmigration according to their deeds and evolvement.
As well all know, four things are common to all the creatures, food, sleep, fear and sexual union. In the case of man, he is endowed with a special faculty, viz, knowledge, with the help of which he can attain God-vision, which is impossible in any other birth. It is for this reason that Gods envy human species and aspire to be born as men on the earth, so as to get their final deliverance.
Some say there is nothing worse than the human body, which is full of filth, mucus and phlegm and dirt and which is subject to decay, disease and death. This is true to a certain extent, but in spite of these drawbacks and defects, the special value of the human body is that man has got the capacity to acquire knowledge. It is only due to the human body or on account of it, that one can think of the perishable and transitory nature of the body itself and of the world, and have an aversion for the sense-enjoyments, and can discriminate between the unreal and the real, and thus attain God-vision. So, if we reject or neglect the body, because it is filthy, we lose the chance of God-vision and if we fondle it and run after sense-enjoyments, because it is precious, we go to hell. The proper course therefore, for us to pursue, is the following; that the body should neither be neglected nor fondled, but should be properly cared for, just as a traveler on horse-back takes care of his pony on the way, till he reaches his destination and returns home. Thus, the body should ever be used or engaged to attain God-vision or self-realization, which is the supreme end of life.
It is said that, though God created various sorts of creatures, He was not satisfied, for none of them was able to know and appreciate His work. So he had to create a special being- man, and endow him with a special faculty, viz, knowledge; and when He saw that man was able to appreciate His Leela, marvelous work and intelligence, He was highly pleased and satisfied. So really, it is fortunate to get a human body and best to get an opportunity of having recourse to Sai Baba’s feet and surrendering to Him.
Realizing how precious the human life is and knowing that death is certain and may snatch us at any time, we should be ever alert to achieve the object of our life, we should not make the least delay, but make every possible haste to gain our object, just as a king leaves no stone unturned to seek his lost son. So with all earnestness we should strive to attain our end, i.e. self-realization. Casting aside laziness, warding off drowsiness, we should day and night meditate on the self. If we fail to do this, we reduce ourselves to the level of beasts.
The most effective and speedy way to gain our object is to approach a worthy saint or sage – Sadguru , who has himself attained God-vision. What cannot be achieved by hearing religious discourses and study of religious texts is easily obtained in the company of such worthy souls. Just as the sun only gives light, which all the stars put together cannot do, so the Sadguru alone imparts spiritual wisdom, which all the sacred books and sermons cannot do. His movements and simple talks give us ‘silent’ advice. The virtues of forgiveness, calmness, disinterestedness, charity, benevolence, control of mind and body, egolessness etc. are observed by the disciples, as they are being practiced in such pure and holy company. This enlightens their minds and lifts them up spiritually. Sai Baba was such a Sage or Sadguru. Though he acted as a Fakir(mendicant), He was always engrossed in Self. He always loved all beings, in whom He saw God or Divinity. By pleasures He was not elated. He was not depressed by misfortunes. A king and a pauper were the same to Him. He Whose glance would turn a beggar into a king, used to beg His food from door to door in Shirdi.
Chapter 9
“Whosoever devoutly offers to Me a leaf, a flower or a fruit or water, of that pure-hearted man, I accept that pious offering.”
“As men believe in Me, so do I accept them.”
He who sees me in creatures is My beloved. So, abandon the sense of duality and distinction.
See God in all beings is the moral of the Upanishads, the Gita and the Bhagawat, all exhort us to perceive God or Divinity in all the creatures.
Chapter 10
Remember Him (Sai Baba) always with love, for He was ever engrossed in doing good to all, and always abided in His Self. To remember Him only, is to solve the riddle of life and death. This is the best and easiest Sadhanas, as it involves no expenditure. A little exertion here brings great rewards. So, as long as our senses are sound, we should, minute by minute, practice this Sadhana. All other Gods are illusory, Guru is the only God. If we believe in Sadguru’s holy feet, He can change our fortune for the better. If we serve him sincerely, we get rid of our worldly afflictions. We need not study any philosophy, like the Nyaya and the Mimansa. As we trust the helmsman in crossing the rivers and seas, so, we have to trust our Sadguru in getting overt the ocean of worldly existence. The Sadguru looks to the intense feeling and devotion of his devotees, endows them with knowledge and eternal bliss.
It is not good to dispute and argue. So, don’t argue, don’t emulate others. Always consider your interest and welfare. The Lord will protect you. Yoga, sacrifice, penance and knowledge are the only means to attain God. If you do not succeed in this by any means, in vain is your birth. If anyone does any evil unto you, do not retaliate. If you can do anything do some good unto others. This will stand in good stead both in material and spiritual matters.
There are various Gurus imparting to us various kinds of worldly knowledge but he, who fixes us in our Nature (Self) and carries us beyond the ocean of worldly existence, is the Sadguru. Sai Baba was such a Sadguru. His greatness is indescribable.
It is not intelligence, but love, that inspires real poetry as such. Real poetry is the manifestation of true love, and this can be seen and appreciated by intelligent listeners.
Leave of you cleverness, and always remember “Sai” “Sai”. If you do that, He said, all your shackles would be removed and you would be free.
The function of the mind is to think, it cannot remain without thinking for a minute. If you give it a sense-object, it will think about it. If you give it Guru, it will think about Guru. Hearing stories of saints is not so difficult, as the other Sadhanas. They (stories) remove all fear of this Sansar(worldly existence) and take you on to the spiritual path. So, listen to these stories, meditate on them and assimilate them. You may do or attend to your worldly duties, but give your mind to Sai and His stories, and then, He is sure to bless you. This is the easiest path, but why do not all take to it? The reason is that without God’s grace, we do not get the desire to listen to the stories of saints. With God’s grace everything is smooth and easy. Hearing the stories of the saints is, in a way, keeping their company.
The importance of the company of the saints is very great. It removes our body-consciousness and egoism, destroys completely the chain of our birth and death, cuts asunder all the knots of the mind and takes us to God, Who is pure consciousness. It certainly increases our non-attachment to sense-objects and makes us quite indifferent to pleasures and pains, and leads us onward on the spiritual path. If you have no other Sadhana, such as uttering God’s name, worship or devotion etc., but if you take refuge in them (saints) whole heartedly, they will carry you off safely across the ocean of worldly existence. It is for this reason saints manifest themselves in this world.
Chapter 11
Lord Krishna has said that the saint is My soul, My living image, I am He or He is My pure form (Being).
If it was possible that mothers could kick their children and the sea turn back the river. He too could neglect devotees’ welfare; that He, the Slave of His devotees, always stood by them, and responded to them, whenever they called upon Him and that, He always longed for their love.
Chapter 12
We should have firm faith in our Guru and on none else
Chapter 13
Maya (illusive power) of the Lord harasses even Lord Brahma and others. Those who take refuge in the God, will be freed from the clutches with His grace.
“Those who are fortunate and whose demerits have vanished, take to My worship. If you always say “Sai, Sai”, I shall take you over the seven seas believe in these words, and you will be certainly benefited. I do not need the paraphernalia of worship – either eight-fold or sixteen-fold. I rest there, where there is full devotion.”
It is a well known fact that, when our circumstances are well, we do not remember God but when calamities and adversities overtake us, we are reminded of Him.
Stay cast off your anxiety, your sufferings have come to an end. However, oppressed and troubled one may be, as soon as he steps in the Masjid, he is on the pathway to happiness.
Chapter 14
His object is “people should live happily in this world but they should be ever cautious, and achieve the object of their life, viz. self-realization.”
We get human body as a result of merits in past births and it is worth-while that, with its aid, we should attain devotion and liberation in this life. So, we should never be lazy but always be on the alert to gain our goal of life.
Giving Dakshina means “Deriving lessons from the book and lodging them in the heart, where Baba resides.”
Chapter 15
“If you spread your palms with devotion before Me, I am immediately with you, day and night. Though, I am here physically, still I know what you do beyond the seven seas. Go wherever you wish, over the wide world, I am with you. My abode is in your heart and I am within you. Always worship Me, Who is seated in your heart as well as in the hearts of all beings. Blessed and fortunate indeed is he, who knows me thus.”
Chapter 16 & 17
For seeing Brahma, one has to give (surrender) five things:
1)Five Pranas(vital forces) 2) five Senses, 3) Mind, 4) Intellect and 5) Ego.
This path of Brahma-gnyan or self-realization is as hard as to tread on the edge of a razor.
Qualifications for Brahma gnyan or Self-realization
All persons do not see or realize the Brahma in their life-time. Certain qualifications are absolutely necessary.
Mumukshu or intense desire to get free. He who thinks that, he is bound and that, he should get free from bondage and works earnestly and resolutely to that end and does not care fro any other thing, is qualified for the spiritual life.
Virakti or a feeling of non-attachment with the things of this world and the next. Unless a man feels disgusted with the things, emoluments and honours, which his actions would bring in this world and the next, he has no right to enter into the spiritual realm.
Antarmukha (introversion) Our senses have been created by God with a tendency to move outward and so, man always looks outward and not inward. He, who wants self-realization and immortal life, must turn his gaze inwards and look into his inner self.
Catharsis – (eliminating all base ideas and emotions) – Unless a man has turned away from wickedness and stopped from doing wrong, and has entirely composed himself, and unless his mind is at rest, he cannot gain self-realization even by means of knowledge.
Right conduct – Unless a man leads a life of truth, penance and insight, a life of celibacy, he cannot get God-realization.
Preferring Shreyas (the good), to Preyas (the pleasant) – There are two sorts of things, viz. the good and the pleasant; the former deals with spiritual affairs and the latter with the mundane matters. Both are open to man for acceptance. He has to think and choose one of them. The wise man prefers the good to the pleasant, but the unwise, through greed and attachment chooses the pleasant.
Control of the mind and the senses – The body is the chariot and the self is its master, intellect is the charioteer and the mind is the reins, the senses are the horses and sense-objects are their paths. He who has no understanding and whose mind is unrestrained, has his senses unmanageable, like the stray horse of a charioteer, does not reach his destination (get self realization), but goes through the round of births and deaths; but he who has understanding and whose mind is restrained, has his senses under control, like the good obedient horse of a charioteer, reaches the destination, i.e. the state of self-realization, whence he is not born again. The man, who has understanding as his charioteer(guide) and is able to rein his mind, reaches the end of the journey, which is the supreme abode of the all-pervading, Vishnu (Lord).
Purification of the mind – Unless a man discharges satisfactorily and dis-interestedly the duties of his station in life, his mind will not be purified and unless his mind is purified, he cannot get self-realization. It is only in the purified mind that, Vivek (dis-attachment to the unreal) crop up and lead on to self-realization. Unless egoism is dropped, avarice got rid of and the mind made desire less (pure), self-realization is not possible. The idea that “I am the body” is a great delusion and attachment, to this idea is the cause of bondage. Leave off this idea and attachment, therefore, if you want to reach the goal of self-realization.
The necessity of a Guru – The knowledge of the self is so subtle and mystic that, no one could, by his own individual effort ever hope to attain it. So the help of another person – teacher, who has himself got self-realization, is absolutely necessary. What others cannot give with great effort and pains, can be easily gained with the help of such a teacher; for he has walked on the path himself and can easily take the disciple, step by step on the ladder of spiritual progress.
And lastly, the Lord’s grace is the most essential thing. When the Lord is pleased with anybody, He gives him Viveka and Vairagya and takes him safe beyond the ocean of mundane existence, “The self cannot be gained by the study of Vedas, nor by intellect, nor by learning. He whom the Self chooses, gains it. To him the Self reveals its nature,” says the katha Upanishad.
Unless, you completely get rid of your avarice or greed you will not get the real Brahma. How can he whose mind is engrossed in wealth, progeny and prosperity, expect to know the Brahma without removing his attachment for them? The illusion of attachment or love for money is a deep eddy (whirlpool) of pain, full of crocodiles in the form of conceit and jealousy. He who is desire less, can alone cross this whirlpool. Greed and Brahma are asunder as poles, they are eternally opposed to each other. Where there is greed there is no room for thought or meditation of the Brahma. Then how can a greedy man, get dispassion and salvation? For a greedy man there is no peace, neither contentment, nor steadiness. If there be even a little trace of greed in mind, all the Sadhanas (spiritual endeavours) are of no avail. Even the knowledge of a well-read man, who is not free from the desire of the fruit or reward of his actions, is futile and can’t help him in getting self-realization. The teachings of a Guru are of no use to a man who is full of egoism and who always thinks about sense-objects.
Purification of mind is absolutely necessary, without it all our spiritual endeavors are nothing, but useless show and pomp. It is therefore, better for one to take only what he can digest and assimilate. My treasury is full and I can give anyone, what he wants, but I have to see, whether he is qualified to receive My gift. If you listen to Me carefully, you will be certainly benefited. While sitting in this Masjid I never speak any untruth”
Chapter 18 & 19
Sadgurus, like Sai Baba open our (eyes of the ) intellect and show us the divine beauty of the self, and fulfill our tender longings of devotion. When this is done our desire for sense-objects vanishes, twin fruits of Vivek (discrimination) and Vairagya (dispassion or non-attachment) come to our hands and knowledge sprouts up even in the sleep. All this we get when we come in contact with saints (Sadguru), serve them and secure their love. The Lord, Who fulfils the desires of His devotees comes to our aid, removes our troubles and sufferings, and makes us happy. This progress or development is entirely due to the help of the Sadguru, who is regarded as the Lord Himself. Therefore, we should always be after the Sadguru, hear His stories, fall at His Feet and serve Him.
Man does not generally think of God, but when difficulties and calamities overtake him, he turns to Him and prays for relief. If his demerits have come to an end, god arranges his meeting with a saint, who gives him proper directions regarding his welfare.
As a devotee is resolute and determined, so is Baba’s immediate response. Some times Baba puts the devotees to severe test and then, gives them ‘Upadesh’ (instructions).
