Sai Vichaar

Sai Vichaar Thursday, Jun 25, 2009 :: Volume 12, Issue 07

2009-06-28T04:45:00.001-07:00

Sai Vichaar
Thursday, Jun 25, 2009 :: Volume 12, Issue 07
(In its twelfth 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. Please do not reply to this email. All replies will be ignored. To contact us please see information at the bottom of this newsletter.

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: Why know the nature of "Self"?

Sai Baba's famous parables and cryptic remarks are well known. These comments were always impregnated with a message directed towards the individual who is addressed. Once, a devotee wanted to take a photograph of Baba. When Baba was approached regarding this, He said, "No, it is enough if he knocks a wall down". The devotee stood confused. Later, an explanation was given as follows: The photograph is one's likeness of Baba. The wall is "I am the body" idea, which is an obstacle that interferes with identifying the supreme spirit.

One straightforward remark of Baba has always been "awaken the self". The nature of self is not easily explained. The pursuit to know the self is as varied as the individuals themselves. However, it is said that one must have an honest yearning and God's grace to know the nature of self. Now, why should one know the "self"? The Geetha says, " With the self unattached to external contact, he finds happiness in the Self; with the self engaged in the meditation of Brahman, he attains endless happiness".

Swami Chinmayananda on his commentary on The Geetha explains further, "Why should I deny myself the brilliant flashes of momentary joys in exchange for a steady stone-like, impregnable monotony, call it equilibrium or equanimity, peace or God-hood? Any sensible seeker entering the halls of spiritual study with his intellect bright and clear should come to doubt its efficacy and utility. Though the process of self-development is essentially a process of detachment, this technique of negation does not take us to an empty and purposeless zero, but when we have negated all that is false, we come to experience and live a total positivity. When the dreamer has renounced all his contacts with the dream world and thrown away his dream personality, he does not become a non-entity, but he re-discovers himself to be the more vital, more effective personality, the waker". Sadguru Sainath's remarks on awakening one's self refers to this state of awakening that is more vital, blissful and permanent, by Sadguru's grace.

CONTRIBUTED ARTICLE: The Sage of Arunachala

Ramana Maharishi, one of the greatest sages of India, was not a mere life but a manifestation that descended on to this earth on December 30, 1879. It was a Monday and more important the `Day of the Arudra Darshan', (celebrated as the birthday of Siva). He was apparently an ordinary baby at birth. What he made out of his life, however, was extraordinary. When he was barely 17 years old and in the summer of 1896, he experienced a feeling of death and life thereafter. The aftermath of the experience left him not scarred or scared but enlightened. The boy Ramana, magnetized by the vibrations of the sacred hill Arunachala at Tiruvannamalai in Tamil Nadu, India, reached there on September 1, 1896.

He never moved out again except for his heavenly abode. Aware that the time of his departure was due, the Maharishi tried to console his devotees and assuage their grief in many words, "Where could I go?" he queried. "The body is itself a disease; when we have finished a meal do we keep the leaf plate on which we have eaten it?" Just as a servant rejoices to lay down his burden at the place of delivery, so does a Jnani rejoice at being relieved of the body by death." For a man who gave up just about everything, except his loincloth, the Maharishi did indeed have a large family of devotees. They came in hordes and from all strata of life - queens, princes, ministers, Presidents, philosophers, foreigners, musicians, the ardent seeker, the curious intellectual, the rich zamindar and the pauper. He viewed all of them with the same compassion.

In his heart there was place for all creatures great and small. His demeanor towards the quadruped, the winged and the reptiles is worth pondering over. He never referred to an animal as `it' but always as "he" or "she". When he said, "Give Lakshmi her rice at once," it was the cow whom he meant. In fact the rules of the Ashram dictated that at mealtime, the dogs be fed first, then the beggars and only then the devotees. Squirrels used to hop through the window on to his couch and he always kept a little tin of peanuts besides him for them. The animals felt his Grace and once a devotee asked him what it felt to have a snake pass over him and he replied "Cool and soft."

It was a delight to watch very young children run up the hill to be with the Maharishi. Ramani, a nonagenarian fondly recalls with tears in her eyes, "We never knew that he was a Maharishi. He was `Omachi thatha,' to all of us (children). It was Kavyakanta Ganapati Sastri, one of the earliest disciples of Bhagavan, who first addressed him as Maharishi. My father Manavasi Ramaswamy Iyer was a great Ramana bhakta. He was a poet who composed many songs on `Bhagavan.' He was popularly referred to as Saranagati Thatha on account of the popular Saranagati song he composed on the Maharishi. But more poignant is the fact that on the day Bhagavan died, Ramaswamy realized that he could compose no more. The stream of songs that gushed out uninterrupted for 40 years dried on the day of the Mahanirvana."

Bhagavan was a simple human being. In everyday life, he was punctual, meticulous to the last detail, and simplicity incarnate. Devotees recall that he would never allow privileges of any kind to be shown to him. He shunned ostentation of any kind and refused to be garlanded on any occasion. In the dining hall, if anything extra or special was served to him he would immediately express his displeasure by refusing to eat the food. On another occasion when a devote reprimanded a European lady for not crossing her legs, Bhagavan, in spite of his arthritis and rheumatism, crossed his legs that a rule was applicable to all and refused to straighten them till the lesson had been driven home. In the last years of his life, the Ashram authorities commissioned a sthapati to carve a statue of Bhagavan. Hearing the stone being chiselled, Bhagavan jocularly remarked, "The stone God is getting ready to sit upon the stone sofa."

F. H. Humphreys, the first European visitor to the Ramanashram penned his experience, of seeing Ramana Maharishi, to a friend in London. "For half an hour I looked into the Maharishi's eyes, which never changed their expression of deep contemplation. I could feel only that his body was not the man: it was the instrument of God." But Humphreys was neither the first nor the last to experience God in the form of Ramana Maharishi. Paul Brunton, who arrived at Tiruvannamalai more a skeptic than a believer records the impact of the eloquent silence of Maharishi: "Before those (eyes) of the Maharishi, I hesitate, puzzled and baffled ... I cannot turn my gaze away from him. I know only that a steady river of quietness seems to be flowing near me ... " Scholars came to Bhagavan Ramana Maharishi to get their doubts clarified but his teachings were not theoretical in the least. In fact they were simple and practical. He would constantly urge the process of self-enquiry. His oft-repeated advice to aspirants was, "Constantly introspect - Who am I? That which is peace. All that we need do is to keep quiet. Peace is our real nature."

(Source: "The Hindu" dated May 9, 2003)

DEVOTEES SAY:

Srinivasarao
Om Sai Ram. Dearest Baba aap ko koti koti pranam and dhanyavad; because of you only our nephew got this job;but for you Baba it would never have been possible; Baba always be with us all and take care of one and all; Sai Saranam Sarvasya Saranagati.

Krishnaveni
Deva, thanks for showering your leela's and miracles. Please forgive me if I have done or spoke wrong in this process.2 weeks back I wrote in Sai sathchritha about my problems... today I am here thanking for leelas.

