Part 3 – Chapter – 4 – On The Wings Of Thought – Fragrance of Sai Bhakti

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

Click on the image to download a collection of Sai Baba Sketches

The intrinsic purity of my heart, its child like simplicity (निर्मलता), its sky like vastness and the overflowing pure love within are the steps leading to self surrender, and ascending on these steps a devotee could have the glimpse of Sai Tatva. Normally every devotee who takes to Baba does get satisfaction by having the feel of His Grace, but the four walls of my room, its roof, all are saturated with Sai Kripa – the bed lying therein and this physical frame resting thereon, then could these sometimes have the feel of emptiness? The body which remains enwrapped in the divine light (नूर) of Sai, the ‘aatma’ which remains glowing with the blissful mercies of Sai, could these be empty? It is however, a different thing that a vessel full has not the feel of its fullness.

Baba! You are the doer of every act concerning me but the credit for doing that, I get. What is this game that you play with me? But I know it full-well that this is your method of assessing me and weighing me whether there has been some reduction in my ego or not. But if after having been associated with your name for such a long time, my ego continues to persist unabated, I shall hold you only responsible for it. Why haven’t you been able to kill it? But I do perhaps forget that even this thought which is arising within me is infact a part of the process of your constant churning of my self. How could it be possible that the heart which Sai cleanses would remain unclean? In this context a thought arises within me: A few of your so-called devotees who have added your name as a prefix or suffix with their names – what a game are they playing with you? Some use the divine Udi from the fire lit by you in the Dwarkamai and claim that by the application of Udi by their hands all diseases get cured. O’ the fools, do think over within yourself. You are only deceiving your own self. You are a mere particle of dust. How could you deceive the omnipresent Sai?

Purity is the ornament of man – purity of body, purity of heart, purity of thoughts and purity of actions and when all these become ingrained within us, our ‘Aatma’ shall automatically attain purity. And then, our nature shall become child-like and the difference between us and our Sai shall cease to exist.

Sai and we are one. The difference is only that whereas Sai is Consciousness Incarnate, we do not know ourselves. Let us remember that it is only due to our good ‘Karmas’ that we have taken birth as humans. Let us take a firm decision that we shall endeavour to make this world a heaven and thus pay off the debt we have incurred on having been born as a human on earth. The future is waiting for us. Have faith that the one who is getting these words scribbled on paper by this ‘Aatma’, there is no difference between this ‘aatma’ and your own. If there is any, it is only this much that one is having awareness of Sai’s grace and the other is looking for it. The destination of both is one and the same.

Baba I often wonder within me: What a peculiar gift of nature is this ‘I’? Neither it has any form nor a face but it is this ‘I’ which has been the cause of mischief to man all through the ages. It catches hold of the man soon after birth and leaves him not till death. Even the ‘Rishis’ and ‘Munis’, the Sages and Saints, have not remained unaffected by its play. And they have in their attempt to seek its source, themselves vanished into the thin air. Only a handful has been born in this whole existence, who have been able to subdue their ego and have become immortal and left their marks on the sands of time. The world sings their praises.

When in my everyday life, I observe its play, I am left bewildered. At every step, in every walk of life, in every message the body language sends, in the sleeping and waking states, while eating and drinking, infact there is no activity in which this ‘I’ is not reflected and then we talk of achieving control over it. What is most surprising is that even those who are known ‘Gyanis’ and ‘Dhyanis’ and who are not tired of giving sermons on controlling it, are themselves a prey of it. They have put on ‘1008 Shri’ before their name. Some become ‘Mathadheeshwar’ (the president of the Math) while others adopt the title of ‘Mahamandleshwar’.

In this crowd of innumerables, the one who is able to recognize this ‘I’ becomes child-like and the world sings his praises. Most interesting thing pertaining to this ‘I’ is that even though it is without a form and shape, its existence is extremely vast, deep, fearful and subtle. Its true nature which is discernible at every step creates a feeling of laughter within every person. He can feel its effect but owing to its being formless, has to remain quiet.