Nishtha – firm faith – Shraddha
Saburi – patience or perseverance
Saburi will ferry you across the sea of this mundane existence. Saburi removes all sins and afflictions, gets rid of calamities in various ways, and casts aside all fear, and ultimately gives you success. Saburi is the mine of virtues, consort of good thought.
Do not try to get Mantra or Upadesh from anybody. Make Me the sole object of your thoughts and actions and you will, no doubt, attain Paramartha (spiritual goal of life). Look at me wholeheartedly and I, in turn, look at you. No sadhana or proficiency in the six Shastras, is necessary. Have faith and confidence in your Guru. Believe that, Guru is the sole Actor or Doer. Blessed is he, who knows the greatness of his Guru and thinks him to be Hari, Hara and Brahma (Trimurti) Incarnate.
My method is quite unique. Remember well, this one story and it will be very useful. To get the knowledge (realization) of the self, Dyan (meditation) is necessary. If you practice it continuously, the Vrittis (subtle thoughts) will be pacified. Being quite desireless, you should meditate on God, who is in all the creatures and when the mind is concentrated, the goal will be achieved. Meditate always on My formless Nature, which is knowledge incarnate, consciousness and bliss. If you cannot do this, meditate on My Form from top to toe, as you see here night and day. As you go on doing this, your Vrittis will be single-pointed, and the distinction between the Dhyata (meditator), Dhyana (act of meditation), Dhyeye (thing meditated upon) will be lost, and the meditator will be one with the consciousness and be merged in the Brahma. The (mother) tortoise is on one bank of the river and her young ones are on the other. She gives neither milk, nor warmth to them. Her mere loving glance gives them nutrition. The young ones do nothing but remember (meditate upon) their mother. The tortoise glance is to the young ones, the only source of sustenance and happiness. Similar is the relation between the Guru and disciples.
Unless there is some relationship or connection, nobody goes anywhere. If any men or creatures come to you, do not discourteously drive them away but receive them well, and treat them with due respect. Shri Hari (God) will be certainly pleased, if you give water to the thirsty, bread to the hungry, clothes to the naked and your Verandah to strangers for resting. If anybody wants any money from you and you are not inclined to give, do not give but do not bark at him like a dog. Let anybody speak hundreds of things against you, do not resent, by giving any bitter reply. If you tolerate such things you will certainly be happy. Let the world go topsy-turvy, you remain where you are. Standing in your own place look on calmly at the show of all things passing before you. Demolish the wall of difference that separates you from Me, and then the road for our meeting will be clear and open. The sense of differentiation as I and thou, is the barrier, that keeps away the disciple from his Master and unless that is destroyed the state of union or atonement is not possible, “Allah Malik”, i.e. God is the sole Proprietor, nobody else is our Protector. His method of work is extra-ordinary, invaluable and inscrutable. His Will be done and He will show us the way, and satisfy our heart’s desires.
It is on account of Rinanubandh (former relationship) that we have come together, lets us love and serve each other and be happy. He who attains the supreme goal of life is immortal and happy, all others merely exist, i.e. live so long as they breathe.
You have to surrender yourself completely to Him with love and devotion and then you will see how He helps you, through out. Some saint has said that, when you get a good thought, immediately after awakening from sleep, and if you develop the same afterwards during the day, your intellect will be unfolded and your mind will attain calmness.
They say there are various ways of cleansing or removing dirt, viz. by means of water and soap etc. but a scandal monger has got a way of his own. He removes the dirt (faults) of other by his tongue, so in a way, he obliges the person, whom he reviles and for this he is to be thanked. Baba pointed a pig and said “Behold, how, with what relish it is gulping filth. Your conduct is similar. You go on reviling your own brethren to your heart’s content. After performing many deeds of merit you are born as a human and if you act like this, how can Shirdi help you in any way?”
Baba said that He was Omnipresent, transcending land, air, world, light and heaven, and that He was not localized. If any devotee meditated on Him, day and night, with complete self-surrender, he experienced complete union with Him, like sweetness and sugar, waves and sea, eye and its sight. He who wants to get rid of the cycle of births and deaths, should lead a righteous life with his mind calm and composed. He should not speak harshly to anyone, so as to hurt him. He should always engage himself in good actions, should do his duties and surrender himself, heart and soul, to Him. He need not be afraid of anything. He, who trust Him entirely, hears and expounds His Leelas and does not think of anything else, is sure to attain self-realization.
Baba asked many to remember His name and to surrender to Him but to those, who wanted to know, who they were {“Who am I”), He advised Shravan (study) and Manan (contemplation). To some, He advised remembering God’s name, to others, hearing His leelas; to some, worship of His feet to others reading and studying Adhyatma Ramayan, Dnyaneshwari and other sacred scriptures.
Nobody should take the labour of others in vain. The worker should be paid his dues promptly and liberally.
Chapter 20
God was originally formless. He assumed a form for the sake of Bhaktas. With the help of Maya, He played the part of an Actor in the big drama of the universe.
Isha Upanishad is called Mantropanishad as it is embodied in the mantras of the Vedic Sanhita. It constitutes the last or the 40th chapter of the Vajasaneyi Sanhita (Yajurveda) and it is therefore, called Vajasaneyi Sanhitopanishad. Being embodied in Vedic Sanhitas, this is regarded as superior to all other Upanishads, which are in the Brahmanyaks and Aranyakas (explanatory treatises on Mantras and rituals). Not only this, other Upanishads are considered to be commentaries on the truths, mentioned briefly in the Isha Upanishad. For instance, the biggest of the Upanishads, viz. the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad is considered to be a running commentary on the Isha Upanishad.
It is the quint-essence of the Vedas. It is the science of self-realization, it is the scythe or weapon which can rend asunder the bondage of life and death and makes us free.
All our feelings of pain and pleasure depend on the attitude of our mind. On thinking deeply over the incident he (das ganu) realized that, a man ought to enjoy whatever God has bestowed on him in the firm conviction that, He besets everything from behind and before and on all sides; and that, whatever is bestowed on him by god be for his good. In this particular case, the impoverished condition of the poor girl, her torn rag and the new Sari, the donor, the donee and the deal were all parts of the Lord and pervaded by Him. Here Das Ganu got a practical demonstration of the lesson of the Upanishad – the lesson of contentment with one’s own lot with the belief that whatever happens, is ordained by God, and is ultimately good for us.
One of the main features of the Isha Upanishad is the ethical advice it offers and it is interesting to note that, the ethics of the Upanishad are definitely based upon the metaphysical position, given in it. The very opening words of the Upanishad tell us that, God pervades everything. As a corollary, from this metaphysical position the ethical advise it offers is that, a man ought to enjoy whatever God bestows on him in the firm belief, that, as He pervades everything, whatever is bestowed on him by God, must be good. It follows naturally that, the Upanishad should forbid us from coveting another man’s property. In fact, we are fittingly taught here a lesson of contentment with one’s own lot in the belief that, whatever happens is divinely ordained and hence, it is good for us. Another moral advice is that, man must spend his life-time always in doing action, specifically the Karmas enjoined in the Shastras, with resignation to His will.
Inactivity, according to this Upanishad, would be the canker of the soul. It is only when a man spends his life-time in doing actions in this manner that; he can hope to attain the ideal of Naishkarmya. Finally, the text goes on to say that a man, who sees all beings in the self and sees the self as existing in all beings in fact, for whom all beings and everything that exists have become the Self – how can such a man suffer for infatuation? What ground would such a man have for grief? Loathfulness, infatuation and grief verily proceed from our not being able to see the Atma in all things. But, a man who realizes the oneness of all things, for whom everything has become the Self must ipso facto, cease to be affected by the common foibles of humanity.
Chapter 21
It is a general rule that, it is our good luck in the form of accumulation of merits of past births that enables us to seek the company of saints and benefit thereby.
Mere reading won’t do. You have to think and carry out what you read, otherwise it is of no use. Mere book-learning, without the grace of the Guru and self-realization is of no avail. Unless the mind becomes calm, all book-learnings is of no avail.
The mare is God’s grace and the nine balls excreted are the nine forms or types of Bhakti, viz. 1.Shravan (hearing); 2. Kirtan (praying); 3. Smaran (remembering); 4. Padasevan (resorting to the feet); 5. Archan (worship); 6. Namaskar (bowing); 7. Dasya (service); 8. Sakhyam (friendship); 9. Atmanivedan (surrender of the self); These are the nine types of Bhakti. If any of these is faithfully followed, Lord Hari will be pleased and manifest Himself in the home of the devotee.
All the sadhanas (japa, tapa, yoga practice and studying the scriptures and expounding them) are quite useless, unless they are accompanied by Bhakti, i.e. devotion. Knowledge of the Vedas or fame as a great Dnyani and mere formal Bhajan (worship) are of no avail. What is wanted is full devotion. Consider yourself as the merchant or seeker after the truth, and be anxious and eager like him to collect or cultivate the nine types of devotion. Then, you will attain stability and peace of mind.
I should not indulge in any scandal or slander of others, and not interfere unnecessarily in others affairs.
We should mean well and do well. Whatever is destined to happen, will happen.
God lives in all beings and creatures, whether they be serpents or scorpions. He is the Great Wirepuller of the world, and all beings, serpents, scorpions etc. obey His command! Unless He wills it nobody can do any harm to others. The world is all dependent on Him and no one is independent. So we should take pity and love all creatures, leave off killings and be patient. The Lord (God) is the Protector of all.
Chapter 23
In Reality this Jiva (human soul) transcends the three qualities (sattwa, rajas and tamas); but being deluded by Maya, he forgets his nature which is ‘Pure Consciousness-knowledge-bliss’ and thinks that, he is the doer and thus, entangles himself in endless miseries and does not know the way of deliverance. The only way of deliverance is the loving devotion towards the Guru’s feet.
Jiva can be very well compared with a parrot, and that they both are bound, the one in the body and other in a cage. Both think that, their present bound state is good for them. It is only when a helper, i.e. Guru comes and by God’s grace opens their eyes and liberates them from their bondage, that, their eyes are opened to a greater and larger life, compared to which, their former bound and limited life is nothing.
Chapter 24
Unless we surrender our ego to the feet of our Sadguru, we will not succeed in our undertaking. If we become egoless, then, our success is assured.
By worshipping Sai Baba, we attain both the objects – worldly and spiritual, and are fixed in our true nature and get peace and happiness. Therefore, those who want to accomplish or gain their welfare, should respectfully hear Sai Baba’s Leelas or stories, and meditate on them. If they do this, they will easily attain the object of their life and get bliss.
He has advised us that, before the senses, mind and intellect enjoy their objects, first He should be remembered, and if this be done, it is in a way by making an offering to Him. The senses etc. can never remain without their objects, but if those objects are first offered to the Guru, the attachment for them will naturally vanish. In this way, all the Vrittis (subtle thoughts) regarding desire, anger, avarice etc. should first be offered and directed to the Guru, and if this practice is followed, the Lord will help you in eradicating all the Vrittis. When before enjoyment of the objects, you think that Baba is present, the question, whether the object is fit to be enjoyed or not, will at once arise. Then the object, that is not fit to be enjoyed, will be shunned and in this way our vicious habits or vices will disappear, and our character will improve. Then love for the Guru will grow and pure knowledge will sprout up. When this knowledge grows, the bondage of body-consciousness (we are the body) will snap and our intellect will be merged in spirit-consciousness (we are the spirit). Then we shall get bliss and contentment. There is no difference between Guru and God. He, who sees any difference in them, finds God nowhere. So leaving aside all ideas of difference, we should regard Guru and God as one; and if we serve our Guru, as stated above, God will be certainly pleased and by purifying our minds will give us self-realization. To put the matter in a nut-shell, we should not enjoy any object with our senses etc., without first remembering our Guru. When the mind is trained in this way, we will be always reminded of Baba and our meditation on Baba will grow apace. The sagun form of Baba will ever be before our eyes and then, devotion, non-attachment and salvation will all be ours. When Baba’s form is thus fixed before our mental vision, we forget hunger, thirst and this Sansar (world), the consciousness of worldly pleasures will disappear and our mind shall attain peace and happiness.
The Shruti also emphasizes this lesson, and asks us to offer things first to God and then enjoy them, after they are renounced by Him.
Chapter 25
Whenever, a devotee had complete and whole-hearted devotion to Sai Baba, all his calamities and dangers were warded off and his welfare attended to by Baba.
Believe Me, though I pass away, My bones in My tomb would be speaking, moving and communicating with those, who would surrender themselves whole-heartedly to Me. Do not be anxious that, I would be absent from you. You will hear My bones speaking and discussing your welfare. But remember Me always, believe in Me heart and soul and then, you will be most benefited.
Oh Sai Sadguru, the wish fulfilling tree of the bhaktas, we pray, Let us never forget and lose sight of Your feet; we have been troubled with the ins and outs (births and deaths) in this Sansar; now free us from this cycle of births and deaths. Restrain us from the outgoing of our senses to their objects and introvert us, and bring us face to face with the Atma (self). As long as this outgoing tendency of the senses and the mind is not checked, there is no prospect of self-realization. Neither son, nor wife, nor friend, will be of any use in the end. It is only, You, Who will give us salvation and bliss. Destroy completely our tendency for discussions and other evil matters, let our tongue get a passion for chanting Your name. drive out our thoughts, and make us forget our bodies and do away with our egoism. Make us ever remember Your name and forget all other things. Remove the restlessness of our mind and make it steady and calm. If You just clasp us, the darkness of night, of our ignorance, will vanish and we shall live happily in Your light. That, You made us drink the nectar of Your leelas and awakened us from our slumber, is due to Your grace and our store of merits in past births.
Chapter 26
All the things that we see in the universe are nothing but a play of Maya – the creative power of the Lord. These things do not really exist. What really exists is the Absolute. Just as we mistake a rope or a garland for a serpent, on account of darkness, we always see the phenomena, i.e. things, as they outwardly appear, and not the Noumenon, which underlies all the visible things. It is only the Sadguru who opens the eyes of our understanding and enables us to see things in their true light and not as they appear. Let us therefore, worship the Sadguru and pray to him to gives us the true vision, which is nothing but God-vision.