Jagannathan
Dear Baba: My wife and I had prayed to You through the columns of "Sai Vichar (April 23, 2009 issue)" to help my son, Sanjay, get a job. Baba, you have been extremely kind. With Your Grace, he has got a job now and today he has joined the job in Ban galore. No words can express our gratitude on this boon from You. Thank you so much Baba. Please help Sanjay in prospering in his job and make a mark for himself. Please help him Baba. He is also an ardent devotee of you.

Sudha P
Last month I went for medical check up for immigration purpose with my husband and I prayed Baba to get the normal medical reports. And just because of you Baba we got it normal. Thank you Saibaba.

S Rudra
Koti koti pranam and thanks to Shirdi Sai Baba. Finally I have received Baba's kripa prasad, my prayers are answered i.e. I have been blessed with a baby boy after 10 long years. I had vowed that I would write in Sai vicar my experience of this long awaited period. Not a single day started without praying Baba's name and begging with open arms and tears in my eyes for an issue. Baba, I always said you are the malik of our destiny, so why delay in giving the kripa prasad to your daughter or do some miracle in my life and the day turned out to be December 11, 2008 when I was blessed with a baby boy. As per my vow I had offered golden palna and money as per tulabar of my son at Shirdi. I would request all Sai bhakt's to have shradda and saburi and their prayers will be answered.

PRAYER CLUB:

Neha
Baba, please take care of us and please shower us both with love so that we both don't quarrel and live happily together with your bhakti as we start our new life.

Silpa
YOU should be with me and help me do the right thing. Please Baba. Please help me Baba. Babu should be happy with my decision and get settled in his life without any further troubles in his life. Please help him

Indu
Baba please help me to come out of the present tensed situation. Help me Sai, I beg you.

Satyanarayana Raju
Baba - many salutations to You. Please help with selling the house as soon as possible. Need your grace to fulfill this objective.

Sharma
Please SAIBABA, please see that I should get this job.

Sandhya
Dear Sai Baba, you know that my father's health is very bad, he always has high blood sugar and now with BP. He was hospitalized also. And my sister's health is not well. Please bless my parents and sister with good health.

Rajnish
Baba, Please help us and clear all of our Immigration papers. We are really stress out.

Saroj
Baba please let my elder niece get married. Everyone gets worried about it. Please help us to find a suitable groom for her.

Ritu
I am living by following the Sai principle of Shradha and Saburi. Please Baba, help us to calm down and protect us from all directions

EXPERIENCE OF DEVOTEES:

Mahi
A few months ago my fiancé got laid off from his company. He is on an H1B visa and would go out of status if we don't either change to another visa or transfer it to another employer. We decided to transfer it to another employer. A friend of us said he would sponsor one. After a month of applying we got a very tough RFE asking for many documents. We were scared that it will not be approved and that we have to go back to India. We were getting prepared for that. I asked my fiancé to keep total trust in Sai Baba and start doing Parayana of Satcharitra. Even before he completed reading he could get all the documents needed and mailed. Just last week his visa got approved. I am thankful to Sai Baba for that. Though I trusted that things would smoothen out, we landed in even bigger mess and I did not trust he would take care of it. I was tired battling everything. But still he does not forget us and proves that he cares for us no matter what. I am thankful Baba. And at the very same time very sorry, I kept losing my patience over and over again. Please take care of everything. I will surely work on being more patient and start believing in your divine providence and being more humble and controlling my temper. I am very thankful for being there for me.

QUOTATION OF THE WEEK:

"I do not need any paraphernalia of worship - either eight-fold or sixteen-fold. I rest there where there is full devotion." - Sri Sai Baba

QUESTION OF THE WEEK:

Q. What is the attitude of Sai devotees towards raising their children?

A. Your answer can go here.

SAI ACTIVITIES:

Gurupournima celebrations in Chicago, USA
Sri Shirdi Sai temple Chicago will celebrate Gurupournima celebrations for three days from Tuesday July 7th to Thursday July 9th with Main day being Tuesday July 7th. The full event program can be viewed on events page at the temple website. The three day event comprises of Kalash abhishek, Homa, all four arathis, Gopal Kaala, Scriptural reading, Sai Paalkhi processiona and Bhajan Sandhya. The Bhajan Sandhya will be rendered by classical singer Priya Krishnamurthy on Thursday evening after the paalkhi program. Please plan to attend the event celebrations in person or you can sponsor the event in absentia. To sponsor online, visit the home page on saibaba.org and follow the link to Gurupournima event. Please join us with family and friends in one of the biggest events in Shirdi Sai Baba tradition. For more information please call 847-931-4058 or send email to maildrop@saibaba.org.

Gurupoornima Celebrations - Sri Saibaba Mandir, Minneapolis, MN
Sri Saibaba Mandir, Minneapolis, MN invites all to visit and participate in Gurupoornima Cleberations from July 5 to 7, 2009 at the mandir located in Minneapolis, MN at 1835 Polk St NE, Minneapolis, MN 55418. Please call 612-789-7729 for more information on for more details as well as mandir activities, events and other information. The mandir is open 7 days a week in the evenings from 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm and during morning hours from 6 AM to 8 AM, 11.45 AM to 12.30 PM everyday. Satsangs are conducted every Sunday mornings, 9 am to 12:30 pm.

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.

Shirdi Sai Temple of New England, Boston Area
Sri Shirdi Sai Baba Temple of New England is now operational. It is located at 1827 Bridge St # 8, Dracut, MA 01824. The temple is open four days from Thursday to Sunday. For temple hours and activities please visit their website.

Shirdi Sai Center in Bay Area, CA
Shirdi Sai Center is located 897-B East Kifer Rd, Sunnyvale, CA 94086. For more information please call 408-705-7904 or 408-564-6704.

Shirdi Saibaba temple, Los Angeles, CA
Devotees in Los Angeles area are informed about Sri Shirdi Saibaba temple in Los Angeles area. The temple is located at - 144 South 4th Street, Montebello, CA 90640. For more information please call Krishna Samantula at 949-679-9938.

Saibaba Temple, Columbus, Ohio
Devotees in Columbus and surrounding Ohio locations area are informed about Sri Shirdi Saibaba temple in Metro Columbus area. The temple is located in a leasing space at 6599 Dublin Center Drive, Dublin, OH 43017. Please attend daily Aaratis and Thursday bhajans. For more information please call 614-799-8411.

Shirdi Sai bhajans every Thursday at Maitland, Florida
Devotees are invited to participate in Sai study and bhajans on Thursdays between 7-8 pm at Meditation Gallery, 219 E Horatio Ave, Maitland, FL 32715. For more details please contact Bonnie at 407-830-1276.

Sri Shirdi Sai Temple of Austin, TX
Sri Shirdi Sai Temple of Austin, Texas opened at 601 E Whitestone Blvd (RM 1431), Cedar Park, TX. Daily 4 aarthis are performed to Sai Baba. As part of service to needy, a weekly sandwich seva is also conducted.

Shirdi Sai Mandir, Dulles, VA
Shirdi Sai Mandir is located at 43671 Trade Center Place #166 Dulles, VA 20166. The mandir is open through the week in the evenings from 6pm to 9 pm. Sri Satyanarayan pooja will be conducted every full moon day. Please call (703) 661-4724 for more information on activities, events and other information.