What havocs has this I not wrought in this world? It has become the cause of world wars as also of destruction. Even if a person understands its impact, it is too clever and too subtle to be controlled by him. The ego of money, of position, of recognition, of knowledge and above all the ego of God realization – its impact is discernible in every field. The pages of Vedas, Puranas and history are replete with its stories of creating havoc. Even a person who claims to have achieved control over it, when struck by it, all his claims become hollow and he keeps on looking helplessly. According to Shri Rama Krishna Paramhamsa, a man cannot remain alive for more than 21 days if no trace of ego is left in him. It is a strange creation of nature which has neither a beginning nor an end. It may not be untrue to say: The scribbling of these words may also be merely an exhibition of this ‘I’ only.

The eyes that have adored their Sai
How could these now belong to some other?
The one who has tasted the waters of Lake Mansarovar,
How could he acquire taste for waters of other lakes?

The soul which is in the grip of the strong arms of Sai
How could it get absorbed elsewhere?

O’ you, wander not door to door in quest of Parmatma
When Sai, the Messiah of Kaliyuga is with you.
Sai has talked not of hard penances, churning of the self
Nor has he laid stress on the knowledge of Vedas & Shastras
He has conveyed to us in every day language
The deep and hidden truths, contained in Shastras,
With perfect serenity and one pointed attention
Surrender yourself to Sai
He shall take the burden of your life
On his shoulders
And you shall then be free to fly
Into the skies high
And a day shall come
When you
Taking the form of a star
Shall merge in your Sai

Penning down the thoughts arising within ones own self and on reading which, his own soul feels blissful, is not something which lies within one’s own domain. To put down on paper the sweetness of the joy experienced within, is not the writer’s own doing. This could only be possible with the grace of Sai.

The rain drops falling from the skies provide solace to my ‘Aatma’, the cool breeze that blows around me provides me joy, the chirping of birds at dawn, the sweet songs sung by the ‘Koel’ (nightingale bird), all combine to provide peace to my existence and compel me to ponder: which is that power which creates these and where does it reside? Where is the source of it all? All such questions provide me the impetus to go deeper within me. In those moments of self introspection, I look to my Sai and have the feel of oneness with him as if nothing exists outside. Whatever exists is within us only. Aimlessly we keep on attempting to catch the air in our grip.

In the markets of today everything is available for a price. If there is something which no price can purchase, it is ‘Shraddha’ (Faith) and ‘Saburi’ (Patience). It is my belief that if the so called Gurus of today could have their way, the capsules of ‘Shraddha’ and ‘Saburi’ too would soon become available – those of Yoga and the art of living and life are already available. And if we talk of Sai bhakti, it is my feeling if the so called great devotees of Baba have their way, soon Baba’s ‘Kafni’, ‘Patka’ (Head Gear), ‘Satka’ (Stick or Cane), ‘Tumrel’ (Tin Pot) would all become available in the markets. As on today, Baba’s statues and palki’s (पालकी) are already available on rent and even to inaugurate the functions thereof well known persons are invited.

The responsibility of all those intimately connected with Sai temples – their presidents, general secretaries and members of the managing committees, as also of persons who are engaged in rendering any services in the temple including Pujaris, is very onerous. They must understand that they are the servant of the temple and not its master. It is absolutely necessary for them to give equal respect to everyone visiting the temple. Neither a wealthy man nor a poor from the street should make any difference in their approach. Neither they should run after anybody nor ignore the poor. They should adopt the attitude of neither showing any special concern for anyone nor disrespect to some. They must see the image of Sai in every person visiting the temple and have the feeling of rendering service to him. They should imbibe the attitude of a devotee and not of an official of the place.

Everyone visiting the temple should be their honoured guest. They should throw away the countenance of hatred outside the temple and endeavour to generate the currents of love, fellow feeling, respect for all and oneness with each other before Baba and leave outside the temple their anger, hatred and disrespect. The vibrations of love and divinity arising in the temple should not be allowed to be polluted. Intemperate language used for any devotee should be construed to have been used for Baba. Giving respect, flowers and garlands in token of ‘Prasad’ is the right of every devotee and he should get these from the temple. The management should first become devotee themselves and later wear the cloak of officialdom.

Continued to Part 4 of Chapter 4