Turn our mind inward, give us discrimination between the unreal and the real and non-attachment for all worldly things, and thus enable us to get self-realization. We surrender ourselves, body and soul (body-consciousness and ego) to you. Make our eyes Yours, so that we should never feel pleasure and pain. Control our body and mind as You wish. Let our mind rest in Your Feet.”
Man proposes one way and God disposes the other.
Come what may, leave not but stick to your own bolster (support, i.e, Guru) and ever remain steady with him. Have not all your thoughts, doubts and apprehensions calmed down now? Hari (lord) will protect him, who has got faith and patience.
You must bear the fruit – good or bad – of your past actions; if it is incomplete, suicide wont help you. You have to take another birth and suffer again; so instead of killing yourself, why not suffer for some time and finish up the fruit of your past deeds and be done with it once and for all?
Chapter 27
The efficacy of God’s name is well-known. It saves us from all sins and bad tendencies, frees us from the cycle of births and deaths. There is no easier Sadhana than this. It is the best purifier of our mind. It requires no paraphernalia and no restrictions. It is so easy and so effective.
A man, however learned he may be even in Vedas, fades away before one, who has realized Brahma and becomes one with it. Learning cannot stand before self-realization.
Chapter 28
It is always the experience of the bhaktas, that God always helps them in their search for Sadguru and other spiritual endeavours.
As a wire-puller I carry on all the actions of the man who trusts Me and merges in Me
Chapter 29
Doubts and difficulties surround us, just to move us and confirm our faith. We are tested as it were. If we only hold on steadily to Baba, with full faith and continue our endeavors, our efforts will be ultimately crowned with success.
Chapter 30
Bow to the kind Sai who is the abode of mercy and who is affectionate towards his devotees. By his mere darshan he does away with their fear of worldly illusions (sansaar) and destroys their calamities. He was first Nirgun (formless) but on account of the devotion of His bhaktas, he was obliged to take a form. To give liberation, self-realization to the bhaktas is the mission of the saints and for Sai, the Chief of them that mission is inevitable. Those who take refuge in His feet, have all their sins destroyed and their progress is certain. Remembering His Feet Brahmins from holy places come to him and read scriptures and chant the Gayatri mantra in His presence. We who are weak and without any merits do not know what Bhakti is, but we know this much that though all others may leaves us, Sai won’t forsake us. Those whom He favours get enormous strength, discrimination between the unreal and the real and knowledge.
Sai knows fully the desire of His devotees and fulfils the same. Hence, they get what they want and are grateful. So we invoke Him and prostrate ourselves before Him. Forgetting all our faults let Him free us from all anxieties. He who being overcome with calamities remembers and prays Sai thus, will get his mind calmed and pacified through his grace.
If anybody is in real earnest to see a saint, not only the saint but God also fulfils his wish. In fact the ‘Sant’ (saint) and the ‘Anant’ (God) are one and the same, there is not the least difference between them. If anybody thinks that he will go on his own wish and see a saint, that will be a mere boast. Unless the saint wills it, no one is able to go and see him. Even the leaf of the tree won’t move without his bidding. The more anxious a bhakta is for the visit to the saint, the more devout and faithfull he is, the more speedily and effectively is his wish satisfied to his heart’s content. He who invites anybody for a visit also arranges everything for his reception.
Chapter 31
The last wish or thought that a man has at the hour of death, determines his future course. “he who remembers Me in his last moments, comes verily to Me; and he who meditates otherwise, at that time, goes to what he longs for”
Constant practice is necessary for enabling us to fix our mind on any desired good thought at any moment. All saints, therefore recommend us to remember God and chant His name always, so that we may not be perplexed or perturbed, when the time for departure comes.
Attachment makes misuse of an ochre garb. Wealth and prosperity are transient and the body is subject to decay and death. While knowing this, do your duty leaving all attachment with the things of this world and next. He who does this and surrenders himself to the Feet of Hari (Lord) will get free from all troubles and attain Bliss. The Lord runs and helps him, who remembers and meditates on Him with love and affection.
Chapter 32
The Sansara (visible world) is like Asvattha (Banyan ) tree, which has in the phraseology of the Gita, roots above and branches below. Its branches are spread downward and upwards, and are nourished by the gunas (qualities), and its sprouts are the objects of the senses. Its roots, leading to actions are extended downwards to this world of men, its form cannot be known in this world, nor its end, its beginning, nor its support. After cutting this Ashvattha tree of strong roots with the sharp weapon of non-attachment one should seek the path, beyond treading, which there is no return. For traversing this path, the help of a good guide (Guru) is absolutely necessary. However, learned, a man may be, or however deep his study of Veda and Vedant (sacred literature) may be, he cannot reach his destination safely. If the guide be there to help him and show him the right way, he would avoid the pitfalls, and the wild beasts on the journey move aside.
He who controls his mind is blessed; we should be free from thoughts and ideas and there is nothing in the world without us. The world is always changing, the formless is eternal; so, we should discriminate between the unreal and the Real. Baba said, bookish knowledge alone is worthless and added “Let us do our prescribed duty and surrender our body; mind and five prans (life) to the Guru’s feet. Guru is God, all pervading. To get this conviction, strong unbounded faith is necessary”. A guide is always necessary to show us the right way in small or great matters and no quest can successfully carried out on an empty stomach. Unless God wills it, no one meets us on the way. Do not discard offers of food, served dish should not be thrust away. Offers of food should be regarded as auspicious signs of success. He who loves others disinterestedly, is really enlightened; My Guru was the sole object of My meditation and I was conscious of none else. While meditating on him My mind and intellect were silent and I had thus, to keep quiet and bow to him in silence.
There are 2 sorts of consciousness: 1) Sensual and 2) Spiritual. When our senses and mind, which are created by God with an outgoing tendency, meet their objects, we get the sensual consciousness, in which we feel pleasure or pain, pure or mixed; but not bliss supreme of happiness. When the senses and the mind are withdrawn from their objects and are given opposite direction, i.e., when they are introverted and fixed on the self, we get the other, i.e., spiritual consciousness, in which we feel unalloyed joy or bliss, which is ineffable.
The shruti (Taittiriya Upanishad) exhorts us to honour and worship mother, father and preceptor and to study (learn and teach) the sacred scriptures. These are the means of purifying our minds, and unless this purification is effected, self-realization is not possible. Neither the senses, nor the mind, and intellect reach the Self. Modes of proof, such as perception and inference, will not help us in the matter. It is the grace of the Guru that counts. The objects of our life such as Dharma, Artha and Kama are attainable with our effort; but the fourth object, Moksha (liberation), can only be had with the help of the Guru.
Sai is the Mai-Baap (True Parents), who will do away with our rounds of births and deaths. God is not attained on an empty stomach; first the soul has to be appeased. If there be no food in the stomach and nutrition, with what eyes should we see God, with what tongue should we describe His greatness and with what ears should we hear the same? In short, when all our organs get their proper nutrition and are sound, we can practice devotion and other Sadhanas to attain God. Therefore, neither fasting nor over-eating is good. Moderation in diet is really wholesome, both to the body and the mind.
What a man might give, does not last long and is always imperfect. But what My Sarkar (God) gives, lasts to the end of time. My sarkar says take take, but everybody comes to me and says give, give. Nobody attends carefully to my meaning of what I say. My sarkar’s treasury (spiritual wealth) is full, it is overflowing. He, who does anything (spiritual endeavor), will reap its fruit and he, who remembers these words of mind, will get invaluable happiness.
Chapter 33
Baba taught by this Udi that all the visible phenomena in the universe are as transient as the ash. Our bodies composed of matter of the five elements, will fall down, after all their enjoyments are over and be reduced to ashes. In order to remind the devotees of the fact that, their bodies will be reduced to ashes, Baba distributed Udi to them. Baba also taught by the Udi that the Brahma is the only Realty and the universe is ephemeral, and that no one in this world, be he a son, father or wife, is really ours. We come here (in this world) alone and we have to go from here alone it has been found that the Udi cured many physical and mental maladies but Baba wanted to repeat into the devotee’s ears the principles of discrimination between the Unreal and the Real, He taught non-attachment for the unreal by His Udi and Dakshina. The former (Udi) taught us discrimination and the latter (Dakshina) taught us non-attachment. Unless we have these two things it is not possible for us to cross over the sea of the mundane existence.
He transcends both life and death. He, who loved Him whole-heartedly, gets response from Him at any time and at any place. He is always by our side and will take any form, appear before the devout bhakta and satisfy him.
Chapter 34
Those who resort to this Masjid shall never suffer anything in this life to the end of time. Believe in God, this is no Masjid, but Dwarakamai. He who steps here, will soon get health and happiness, and his sufferings will come to an end.
Our karma is the cause of our happiness and sorrow therefore, put up with whatever comes to you. Allah (God) is the sole Dispenser and Protector, think of Him always. He will take care of you. Surrender to Him with body, mind, and speech, and then see what He does.
The Lord is the Sole Doer and Inspirer. He is the most merciful. He who casts aside his egoism and thanks Him and he, who trusts Him entirely will have his shackles removed and will obtain liberation.
Chapter 35
In spiritual matters or endeavors, sectarianism is the greatest bar to our progress. Those who believe that God is without form are heard saying that, to believe that God is with form is an illusion; and that the saints are only human beings.
You destroy the Teli’s wall (sense of difference) between us, so that we can see and meet each other face to face.
Wealth should be the means to work out dharma, if it is used for personal enjoyment, it is wasted. Unless you have given it before, you do not get it now. So the best way to receive is to give. The giving of Dakshina advances Vairagya (non-attachment), and thereby Bhakti and Dnyan. Give one and receive tenfold.
As one feels intently, so he realizes accordingly.
Chapter 36
Debt, enmity and murder have to be atoned for, as there is no escape from them. Let our faith unto your feet be ever awake.
Chapter 37
May the knowledge we get in his company, last long unto death. Let us ever serve him with whole-hearted devotion to His feet. Let us see Him (God) in all beings and let us constantly remember his name.
Chapter 38
Different Sadhanas are prescribed in our scriptures for different ages. Tapa (penance) is recommended for Krita age, Dnyan (knowledge) for Treta age, Yagna (sacrifice) for Dwapara age and Daan (charity) for Kali (present) age. Of all the charities, giving food is the best one. We are much perturbed when we get no food at noon. Other beings feel similarly under such circumstances. After knowing this, he, who gives food to the poor and hungry, is the best donor or charitable person. Other kind of charities, require some discrimination but in the matter of food no such consideration is necessary.
Chapter 39
It is not enough merely to prostrate before the Gnyanis. We must make Sarvasva Sharanagati (complete surrender) to the Sadguru.
Mere questioning is not enough. The question must not be made with any improper motive or attitude or to trap the Guru and catch mistakes in the answer, or out of idle curiosity. It must be earnest with a view to achieve spiritual progress or liberation.
Seva is not rendering services, with the feeling that one is free to offer or refuse service. One must feel that, he is not the master of the body that the body is Guru’s and exists merely to render service to him.
Destroying ignorance is Gnyan. Expelling darkness means light, destroying duality (dwaita) means non duality (adwaita).
How did the ignorance arise? Where is it? Following instances of Agnyan:
I am a jiva (creature)
I am the body.
God, world and Jiva are different.
I am not God.
Not knowing that body is not the soul.
Not knowing that God, world and Jiva are one.
Unless these errors are exposed to his view, the disciple cannot learn, what is God, Jiva, world, body; how they are interrelated and whether they are different from each other, or are one and the same. To teach him these and destroy his ignorance is this instruction in Gnyan or Agnyan. Why should Gnyan be imparted to the Jiva, Upadesh is merely to show him his error and destroy his ignorance.
Chapter 40
I always think of him, who remembers Me. I require no conveyance, carriage, Tonga, train, or airplane. I manifest Myself to him, who lovingly calls Me.
See, to keep My words, I would sacrifice my life, I would never be untrue to My words.
Chapter 41
I am sitting here, to give you the whole gold-embroidered shela (valuable shawl) then, why go to others to steal rags! And why should get into the habit of stealing?
Chapter 42
The light of Guru’s grace removes fear of the mundane existence, opens the path of salvation and turns our misery into happiness. If we always remember the feet of the Sadguru, our troubles come to an end, death loses its sting, and the misery of this mundane existence is obliterated. Therefore, those who care for their welfare should carefully listen to these stories of Sai Samarth, which will purify their minds.
Tuesday 15th, October, 1918 2.30pm
Why do you grieve for nothing? The appeasement of the dog’s hunger is the same as Mine. The dog has a soul, the creatures may be different, but the hunger of all is the same, though some speak and others are dumb. Know for certain that, he who feeds the hungry really serves Me with food. Regard this as Truth.
Saints embody themselves and come into this world with a definite mission and after that is fulfilled, they pass away, as quietly and easily as they came.
Chapter 43
It is the general practice amongst Hindus that, when a man is about to die, some good religious scripture is read out to him with the object that, his mind should be withdrawn from worldly things and fixed in spiritual matters, so that his future progress should be natural and easy.
Saints incarnate in this world with the express mission of saving the poor helpless people, and when they embody themselves and act with the people, they act like them i.e, outwardly, they laugh, play and cry, like all other people, but inwardly they are wide awake to their duties and mission.
The body, composed of the five elements, is perishable and transient but the Self within is the thing – Absolute Reality; which is immortal and intransient. This pure being, consciousness or Brahma, the ruler and controller of the senses and mind is Sai. This pervades all things in the universe and there is no space without it.
His passing away is only an outward aspect, but in reality He pervades all animate and inanimate things and is their Inner controller and ruler. This can be, and even now experienced by many, who surrender themselves completely to Him and worship Him with whole-hearted devotion.