Shirdi Sai Mandir, Toronto
The Mandir is located at Unit 7 & 8 2721 Markham Road Toronto ON M1X 1L5 Canada. Daily services offered to Baba include abhishek and all aartis. For Mandir hours and activities, please call 647-444-4724.

Shri Shirdi Sai Baba Sansthan, Canada -Toronto
Devotees in Toronto, are invited to join in Sai Namavali, Satcharita reading, Bhajans, Aarti and Prasad every Thursday from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm. at GUR MANDIR 207 Queen's Plate Dr. Etobicoke - Hwy27 South of Finch for more info call (416) 294 4804

Sai Mandir, Baldwin New York
Devotees in New York and surrounding locations are informed about Sri Sai Mandir in Baldwin NY. The temple is located at 1889 Grand Avenue, Baldwin, NY 11510. Please attend daily Aaratis and Thursday Panchamruta Abhishekam and bhajans. For more information please call at 516-867-8008.

Shirdi Saibaba Temple, Iselin/Edison New Jersey
Devotees in New Jersey and surrounding locations are informed about Sri Shirdi Saibaba temple in Iselin NJ. The temple is located at 465 Lincoln Highway (Route 27) Iselin, NJ 08830. Please attend daily Aaratis and Thursday Panchamruta Abhishekam and bhajans. For more information please call at 732-283-1800.

Shirdi Saibaba Temple, Flushing New York
This temple is located near the famous Ganesh Temple, Flushing, New york. All the day-to-day rituals at the temple are being conducted in a manner similar to that in Shirdi. The temple is located at 46-16 Robinson Street Flushing,NY,USA 11355. For more information please call 718-321-9243.

Sri Sai Amruta Narayana Sarveswaraalaym, Richmond, VA
The temple is open from 5.15 am to 9.00 pm, everyday (no lunch break etc). We have all 4 aarthis every day and Baba's paalki seva on every Thursday after Dhoop Aarthi. Further information can be obtained by calling the temple at 804-708-0867.

FROM THE EDITORS KEYBOARD:

Sai Vichaar has learnt that several have received their weekly email into their unwanted email folder due to the email filter function of the respective email providers. Please check your email folders before deleting to make sure Sai Vichaar is not delivered into Spam mail. In the true spirit of Sai devotion, contributors are requested to remember to suit the content, language, style, and presentation, appropriate to a worldwide readership. It should also be noted that when a section from any material other than their own is quoted or referred to, it is the authors' responsibility to acknowledge the source appropriately.

Sai Vichaar requests the devotees to continue to submit to Sai Vichaar using the pages intended for various sections of Sai Vichaar. Sai Vichaar gratefully appreciates the patience of its readers during the past few weeks of revamping of our database. A Sai devotee suggested the The "Question of the week" for this week as,,

Q. How does a Sai devotee deal with deceitful relationships and situations where there is abuse of trust?

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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Sai Vichaar Thursday, Jun 18, 2009 :: Volume 12, Issue 06

2009-06-19T10:11:00.000-07:00

Shirdi Sai Baba updates - Photos, mp3, wallpapers, downloads, Shirdi festival news...

Sai Vichaar
Thursday, Jun 18, 2009 :: Volume 12, Issue 06
(In its twelfth 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.

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: Whiplash

"Har din har pal chalthaa rehthaa.. sangraam kahin man ke bheethar
Mein tera dwaar na dhoond sakhaa Sayii bhatak rahaa hun dagar dagar"

"It is a struggle within, every day... every minute... I am lost Sayee... trying to find my way to your abode "

Scriptures and Sadguru stress one important feature of human life. That is, the duty of a human life exists in seeking the very purpose that the life may have and knowing what life is about. It is in this context that humans are considered very fortunate and human life meritorious. Amidst the checkers of the good and the bad, happiness and misery, may lay this quest, dormant. Unsuspectingly beautiful or seemingly painful happenings of one's life may still be quite trivial relative to the quest to seek reasoning for the bigger. Sadguru Sainath said that to know the Brahman, meditation is necessary. By this constant practice, all the thoughts will be pacified, the yearning intensified, and eventually the distinction between the objective of meditation and the meditator lost, meaning the purpose is achieved. Baba also said that He is the inner ruler of all beings and He is the wire puller of the show of the universe. He added that nothing will harm those who turn their attention towards Him, but Maya will lash or whip those who forget Him. Nectar-like words!

When is the right time to contemplate on thoughts such as the above? Does human life have a stage allotted for the thoughts of spiritual nature? If so, when? Shri B. Hanumantha Rao in "Sai Anusaranamu" wrote that fortunate are those who realize the transient nature of mundane happiness at the early stage of their life and dedicate their efforts for self-realization at the feet of Sadguru. How true! No one can claim to control his or her destiny. None may allot a stage of their life, whether now or latter, to realize the purpose life may have. In fact, the thought that one controls their time and the destiny in itself denote a sense of ignorance. Entire life can be spent on small pleasures and dwelling on imaginary fear, both the concoctions of mind. So, when is the time to embark on the endeavor? When does one realize that it is not "our" time in minutes and seconds that we spend on Sai, but it is His lease given to us to realize the purpose of our living?

CONTRIBUTED ARTICLE: To Grieve or not to Grieve!

It is imperative that each soul that has taken birth on this earth as a human being or any other species continue its journey upon death after its time is up. No one can escape from the clutches of death when the time comes. Death is a difficult subject and very hard for us to deal with. People rather attach their mind to something else and try to shift their focus away from this unchanging principle of nature. Only when one sees the reality of death very closely, it dawns on the living that all of our time is limited and short on this earth.

Dealing with someone's loss is a very difficult and trying for a lot of people. Shri Sai openly lamented at the passing away of his beloved devotee Megha in front of the villagers to express solidarity and not look indifferent at the passing away of Megha. He went about his daily rounds after the funeral was over. Did Shri Sai leave his inner composure and Samadhi state when expressing such outward behavior? Absolutely not! The same Sainath told Tatya, upon the death of his mother, that death is an imminent principle and asked him to show one home in the entire world where there has been no death. Shri Sai used different ways and means to communicate with his devotees as circumstances demanded. But in the end what does HE do at his own passing away? He asks Shri Shamsuddin Baba to come and do Qawali and asks Shri Das Ganu to come and sing bhajans at his Samadhi. So there was Qawali and bhajans, followed by regular arathis and pooja as though he was still sitting there upon his attainment of mahasamadhi.

Saints recognize that departure of soul from this body is liberation rather than death. The soul entrapped in this body and shrouded with Senses and pulled by the ever dominating Maya is always looking for an escape. For spiritually advanced souls, this passing to the other side calls for a celebration! For us mortals who fear death, it makes us so unprepared that when someone close to us dies, it shatters our lives, faith and much more. On the occasion of this Baba's Mahasamadhi, we can all take a lesson from Shri Sai's life on how to deal with death in our own lives and the lives of our loved ones.

(Contrbuted by: Sai Vichaar Team)

DEVOTEES SAY:

Shilpa
Thank you Sai Baba for being there with me at the time of my delivery. You made a Caesarian delivery into forceps. And I m also thankful for providing a job in Pune to my husband as per our request. Thank you so much.

