Sai Vichaar
 Thursday , August 24, 2006 :: Volume 9, Issue 15
 
 (In its nineth year of publication.)
 

Sai Vichaar is a Weekly newsletter distributed every Thursday and is devoted to the life, philosophy and teachings of Shri Sai Baba of Shirdi. Feel free to forward this newsletter to your interested associates in its original form.

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    IN THIS ISSUE:

  • FEATURE OF THE WEEK
  • CONTRIBUTED ARTICLE
  • DEVOTEES SAY
  • PRAYER CLUB
  • EXPERIENCE OF DEVOTEES
  • QUOTATION OF THE WEEK
  • QUESTION OF THE WEEK
  • SAI ACTIVITIES
  • FROM THE EDITORS KEYBOARD

 

FEATURE OF THE WEEK: Spiritual Paradox

Every aspirant would like to believe that he or she has surrendered the self at the feet of Sadguru. A typical day for such an aspirant would start with the reminiscence of the Sadguru by way of prayers. However, it is more common to observe that a blissful day is easily marred by an incident, sometimes very small, and soon it is realized that one is far away from surrendering to Sadguru. What goes wrong? Spiritual progress is in a way a retreat; regression from the acquisitions the self identifies with. Resignation from the material acquisitions may be an apparent goal and task at hand for an aspirant. While some of the attributes of the material self may be gotten rid of by practice and preparation, the challenges in fighting the enemy within, requires Guru's grace. This is well explained in Sri Sai Satcharita, in the episode where the merchant seeks the ultimate knowledge. Guru's grace is the essential aspect of self-realization.

One might forego the cravings of material pursuit, truthfully realize the temporary nature of worldly acquisitions, and even win past the shackles of attachment. However, this does not guarantee a freedom from the playfulness of Maya, the delusion. Somdev Swami may have renounced everything, but when he reached the shores of Shirdi and saw Sainath's glory, his pride did not allow him to accept the greatness of the God who walked on earth! The power of Maya is such. One that was successful in physically arising above the bondage of attachment and material wealth, blinded by the ego, did not see the equanimity of Lord Sai. Eventually, blessed that he was, Somdev had the fortune of seeing Sai reveal Himself to him. Was Saibaba the begging fakir that allowed others to decorate Him with silk and perfume? Or is He the supreme Lord that took a morsel out of the most offensive appearing leper's bowl? Does Baba have any "self" to Him? He is Antaryamin! Working towards material detachment, in thoughts as well as action, is a significant part of the regression process. Completion may not be possible unless Guru reveals Himself to the aspirant. Equanimity is the reward an aspirant earns from the saadhana. This is a secret the Guru, only Guru, can lead the aspirant to.


 

CONTRIBUTED ARTICLE: Ek Shyam Shri Sai Ke Naam - In Colimbus, Ohio!

"Mere Sai kitana dayaloo, sab kuch deta jaye...", Sai's name is sweet by itself, added to it is aroma of Ajitkumarji's voice on the evening of August 12th in Sai Mandir, Columbus, Ohio. A packed hall of devotees were enthralled by flow of devotion and music by Ajitkumar Kadkade and troupe. The effortless blend of light music and Hindustani, rendered with devotion inspired devotees to sing and involve in bhajan so much, the hall reverberated with "Sai Naam". Ajitkumarji declared with humbleness "I am a mere instrucment", but the three hour program showed how Sai made His presence felt through Ajitkumarji's exquisite voice. The hall prepared by several volunteers in very short time and was a feast to eyes. The program started with Dhoop Aarthi and ended with Shej Aarthi and mahaprasad. The devotees left the Mandir with a great satisfaction of fulfilment, and sure to remember the occassion for very long time.

(Contributed by Sai Sampthnath)

CONTRIBUTED ARTICLE: Ek Shaam Shri Sai Kay Naam - in Chicago, IL

Pandit Kadkade's recitation was electrifying and had a soothing effect on the audience uplifting the soul to devotional ecstasy, crying for more. Each devotional song was carefully chosen, planned and rendered based on a different "raga" of the Hindustani classical style. In a three hour long rendition Pandit Kadkade kept the audience spell bound and glued to their seats. It truly became an evening devoted to Shri Sai Baba with the involvement of the crowd in the program. Devotees in the program were found singing along the light tunes and got absorbed in the divine atmosphere forgetting all their worldly issues. Pandit Kadkade mostly sang in Hindi on the life and teachings of Shri Sai Baba of Shirdi devotional songs that were composed and written by Shraddheya Shri C B Sapathyji an IPS officer from New Delhi lovingly addressed to as 'Guruji' by Baba's devotees. Prakash Yeshwant Vagal accompanied Pandit Kadkade on Harmonium and Rohidas Parab on Tabla. The festivities concluded with arathi of Shri Sai Baba followed by serving of Mahaprasad.