I shall consider you blessed, when you will renounce all attachments, conquer lust and sense of taste, and getting rid of all impediments, serve God whole-heartedly and resort to the begging bowl (accept sanyas) [answer to job’s question]
He who loves Me most, always sees Me. The whole world is desolate to him without Me, he who tells no stories but Mine; he ceaselessly meditates upon Me and always chants My name. I feel indebted to him who surrenders himself completely to Me, and ever remembers Me. I shall repay his debt by giving him salvation (self-realization). I am dependant on him, who thinks and hungers after Me. He who thus comes to Me, becomes one with Me, just as a river gets to the sea and becomes merged (one) with it. So, leaving out pride and egoism and with no trace of them, you should surrender yourself to Me, who is seated in your heart.
Who is this Me
Saibaba expounded many a time who this ME (or I) is. He said, “You need not go far in search of Me. Barring your name and form, there exists in you as well as in all beings, a sense of Being or Consciousness of Existence. That is Myself. Knowing this, you see Me inside yourself, as well as in beings. If you practice this, you will realize all-pervasiveness, and thus attain oneness with Me.
Hemadpant, requests humbly and lovingly that, they should love and respect all Gods, saints and devotees. Has not Baba often said, “He who carps and cavils at others, pierces Me in the heart and injures Me, but he that suffers and endures, pleases Me most.”
Chapter 44
All our senses, organs, and mind should co-operate in worshipping and serving Baba. It is of no use, in engaging some organs in the worship and deflecting others. If a thing like worship or meditation is to be done, it ought to be done with all our mind and soul.
No one, whether he be father, mother, brother or any other relation, comes to our aid in attaining the goal of life (self-realization). We have to chalk out and traverse the path of self-realization ourselves. We have to discriminate between the unreal and the Real, renounce the things and enjoyments of this world and control our senses and mind, and aspire for liberation only. Instead of depending upon others, we should have full faith in ourselves. When we begin to practice discrimination we come to know that the world is transient and unreal and our passion for worldly things becomes less, and ultimately we get dispassion or non-attachment for them. When we know that the Brahma, which is no other than our Guru, is the sole reality; and as it transcends and besets the seeming universe, we begin to worship it in all creatures. This is the unitive Bhajan or worship.
When we thus worship the Brahma or Guru whole-heartedly, we become one with Him and attain self-realization. In short, always chanting the name of the Guru and meditating on Him, enables us to see Him in all beings and confers eternal Bliss on us.
Chapter 45
What is bhagwat dharm
Characteristics of a Bhakta(devotee)
What is maya
How to cross maya
What is para-brahma
What is karma
The incarnations of God and their deeds
How a non-devotee fares after death
The different modes of worship of god in different ages
In this kali age, the only means of liberation was the remembrance of Hari (lord’s) or Guru’s feet.
There are innumerable saints in this world, but ‘our father’ (Guru) is the Father (Real Guru). Others might say many good things, but we should never forget our Guru’s words. In short, love your Guru wholeheartedly, surrender to Him completely and prostrate yourselves before Him reverentially; and then, you will see that there is no sea of the mundane existence, before you to cross.
How can he, who cant sit and sleep well on the ground, whose Asana (posture) is not steady, and who is slave to sleep, can sleep high up on a plank?
What (whether good or bad) is ours is with us, and what is other’s is with them.
Chapter 46
You so skillfully pull the wires that, they ultimately realize that, You are behind them to help and support them. The intelligent, wise and learned folk fall into the pit of the Sansar on account of their egoism; but you save, by Your power, the poor, simple and devout persons. Inwardly and invisibly, You play all the game but show that you are not concerned with it. While you do things but pose Your-self as a non-doer. Nobody ever knows your life. The best course, therefore, is to surrender our body, speech and mind to Your Feet , and always chant your name for destroying our sins. You fulfill the wishes of the devotees and to those; who are without any desire, you give Bliss supreme. The chanting of Your sweet name, is the easiest Sadhana for devotees. By this Sadhana, our sins, Rajas and Tamas qualities, will vanish; the Sattwa qualities and righteousness will gain predominance and along with this, discrimination, dispassion and knowledge will follow. Then, we shall abide in our self and our Guru (who are one and the same). This is what is called as complete surrender to the Guru. The greatness of this surrender, devotion and knowledge is unique, for peace, non-attachment; fame and salvation etc. come in its wake.
Chapter 47
We have to reap now the fruit of what we sow in our past life, and there is no use crying about it now.
God does not like big subscriptions and donations, collected against the wishes of the donors, but He likes every trifling amount given with love, devotion and gratitude.
God runs to His devotees for help in times of danger. One has to reap what one sows, and there is no escape, unless one suffers and squares up one’s old debts and dealings with others, and that, greed for money drags the greedy man to the lowest level, and ultimately brings destruction for him and others.
Chapter 48
He, who teaches us Ved and Vedanta or the six Shastras (systems), he, who controls the breath or brands his body with Mudras or gives pleasing discourses regarding Brahma; he, who gives Mantras (sacred syllables) to the disciples and orders them to chant the same a certain number of times, but does not assure them any result in a definite time, he, who , by his lengthy gross knowledge, explains beautifully the Ultimate principle; but has himself got no experience or self-realization IS NOT A SADGURU.
But, he who, by his discourse, creates in us a taste of self-realization, who is well versed in both the theoretical and practical knowledge (self-realization), deserves to be called as sadguru.
How can he, who is himself devoid of self-realization, give it to the disciples? A Sadguru does not, ever in his dream, expect any service or profit from his disciples. On the contrary he wishes to serve them. Not only, he loves him as his son but regards him as equal to himself or as Brahma. The main characteristic of a Sadguru is that, he is the abode of peace. He is never restless or ruffled. He has no pride of his learning. The poor and rich, the small and the great, are the same to him.
Devotees have to trim their heart-lamp of faith and devotion, and burn in it wicks of love, and when this is done, the flame of knowledge (self-realization) will be lit up and shine brighter. Mere knowledge without love is dry, nobody wants such knowledge. Without love there is no contentment, so we should have unbroken and unbounded love. How can we praise love? Everything is insignificant before it. Without love our reading, hearing and the study are of no avail. In the wake of love come devotion, dispassion, peace and liberation with all their treasures. We do not get love for anything, unless we feel earnestly about it. So, where there is real yearning God manifests Himself. It includes love and it is the means of liberation.
These feet are old and holy, you are care-free now; place entire faith in Me and you will soon get your object.
Oh, why do you prostrate yourself now and then? One Namaskar offered with love and humility is enough.
Chapter 49
In reality, the observance of the vow of silence is the best way of praising the Sadguru; but the divine qualities of Sai Baba make us forget our vow of silence and inspire us to open our mouth.
Our duty is to surrender completely to Him and meditate on Him. Practicing penance is better than pilgrimage, vow, sacrifice and charity. Worshipping Hari (Lord) is better than penance; and meditation on the Sadguru is the best of all. We have therefore, to chant Sai’s name think over His sayings in our mind, meditate on His Form, feel true love for Him in our heart, and do all our actions for His sake. There is no better means than this for snapping the bondage of this Sansar. If we can do our duty on our part, as stated above, Sai is bound to help and liberate us.
That is our abode and place of rest, where the mind is most pleased and settled.
Let the senses do their allotted work or duty, we should not meddle with their work. God has created this beautiful world, and its our duty to appreciate its beauty. The mind will get steady and calm slowly. When the front door was open, why go by the back one? When the heart is pure, there is no difficulty whatsoever. Why should one be afraid of anyone, if there be no evil thought in us? The eyes may do their work, why should you feel shy and tottering?
That our mind is fickle by nature, it should not be allowed to get wild. The senses may get restless, the body, however should be held in check, and not allowed to be impatient. Senses run after objects of desire but we should not follow them and crave for them. By slow and gradual practice, restlessness can be conquered. We should not be swayed by the senses, though they cannot be completely controlled. We should curb them, rightly and properly, according to the need of the occasion. Beauty is the subject of sight; we may fearlessly look at the beauty of the objects. There is no room for shyness or fear. Only, we should never entertain evil thoughts. Making the mind desire less, observe God’s work of beauty. In this way the outer senses are held in check, and if the mind be allowed to run after objects and be attached to them, our cycle of births and deaths will not come to an end. With Vivek (discrimination) as our charioteer, we will control the mind, and shall not allow the senses to go astray. With such a charioteer, we reach the Vishnu-pada – the final abode, our real Home, from where there is no return.
Chapter 50
Though we try hundreds of means or Sadhanas, we do not attain the spiritual goal of life, unless a Sadguru blesses us with his grace.
Why should you take the responsibility of the actions on you? Do not entertain the sense of doer ship in doing good, as well as for bad deeds, be entirely pride less and egoless in all things and thus your spiritual progress will be rapid.
Chapter 51
This ocean of mundane existence is very hard to cross. Waves of attachments beat high against the bank of bad thoughts and break down trees of fortitude. The breeze of egoism blows with force and makes the ocean rough and agitated. Crocodiles in the form of anger and hatred move there fearlessly. Eddies in the form of the idea “I and Mine” and other doubts whirl there incessantly, and innumerable fishes in the form of censure, hate and jealousy play there. Though, this ocean is so fierce and terrible, Sadguru Sai is its Agasti (Destroyer) and the devotees of Sai have the least fear of it. Our Sadguru is the boat, which will safely take us across this ocean.
Let not our mind wander and desire anything except Thee. If you go on meditating on Sai’s Form, it will, in course of time, lead you into self-realization. It is very hard to know or realize the nature of Self of Brahma; but if you approach through the Sagun Brahma (Sai’s form) your progress will be easy.
Knowledge or Self-Realization is not possible, unless there is the prior act of grinding of all our impulses, desires, sins; and of three Gunas, viz. Sattva, Rajas and Tamas, and the Ahankar, which is so subtle and therefore, so difficult to get rid of.
Nipatniranjan said…Do not be afraid, hold fast to the handle of knowledge of this mill, as I do, and do not wander far away from the same, but turn inward to the centre, and you are sure to be saved.
Chapter 2
The stories, parables and teachings of Sai Baba are very wonderful. They will give peace and happiness to the people, who are afflicted with sorrows and heavily loaded with miseries of this worldly existence, and also bestow knowledge and wisdom, both in worldly and in spiritual domains. If these teachings of Sai Baba, which are as interesting and instructive as the Vedic lore, are listened to and meditated upon, the devotees will get what they long for, viz., union with Brahma, mastery in eight-fold Yoga, bliss of meditation etc.
He should get rid of his ego, surrender it at My Feet. He, who acts like this in life, him I help the most. When his ego is completely annihilated and there is left no trace of it, I myself shall enter into him and shall Myself write My own life. Hearing my stories and teachings create faith in devotees’ hearts and they will easily get self-realization and bliss; let there be no insistence on establishing one’s own view, no attempt to refute other’s opinions, no discussion of pros and cons of any subject.”
Unless there is strong body-consciousness and egoism, there would be no discussion, in other words, it is egoism which breeds discussion.
Whatever is bound to happen must happen, even great men have failed; man proposes one way, but God disposes the other way. Brush aside your cleverness. Pride or egoism won’t help you.
No discussion whether man is free or bound, is of any use in spiritual matters, but on the contrary real Paramartha is possible, only as the result of the teachings of the Guru; Great Avatars like Ram and Krishna, who had to submit themselves to their Gurus, Vasishtha and Sandipani respectively, for getting Self-Realization and that, the only virtues necessary for such progress are faith and patience.
Chapter 3
“You do your duty, don’t be afraid in the least, steady your mind and have faith in My words. If My Leelas are written, the Avidya (nescience) will vanish and if they are attentively and devoutly listened to, the consciousness of the worldly existence will abate and strong waves of devotion and love will rise up and if one dives deep into My Leelas, he would get precious jewels of knowledge.”
“If a man utters My name with love, I shall fulfill all his wishes, increase his devotion. And if he sings earnestly My life and My deeds, him I shall beset in front and back and on all sides. Those devotees, who are attached to Me, heart and soul, will naturally feel happiness, when they hear these stories. Believe Me that, if anybody sings My Leelas, I will give him infinite joy and ever-lasting contentment. It is my special characteristic to free any person who surrenders completely to Me, and who worships Me faithfully, and who remembers Me, and meditates on Me constantly. How can they be conscious of worldly objects and sensations, who utter My name, who worship Me, who think of My stories and My life, and who thus, always remember Me! I shall draw out My devotees from the jaws of death. If My stories are listened to, all the diseases will be got rid of. So, hear My stories with respect, and think and meditate on them, assimilate them. This is the way of happiness and contentment. The pride and egoism of My devotees will vanish, and the mind of the hearers will be set at rest; and if he has wholehearted and complete faith, he will be one with Supreme Consciousness. The simple remembrance of My name as “Sai, Sai” will do away with sins of speech and hearing.”
Sai Baba’s stories serve a similar purpose (light houses) in the ocean of worldly existence. They surpass nectar in sweetness, and make our worldly path smooth and easy to traverse. Blessed are the stories of the saints. When they enter our hearts through the ears, the body-consciousness or egoism and the sense of duality vanish; and when they are stored in the heart, doubts will evade, pride of the body will fall, and wisdom will be stored in abundance. The description of Baba’s pure fame, and the hearing of the same with love, will destroy the sins of the devotee and, therefore, this is the simple Sadhana for attaining salvation.
Singing and hearing the stories and the glory of the Lord (Sai Baba) is very easy. We have to turn our attention towards them. The listening and singing of the stories will remove the attachment to the senses and their objects, and will make the devotees dispassionate, and will ultimately lead them to self-realization.
He should turn all his attention towards Me and avoid the company of atheists, irreligious and wicked people. He should be modest and humble towards all, and worship Me with heart and soul. If he does this, he will get eternal happiness.
Baba liked prayers and cries to God better than anything else.