Shaileeprasad
Thank you Baba for finalizing my daughter's marriage. I know it is only your blessing that it all happened so nicely .It is just like a dream come true. You blessed us with a match, which we really thought of. Baba please shower your blessing on all of us, my only belief and strength is YOU. When you are with me I am not afraid of any thing. I know with your blessings and good wishes every thing will be solemnized in a greater way

Swetha
I lost one of my earrings last night. I looked everywhere but I couldn't find it. So, I prayed to Baba saying that if I find my earring I will post article in SaiVichaar. This morning with Baba's grace I found it at my Friend's yard.

Srinivas
My son's lip got hurt in day care and took him to emergency. We Prayed to Baba, Please cure him quickly and become every thing normal. By Baba's grace, his lip became normal within a week. Thank you Baba for showing your blessing on us for all hard times.

Sai devotee
Baba, Thank you very much for helping mum to recover. I hope both Mum and Dad be healthy and strong. Thank you for helping us all in many many ways. Thank you.

PRAYER CLUB:

L Viswanath
BABA, please protect me and my unborn baby from any mishaps and help me have a safe delivery. We all only rely on You to shower Your blessings on us. Please do not let us down. Koti pranams to You BABA.

Hema
Please help us to live happy and grant my son admission in to the school we want. Please bless us with no problems

Divya
Please dear Sai, keep your word to solve all my parent's financial problems within the date u told me.

Devotee
Please see that I should get this job. Please SAIBABA, Please see that Swarna and myself should get good jobs

Sai Devotee
Jai Sai Ram, Baba please help me and my husband to settle down with a good, stable and peaceful job. Please bless us with peace of mind and happiness.

Nayana
You know what happened today, I made a big mistake. Please save me from it. I assure you that I will never crib about job rather take things positively & do my best wherever I am. Please help me in the same.

EXPERIENCE OF DEVOTEES:

A Sai Devotee
I want to share a wonderful experience with all of you. One day a customer of ours asked me to produce certain deliverables by certain date. I was sure I will produce and therefore casually postponed the finalization of the deliverables on the morning of the day when meeting was to happen with customer. On that morning I just could not concentrate and finalize the deliverables. So when meeting started I had to show my blank face. After the meeting I was sure that the report would go to my Boss and this could be my last day. Thereafter, I prayed and cried in front of Baba for the whole weekend - that such thing has never happened me before so why this should happen now and put me to misery and shame. Believe me or not the customer NEVER reported my Boss (even though they are known for their bad and good reports to management). I can say only one thing Baba carried me on his hands and saved me. Devotees, please do your work with full diligence and faith and believe in HIM. This is undisputed truth - "HE is sure to take make things happen".

Lakshmi
I would like to share my recent experience. Few months back, on Dec 9th, 2009 Tuesday morning I read Chapter 29 from Sai Satcharitra and left to another place for job interview. On the way, I was recollecting what I read, in that chapter Baba comes into dream and fulfills devotee's desire by showing Ramdas. I thought if Baba comes into my dream what I would ask. My first wish was to go back to earlier days in Shirdi in 1910 and see the neem tree, Tatya patil, Shama and others and then finally wished to see Chavadi. After thinking all these for a while I slept and after few hours I reached my friend's house and checked my email. I got email from Saileelas about 100th year of Chavadi and everyone has to read chapter 37 before go to bed, so he fulfilled my wish of chavadi. When I read that chapter I felt like I was in Shirdi. On Thursday I got another email from Saileelas with the following link http://heritageshirdi.blogspot.com/ which has photos of neem tree and all other photos, which I wished to go back to 1910 and see.

Manjula
I came to US three years back but I never wanted to stay here. I got married and had one child during this time. Life changed a lot for me and I was finding it difficult to adjust with job, family and child. I needed help but that was possible only after going back to India. I was not sure if I could get a job in India. One day my sister told me on phone about SAI BABA and HIS mercifulness. I knew HIM before, my grand ma visited Shirdi once and I also knew about his lilas but I never thought that GOD could be so close to us to help us in day-to-day problem. I believed in GOD but never found him so close to me before. I started praying BABA. He helped me in all small things, then big news came, me and my husband both got job in India. Now we are planning to go back. Still this is unbelievable to me. This Chamatkar is possible only with SAI KRIPA. I can feel him blessing my family and me all the time. SAI BABA keep everyone healthy and happy in this world. Help us settle down in India. Always direct me, my husband and, my family to do correct things in life. Bless my daughter with good health. OM SAI RAM!

QUOTATION OF THE WEEK:

""Let us do our prescribed duty and surrender our body, mind and five pranas (life) to the Guru's feet. Guru is God, all pervading. To get this conviction, strong unbounded faith is necessary." - Sri Sai Baba

QUESTION OF THE WEEK:

Q. What is the attitude of Sai devotees towards raising their children?

A. Your answer can go here.

SAI ACTIVITIES:

Sri Shirdi Sai Temple of Chicago and Suburbs, Illinois, USA
Sri 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.

Sri Saibaba Mandir, Minneapolis, MN
Sri Saibaba Mandir is located in Minneapolis, MN at 1835 Polk St NE, Minneapolis, MN 55418. The mandir is open 7 days a week in the evenings from 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm and during morning hours from 9 am to 12:30 pm, everyday. Satsangs are conducted every Sunday mornings, 9 am to 12:30 pm. Please call 612-789-7729 for more information on mandir activities, events and other information.

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.

Shirdi Sai Temple of New England, Boston Area
Sri Shirdi Sai Baba Temple of New England is now operational. It is located at 1827 Bridge St # 8, Dracut, MA 01824. The temple is open four days from Thursday to Sunday. For temple hours and activities please visit their website.

Shirdi Sai Center in Bay Area, CA
Shirdi Sai Center is located 897-B East Kifer Rd, Sunnyvale, CA 94086. For more information please call 408-705-7904 or 408-564-6704.

Shirdi Saibaba temple, Los Angeles, CA
Devotees in Los Angeles area are informed about Sri Shirdi Saibaba temple in Los Angeles area. The temple is located at - 144 South 4th Street, Montebello, CA 90640. For more information please call Krishna Samantula at 949-679-9938.

Saibaba Temple, Columbus, Ohio
Devotees in Columbus and surrounding Ohio locations area are informed about Sri Shirdi Saibaba temple in Metro Columbus area. The temple is located in a leasing space at 6599 Dublin Center Drive, Dublin, OH 43017. Please attend daily Aaratis and Thursday bhajans. For more information please call 614-799-8411.

Shirdi Sai bhajans every Thursday at Maitland, Florida
Devotees are invited to participate in Sai study and bhajans on Thursdays between 7-8 pm at Meditation Gallery, 219 E Horatio Ave, Maitland, FL 32715. For more details please contact Bonnie at 407-830-1276.

Sri Shirdi Sai Temple of Austin, TX
Sri Shirdi Sai Temple of Austin, Texas opened at 601 E Whitestone Blvd (RM 1431), Cedar Park, TX. Daily 4 aarthis are performed to Sai Baba. As part of service to needy, a weekly sandwich seva is also conducted.

