Previously Posted
| Chapter No. | Part No. | Content of the Chapter |
|---|---|---|
| NA | NA | Introduction (Preface, Foreword, A Devotee Speaks and A Thought) |
| Chapter 1 | Part 1 | In Moments of Ecstasy |
| Chapter 1 | Part 2 | In Moments of Ecstasy |
| Chapter 1 | Part 3 | In Moments of Ecstasy |
| Chapter 1 | Part 4 | In Moments of Ecstasy |
| Chapter 2 | Part 1 | The Heart Overflows |
| Chapter 2 | Part 2 | The Heart Overflows |
| Chapter 2 | Part 3 | The Heart Overflows |
| Chapter 2 | Part 4 | The Heart Overflows |
| Chapter 2 | Part 5 | The Heart Overflows |
| Chapter 2 | Part 6 | The Heart Overflows |
| Chapter 3 | Part 1 | Listen O’ Fellow Travellers |
| Chapter 3 | Part 2 | Listen O’ Fellow Travellers |
| Chapter 3 | Part 3 | Listen O’ Fellow Travellers |
| Chapter 3 | Part 4 | Listen O’ Fellow Travellers |
| Chapter 3 | Part 5 | Listen O’ Fellow Travellers |
| Chapter 4 | Part 1 | On The Wings Of Thought |
| Chapter 4 | Part 2 | On The Wings Of Thought |
| Chapter 4 | Part 3 | On The Wings Of Thought |
31
Our ego is the base which makes us feel pleasure or pain in our day to day life. The situation which meets our requirement of happiness provides us pleasure and that which hurts our ego, gives us pain. The two have no value of their own. That which exists today shall end tomorrow. Moreover, the situation which seems bad and gives us unhappiness today may turn out eventually to make our life happy. This is our every day experience. If we acquire firm faith in the changeability of the situation, we shall make our life happy.
32
A few researchers have done a commendable work and gone deep into the life of Baba and have found facts contradictory to what is stated in the Shri Sai Satcharitra. As we all know Shri Sai Satcharitra has acquired the sanctity of an epic such as Ramayan, Mahabharat, Bible and the like for Sai devotees. The writing of this great work was started by Hemad Pant with the avowed concurrence and blessings of Baba and ever since its publication has attained the position of the ‘Adi Granth’ for Sai devotees who may not like to hear or know any facts, howsoever true they may be, the knowledge of which would strike at the very root of their bhakti. Moreover, it is not understood as to what useful purpose would be served to know that Baba was born in village ‘X’ instead of village ‘Y’. I for one wouldn’t like to know or hear facts which might strike at the root of my bhakti. Let us take for example, ‘Ram Charitra Manas’ which was written by ‘Tulsi Das’ in the 16th century and has become the life blood of millions of devotees of Lord Ram, who do its ‘Parayan’ every day and draw inspiration from every word of it. Many facts contradictory to what has been stated in this rendering have been discovered by researchers but those who have faith in this ‘Granth’ are not in the least bothered about them. We must, therefore, shun to bring out and express even the truths which affect the bhakti of a devotee and affect his faith.
33
Life is impermanent. One who is born must die. Why then do we remain extremely concerned for life all the time? Why not being carefree, live it taking it to be Baba’s grace on whatever he has bestowed on us and taking full care of the forthcoming moment which is waiting for us. Time has kept coming and going and shall always remain so. Let us not allow it to be the stumbling block in our path.
34
Time has never stopped on its onward journey, nor it ever will. The same is true of our soul which is eternal; it’s only the body which wears a new face. Then why should we unnecessarily remain worried for it at all times! So long as our soul is in its present sheath, we must use its cover to our advantage. Let us learn to command it, so that in the remaining time of our life, it should learn to live in accordance with our dictates.
35
O’ life you showed me the way to live But Sai came and showed me the way To live it meaningfully. Now my condition is Every moment seems to be filled with joy, Now I exist, my aloofness exists and my Sai exists Every moment I live in my Sai, And keep on swimming on the waves of happiness, In the waters of the ocean of life I have lost all count of time Desires dare not come near me And a feeling crawls within me As if nothing is left to desire for.
36
A few Hindi couplets (दोहे) rewritten in English
- “Sai, I am the boat and you are its sailor. How could it be that I miss my destination?”
- “Light the lamps of ‘Shraddha’ and ‘Saburi’ within you,
This is the ‘Mantra’ given by Sai, have faith in it”
- “The sweetest songs are those
That sing the Glory of Sai
The purest hearts are those
That breathe the Fragrance of Sai”
- “The one whose heart is filled with ‘Nirmalta’ (निर्मलता – Guileless),
The conduct of whom is ‘Saral’ (सरल – Simple),
The one who lives in ‘Sehajta’ (सहजता – Child like),
He is devoted to Sai in word and deed”
- “Gita, Quran and Bible, all proclaim one common truth,
Love all and serve all, Let it be the motto of life”
- “When the bed sheet got dirty, it spoke to me thus: You shall wash me clean but have you ever thought, who shall wash the dirt in you?”
- “The fool in me claims to understand the mystery of Sai,
That one who is bottomless, who can guage its depth”
- “The Grace of Sai is lying scattered all around
Those who desire may carry cart-loads of it
Of what avail would lamenting be
When birds have eaten away the crops”
- “The heart that nurtures hatred, cannot come close to Sai
The abode of Sai can only be a Pure and ‘Satvik’ heart”
- “The one who chants ‘Sai’, ‘Sai’, lives a life without fear,
Those who live under the shadow of fear, belong not to Sai”
- “Blessed is the man whose heart overflows with compassion for others.
Everyone lives for himself. One who lives for others is indeed blessed”.
- “Nothing belongs to me, whatever exists is yours, O’ Baba,
I am a mere fool, who carries the feeling of being the doer”
- “O’ the self in me! You seem to have gone off head – what is there for you feel proud of? This body of yours is a mere lump of earth”.
- “The overflowing compassion of whom
Touches the chords of hearts
Such is my Sai Samarth
How could I forget him?”
- “One who transgresses the bounds of name, fame, body and wants: the heart of such a devotee, shall Sai make His abode”.
- “When you have come into the world
Leave behind some such benevolent acts
Of which the world may sing praises
And you be watching sitting with your Sai”
- “One who goes beyond the limits of name, fame and body consciousness,
On his call, Sai comes running bare footed”
- “Blessed are they, who seek pleasure in pain
Everyone abhors pain, those who laugh it away are blessed indeed”
- “To mitigate the calamities of his bhaktas, Sai took to grinding wheat,
We fools keep on singing the praises of our own bhakti”
- “The mere gaze of whom, makes the rain clouds run
Such is our Sai Nath, what is impossible for him”
- “The heart that nurtures passion, jealousy and hatred cannot be the seat of Sai, Know this as a gospel truth”
- “Blessed is the one whose heart sheds tears on the misery of others,
Everyone lives for himself, blessed is the one who lives for others”
“There is nothing like wisdom which can make us pure on this earth. The man who lives in self-harmony finds this truth in his soul”
— Shri Bhagavad Gita
“I am the same to all beings, and my love is ever the same, out of those who worship me with devotion, they are in me and I am in them”.
– Shri Bhagavad Gita
© Author – Late Shri. Suresh Chandra Gupta – Explicit Rights To Publish To Shirdi Sai Baba Books.com (Member of SaiYugNetwork.com)