“Be wherever you like, do whatever you choose, remember this well that, all what you do is known to Me. I am the Inner Ruler of all and seated in your hearts. I envelope all the creatures, the movable and immovable world. I am the controller- the Wire-puller of the show of this universe. I am the Mother – origin of all beings – the Harmony of three Gunas, the Propeller of all senses, the Creator, Preserver and Destroyer. Nothing will harm him, who turns his attention towards Me, but Maya will lash or whip him, who forgets Me. All the insects, ants, the visible, movable and immovable world, is My body or form”.
Leave out various hindrances, viz., indolence, sleep, wandering of mind, attachments to senses etc. and turn their whole and undivided attention to these stories of Sai Baba. Let their love be natural, let them know the secret of devotion, let them not exhaust themselves by other Sadhanas, let them stick to this simple remedy i.e. listening to Sai Baba’s stories. This will destroy their ignorance and will secure for them salvation. A miser may stay at various places, but he constantly thinks of his buried treasure. So, let Sai Baba be enthroned in the hearts of all.
Chapter 4
“Whenever there is a decay of Dharma (righteousness) and an ascendancy of unrighteousness, I manifest Myself, for the protection of virtuous and the destruction of vicious; and for the establishment of righteousness, I manifest Myself Age after Age.”
When spiritual preceptors are not respected but humiliated, when nobody cares for religious instructions, when everybody thinks himself very learned, when people begin to partake of forbidden foods and intoxicating drinks, when under the cloak of religion people indulge in malpractices, when people belonging to different sects fight amongst themselves, when Brahmins fail to do Sandhya adoration, and the orthodox leave their religious practices, when Yogis neglect their meditation, when people begin to think that, wealth, progeny, wife are their sole concern; and thus, turn away from the true path of salvation then, saints appear and try to set matters at right path by their words and action. They serve us as beacon-lights, and show us the path, and the right way for us to follow.
Chapter 5
“Poverty is better than kingship, far better than Lordship. The Lord is always brother (befriender) of the poor.”
One should get rid of egoism and do the duties of a disciple to attain the highest end, viz., self-realization.
Chapter 6
Four paths, viz., of Karma, Dnyan, Yoga and Bhakti lead us separately to God. Of these, the path of Bhakti is thorny and full of pits and ditches and thus, difficult to traverse; but if you, relying on your Sadguru avoid the pits and thorns and walk straight, it will take you to the destination (GOD).
“There will never be any dearth or scarcity, regarding food and clothes in My devotee’s home. It is my special characteristic, that I always look to and provide for, the welfare of those devotees, who worship Me whole-heartedly with their minds ever fixed on Me.
Lord Krishna has also said the same in the Gita. Therefore strive not much for food and clothes. If you want anything, beg of the Lord, renounce worldly honours, try to get Lord’s grace and blessings and be honoured in His court. Do not be deluded by worldly honour. The form of the Deity should be firmly fixed in the mind. Let all the senses and mind be ever devoted to the worship of the Lord, let there be no attraction for any other thing. Fix the mind in remembering Me always, so that it will not wander elsewhere, towards body, wealth and home. Then it will be calm, peaceful and care-free. This is the sign of the mind being well engaged in good company. If the mind is vagrant, it cannot be well-merged in Him.”
Chapter 7
He, who completely surrenders himself to the Lord, by getting rid of his egoism and body-consciousness, thus becomes one with Him and has nothing to do with any questions of caste or nationality.
Chapter 8
In this wonderful universe, God has created billions of creatures or beings inhabiting heaven, hell, earth, ocean, sky and other intermediate regions. Of these, those creatures or souls, whose merits preponderate, go to heaven and live there till they enjoy the fruits of their actions and when this done, they are cast down; while those souls, whose sins or demerits preponderate, go down to hell and suffer the consequences of their misdeeds for as long as they deserve it. When their merits and demerits balance each other, they are born on earth as human beings and are given a chance to work out their salvation. Ultimately, when their merits and demerits both are worked out completely, they get their deliverance and become free. To put the matter in a nutshell, souls get their birth or transmigration according to their deeds and evolvement.
As well all know, four things are common to all the creatures, food, sleep, fear and sexual union. In the case of man, he is endowed with a special faculty, viz, knowledge, with the help of which he can attain God-vision, which is impossible in any other birth. It is for this reason that Gods envy human species and aspire to be born as men on the earth, so as to get their final deliverance.
Some say there is nothing worse than the human body, which is full of filth, mucus and phlegm and dirt and which is subject to decay, disease and death. This is true to a certain extent, but in spite of these drawbacks and defects, the special value of the human body is that man has got the capacity to acquire knowledge. It is only due to the human body or on account of it, that one can think of the perishable and transitory nature of the body itself and of the world, and have an aversion for the sense-enjoyments, and can discriminate between the unreal and the real, and thus attain God-vision. So, if we reject or neglect the body, because it is filthy, we lose the chance of God-vision and if we fondle it and run after sense-enjoyments, because it is precious, we go to hell. The proper course therefore, for us to pursue, is the following; that the body should neither be neglected nor fondled, but should be properly cared for, just as a traveler on horse-back takes care of his pony on the way, till he reaches his destination and returns home. Thus, the body should ever be used or engaged to attain God-vision or self-realization, which is the supreme end of life.
It is said that, though God created various sorts of creatures, He was not satisfied, for none of them was able to know and appreciate His work. So he had to create a special being- man, and endow him with a special faculty, viz, knowledge; and when He saw that man was able to appreciate His Leela, marvelous work and intelligence, He was highly pleased and satisfied. So really, it is fortunate to get a human body and best to get an opportunity of having recourse to Sai Baba’s feet and surrendering to Him.
Realizing how precious the human life is and knowing that death is certain and may snatch us at any time, we should be ever alert to achieve the object of our life, we should not make the least delay, but make every possible haste to gain our object, just as a king leaves no stone unturned to seek his lost son. So with all earnestness we should strive to attain our end, i.e. self-realization. Casting aside laziness, warding off drowsiness, we should day and night meditate on the self. If we fail to do this, we reduce ourselves to the level of beasts.
The most effective and speedy way to gain our object is to approach a worthy saint or sage – Sadguru , who has himself attained God-vision. What cannot be achieved by hearing religious discourses and study of religious texts is easily obtained in the company of such worthy souls. Just as the sun only gives light, which all the stars put together cannot do, so the Sadguru alone imparts spiritual wisdom, which all the sacred books and sermons cannot do. His movements and simple talks give us ‘silent’ advice. The virtues of forgiveness, calmness, disinterestedness, charity, benevolence, control of mind and body, egolessness etc. are observed by the disciples, as they are being practiced in such pure and holy company. This enlightens their minds and lifts them up spiritually. Sai Baba was such a Sage or Sadguru. Though he acted as a Fakir(mendicant), He was always engrossed in Self. He always loved all beings, in whom He saw God or Divinity. By pleasures He was not elated. He was not depressed by misfortunes. A king and a pauper were the same to Him. He Whose glance would turn a beggar into a king, used to beg His food from door to door in Shirdi.
Chapter 9
“Whosoever devoutly offers to Me a leaf, a flower or a fruit or water, of that pure-hearted man, I accept that pious offering.”
“As men believe in Me, so do I accept them.”
He who sees me in creatures is My beloved. So, abandon the sense of duality and distinction.
See God in all beings is the moral of the Upanishads, the Gita and the Bhagawat, all exhort us to perceive God or Divinity in all the creatures.
Chapter 10
Remember Him (Sai Baba) always with love, for He was ever engrossed in doing good to all, and always abided in His Self. To remember Him only, is to solve the riddle of life and death. This is the best and easiest Sadhanas, as it involves no expenditure. A little exertion here brings great rewards. So, as long as our senses are sound, we should, minute by minute, practice this Sadhana. All other Gods are illusory, Guru is the only God. If we believe in Sadguru’s holy feet, He can change our fortune for the better. If we serve him sincerely, we get rid of our worldly afflictions. We need not study any philosophy, like the Nyaya and the Mimansa. As we trust the helmsman in crossing the rivers and seas, so, we have to trust our Sadguru in getting overt the ocean of worldly existence. The Sadguru looks to the intense feeling and devotion of his devotees, endows them with knowledge and eternal bliss.
It is not good to dispute and argue. So, don’t argue, don’t emulate others. Always consider your interest and welfare. The Lord will protect you. Yoga, sacrifice, penance and knowledge are the only means to attain God. If you do not succeed in this by any means, in vain is your birth. If anyone does any evil unto you, do not retaliate. If you can do anything do some good unto others. This will stand in good stead both in material and spiritual matters.
There are various Gurus imparting to us various kinds of worldly knowledge but he, who fixes us in our Nature (Self) and carries us beyond the ocean of worldly existence, is the Sadguru. Sai Baba was such a Sadguru. His greatness is indescribable.
It is not intelligence, but love, that inspires real poetry as such. Real poetry is the manifestation of true love, and this can be seen and appreciated by intelligent listeners.
Leave of you cleverness, and always remember “Sai” “Sai”. If you do that, He said, all your shackles would be removed and you would be free.
The function of the mind is to think, it cannot remain without thinking for a minute. If you give it a sense-object, it will think about it. If you give it Guru, it will think about Guru. Hearing stories of saints is not so difficult, as the other Sadhanas. They (stories) remove all fear of this Sansar(worldly existence) and take you on to the spiritual path. So, listen to these stories, meditate on them and assimilate them. You may do or attend to your worldly duties, but give your mind to Sai and His stories, and then, He is sure to bless you. This is the easiest path, but why do not all take to it? The reason is that without God’s grace, we do not get the desire to listen to the stories of saints. With God’s grace everything is smooth and easy. Hearing the stories of the saints is, in a way, keeping their company.
The importance of the company of the saints is very great. It removes our body-consciousness and egoism, destroys completely the chain of our birth and death, cuts asunder all the knots of the mind and takes us to God, Who is pure consciousness. It certainly increases our non-attachment to sense-objects and makes us quite indifferent to pleasures and pains, and leads us onward on the spiritual path. If you have no other Sadhana, such as uttering God’s name, worship or devotion etc., but if you take refuge in them (saints) whole heartedly, they will carry you off safely across the ocean of worldly existence. It is for this reason saints manifest themselves in this world.
Chapter 11
Lord Krishna has said that the saint is My soul, My living image, I am He or He is My pure form (Being).
If it was possible that mothers could kick their children and the sea turn back the river. He too could neglect devotees’ welfare; that He, the Slave of His devotees, always stood by them, and responded to them, whenever they called upon Him and that, He always longed for their love.
Chapter 12
We should have firm faith in our Guru and on none else
Chapter 13
Maya (illusive power) of the Lord harasses even Lord Brahma and others. Those who take refuge in the God, will be freed from the clutches with His grace.
“Those who are fortunate and whose demerits have vanished, take to My worship. If you always say “Sai, Sai”, I shall take you over the seven seas believe in these words, and you will be certainly benefited. I do not need the paraphernalia of worship – either eight-fold or sixteen-fold. I rest there, where there is full devotion.”
It is a well known fact that, when our circumstances are well, we do not remember God but when calamities and adversities overtake us, we are reminded of Him.
Stay cast off your anxiety, your sufferings have come to an end. However, oppressed and troubled one may be, as soon as he steps in the Masjid, he is on the pathway to happiness.
Chapter 14
His object is “people should live happily in this world but they should be ever cautious, and achieve the object of their life, viz. self-realization.”
We get human body as a result of merits in past births and it is worth-while that, with its aid, we should attain devotion and liberation in this life. So, we should never be lazy but always be on the alert to gain our goal of life.
Giving Dakshina means “Deriving lessons from the book and lodging them in the heart, where Baba resides.”
Chapter 15
“If you spread your palms with devotion before Me, I am immediately with you, day and night. Though, I am here physically, still I know what you do beyond the seven seas. Go wherever you wish, over the wide world, I am with you. My abode is in your heart and I am within you. Always worship Me, Who is seated in your heart as well as in the hearts of all beings. Blessed and fortunate indeed is he, who knows me thus.”
Chapter 16 & 17
For seeing Brahma, one has to give (surrender) five things:
1)Five Pranas(vital forces) 2) five Senses, 3) Mind, 4) Intellect and 5) Ego.
This path of Brahma-gnyan or self-realization is as hard as to tread on the edge of a razor.
Qualifications for Brahma gnyan or Self-realization
All persons do not see or realize the Brahma in their life-time. Certain qualifications are absolutely necessary.
Mumukshu or intense desire to get free. He who thinks that, he is bound and that, he should get free from bondage and works earnestly and resolutely to that end and does not care fro any other thing, is qualified for the spiritual life.
Virakti or a feeling of non-attachment with the things of this world and the next. Unless a man feels disgusted with the things, emoluments and honours, which his actions would bring in this world and the next, he has no right to enter into the spiritual realm.
Antarmukha (introversion) Our senses have been created by God with a tendency to move outward and so, man always looks outward and not inward. He, who wants self-realization and immortal life, must turn his gaze inwards and look into his inner self.
Catharsis – (eliminating all base ideas and emotions) – Unless a man has turned away from wickedness and stopped from doing wrong, and has entirely composed himself, and unless his mind is at rest, he cannot gain self-realization even by means of knowledge.
Right conduct – Unless a man leads a life of truth, penance and insight, a life of celibacy, he cannot get God-realization.
Preferring Shreyas (the good), to Preyas (the pleasant) – There are two sorts of things, viz. the good and the pleasant; the former deals with spiritual affairs and the latter with the mundane matters. Both are open to man for acceptance. He has to think and choose one of them. The wise man prefers the good to the pleasant, but the unwise, through greed and attachment chooses the pleasant.