Shirdi Sai Mandir, Dulles, VA
Shirdi Sai Mandir is located at 43671 Trade Center Place #166 Dulles, VA 20166. The mandir is open through the week in the evenings from 6pm to 9 pm. Sri Satyanarayan pooja will be conducted every full moon day. Please call (703) 661-4724 for more information on activities, events and other information.

Shirdi Sai Mandir, Toronto
The Mandir is located at Unit 7 & 8 2721 Markham Road Toronto ON M1X 1L5 Canada. Daily services offered to Baba include abhishek and all aartis. For Mandir hours and activities, please call 647-444-4724.

Shri Shirdi Sai Baba Sansthan, Canada -Toronto
Devotees in Toronto, are invited to join in Sai Namavali, Satcharita reading, Bhajans, Aarti and Prasad every Thursday from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm. at GUR MANDIR 207 Queen's Plate Dr. Etobicoke - Hwy27 South of Finch for more info call (416) 294 4804

Sai Mandir, Baldwin New York
Devotees in New York and surrounding locations are informed about Sri Sai Mandir in Baldwin NY. The temple is located at 1889 Grand Avenue, Baldwin, NY 11510. Please attend daily Aaratis and Thursday Panchamruta Abhishekam and bhajans. For more information please call at 516-867-8008.

Shirdi Saibaba Temple, Iselin/Edison New Jersey
Devotees in New Jersey and surrounding locations are informed about Sri Shirdi Saibaba temple in Iselin NJ. The temple is located at 465 Lincoln Highway (Route 27) Iselin, NJ 08830. Please attend daily Aaratis and Thursday Panchamruta Abhishekam and bhajans. For more information please call at 732-283-1800.

Shirdi Saibaba Temple, Flushing New York
This temple is located near the famous Ganesh Temple, Flushing, New york. All the day-to-day rituals at the temple are being conducted in a manner similar to that in Shirdi. The temple is located at 46-16 Robinson Street Flushing,NY,USA 11355. For more information please call 718-321-9243.

Sri Sai Amruta Narayana Sarveswaraalaym, Richmond, VA
The temple is open from 5.15 am to 9.00 pm, everyday (no lunch break etc). We have all 4 aarthis every day and Baba's paalki seva on every Thursday after Dhoop Aarthi. Further information can be obtained by calling the temple at 804-708-0867.

FROM THE EDITORS KEYBOARD:

Sai Vichaar has learnt that several have received their weekly email into their unwanted email folder due to the email filter function of the respective email providers. Please check your email folders before deleting to make sure Sai Vichaar is not delivered into Spam mail. In the true spirit of Sai devotion, contributors are requested to remember to suit the content, language, style, and presentation, appropriate to a worldwide readership. It should also be noted that when a section from any material other than their own is quoted or referred to, it is the authors' responsibility to acknowledge the source appropriately.

Sai Vichaar requests the devotees to continue to submit to Sai Vichaar using the pages intended for various sections of Sai Vichaar. Sai Vichaar gratefully appreciates the patience of its readers during the past few weeks of revamping of our database. A Sai devotee suggested the The "Question of the week" for this week as,,

Q. How does a Sai devotee deal with deceitful relationships and situations where there is abuse of trust?

Humbly Yours,
The Editor

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From and Editor: Shirdi Sai Baba Web Site
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Shirdi Sai Baba updates - Photos, mp3, wallpapers, downloads, Shirdi festival news...

Sai Vichaar: Thursday, Jun 04, 2009 :: Volume 12, Issue 04

2009-06-07T09:21:00.001-07:00

Shirdi Sai Baba updates - Photos,mp3,wallpapers,downloads & more

Sai Vichaar

Thursday, Jun 04, 2009 :: Volume 12, Issue 04
(In its twelfth year of publication.)

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: Key to Happiness

Is there a way to quantify faith? What constitutes a successful dose of patience? Some endure severest of hardships for several years, yet call themselves very fortunate. Some seem to have a short stint with time and profess to have waited patiently! Wisdom, whether through Bhakthi or Jnana should impart the ability to truly discriminate between things of transient nature and permanent. Spirituality may not be about quantifiable material gains and losses that one accomplishes, even with the help of Sadguru. It may also not be about the benefits that are only perishable. On the other hand, it may be about a total personal transformation that should take place every minute, while at sleep or awake. The effort has to come from within oneself and the external factors may be the means to accomplish them.

Baba said out of love for His devotees - "What (whether good or bad) is ours is with us, and what is another's is with him." - Ch. XLV, Shri Sai Satcharita. Even the simplest expressions of Baba have the message of greatest importance. A moment of contemplation on such comments might have the most profound effects on what we perceive as pain or pleasure. By the above statement, Sadguru Sainath has endorsed the thought that our actions precede our fruits, the consequences. He also several times advised that one have to endure the consequences of his past Karma. Devotees also have seen how Sainath, the destroyer of karma, comes to their rescue if the faith is earnest and the patience is complete. The patience is complete if the faith is earnest. He is the helmsman and His boundless coffers are open

CONTRIBUTED ARTICLE: Patience - Review of book "Baba May I Answer"

A new book authored by Sri C.B. Satpathy has been published by Sterling Publishers titled "Baba, May I Answer". The book is a compilation of questions received by Sri C.B. Satpathy during the last many years from Baba devotees and his comprehensive answers to them. The book is must reading for any serious Baba devotee as it expands on the thoughts about various topics like anger, patience, etc. One of the topics covered is patience and a sample from the book is given below:

Patience is a divine virtue. Unfortunately, not only are we badly wanting in this divine virtue, but also we neglect it most foolishly.

Q. What is patience?

A. It is an inner assurance of Baba's unreserved love and unconditional guidance. Patience is Baba's power hidden in us to weather the teeming storms of life. Our fondest dreams will be transformed into fruitful realities if we just know the secret of growing the patience-tree in our heart. Patience is our sincere surrender to Baba's Will. This surrender is by no means the effacement of the finite self, which we now are, but the total transformation of your finite existence into the infinite Self.

Patience can never be imposed on us from outside. It is our own inner wealth, wisdom, peace and victory. Patience will never tell us that something is a hopeless task. Patience will only tell us either that we are not ready or that the time is not ripe. We may have the feeling that we are ready, but we have to know that our integral being, our whole being is not ready.

We have to feel that patience is not something passive. On the contrary, it is something dynamic. In patience, we develop our inner strength, our inner will power. It is true that if we have will power we can easily acquire patience. But it is equally true that when we have patience, our inner will power develops itself in a special way.

You can get a personal copy of the book Baba, May I Answer by visiting the online store at www.Saibaba.org or send an email to maildrop@saibaba.org for further information.

(Contrbuted by: Sai Vichaar Team)

DEVOTEES SAY:

A devotee
Thanks a lot Sainath. I had my eye test this week and I prayed to you a lot that my eye test report should be normal and by your grace the test results were normal. Pls do help and bless me always.

Kirti
Baba, I sincerely thank you for helping us move in the house of our choice. It would not have been possible without you. Please bring peace and happiness in this house also.