'Ek Shaam Shri Sai Kay Naam' continues in other cities across USA with live renditions by Pandit Ajitkumar Kadkade through mid September. Sri Kadkade's north American tour is sponsored by Shirdi Sai Temple, Chicago, the details of which can be had on the temple website. The temple is located in Hampshire, IL about twenty minutes drive west of Schaumburg and is closer to I-90. The temple follows style of worship as being followed in Shirdi and is open daily from 7am to 9pm. More details regarding the temple can be had on their web site http://www.saibaba.org or by calling the temple at (847) 931-4058.

(Contributed by Support Team)


 

DEVOTEES SAY:

Zenobia
Om Sai Ram, I would like to thank Saibaba for having blessed my son-in-law with a very good job and having increased his faith in Baba and lots of confidence and faith in himself. Baba, just last week I had posted a request to You asking You to bless my son-in-law with the right and perfect job which he has been blessed yesterday. Thank you Saibaba for continuously holding our hands and lifting us in Your arms and leading us towards the path to happiness, peace and righteousness.

Padma
I am so happy that Baba is with me. He has helped me a lot in all respects. Last year my sister and brother-in-law were in Canada and I used to pray the Lord that they should get visa for USA and stay with me. Now, they are in USA and my brother-in-law got a good job even if it is at a different location from my place. I am happy that both are happy. But my sister is not having any children. She is eagerly waiting for kids since long time. Baba, please bless here with a baby. I promise that I will keep Your name to the baby. She should also be blessed with a good job. She is on dependent visa now. Thanks God for helping everyone. Without You I am nowhere and this world doesn't exist.Thanks for being there for me.

Sai devotee
Om Sairam Baba, I prayed for a job for my elder son when he lost his previous job. With Your grace my son got a job when he needed it very badly. I do not know whether he has still understood his mistakes and why he lost his previous job. I seek Your grace to make him understand what he is doing is not in line with accepted norms of life and make him realise how he should behave at home, how he should interact in office and other places. I can't bear to see the way he treats his wife. I feel really very bad for my daughter-in-law. Similarly my own daughther is also suffering in her in-laws place. My son-in-law is not settled in any job yet and he and his relatives are troubling my daughter endlessly. Please help him succeed in his endeavour to get a job and settle in life. I do not know what sins I have commiitted to undergo all this and other turmoil. God, Bless us and give us courage to face all hurdles and lead us all in the right path. We have nowhere to go except You. Om Sai Ram.


 

PRAYER CLUB:

Sunil
Dear Baba, Koti pranams to You. I am leaving everything at Your feet for You to decide. I am having marital problems. This is all because of me. You know what is the problem. I pray to You to forgive me for my sins and help me lead a new life with my wife and son. At one moment I strayed away from You and due to that I have to face all these problems. I promise that I will not do any such thing which will hurt You. Please reunite me with my wife and son and help me with solving the problem. Only You can save me from the wrath. I promise that if I am reunited and have a happy family life again I shall come to Shirdi and write my experiences in this column. Please pray for me.

Sandhya
Dear Baba, as right now I am going through very difficult health issue, as I have been diagnosed with an autoimmune disease called SLE, very rare in India but I am one of the affected. This disease causes my own immune system to fight against my own body and thus slowly destroys all organs; right now it has affected my kidneys due to which I have been having swelling for the past two months and on steroids and taking food without salt also. I got married last November 14th and ours was a love marriage, with so many dreams we married but our marriage life has been more visiting hospitals and giving tons of blood tests. My husband and my in-laws are gem of a people, their support has given me more strength but I am very worried that I will lose this battle and never live to be normal and healthy again. I want my disease to go away the way it came so that I can look after those who are caring for me right now. My mother being a cancer survivor is doing too much for her age when I must be looking after all of them. Please Baba show me your guidance and bless me and do some miracle Baba, everyday is an ordeal for me. I will come surely when You call no matter in what condition I am in. I just want to touch Your feet Baba and cry, I must have done wrong that's why I am being punished so I want to ask You for forgiveness as well. Give me strength to face everything now Baba, I will fight over it. Keep blessing my husband and all family and dear ones and show us the right path.

A devotee
Baba I know You are there for me always then why are You not responding to my prayers. You know it's been three years that I am suffering each moment. Please ask him to marry me. My parents are really worried and I now desperatly want to settle down with him. Please Sainath You are my only hope and I know You can do everything. You can change destiny. Please help me Baba, I need You desperatly. I request all Sai devotees who are reading this to please pray for me. Maybe Baba will hear one of you. Please help me.

Bharat
Saibaba, as You know my employment has now ceased. I look for Your mercy to find me the next employment in my chosen path. I chant Your name in every step of the day and night (including in my sleep) only You know this is true. Please shower me with Your blessings. Emotionally, You only know what I am going through.