Control of the mind and the senses – The body is the chariot and the self is its master, intellect is the charioteer and the mind is the reins, the senses are the horses and sense-objects are their paths. He who has no understanding and whose mind is unrestrained, has his senses unmanageable, like the stray horse of a charioteer, does not reach his destination (get self realization), but goes through the round of births and deaths; but he who has understanding and whose mind is restrained, has his senses under control, like the good obedient horse of a charioteer, reaches the destination, i.e. the state of self-realization, whence he is not born again. The man, who has understanding as his charioteer(guide) and is able to rein his mind, reaches the end of the journey, which is the supreme abode of the all-pervading, Vishnu (Lord).
Purification of the mind – Unless a man discharges satisfactorily and dis-interestedly the duties of his station in life, his mind will not be purified and unless his mind is purified, he cannot get self-realization. It is only in the purified mind that, Vivek (dis-attachment to the unreal) crop up and lead on to self-realization. Unless egoism is dropped, avarice got rid of and the mind made desire less (pure), self-realization is not possible. The idea that “I am the body” is a great delusion and attachment, to this idea is the cause of bondage. Leave off this idea and attachment, therefore, if you want to reach the goal of self-realization.
The necessity of a Guru – The knowledge of the self is so subtle and mystic that, no one could, by his own individual effort ever hope to attain it. So the help of another person – teacher, who has himself got self-realization, is absolutely necessary. What others cannot give with great effort and pains, can be easily gained with the help of such a teacher; for he has walked on the path himself and can easily take the disciple, step by step on the ladder of spiritual progress.
And lastly, the Lord’s grace is the most essential thing. When the Lord is pleased with anybody, He gives him Viveka and Vairagya and takes him safe beyond the ocean of mundane existence, “The self cannot be gained by the study of Vedas, nor by intellect, nor by learning. He whom the Self chooses, gains it. To him the Self reveals its nature,” says the katha Upanishad.
Unless, you completely get rid of your avarice or greed you will not get the real Brahma. How can he whose mind is engrossed in wealth, progeny and prosperity, expect to know the Brahma without removing his attachment for them? The illusion of attachment or love for money is a deep eddy (whirlpool) of pain, full of crocodiles in the form of conceit and jealousy. He who is desire less, can alone cross this whirlpool. Greed and Brahma are asunder as poles, they are eternally opposed to each other. Where there is greed there is no room for thought or meditation of the Brahma. Then how can a greedy man, get dispassion and salvation? For a greedy man there is no peace, neither contentment, nor steadiness. If there be even a little trace of greed in mind, all the Sadhanas (spiritual endeavours) are of no avail. Even the knowledge of a well-read man, who is not free from the desire of the fruit or reward of his actions, is futile and can’t help him in getting self-realization. The teachings of a Guru are of no use to a man who is full of egoism and who always thinks about sense-objects.
Purification of mind is absolutely necessary, without it all our spiritual endeavors are nothing, but useless show and pomp. It is therefore, better for one to take only what he can digest and assimilate. My treasury is full and I can give anyone, what he wants, but I have to see, whether he is qualified to receive My gift. If you listen to Me carefully, you will be certainly benefited. While sitting in this Masjid I never speak any untruth”
Chapter 18 & 19
Sadgurus, like Sai Baba open our (eyes of the ) intellect and show us the divine beauty of the self, and fulfill our tender longings of devotion. When this is done our desire for sense-objects vanishes, twin fruits of Vivek (discrimination) and Vairagya (dispassion or non-attachment) come to our hands and knowledge sprouts up even in the sleep. All this we get when we come in contact with saints (Sadguru), serve them and secure their love. The Lord, Who fulfils the desires of His devotees comes to our aid, removes our troubles and sufferings, and makes us happy. This progress or development is entirely due to the help of the Sadguru, who is regarded as the Lord Himself. Therefore, we should always be after the Sadguru, hear His stories, fall at His Feet and serve Him.
Man does not generally think of God, but when difficulties and calamities overtake him, he turns to Him and prays for relief. If his demerits have come to an end, god arranges his meeting with a saint, who gives him proper directions regarding his welfare.
As a devotee is resolute and determined, so is Baba’s immediate response. Some times Baba puts the devotees to severe test and then, gives them ‘Upadesh’ (instructions).
Nishtha – firm faith – Shraddha
Saburi – patience or perseverance
Saburi will ferry you across the sea of this mundane existence. Saburi removes all sins and afflictions, gets rid of calamities in various ways, and casts aside all fear, and ultimately gives you success. Saburi is the mine of virtues, consort of good thought.
Do not try to get Mantra or Upadesh from anybody. Make Me the sole object of your thoughts and actions and you will, no doubt, attain Paramartha (spiritual goal of life). Look at me wholeheartedly and I, in turn, look at you. No sadhana or proficiency in the six Shastras, is necessary. Have faith and confidence in your Guru. Believe that, Guru is the sole Actor or Doer. Blessed is he, who knows the greatness of his Guru and thinks him to be Hari, Hara and Brahma (Trimurti) Incarnate.
My method is quite unique. Remember well, this one story and it will be very useful. To get the knowledge (realization) of the self, Dyan (meditation) is necessary. If you practice it continuously, the Vrittis (subtle thoughts) will be pacified. Being quite desireless, you should meditate on God, who is in all the creatures and when the mind is concentrated, the goal will be achieved. Meditate always on My formless Nature, which is knowledge incarnate, consciousness and bliss. If you cannot do this, meditate on My Form from top to toe, as you see here night and day. As you go on doing this, your Vrittis will be single-pointed, and the distinction between the Dhyata (meditator), Dhyana (act of meditation), Dhyeye (thing meditated upon) will be lost, and the meditator will be one with the consciousness and be merged in the Brahma. The (mother) tortoise is on one bank of the river and her young ones are on the other. She gives neither milk, nor warmth to them. Her mere loving glance gives them nutrition. The young ones do nothing but remember (meditate upon) their mother. The tortoise glance is to the young ones, the only source of sustenance and happiness. Similar is the relation between the Guru and disciples.
Unless there is some relationship or connection, nobody goes anywhere. If any men or creatures come to you, do not discourteously drive them away but receive them well, and treat them with due respect. Shri Hari (God) will be certainly pleased, if you give water to the thirsty, bread to the hungry, clothes to the naked and your Verandah to strangers for resting. If anybody wants any money from you and you are not inclined to give, do not give but do not bark at him like a dog. Let anybody speak hundreds of things against you, do not resent, by giving any bitter reply. If you tolerate such things you will certainly be happy. Let the world go topsy-turvy, you remain where you are. Standing in your own place look on calmly at the show of all things passing before you. Demolish the wall of difference that separates you from Me, and then the road for our meeting will be clear and open. The sense of differentiation as I and thou, is the barrier, that keeps away the disciple from his Master and unless that is destroyed the state of union or atonement is not possible, “Allah Malik”, i.e. God is the sole Proprietor, nobody else is our Protector. His method of work is extra-ordinary, invaluable and inscrutable. His Will be done and He will show us the way, and satisfy our heart’s desires.
It is on account of Rinanubandh (former relationship) that we have come together, lets us love and serve each other and be happy. He who attains the supreme goal of life is immortal and happy, all others merely exist, i.e. live so long as they breathe.
You have to surrender yourself completely to Him with love and devotion and then you will see how He helps you, through out. Some saint has said that, when you get a good thought, immediately after awakening from sleep, and if you develop the same afterwards during the day, your intellect will be unfolded and your mind will attain calmness.
They say there are various ways of cleansing or removing dirt, viz. by means of water and soap etc. but a scandal monger has got a way of his own. He removes the dirt (faults) of other by his tongue, so in a way, he obliges the person, whom he reviles and for this he is to be thanked. Baba pointed a pig and said “Behold, how, with what relish it is gulping filth. Your conduct is similar. You go on reviling your own brethren to your heart’s content. After performing many deeds of merit you are born as a human and if you act like this, how can Shirdi help you in any way?”
Baba said that He was Omnipresent, transcending land, air, world, light and heaven, and that He was not localized. If any devotee meditated on Him, day and night, with complete self-surrender, he experienced complete union with Him, like sweetness and sugar, waves and sea, eye and its sight. He who wants to get rid of the cycle of births and deaths, should lead a righteous life with his mind calm and composed. He should not speak harshly to anyone, so as to hurt him. He should always engage himself in good actions, should do his duties and surrender himself, heart and soul, to Him. He need not be afraid of anything. He, who trust Him entirely, hears and expounds His Leelas and does not think of anything else, is sure to attain self-realization.
Baba asked many to remember His name and to surrender to Him but to those, who wanted to know, who they were {“Who am I”), He advised Shravan (study) and Manan (contemplation). To some, He advised remembering God’s name, to others, hearing His leelas; to some, worship of His feet to others reading and studying Adhyatma Ramayan, Dnyaneshwari and other sacred scriptures.
Nobody should take the labour of others in vain. The worker should be paid his dues promptly and liberally.
Chapter 20
God was originally formless. He assumed a form for the sake of Bhaktas. With the help of Maya, He played the part of an Actor in the big drama of the universe.
Isha Upanishad is called Mantropanishad as it is embodied in the mantras of the Vedic Sanhita. It constitutes the last or the 40th chapter of the Vajasaneyi Sanhita (Yajurveda) and it is therefore, called Vajasaneyi Sanhitopanishad. Being embodied in Vedic Sanhitas, this is regarded as superior to all other Upanishads, which are in the Brahmanyaks and Aranyakas (explanatory treatises on Mantras and rituals). Not only this, other Upanishads are considered to be commentaries on the truths, mentioned briefly in the Isha Upanishad. For instance, the biggest of the Upanishads, viz. the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad is considered to be a running commentary on the Isha Upanishad.
It is the quint-essence of the Vedas. It is the science of self-realization, it is the scythe or weapon which can rend asunder the bondage of life and death and makes us free.
All our feelings of pain and pleasure depend on the attitude of our mind. On thinking deeply over the incident he (das ganu) realized that, a man ought to enjoy whatever God has bestowed on him in the firm conviction that, He besets everything from behind and before and on all sides; and that, whatever is bestowed on him by god be for his good. In this particular case, the impoverished condition of the poor girl, her torn rag and the new Sari, the donor, the donee and the deal were all parts of the Lord and pervaded by Him. Here Das Ganu got a practical demonstration of the lesson of the Upanishad – the lesson of contentment with one’s own lot with the belief that whatever happens, is ordained by God, and is ultimately good for us.
One of the main features of the Isha Upanishad is the ethical advice it offers and it is interesting to note that, the ethics of the Upanishad are definitely based upon the metaphysical position, given in it. The very opening words of the Upanishad tell us that, God pervades everything. As a corollary, from this metaphysical position the ethical advise it offers is that, a man ought to enjoy whatever God bestows on him in the firm belief, that, as He pervades everything, whatever is bestowed on him by God, must be good. It follows naturally that, the Upanishad should forbid us from coveting another man’s property. In fact, we are fittingly taught here a lesson of contentment with one’s own lot in the belief that, whatever happens is divinely ordained and hence, it is good for us. Another moral advice is that, man must spend his life-time always in doing action, specifically the Karmas enjoined in the Shastras, with resignation to His will.
Inactivity, according to this Upanishad, would be the canker of the soul. It is only when a man spends his life-time in doing actions in this manner that; he can hope to attain the ideal of Naishkarmya. Finally, the text goes on to say that a man, who sees all beings in the self and sees the self as existing in all beings in fact, for whom all beings and everything that exists have become the Self – how can such a man suffer for infatuation? What ground would such a man have for grief? Loathfulness, infatuation and grief verily proceed from our not being able to see the Atma in all things. But, a man who realizes the oneness of all things, for whom everything has become the Self must ipso facto, cease to be affected by the common foibles of humanity.
Chapter 21
It is a general rule that, it is our good luck in the form of accumulation of merits of past births that enables us to seek the company of saints and benefit thereby.
Mere reading won’t do. You have to think and carry out what you read, otherwise it is of no use. Mere book-learning, without the grace of the Guru and self-realization is of no avail. Unless the mind becomes calm, all book-learnings is of no avail.
The mare is God’s grace and the nine balls excreted are the nine forms or types of Bhakti, viz. 1.Shravan (hearing); 2. Kirtan (praying); 3. Smaran (remembering); 4. Padasevan (resorting to the feet); 5. Archan (worship); 6. Namaskar (bowing); 7. Dasya (service); 8. Sakhyam (friendship); 9. Atmanivedan (surrender of the self); These are the nine types of Bhakti. If any of these is faithfully followed, Lord Hari will be pleased and manifest Himself in the home of the devotee.
All the sadhanas (japa, tapa, yoga practice and studying the scriptures and expounding them) are quite useless, unless they are accompanied by Bhakti, i.e. devotion. Knowledge of the Vedas or fame as a great Dnyani and mere formal Bhajan (worship) are of no avail. What is wanted is full devotion. Consider yourself as the merchant or seeker after the truth, and be anxious and eager like him to collect or cultivate the nine types of devotion. Then, you will attain stability and peace of mind.
I should not indulge in any scandal or slander of others, and not interfere unnecessarily in others affairs.
We should mean well and do well. Whatever is destined to happen, will happen.
God lives in all beings and creatures, whether they be serpents or scorpions. He is the Great Wirepuller of the world, and all beings, serpents, scorpions etc. obey His command! Unless He wills it nobody can do any harm to others. The world is all dependent on Him and no one is independent. So we should take pity and love all creatures, leave off killings and be patient. The Lord (God) is the Protector of all.
Chapter 23
In Reality this Jiva (human soul) transcends the three qualities (sattwa, rajas and tamas); but being deluded by Maya, he forgets his nature which is ‘Pure Consciousness-knowledge-bliss’ and thinks that, he is the doer and thus, entangles himself in endless miseries and does not know the way of deliverance. The only way of deliverance is the loving devotion towards the Guru’s feet.
Jiva can be very well compared with a parrot, and that they both are bound, the one in the body and other in a cage. Both think that, their present bound state is good for them. It is only when a helper, i.e. Guru comes and by God’s grace opens their eyes and liberates them from their bondage, that, their eyes are opened to a greater and larger life, compared to which, their former bound and limited life is nothing.