Mangamma
Baba thank you so much for helping my son with his dentist appointment. You were there with us all the time. We have been struggling for more than a year now we have been to many dentists and none were able to fix his teeth.

PRAYER CLUB:

Sasi
Baba, please cure my wife's illness. Since two months she is suffering with stomach ulcer. Please bless my father, wife and daughter Baba.

Meenakshi
My parents are worried very much about the problems that are arising everyday. Sai Baba please take control over of my brother's life and make him to become calm and understanding. Please help him to be a normal person.

Mamta
Dear Sai, My mind is too disturbed. Please help. Please cure my mental illness Baba. Please cure, this has already caused too many problems and it is getting worse day by day and unbearable.

Shashibhushan
Please show me the way to keep my life peaceful and happier and free me from financial stress.

Vijaya
Baba, please get our visa stamped. Baba bless us.

Alka
Sai Baba please show us the right way bless my husband with your blessing and save his career.

EXPERIENCE OF DEVOTEES:

Sasi
There are no words to describe his endless love, blessings and kindness. How Baba is showing his kind, love, and blessings to his devotees. Last month I had symptoms like diabetes. I was so nervous and worried. Then I prayed BABA and sent a prayer thru Sai Vichar. And went to hospital for checkup. Doctor told me your symptoms are not diabetic. And gave me the first hope. Last Thursday my results came. Surprise. I don't have any diabetes. This is miracle. Baba you are great. And also I have lot of work tensions. I am praying Baba everybody about work tensions. With Baba grace slowly my work tensions are going away. We are very happy because yesterday one of my friends brought Shirdi prasadam.

Nirmala
Every small gesture I consider as Baba's miracle and it makes me very happy. This is one small incident, which happened a year and a half ago. I shifted from home to another place for my engineering course (which was again Baba's plan, the whole situation I will send as another article later). At home I have a beautiful picture of Baba. It somehow got left back there. When someone went there, I asked my parents to send it to me with him or her, but an event turned up because of which they forgot to send (the person couldn't meet them or something like that turned up). I was very sad but I know that my Baba is always with me so I cheered up again. Then around 2 weeks later, I went to my cousin's place for Diwali. They had just been to Shirdi and they came. My uncle said he got a picture of Baba for me from Shirdi, which he put on Baba's tomb and near Baba's feet. I took the picture and opened it and GUESS WHAT?? It was the EXACT SAME, and I mean EXACT SAME, to the finest detail it was the exact same poster (picture) of Baba I have at home. Baba sent it to me. He knows everything and will do everything to keep his devotees happy. I jumped in joy. Baba is always with all of us. Om Sai ram, please keep blessing, protecting and taking care of all of us Baba.

QUOTATION OF THE WEEK:

"If wealth is used for only personal enjoyment, it is wasted" - Sri Sai Baba

QUESTION OF THE WEEK:

Q. What is the attitude of Sai devotees towards raising their children?

A. by MV Ramaa Prasad

No doubt, all parents love their children. In most of the cases, the kind of parental love that we see is mixed with attachment or 'moha'. Many cannot delineate the two components viz., love and attachment or 'moha'. Many times attachment is confused for love. In pure love, there is no place for possessiveness; but most of the parents are possessive of their children. Possessiveness and attachment lead to grief, unhappiness and consequently lack of peace. The kind of up bringing of children that we come across these days in most of the cases is clouded with possessiveness and expectations of different kinds from their children.

A Sai devotee on the other hand should be guided by 'sai-tatwa' in raising his or her children. How this is be done can be seen in the case of Rege, a Sai devotee par excellence.

Rege took his infant son to Shirdi and put him at the feet of Paramaguru Sai Baba.

Baba asked Rege as to whom did the child belong. Rege said, "Baba, he is Yours."

Then Baba said to Rege, "Raise him as My own."

In other words Baba hinted that child should be raised with lot of love befitting a child of Sai; but without any attachment or possessiveness.

Later, when the child became seriously ill, Rege prayed, "Baba, take him away, if your wish so and let me experience his left over 'karma' for being instrumental in his birth".

That should be the attitude of a Sai devotee to his/her child. That is to say that the parent should consider himself / herself a custodian of Sai's child. In other words, the parents should realize that they are only instrumental in assisting in the earthly life of their children. Consequently, the parents must assume the duties and responsibilities of custodians in the up bringing of children, without any attachment or possessiveness.

Once the child is considered as the gift of Sai Baba, it should be the responsibility of the parents to inculcate in the child the values of 'Sai-tatwa'. In other words, the child should be made aware of universal love, i.e., love for every one regardless of the facades of cast, creed, race and religion, which are man-made and love and commitment for truthfulness.

A true Sai devotee would also inculcate in his / her children a spirit of understanding and tolerance towards faiths other than his / her own. Being a child of a true Sai devotee, the child should take to devoted worship of Sai Baba as Parama-guru and Para-brahman, who is all pervasive and omniscient. This should lead children of Sai devotees to take to 'satsangs' with the mandate of service to the downtrodden and underprivileged. Automatically, a child of Sai devotee should develop love for truthfulness, egoless simplicity and utmost devotion.

Children raised with the values of 'Sai-tatwa' ingrained in them, will be diamonds in the glorious crown of Paramaguru Sainath and become agents of change for a better world.

SAI ACTIVITIES:

Sri Shirdi Sai Temple of Chicago and Suburbs, Illinois, USA
Sri 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.

Sri Saibaba Mandir, Minneapolis, MN
Sri Saibaba Mandir is located in Minneapolis, MN at 1835 Polk St NE, Minneapolis, MN 55418. The mandir is open 7 days a week in the evenings from 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm and during morning hours from 9 am to 12:30 pm, everyday. Satsangs are conducted every Sunday mornings, 9 am to 12:30 pm. Please call 612-789-7729 for more information on mandir activities, events and other information.

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.

Shirdi Sai Temple of New England, Boston Area
Sri Shirdi Sai Baba Temple of New England is now operational. It is located at 1827 Bridge St # 8, Dracut, MA 01824. The temple is open four days from Thursday to Sunday. For temple hours and activities please visit their website.

Shirdi Sai Center in Bay Area, CA
Shirdi Sai Center is located 897-B East Kifer Rd, Sunnyvale, CA 94086. For more information please call 408-705-7904 or 408-564-6704.

Shirdi Saibaba temple, Los Angeles, CA
Devotees in Los Angeles area are informed about Sri Shirdi Saibaba temple in Los Angeles area. The temple is located at - 144 South 4th Street, Montebello, CA 90640. For more information please call Krishna Samantula at 949-679-9938.

Saibaba Temple, Columbus, Ohio
Devotees in Columbus and surrounding Ohio locations area are informed about Sri Shirdi Saibaba temple in Metro Columbus area. The temple is located in a leasing space at 6599 Dublin Center Drive, Dublin, OH 43017. Please attend daily Aaratis and Thursday bhajans. For more information please call 614-799-8411.

Shirdi Sai bhajans every Thursday at Maitland, Florida
Devotees are invited to participate in Sai study and bhajans on Thursdays between 7-8 pm at Meditation Gallery, 219 E Horatio Ave, Maitland, FL 32715. For more details please contact Bonnie at 407-830-1276.