Ananthashayanam
Om Sri Sai Ram Baba, my neighbour's daughter is married almost four year back. Baba, she got miscarriage 4 times. Baba, please bless her a child. Baba, please give me strength to remember You always. Baba, please bless us with good health.

Suresh
Sainath as I am facing serious problems from my boss at the organisation where I work, kindly grant me a new job before this month end.

Sai Devotee
My dear Baba, our consultant is solely depending on You and working very hard to the best of his ability. Inspite of his dedicated efforts, he is not getting a breakthrough. Kindly help him, otherwise I am afraid he may go into depression. My humble pranams to Your lotus feet.

Urvish
Om Sai, Shri Sai, Jay Jay Sai. Sai Baba, please give Your blessings, help me to get a good job and show me the right path.

Gopi
Oh Sai! We are facing a financial stress in our lives for the first time ever. You know everything. We always pray You. If at all You feel that our prayers are not sincere, please forgive us. Oh Baba, please get me good job as soon as possible so that we lead a financially independent life. Please help me Baba. We have total faith in you.

Sai devotee
My friends A and B are in a lot of trouble. A's father suffered a stroke and was in the ICU for a week or so. He has been shifted recently out of the ICU but hasn't returned home yet. A is running from pillar to post between the hospital, home and the institute where she is studying. B's dad has been diagnosed with a neuro-degenerative disease and B's mom is also not well. Yet B and her mother are doing a splendid job standing upto the troubles. They don't want no sympathy from any of us. Iam not in their city to be of help to (atleast) A. Please Baba take care of their dads. Please make them recover completely without any side-effects.

A devotee
Please let my sister get pregnant and have a healthy and beautiful baby. Also, please make sure that RRB gets his green card immediately without any problems and that he has the patience to wait for some more days, if need be. You know he is a very staunch devotee of Your and does so much work for the temple too, even though he is not from India. I will surely post this all when it happens, which I am sure You will take care of. Thank you and please be with us always and guide us in the right direction.


 

EXPERIENCE OF DEVOTEES:

Jagashetty
I am working for the government in Bangalore. My boss (HOD) is very much angry with me for the reasons which he presumes himself and also for the reasons that I have not yeilded for his demands of bribery. In June he got me transferred to Mysore. I was very much worried as my daughter's marraige had been fixed in August. Hence I prayed Baba and started trying to get back transferred to Bangalore and luckily one officer was retiring on 30th June. I went on trying and at one point I had lost all hopes as at every stage I felt hurdles, leave apart the expenses. By that time the concerned Minister also came to know about my boss and his inhuman behaviour and other activities which also helped me to try for transfer. I went on praying Baba for about a week and finally I got transferred to Bangalore with the blessings of Saibaba and I feel whatever I am suffering unnecessarily in the hands of my boss is due to probably my earlier debt to him or I might have done some harm to him in my previous birth. Om Sai Ram

Yogita
ust wanted to share my experiance with Baba. I went through a painful life with my whole world going upside down for 15 years. I lost my husband, my mother, lived a very lonely life. But in all of those years I believed in Baba and prayed to Him, fought with Him, cried with Him. For me He was the only one to whom I could talk. He put me through all that, I tried to kill myself but each time He rescued me. Now I am 35 years old. He has suddenly changed my life and given me so much that I don't know my pain anymore. He made me humble, wise, forgiving. Baba and I live in each others heart. He is right when He says, "You look to me and I look to you". It may be a very long period of suffering for me but Baba had to put me through it because of my past Karma. He has blessed me in ten folds. Just want to tell everyone that He may take long for some or maybe less for some but He comes around for everyone, we just need to believe in Him and wait and watch. I am a living example of Baba's love and faith. I feel blessed all the time. Jai Sai Ram


 

QUOTATION OF THE WEEK:

"Though an incarnation He showed the people the way, how to behave satisfactorily and carry out the duties of their respective stations (Varnas) in this life. He never emulated others in any way, nor asked others to have something done for Him".-Sri Sai Satcharitha

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QUESTION OF THE WEEK:

Q. Does Baba test his devotees?


 

SAI ACTIVITIES:

Live Sai bhajans by Pandit Ajitkumar Kadkade in North America
Pandit Ajitkumar Kadkade will be performing live Sai bhajans in North America in "Ek Sham Shri Sai Ke Naam", organized by Saibaba.org. To learn more about program venues, dates and Ajitkumar Kadkade, log on to www.saibaba.org and follow link to Ajitkumar Kadkade page or call at 847-931-4058.