Chapter 24
Unless we surrender our ego to the feet of our Sadguru, we will not succeed in our undertaking. If we become egoless, then, our success is assured.
By worshipping Sai Baba, we attain both the objects – worldly and spiritual, and are fixed in our true nature and get peace and happiness. Therefore, those who want to accomplish or gain their welfare, should respectfully hear Sai Baba’s Leelas or stories, and meditate on them. If they do this, they will easily attain the object of their life and get bliss.
He has advised us that, before the senses, mind and intellect enjoy their objects, first He should be remembered, and if this be done, it is in a way by making an offering to Him. The senses etc. can never remain without their objects, but if those objects are first offered to the Guru, the attachment for them will naturally vanish. In this way, all the Vrittis (subtle thoughts) regarding desire, anger, avarice etc. should first be offered and directed to the Guru, and if this practice is followed, the Lord will help you in eradicating all the Vrittis. When before enjoyment of the objects, you think that Baba is present, the question, whether the object is fit to be enjoyed or not, will at once arise. Then the object, that is not fit to be enjoyed, will be shunned and in this way our vicious habits or vices will disappear, and our character will improve. Then love for the Guru will grow and pure knowledge will sprout up. When this knowledge grows, the bondage of body-consciousness (we are the body) will snap and our intellect will be merged in spirit-consciousness (we are the spirit). Then we shall get bliss and contentment. There is no difference between Guru and God. He, who sees any difference in them, finds God nowhere. So leaving aside all ideas of difference, we should regard Guru and God as one; and if we serve our Guru, as stated above, God will be certainly pleased and by purifying our minds will give us self-realization. To put the matter in a nut-shell, we should not enjoy any object with our senses etc., without first remembering our Guru. When the mind is trained in this way, we will be always reminded of Baba and our meditation on Baba will grow apace. The sagun form of Baba will ever be before our eyes and then, devotion, non-attachment and salvation will all be ours. When Baba’s form is thus fixed before our mental vision, we forget hunger, thirst and this Sansar (world), the consciousness of worldly pleasures will disappear and our mind shall attain peace and happiness.
The Shruti also emphasizes this lesson, and asks us to offer things first to God and then enjoy them, after they are renounced by Him.
Chapter 25
Whenever, a devotee had complete and whole-hearted devotion to Sai Baba, all his calamities and dangers were warded off and his welfare attended to by Baba.
Believe Me, though I pass away, My bones in My tomb would be speaking, moving and communicating with those, who would surrender themselves whole-heartedly to Me. Do not be anxious that, I would be absent from you. You will hear My bones speaking and discussing your welfare. But remember Me always, believe in Me heart and soul and then, you will be most benefited.
Oh Sai Sadguru, the wish fulfilling tree of the bhaktas, we pray, Let us never forget and lose sight of Your feet; we have been troubled with the ins and outs (births and deaths) in this Sansar; now free us from this cycle of births and deaths. Restrain us from the outgoing of our senses to their objects and introvert us, and bring us face to face with the Atma (self). As long as this outgoing tendency of the senses and the mind is not checked, there is no prospect of self-realization. Neither son, nor wife, nor friend, will be of any use in the end. It is only, You, Who will give us salvation and bliss. Destroy completely our tendency for discussions and other evil matters, let our tongue get a passion for chanting Your name. drive out our thoughts, and make us forget our bodies and do away with our egoism. Make us ever remember Your name and forget all other things. Remove the restlessness of our mind and make it steady and calm. If You just clasp us, the darkness of night, of our ignorance, will vanish and we shall live happily in Your light. That, You made us drink the nectar of Your leelas and awakened us from our slumber, is due to Your grace and our store of merits in past births.
Chapter 26
All the things that we see in the universe are nothing but a play of Maya – the creative power of the Lord. These things do not really exist. What really exists is the Absolute. Just as we mistake a rope or a garland for a serpent, on account of darkness, we always see the phenomena, i.e. things, as they outwardly appear, and not the Noumenon, which underlies all the visible things. It is only the Sadguru who opens the eyes of our understanding and enables us to see things in their true light and not as they appear. Let us therefore, worship the Sadguru and pray to him to gives us the true vision, which is nothing but God-vision.
Turn our mind inward, give us discrimination between the unreal and the real and non-attachment for all worldly things, and thus enable us to get self-realization. We surrender ourselves, body and soul (body-consciousness and ego) to you. Make our eyes Yours, so that we should never feel pleasure and pain. Control our body and mind as You wish. Let our mind rest in Your Feet.”
Man proposes one way and God disposes the other.
Come what may, leave not but stick to your own bolster (support, i.e, Guru) and ever remain steady with him. Have not all your thoughts, doubts and apprehensions calmed down now? Hari (lord) will protect him, who has got faith and patience.
You must bear the fruit – good or bad – of your past actions; if it is incomplete, suicide wont help you. You have to take another birth and suffer again; so instead of killing yourself, why not suffer for some time and finish up the fruit of your past deeds and be done with it once and for all?
Chapter 27
The efficacy of God’s name is well-known. It saves us from all sins and bad tendencies, frees us from the cycle of births and deaths. There is no easier Sadhana than this. It is the best purifier of our mind. It requires no paraphernalia and no restrictions. It is so easy and so effective.
A man, however learned he may be even in Vedas, fades away before one, who has realized Brahma and becomes one with it. Learning cannot stand before self-realization.
Chapter 28
It is always the experience of the bhaktas, that God always helps them in their search for Sadguru and other spiritual endeavours.
As a wire-puller I carry on all the actions of the man who trusts Me and merges in Me
Chapter 29
Doubts and difficulties surround us, just to move us and confirm our faith. We are tested as it were. If we only hold on steadily to Baba, with full faith and continue our endeavors, our efforts will be ultimately crowned with success.
Chapter 30
Bow to the kind Sai who is the abode of mercy and who is affectionate towards his devotees. By his mere darshan he does away with their fear of worldly illusions (sansaar) and destroys their calamities. He was first Nirgun (formless) but on account of the devotion of His bhaktas, he was obliged to take a form. To give liberation, self-realization to the bhaktas is the mission of the saints and for Sai, the Chief of them that mission is inevitable. Those who take refuge in His feet, have all their sins destroyed and their progress is certain. Remembering His Feet Brahmins from holy places come to him and read scriptures and chant the Gayatri mantra in His presence. We who are weak and without any merits do not know what Bhakti is, but we know this much that though all others may leaves us, Sai won’t forsake us. Those whom He favours get enormous strength, discrimination between the unreal and the real and knowledge.
Sai knows fully the desire of His devotees and fulfils the same. Hence, they get what they want and are grateful. So we invoke Him and prostrate ourselves before Him. Forgetting all our faults let Him free us from all anxieties. He who being overcome with calamities remembers and prays Sai thus, will get his mind calmed and pacified through his grace.
If anybody is in real earnest to see a saint, not only the saint but God also fulfils his wish. In fact the ‘Sant’ (saint) and the ‘Anant’ (God) are one and the same, there is not the least difference between them. If anybody thinks that he will go on his own wish and see a saint, that will be a mere boast. Unless the saint wills it, no one is able to go and see him. Even the leaf of the tree won’t move without his bidding. The more anxious a bhakta is for the visit to the saint, the more devout and faithfull he is, the more speedily and effectively is his wish satisfied to his heart’s content. He who invites anybody for a visit also arranges everything for his reception.
Chapter 31
The last wish or thought that a man has at the hour of death, determines his future course. “he who remembers Me in his last moments, comes verily to Me; and he who meditates otherwise, at that time, goes to what he longs for”
Constant practice is necessary for enabling us to fix our mind on any desired good thought at any moment. All saints, therefore recommend us to remember God and chant His name always, so that we may not be perplexed or perturbed, when the time for departure comes.
Attachment makes misuse of an ochre garb. Wealth and prosperity are transient and the body is subject to decay and death. While knowing this, do your duty leaving all attachment with the things of this world and next. He who does this and surrenders himself to the Feet of Hari (Lord) will get free from all troubles and attain Bliss. The Lord runs and helps him, who remembers and meditates on Him with love and affection.
Chapter 32
The Sansara (visible world) is like Asvattha (Banyan ) tree, which has in the phraseology of the Gita, roots above and branches below. Its branches are spread downward and upwards, and are nourished by the gunas (qualities), and its sprouts are the objects of the senses. Its roots, leading to actions are extended downwards to this world of men, its form cannot be known in this world, nor its end, its beginning, nor its support. After cutting this Ashvattha tree of strong roots with the sharp weapon of non-attachment one should seek the path, beyond treading, which there is no return. For traversing this path, the help of a good guide (Guru) is absolutely necessary. However, learned, a man may be, or however deep his study of Veda and Vedant (sacred literature) may be, he cannot reach his destination safely. If the guide be there to help him and show him the right way, he would avoid the pitfalls, and the wild beasts on the journey move aside.
He who controls his mind is blessed; we should be free from thoughts and ideas and there is nothing in the world without us. The world is always changing, the formless is eternal; so, we should discriminate between the unreal and the Real. Baba said, bookish knowledge alone is worthless and added “Let us do our prescribed duty and surrender our body; mind and five prans (life) to the Guru’s feet. Guru is God, all pervading. To get this conviction, strong unbounded faith is necessary”. A guide is always necessary to show us the right way in small or great matters and no quest can successfully carried out on an empty stomach. Unless God wills it, no one meets us on the way. Do not discard offers of food, served dish should not be thrust away. Offers of food should be regarded as auspicious signs of success. He who loves others disinterestedly, is really enlightened; My Guru was the sole object of My meditation and I was conscious of none else. While meditating on him My mind and intellect were silent and I had thus, to keep quiet and bow to him in silence.
There are 2 sorts of consciousness: 1) Sensual and 2) Spiritual. When our senses and mind, which are created by God with an outgoing tendency, meet their objects, we get the sensual consciousness, in which we feel pleasure or pain, pure or mixed; but not bliss supreme of happiness. When the senses and the mind are withdrawn from their objects and are given opposite direction, i.e., when they are introverted and fixed on the self, we get the other, i.e., spiritual consciousness, in which we feel unalloyed joy or bliss, which is ineffable.
The shruti (Taittiriya Upanishad) exhorts us to honour and worship mother, father and preceptor and to study (learn and teach) the sacred scriptures. These are the means of purifying our minds, and unless this purification is effected, self-realization is not possible. Neither the senses, nor the mind, and intellect reach the Self. Modes of proof, such as perception and inference, will not help us in the matter. It is the grace of the Guru that counts. The objects of our life such as Dharma, Artha and Kama are attainable with our effort; but the fourth object, Moksha (liberation), can only be had with the help of the Guru.
Sai is the Mai-Baap (True Parents), who will do away with our rounds of births and deaths. God is not attained on an empty stomach; first the soul has to be appeased. If there be no food in the stomach and nutrition, with what eyes should we see God, with what tongue should we describe His greatness and with what ears should we hear the same? In short, when all our organs get their proper nutrition and are sound, we can practice devotion and other Sadhanas to attain God. Therefore, neither fasting nor over-eating is good. Moderation in diet is really wholesome, both to the body and the mind.
What a man might give, does not last long and is always imperfect. But what My Sarkar (God) gives, lasts to the end of time. My sarkar says take take, but everybody comes to me and says give, give. Nobody attends carefully to my meaning of what I say. My sarkar’s treasury (spiritual wealth) is full, it is overflowing. He, who does anything (spiritual endeavor), will reap its fruit and he, who remembers these words of mind, will get invaluable happiness.
Chapter 33
Baba taught by this Udi that all the visible phenomena in the universe are as transient as the ash. Our bodies composed of matter of the five elements, will fall down, after all their enjoyments are over and be reduced to ashes. In order to remind the devotees of the fact that, their bodies will be reduced to ashes, Baba distributed Udi to them. Baba also taught by the Udi that the Brahma is the only Realty and the universe is ephemeral, and that no one in this world, be he a son, father or wife, is really ours. We come here (in this world) alone and we have to go from here alone it has been found that the Udi cured many physical and mental maladies but Baba wanted to repeat into the devotee’s ears the principles of discrimination between the Unreal and the Real, He taught non-attachment for the unreal by His Udi and Dakshina. The former (Udi) taught us discrimination and the latter (Dakshina) taught us non-attachment. Unless we have these two things it is not possible for us to cross over the sea of the mundane existence.
He transcends both life and death. He, who loved Him whole-heartedly, gets response from Him at any time and at any place. He is always by our side and will take any form, appear before the devout bhakta and satisfy him.
Chapter 34
Those who resort to this Masjid shall never suffer anything in this life to the end of time. Believe in God, this is no Masjid, but Dwarakamai. He who steps here, will soon get health and happiness, and his sufferings will come to an end.
Our karma is the cause of our happiness and sorrow therefore, put up with whatever comes to you. Allah (God) is the sole Dispenser and Protector, think of Him always. He will take care of you. Surrender to Him with body, mind, and speech, and then see what He does.
The Lord is the Sole Doer and Inspirer. He is the most merciful. He who casts aside his egoism and thanks Him and he, who trusts Him entirely will have his shackles removed and will obtain liberation.
Chapter 35
In spiritual matters or endeavors, sectarianism is the greatest bar to our progress. Those who believe that God is without form are heard saying that, to believe that God is with form is an illusion; and that the saints are only human beings.
You destroy the Teli’s wall (sense of difference) between us, so that we can see and meet each other face to face.
Wealth should be the means to work out dharma, if it is used for personal enjoyment, it is wasted. Unless you have given it before, you do not get it now. So the best way to receive is to give. The giving of Dakshina advances Vairagya (non-attachment), and thereby Bhakti and Dnyan. Give one and receive tenfold.
As one feels intently, so he realizes accordingly.
Chapter 36
Debt, enmity and murder have to be atoned for, as there is no escape from them. Let our faith unto your feet be ever awake.