Sri Shirdi Sai Temple of Austin, TX
Sri Shirdi Sai Temple of Austin, Texas opened at 601 E Whitestone Blvd (RM 1431), Cedar Park, TX. Daily 4 aarthis are performed to Sai Baba. As part of service to needy, a weekly sandwich seva is also conducted.

Shirdi Sai Mandir, Dulles, VA
Shirdi Sai Mandir is located at 43671 Trade Center Place #166 Dulles, VA 20166. The mandir is open through the week in the evenings from 6pm to 9 pm. Sri Satyanarayan pooja will be conducted every full moon day. Please call (703) 661-4724 for more information on activities, events and other information.

Shirdi Sai Mandir, Toronto
The Mandir is located at Unit 7 & 8 2721 Markham Road Toronto ON M1X 1L5 Canada. Daily services offered to Baba include abhishek and all aartis. For Mandir hours and activities, please call 647-444-4724.

Shri Shirdi Sai Baba Sansthan, Canada -Toronto
Devotees in Toronto, are invited to join in Sai Namavali, Satcharita reading, Bhajans, Aarti and Prasad every Thursday from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm. at GUR MANDIR 207 Queen's Plate Dr. Etobicoke - Hwy27 South of Finch for more info call (416) 294 4804

Sai Mandir, Baldwin New York
Devotees in New York and surrounding locations are informed about Sri Sai Mandir in Baldwin NY. The temple is located at 1889 Grand Avenue, Baldwin, NY 11510. Please attend daily Aaratis and Thursday Panchamruta Abhishekam and bhajans. For more information please call at 516-867-8008.

Shirdi Saibaba Temple, Iselin/Edison New Jersey
Devotees in New Jersey and surrounding locations are informed about Sri Shirdi Saibaba temple in Iselin NJ. The temple is located at 465 Lincoln Highway (Route 27) Iselin, NJ 08830. Please attend daily Aaratis and Thursday Panchamruta Abhishekam and bhajans. For more information please call at 732-283-1800.

Shirdi Saibaba Temple, Flushing New York
This temple is located near the famous Ganesh Temple, Flushing, New york. All the day-to-day rituals at the temple are being conducted in a manner similar to that in Shirdi. The temple is located at 46-16 Robinson Street Flushing,NY,USA 11355. For more information please call 718-321-9243.

FROM THE EDITORS KEYBOARD:

Sai Vichaar has learnt that several have received their weekly email into their unwanted email folder due to the email filter function of the respective email providers. Please check your email folders before deleting to make sure Sai Vichaar is not delivered into Spam mail. In the true spirit of Sai devotion, contributors are requested to remember to suit the content, language, style, and presentation, appropriate to a worldwide readership. It should also be noted that when a section from any material other than their own is quoted or referred to, it is the authors' responsibility to acknowledge the source appropriately.

Sai Vichaar requests the devotees to continue to submit to Sai Vichaar using the pages intended for various sections of Sai Vichaar. Sai Vichaar gratefully appreciates the patience of its readers during the past few weeks of revamping of our database. A Sai devotee suggested the The "Question of the week" for this week as,,

Q. How does a Sai devotee deal with deceitful relationships and situations where there is abuse of trust?

Humbly Yours,
The Editor

Shirdi Sai wallpapers

|1 |2 |3|4|5|6|7

Sai Vichaar: Thursday , May 21, 2009 :: Volume 12, Issue 02

2009-05-23T02:43:00.000-07:00

Shirdi Sai Baba updates - Photos,mp3,wallpapers,downloads & more

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. Please do not reply to this email. All replies will be ignored. To contact us please see information at the bottom of this newsletter.

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: The Epitome of Service and Devotion

Bayajabai had extreme love and devotion towards Baba and she used to prepare food and take it to Baba. Baijabai, wife of Appa Kote Patil and mother of Tatya Kote Patil used to refer to Shri Sainath as her brother. Along with Mahalsapathi and Shama, Baijabai was one of the earliest people in Shirdi who recognized the divine personality of Shri Sainath. Baijabai and her son Tatya Patil remained very attached to Baba. Tatya used to call Baba, Mama or maternal uncle.

During initial days, Baba used to sit under neem tree or used to wander around in the woods. Baijabai, not minding the elements, used to take the food and walk in search of Baba in the jungles and feed Him. Baijabai used to walk long distances in search of Baba and used to feed Him lovingly. She did this diligent service to Shri Sainath for a long time until later days when Baba began to stay in the Masjid. After this, Baijabai's physical strain of walking around in search of Baba ended. She remained a strong devotee of Baba until her death.

Service or Seva is as important as Bhakthi or devotion. Baijabai, the simple-minded devotee of Sainath stands out as an example to everyone in this aspect. Her diligent service to Baba should be a reminder to everyone that treads Baba's path that service offered at the feet of Sadguru, in any form befitting Sadguru's virtues is as important as Bhakthi. Baijabai's episode stands testimony to the virtue of Seva or Service. As Baba Himself assured, Baijabai's service was amply repaid as Baba took care of her son Tatya Patil. However, that was not in the mind of Baijabai as she was humbly serving the Lord! The virtue of service should be done with humility and not with any expectation. Seva in the spirit of humility and surrender is the Seva that Baijabai personified.

CONTRIBUTED ARTICLE: Have you seen God?

This is a question that has been asked to a lot of persons who have faith in their god. I read an article long time back of which I do not have the source, but in that article this same very question was asked to a Sadhu by a person who had came to visit him, sadhu confidently said "Yes, I have seen him and I can also show him to you if you wish". That person getting excited in disbelief said, "Ok then, show me this god". Sadhu asked that person to sit in front of him and then started waving his hand in front of his eyes, time passed by but still that person didn't show or felt any presence of god, so getting impatient he shouted back at the sadhu and asked "You have been doing this for past ten minutes now, but still I can't feel or see him, when will I see this god of yours?". To this the sadhu humbly replied, "From the past ten minutes I've been showing you the god and all you could see was my hand".

There is a very strong point in this story, initially till sometime back I was too in that group of people who used to ask others this same very question, then I had my day of realization, I was coming back from office, walking towards my home from the bus stop, I don't know how but before this question could appear in my mind an image appeared, where a person is helping an old lady to cross the street, this flash of thought made me feel that god is not what I had been thinking till today, god is not someone that could be found only in some avataars or in any materialistic way but that he is also the ACT, the act that was helping an old lady to cross the road through that gentleman, it also made me to think on the words "To see god in everything and everyone" now I fully realized those words, actually you don't even have to try or practice to see god in everyday life he himself shows his glory all the time, we just don't realize that. This incident has really broadened my definition of god, which like him is boundless.

(Contributed by Ramesh Chandra)

DEVOTEES SAY:

Anirud
Jai Sairam. Couple of months back We had read from some devotee's experience in SV List that before he drives his car he used to utter "SAI Sharanam BABA Sharanam" and how BABA helped him in a freeway when his car broke.