Shirdi Sai Temple of Chicago and Suburbs, Illinois, USA
Shirdi Sai temple is open daily from 7:00 a.m to 9:00 p.m (Summer hours). Daily program includes Kakad Arathi at 7 a.m. followed by Abhisek. Madhayana Arathi at 12 noon, Dhoop Arathi at 6 p.m. and Shej Arathi at 9 p.m. Archana, Homams, Sahasranama and sponsored poojas continue in between the Arathis. To request a pooja for yourselves, your friends and family, please call. Devotees can request water (Abhishek Jal) from the Holy bathing of Baba by sending us an email or by phone. Temple is located 25 minutes drive west of Schaumburg on intersection of IL Route 47 and Plank Road in Hampshire, IL. For more information please call 847-931-4058 or send email to maildrop@saibaba.org.

Shri Saibaba Mandir, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Saibaba activities in Minneapolis were conducted at Shirdi Saibaba Prayer center since the year 2002. Now, with the grace and blessings of Baba and the support of devotees, a new Saibaba Mandir has begun to function at 1835 Polk St NE, Minneapolis from July 11th 2006. Please visit www.hamaresai.org for all details.

Sri Shirdi Sai Baba Temple of Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas
Sri Shirdi Sai Baba Temple of DFW Metroplex is located at 2109 West Parker (Parker Plaza), Suite 212, Plano, TX 75023. For temple hours and activities please call the temple office at 469-467-3388 or visit the website www.shirdisaidallas.org.

Shirdi Sai Satsang, Bay Area, California
Shirdi Sai Parivaar invites all to join us for Satsang every Thursday 7:30 pm at Odd Fellows Temple, 20589 Homestead Road, Cupertino, CA 95014. For details please call 408-564-6704 or send email to saibandhu@yahoo.com or visit www.ShradhaSaburi.org.

Sai Satsang, New Jersey, USA
Shirdi Sai Dham, Inc regularly conducts Sai bhajans followed by Aarti and Prasad on every 1st Saturday of each month at Durga Mandir, Kendall Park, New Jersey. All are requested to kindly come and receive Baba's blessings. For more information, please call us at 609-275-1334 or visit www.shirdisaidham.org or email us at shirdisaidham@hotmail.com.

Summer Sai activities for Children, Toronto, Canada
Shirdi Sai Baba Sansthan of Canada cordially introduces "Character and Moral Values"- a unique 4 Week Summer Program for Children of all ages. The Guiding Principal of the program is "Shraddha" & "Saburi" with its curriculum based on the Teachings of our Sadguru Shri Shirdi Sai Nath. For details to enroll or volunteer visit www.shirdisainath.org or send email saileela99@yahoo.com or call 416-402-8089 or 416-895-7905.

Shirdi Sai Mandir, Scarborough, Canada
The Shirdi Sai Mandir located at 2721 Markham Road, Scarborough, Ontario, M1X 1L5 (Intersection of Markham and Nashdene) is open through out the day on Saturday, Sunday and holidays and in the morning and evenings on all weekdays. Baba's Kakad Aarti, Abhishek Puja, Madhyan Aarti, Dhoop Aarti, Satcharita Reading and Shej Aarti are performed everyday. Bhajans and Sai Naam Sankirtan in evening on Thursday and Saturday. For daily schedule, temple activities and events information please visit www.theshirdisaimandir.com or send an email to info@theshirdisaimandir.com or call 647-444-4724.

Shirdi Sai parivar, Vancouver, Canada
Shirdi Sai parivar in Vancouver invites you all for Sai satsang on Thursday from 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm and first Sunday of every month from 11:30 am to 1 pm, at 8571, 118A St, Delta, V4C 6L2. For further details contact (604)592 4182 or email at sai_ish@hotmail.com.

Sai Satsangs in Singapore
Dear Sai devotees in Singapore, Shirdi Sai Baba Sansthan (Singapore) conducts regular Sai bhajans every Saturday from 6:30 p.m. at Shri Vadapathira Kalliamman Temple, Serangoon Road, Little India, Singapore. Please visit the web site http://www.saisansthan.com for more details.

Sri Shirdi Sai Baba Dattatreya Mandir Seventh Anniversary celebrations
Sri Shirdi Sai Baba Dattatreya Mandir invites you to the Seventh Anniversary celebrations Akhanda Sai Nama Sapthaha and daily Anna Prasada from September 3rd to 10th, 2006 at Sai Snehadhama Vrudhasrhama premises, Metipalya Village, Tavarekere, Sondekoppa Road, Bangalore South Taluk. Please call 080 57744468 in Bangalore, India for more details.


 

FROM THE EDITORS KEYBOARD:

Sai Vichaar thanks you for your support for the Question of the Week feature. This feature is intended to initiate useful discussion on topics related to Sai philosophy, His message, and Sai devotion. Please send your suggested topics for the same.

The "Question of the week" for this week is,

Q. Does Baba test his devotees?

Humbly Yours,
The Editor


 

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From and Editor: Shirdi Sai Baba Web Site
  Shirdi Sai Baba Sanstha
  (A non-profit organization)
Mail: 12N950 State Route 47
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