Chapter 37
May the knowledge we get in his company, last long unto death. Let us ever serve him with whole-hearted devotion to His feet. Let us see Him (God) in all beings and let us constantly remember his name.
Chapter 38
Different Sadhanas are prescribed in our scriptures for different ages. Tapa (penance) is recommended for Krita age, Dnyan (knowledge) for Treta age, Yagna (sacrifice) for Dwapara age and Daan (charity) for Kali (present) age. Of all the charities, giving food is the best one. We are much perturbed when we get no food at noon. Other beings feel similarly under such circumstances. After knowing this, he, who gives food to the poor and hungry, is the best donor or charitable person. Other kind of charities, require some discrimination but in the matter of food no such consideration is necessary.
Chapter 39
It is not enough merely to prostrate before the Gnyanis. We must make Sarvasva Sharanagati (complete surrender) to the Sadguru.
Mere questioning is not enough. The question must not be made with any improper motive or attitude or to trap the Guru and catch mistakes in the answer, or out of idle curiosity. It must be earnest with a view to achieve spiritual progress or liberation.
Seva is not rendering services, with the feeling that one is free to offer or refuse service. One must feel that, he is not the master of the body that the body is Guru’s and exists merely to render service to him.
Destroying ignorance is Gnyan. Expelling darkness means light, destroying duality (dwaita) means non duality (adwaita).
How did the ignorance arise? Where is it? Following instances of Agnyan:
I am a jiva (creature)
I am the body.
God, world and Jiva are different.
I am not God.
Not knowing that body is not the soul.
Not knowing that God, world and Jiva are one.
Unless these errors are exposed to his view, the disciple cannot learn, what is God, Jiva, world, body; how they are interrelated and whether they are different from each other, or are one and the same. To teach him these and destroy his ignorance is this instruction in Gnyan or Agnyan. Why should Gnyan be imparted to the Jiva, Upadesh is merely to show him his error and destroy his ignorance.
Chapter 40
I always think of him, who remembers Me. I require no conveyance, carriage, Tonga, train, or airplane. I manifest Myself to him, who lovingly calls Me.
See, to keep My words, I would sacrifice my life, I would never be untrue to My words.
Chapter 41
I am sitting here, to give you the whole gold-embroidered shela (valuable shawl) then, why go to others to steal rags! And why should get into the habit of stealing?
Chapter 42
The light of Guru’s grace removes fear of the mundane existence, opens the path of salvation and turns our misery into happiness. If we always remember the feet of the Sadguru, our troubles come to an end, death loses its sting, and the misery of this mundane existence is obliterated. Therefore, those who care for their welfare should carefully listen to these stories of Sai Samarth, which will purify their minds.
Tuesday 15th, October, 1918 2.30pm
Why do you grieve for nothing? The appeasement of the dog’s hunger is the same as Mine. The dog has a soul, the creatures may be different, but the hunger of all is the same, though some speak and others are dumb. Know for certain that, he who feeds the hungry really serves Me with food. Regard this as Truth.
Saints embody themselves and come into this world with a definite mission and after that is fulfilled, they pass away, as quietly and easily as they came.
Chapter 43
It is the general practice amongst Hindus that, when a man is about to die, some good religious scripture is read out to him with the object that, his mind should be withdrawn from worldly things and fixed in spiritual matters, so that his future progress should be natural and easy.
Saints incarnate in this world with the express mission of saving the poor helpless people, and when they embody themselves and act with the people, they act like them i.e, outwardly, they laugh, play and cry, like all other people, but inwardly they are wide awake to their duties and mission.
The body, composed of the five elements, is perishable and transient but the Self within is the thing – Absolute Reality; which is immortal and intransient. This pure being, consciousness or Brahma, the ruler and controller of the senses and mind is Sai. This pervades all things in the universe and there is no space without it.
His passing away is only an outward aspect, but in reality He pervades all animate and inanimate things and is their Inner controller and ruler. This can be, and even now experienced by many, who surrender themselves completely to Him and worship Him with whole-hearted devotion.
I shall consider you blessed, when you will renounce all attachments, conquer lust and sense of taste, and getting rid of all impediments, serve God whole-heartedly and resort to the begging bowl (accept sanyas) [answer to job’s question]
He who loves Me most, always sees Me. The whole world is desolate to him without Me, he who tells no stories but Mine; he ceaselessly meditates upon Me and always chants My name. I feel indebted to him who surrenders himself completely to Me, and ever remembers Me. I shall repay his debt by giving him salvation (self-realization). I am dependant on him, who thinks and hungers after Me. He who thus comes to Me, becomes one with Me, just as a river gets to the sea and becomes merged (one) with it. So, leaving out pride and egoism and with no trace of them, you should surrender yourself to Me, who is seated in your heart.
Who is this Me
Saibaba expounded many a time who this ME (or I) is. He said, “You need not go far in search of Me. Barring your name and form, there exists in you as well as in all beings, a sense of Being or Consciousness of Existence. That is Myself. Knowing this, you see Me inside yourself, as well as in beings. If you practice this, you will realize all-pervasiveness, and thus attain oneness with Me.
Hemadpant, requests humbly and lovingly that, they should love and respect all Gods, saints and devotees. Has not Baba often said, “He who carps and cavils at others, pierces Me in the heart and injures Me, but he that suffers and endures, pleases Me most.”
Chapter 44
All our senses, organs, and mind should co-operate in worshipping and serving Baba. It is of no use, in engaging some organs in the worship and deflecting others. If a thing like worship or meditation is to be done, it ought to be done with all our mind and soul.
No one, whether he be father, mother, brother or any other relation, comes to our aid in attaining the goal of life (self-realization). We have to chalk out and traverse the path of self-realization ourselves. We have to discriminate between the unreal and the Real, renounce the things and enjoyments of this world and control our senses and mind, and aspire for liberation only. Instead of depending upon others, we should have full faith in ourselves. When we begin to practice discrimination we come to know that the world is transient and unreal and our passion for worldly things becomes less, and ultimately we get dispassion or non-attachment for them. When we know that the Brahma, which is no other than our Guru, is the sole reality; and as it transcends and besets the seeming universe, we begin to worship it in all creatures. This is the unitive Bhajan or worship.
When we thus worship the Brahma or Guru whole-heartedly, we become one with Him and attain self-realization. In short, always chanting the name of the Guru and meditating on Him, enables us to see Him in all beings and confers eternal Bliss on us.
Chapter 45
What is bhagwat dharm
Characteristics of a Bhakta(devotee)
What is maya
How to cross maya
What is para-brahma
What is karma
The incarnations of God and their deeds
How a non-devotee fares after death
The different modes of worship of god in different ages
In this kali age, the only means of liberation was the remembrance of Hari (lord’s) or Guru’s feet.
There are innumerable saints in this world, but ‘our father’ (Guru) is the Father (Real Guru). Others might say many good things, but we should never forget our Guru’s words. In short, love your Guru wholeheartedly, surrender to Him completely and prostrate yourselves before Him reverentially; and then, you will see that there is no sea of the mundane existence, before you to cross.
How can he, who cant sit and sleep well on the ground, whose Asana (posture) is not steady, and who is slave to sleep, can sleep high up on a plank?
What (whether good or bad) is ours is with us, and what is other’s is with them.
Chapter 46
You so skillfully pull the wires that, they ultimately realize that, You are behind them to help and support them. The intelligent, wise and learned folk fall into the pit of the Sansar on account of their egoism; but you save, by Your power, the poor, simple and devout persons. Inwardly and invisibly, You play all the game but show that you are not concerned with it. While you do things but pose Your-self as a non-doer. Nobody ever knows your life. The best course, therefore, is to surrender our body, speech and mind to Your Feet , and always chant your name for destroying our sins. You fulfill the wishes of the devotees and to those; who are without any desire, you give Bliss supreme. The chanting of Your sweet name, is the easiest Sadhana for devotees. By this Sadhana, our sins, Rajas and Tamas qualities, will vanish; the Sattwa qualities and righteousness will gain predominance and along with this, discrimination, dispassion and knowledge will follow. Then, we shall abide in our self and our Guru (who are one and the same). This is what is called as complete surrender to the Guru. The greatness of this surrender, devotion and knowledge is unique, for peace, non-attachment; fame and salvation etc. come in its wake.
Chapter 47
We have to reap now the fruit of what we sow in our past life, and there is no use crying about it now.
God does not like big subscriptions and donations, collected against the wishes of the donors, but He likes every trifling amount given with love, devotion and gratitude.
God runs to His devotees for help in times of danger. One has to reap what one sows, and there is no escape, unless one suffers and squares up one’s old debts and dealings with others, and that, greed for money drags the greedy man to the lowest level, and ultimately brings destruction for him and others.
Chapter 48
He, who teaches us Ved and Vedanta or the six Shastras (systems), he, who controls the breath or brands his body with Mudras or gives pleasing discourses regarding Brahma; he, who gives Mantras (sacred syllables) to the disciples and orders them to chant the same a certain number of times, but does not assure them any result in a definite time, he, who , by his lengthy gross knowledge, explains beautifully the Ultimate principle; but has himself got no experience or self-realization IS NOT A SADGURU.
But, he who, by his discourse, creates in us a taste of self-realization, who is well versed in both the theoretical and practical knowledge (self-realization), deserves to be called as sadguru.
How can he, who is himself devoid of self-realization, give it to the disciples? A Sadguru does not, ever in his dream, expect any service or profit from his disciples. On the contrary he wishes to serve them. Not only, he loves him as his son but regards him as equal to himself or as Brahma. The main characteristic of a Sadguru is that, he is the abode of peace. He is never restless or ruffled. He has no pride of his learning. The poor and rich, the small and the great, are the same to him.
Devotees have to trim their heart-lamp of faith and devotion, and burn in it wicks of love, and when this is done, the flame of knowledge (self-realization) will be lit up and shine brighter. Mere knowledge without love is dry, nobody wants such knowledge. Without love there is no contentment, so we should have unbroken and unbounded love. How can we praise love? Everything is insignificant before it. Without love our reading, hearing and the study are of no avail. In the wake of love come devotion, dispassion, peace and liberation with all their treasures. We do not get love for anything, unless we feel earnestly about it. So, where there is real yearning God manifests Himself. It includes love and it is the means of liberation.
These feet are old and holy, you are care-free now; place entire faith in Me and you will soon get your object.
Oh, why do you prostrate yourself now and then? One Namaskar offered with love and humility is enough.
Chapter 49
In reality, the observance of the vow of silence is the best way of praising the Sadguru; but the divine qualities of Sai Baba make us forget our vow of silence and inspire us to open our mouth.
Our duty is to surrender completely to Him and meditate on Him. Practicing penance is better than pilgrimage, vow, sacrifice and charity. Worshipping Hari (Lord) is better than penance; and meditation on the Sadguru is the best of all. We have therefore, to chant Sai’s name think over His sayings in our mind, meditate on His Form, feel true love for Him in our heart, and do all our actions for His sake. There is no better means than this for snapping the bondage of this Sansar. If we can do our duty on our part, as stated above, Sai is bound to help and liberate us.
That is our abode and place of rest, where the mind is most pleased and settled.
Let the senses do their allotted work or duty, we should not meddle with their work. God has created this beautiful world, and its our duty to appreciate its beauty. The mind will get steady and calm slowly. When the front door was open, why go by the back one? When the heart is pure, there is no difficulty whatsoever. Why should one be afraid of anyone, if there be no evil thought in us? The eyes may do their work, why should you feel shy and tottering?
That our mind is fickle by nature, it should not be allowed to get wild. The senses may get restless, the body, however should be held in check, and not allowed to be impatient. Senses run after objects of desire but we should not follow them and crave for them. By slow and gradual practice, restlessness can be conquered. We should not be swayed by the senses, though they cannot be completely controlled. We should curb them, rightly and properly, according to the need of the occasion. Beauty is the subject of sight; we may fearlessly look at the beauty of the objects. There is no room for shyness or fear. Only, we should never entertain evil thoughts. Making the mind desire less, observe God’s work of beauty. In this way the outer senses are held in check, and if the mind be allowed to run after objects and be attached to them, our cycle of births and deaths will not come to an end. With Vivek (discrimination) as our charioteer, we will control the mind, and shall not allow the senses to go astray. With such a charioteer, we reach the Vishnu-pada – the final abode, our real Home, from where there is no return.
Chapter 50
Though we try hundreds of means or Sadhanas, we do not attain the spiritual goal of life, unless a Sadguru blesses us with his grace.
Why should you take the responsibility of the actions on you? Do not entertain the sense of doer ship in doing good, as well as for bad deeds, be entirely pride less and egoless in all things and thus your spiritual progress will be rapid.
Chapter 51
This ocean of mundane existence is very hard to cross. Waves of attachments beat high against the bank of bad thoughts and break down trees of fortitude. The breeze of egoism blows with force and makes the ocean rough and agitated. Crocodiles in the form of anger and hatred move there fearlessly. Eddies in the form of the idea “I and Mine” and other doubts whirl there incessantly, and innumerable fishes in the form of censure, hate and jealousy play there. Though, this ocean is so fierce and terrible, Sadguru Sai is its Agasti (Destroyer) and the devotees of Sai have the least fear of it. Our Sadguru is the boat, which will safely take us across this ocean.
Let not our mind wander and desire anything except Thee. If you go on meditating on Sai’s Form, it will, in course of time, lead you into self-realization. It is very hard to know or realize the nature of Self of Brahma; but if you approach through the Sagun Brahma (Sai’s form) your progress will be easy.
---For information purpose only---
This has been prepared/copied from Shri Sai Sat Charitra written by Govind Raghunath Dabholkar alias Hemadpant.
Most of the content above discusses about self-realization and spirituality, some chapters are missing intentionally. All stories are removed only spiritual aspect is retained.
Complete version can be found at any website or use Google search
Visit https://sai.org.in/ or https://onlinesai.org.in/ for more info about Sai Baba and Shirdi
