Prominent Learnings during 1750-1950 CE-- X

Love one another and help others to rise to the higher levels, simply by pouring out love. Love is infectious and the greatest healing energy---- ( Shri Sai Baba)

Sai Baba of Shirdi, an Indian spiritual master, regarded by His devotees as a saint, a fakir, a sat-guru and even an incarnation of God,  immensely impacted the masses, irrespective of any community,during His life span of close to the year 1835 to 1918. His typical Sufi clothing of knee length one piece kathi robe & a cloth cap identified him as a Muslim fakir.

He lived a solitary life in an old & dilapidated mosque undertaking long periods of meditation and maintaining a sacred fire called " dhuni", from which he gave sacred ash, called udi to his visitors. He preached his devotees the importance of self- realization and criticized love for materialistic things. His well known epigrams---" अल्लाह मालिक " and " सबका मालिक एक है " generated feelings of superiority of God besides love and respect for all castes and religions. Those, who came in contact with Baba, were able to find His " human peculiarities" and also " divine peculiarities", mixed up so closely that the two  seemed to be inseparable.


Baba was always engrossed in the self. He was the storehouse of self-knowledge and divine bliss. He was not depressed by misfortunes and loved all creatures of God. Several virtues visible in His actions and behavior were--Forgiveness, Benevolence, Charity, Calmness,Disinterestedness, Control of Mind and Body and Egolessness. As for activity, Baba was very active and never idle.He used to say," Do not be idle,work;utter God's name; read scriptures." Learnings from His life are endless. However,we shall try to pick up a few key messages from His life under the following broad areas.

RELIGION & ETHICAL LIVING

• Religion is that which binds people back together in society for purposes of worship and other allied matters. Religion is a social phenomenon. Every religion must be God's religion.
• Respect all creeds. All religions are but particular paths leading to one ineffable goal. For Baba, all paths were equally valid; ईश्वर ( the Hindu God) and अल्लाह ( the Muslim God), being synonymous. He wanted to belong to all. He invariably followed the practice of non- discrimination of his devotees.
• His notion of unity of the mankind, that appealed to masses was very congruous with Sufism, which believed that the light of God exists in every creature.
• He frequently quoted passages and verses from Hindu , Muslim and Sufi scriptures. One of his famous expression was," अल्लाह रखेगा वहिसा  रहेना । "ie let us remain as God places us. Moreover, let us be content with what we have and submit our will to God.
• Unless there is some relationship or connection, nobody goes anywhere. If any men or creature comes to you, do not discourteously drive them away, but receive them well and treat them with due respect. श्रीहरि ( God), will certainly be pleased. If you give water to the thirsty, bread to the hungry, clothes to the naked and your वरण्डाः ( small shaded space at home)  to the strangers for sitting and resting.
• Harboring hatred is harboring poison. Sai Baba"s actions and practices, visible to the masses were, " सर्वभूता हिते रताः " ie He loved all creatures equally. He could place himself inside the heart of each creature, which inferred that He was, " सर्वभूता आत्मा भूता आत्मा " ie the soul of all creatures or the position of one who realizes himself as God. This is the aim of Religion to lose one's being in divinity.

MORAL & ETHICAL VALUES

• Advised his followers to lead a moral life; help others; love every living being without any discrimination and opposed all persecution based on religion or caste.
• Emphasized the importance of performing one's duties without attachment to earthly matters and being content irrespective of situation.
• Encouraged his devotees to pray, chant God's name and read holy scriptures.
• Led people to develop two important characteristics in their character--- devotion to Guru ( श्रद्धा ) and waiting cheerfully with patience and love ( Saburi). He criticized atheism.
• Shunned any kind of regular rituals and interpreted religious texts of both Islam and Hinduism. The three main Hindu spiritual paths--- Bhakti Yoga, Jnana Yoga and Karma Yoga influenced His teachings,
• Encouraged charity and stressed upon the importance of sharing resources.

SOME OF HIS NECTAR LIKE WORDS 

• मेरे रहते डर कैसा ? Why fear when I am there?
• हमारा कर्तव्य क्या है? ठीक से व्यवहार करना, ये काफी है. ie our duty is to behave properly, that is enough.
• नम्रता से मनुष्य वह  हासिल कर सकता है जो वह गुस्से में रहकर नहीं कर सकता। ie Humility can achieve everything while anger can not.
• If any one does any evil into you, do not retaliate. If you can do anything, do some good into others.
• If you see the moon, you see the beauty of God, if you see the sun, you see the power of God and if you see the mirror, you see the best creation of God. So, believe in yourself.
• Speak the truth and truth alone. Have " Saburi"--- ie patience and courage.
• We should not harbor envy, rivalry or combative disposition towards others. If others hate us, let us simply take to नाम जाप  and avoid their company.
• क्रोध मनुष्य को मूर्ख बनाता है और बाद में पछतावे पर ख़त्म होता है। ie anger fools us and we repent it later.
• Stay by me and keep quiet. I will do the rest.
• Surrender completely to God. One should grow into God and then only one knows God. God is love , nothing but love. God is one to be felt at heart.
• God can be realized by true faith alone. The fruit of silence is Prayer and the fruit of Prayer is Faith.
• If you want me to speak thru you, you should empty your mind, heart and body and allow me to settle within you. The moment you do that, I begin to speak thru you.
• मैं सभी को एक ही रूप में देखता हूँ। ie for me everyone is same and equal-.

Baba's messages to Humanity in general, during his lifetime were endless. His actions and behavior demonstrated these to masses. He was a perfect celibate He was not attached to anything. He was pure consciousness, the resting place of desire, anger and other feelings. Some of prominent messages, He gave for humanity at large, while answering queries of His devotees, are shared below;

• Be whatever you like, do whatever you choose, remember this well that what you do is known to me. I am the inner ruler of all. I am the mother origin of all beings--- the harmony of three virtues, the propeller of all senses, the creator, preserver and destroyer.
• To get the knowledge of self, Dhyana ( meditation) is necessary. If you practice it continuously, the vrittis( thoughts) will be pacified. Meditate always on my formless nature, which is knowledge incarnate, consciousness and bliss.
• Let anybody speak hundreds of things against you, do not resent by giving him bitter reply. If you tolerate such things, you will certainly be happy. Let the world go Topsy-turvy, you remain where you are; look on calmly at the show of all things passing before you.
• God lives in all beings and creatures. He is the great wire- puller of the world, Unless He will it, nobody can do any harm to others. We should take pity and love all creatures, leave off adventurous fights and killings and be patient.
• Do not entertain the sense of doer-ship in doing good, as well as bad deeds; be entirely pride-less and ego-less in all things.
• While answering a person, who wanted Baba to help him understand and see God ( ब्रह्म), Baba said," I want five. One must surrender the five to get at ब्रह्म. One must surrender the five senses( इन्द्रियाँ ), the five vital forces( प्राण  )  & Manas, बुद्धि , अहंकार ---the mind, intellect and ego, all of which involve वैराग्य ( detachment). All can not tread the  road to ब्रह्म ज्ञान, which leads to light everywhere.
• In another discourse on qualifications for ब्रह्म ज्ञान (self realization), Baba said," These include (a) मुमुक्षा ie intense desire to get free from bondage,(b) विरक्ति or feeling of disgust with worldly things, (c) अंतर्मुखता ie gazing inwards and not outwards (d) Catharsis( purging away) of sins, wickedness and wrong doings,(e) Right Conduct to lead a life of truthfulness, penance, celibacy and insight,(f) Preferring श्रेयस( the good) to प्रेयस ( the pleasant)--- while good deals with spiritual affairs, the pleasant deals with mundane matters, more close to greed, attachment,(g) Control of mind and senses, (h) Purification of mind-- It is in purified mind where विवेक and वैराग्य come up, leading to self realization, (i) necessity of a Sad-guru.

Sainath was said to be a  सम्पूर्ण अवतार( complete incarnation of God). Inwardly, he was unattached and an abode of peace, but outwardly, he longed for welfare of masses.. His was a spotless and blameless moral life,a wonderful model of Ethical perfection. He showed himself to be a great unifying factor in society and a universalizing force. Sai Baba has been one of the finest flower of Indian spiritual idealism and culture. Let me end the blog by another of His quote

Life is a song, sing it; Life is a game, play it;

Life is a challenge, meet it; Life is a dream, realize it;

Life is a sacrifice, offer it; Life is love, enjoy it.