We too started the same practice. Couple of weeks back my wife started taking our baby for a playgroup and that was her first day for that group. The area was bit new and roads were little confusing. On the way back she entered wrongly into an One-way traffic lane, for a moment we just panicked, luckily by BABA's grace there was no on-going traffic at that second, and immediately we got an opening to another street which had Two-way traffic lanes. Never have we ever seen such an immediate opening to other street. It was all by BABA's grace we could come out of the critical mistake without any ticket / accident. Sharanam BABA Sharanam!!!

PRAYER CLUB:

Devyani
You know the suffering that I'm going through. Please help me Baba. I want to come to Shirdi this summer and take your darshan. Please make this happen, Baba. Only you can make my life better, Baba.

A Sai devotee
Om Sai Ram. Baba please cure my eye problem. I am unable to tolerate this pain. I cannot survive with this pain any longer. I am continuously praying

Rama
Om Sai Ram, you know all. Even though I have everything in my life just by your blessings, but you are aware of my inner fear, worry and anxiety. Please Sai, please help me now.

A devotee
Baba as you know the problems, which we are facing right now. Please help us to solve the problems and come out of this situation.

Sai devotee
We have applied for US Citizenship. Please help us to pass the fingerprints, interview test

EXPERIENCE OF DEVOTEES:

Sai Kumar V
This happened in January 2008, when I was on a visit to Pune. I landed in Pune airport around 12 noon. As I had the official work only the next day, I wanted to make a trip to Shirdi and be back in Pune. I realized that I forgot to carry my Debit Card and all I had was about Rs.500 and a credit card. I had a nice darshan of BABA at Shirdi and returned to Pune around midnight. I was searching for a decent hotel to stay for the night. All I had was Rs.200 in cash and credit card and my return flight ticket to Chennai. I was desperately searching for a budget hotel where credit card is accepted. Suddenly an autowallah approached me and said he can accommodate me in a decent hotel with credit card acceptance. He took me to the hotel about 20 minutes drive from the bus station. I checked into the hotel using the credit card. I never use credit card to withdraw cash from the ATM. So withdrawing cash from ATM was ruled out. The next morning I got ready to go the place of work, about one hour from the place where I was staying. All I had was Rs.100/- with me. I went down and checked with the hotel guy about the auto fare to that place. I was told that autowallahs charge Rs.200/- to reach the place. I came back to my room and prayed to BABA to help. I took out the SAI SATCHARITA from my bag and I opened randomly by closing my eyes. Lo! To my surprise, I found Rs.100/- in that page. My joy knew no bounds and reached the place after paying Rs.200/-. I returned to the airport in a cab arranged by the staff of the company. This miracle is an ample example, that once again BABA protects his devotees at all times.

A Sai devotee
It was 24^th April 2009 I came to know that my love Sandeep was suffering from TB but he was unaware of this because he did not go for the x-rays. He used to get little cough, he used to get up in the morning. He was losing weight; He used to get sharp pains in his back at night. He went to his family doctor & the Dr gave him some antibiotic each time & told him to go for the x-rays. Eventually, he left out breath & dizzy. A few days off work he was feeling sick & weak. He went to the Hospital as advised by his Dr. the Dr took x-rays which showed that he was suffering from TB. Then he took the same x-rays to his family Dr to confirm that whether it was true or not. He also said the same thing & found his left lung full of fluid. His Dr suggested him to go & get admitted in the Hospital for 2 days for lung tap. But Sandeep was getting scared & little upset & did not wanted to stay in the Hospital. When I came to know this I was very much tensed & tears was not stopping & I was not getting patience for a minute, but I knew my father my Shree Sai will make everything alright as Baba said have shraddha & saburi. My friend Sheryl also supported me a lot Baba keep her & her family at your lotus feet. I cried a lot in front of Shree Sai Baba & prayed to keep Sandeep healthy like before.

Then I gave my Sai's udhi & one orange thread, which I received from Shirdi & tied on his right hand. And the miracle took place I gave him udhi in water & at the same spot he started feeling better then the next day i.e. 27^th April he went to the Hospital the doctor did the check up & told him that there is no need to stay in the Hospital as it will take just half an hour for lung tap & at the same time Sandeep messaged me & I became very excited & I thank Baba the same time the Dr started removing the fluid with an injection. Immediately Sandeep started feeling relaxed & without any pain the fluid has been removed & I am sure the doctor who was removing the fluid was surely my Sai Natha this all happened by my Sai's grace. Now he is diagnosed with TB & had put on a course of drugs for nine months. I am sure these 9 months will also pass soon by my Baba's grace. Sandeep is now tensed of his job please Baba bless him with nice job with suitable timings as u know his first job KFC where he was working was not suitable for him & some or the other way his first job was also responsible for his bad health coz of taking no rest, drinking Pepsi instead of water, coming late from KFC. & having one time meal.

I am thankful to Baba for all the miracles I have experienced in my life. I know that is all because of my Shree Sai.

Baba create an urge in me to visit Shirdi & get your Blessings always be with my family & with Sandeep's family & bless him with a nice job & keep us all at your lotus feet.

QUOTATION OF THE WEEK:

"If you want to see My Light, be egoless and humble, and meditate on Me" - Sri Saibaba

QUESTION OF THE WEEK:

Q. Can intellect be an obstacle to devotion?

A. Your answer can go here.

SAI ACTIVITIES:

Sri Shirdi Sai Temple of Chicago and Suburbs, Illinois, USA
Sri 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.

Sri Saibaba Mandir, Minneapolis, MN
Sri Saibaba Mandir is located in Minneapolis, MN at 1835 Polk St NE, Minneapolis, MN 55418. The mandir is open 7 days a week in the evenings from 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm and during morning hours from 9 am to 12:30 pm, everyday. Satsangs are conducted every Sunday mornings, 9 am to 12:30 pm. Please call 612-789-7729 for more information on mandir activities, events and other information.

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.

Shirdi Sai Temple of New England, Boston Area
Sri Shirdi Sai Baba Temple of New England is now operational. It is located at 1827 Bridge St # 8, Dracut, MA 01824. The temple is open four days from Thursday to Sunday. For temple hours and activities please visit their website.

Shirdi Sai Center in Bay Area, CA
Shirdi Sai Center is located 897-B East Kifer Rd, Sunnyvale, CA 94086. For more information please call 408-705-7904 or 408-564-6704.

Shirdi Saibaba temple, Los Angeles, CA
Devotees in Los Angeles area are informed about Sri Shirdi Saibaba temple in Los Angeles area. The temple is located at - 144 South 4th Street, Montebello, CA 90640. For more information please call Krishna Samantula at 949-679-9938.

Saibaba Temple, Columbus, Ohio
Devotees in Columbus and surrounding Ohio locations area are informed about Sri Shirdi Saibaba temple in Metro Columbus area. The temple is located in a leasing space at 6599 Dublin Center Drive, Dublin, OH 43017. Please attend daily Aaratis and Thursday bhajans. For more information please call 614-799-8411.

Shirdi Sai bhajans every Thursday at Maitland, Florida
Devotees are invited to participate in Sai study and bhajans on Thursdays between 7-8 pm at Meditation Gallery, 219 E Horatio Ave, Maitland, FL 32715. For more details please contact Bonnie at 407-830-1276.

Sri Shirdi Sai Temple of Austin, TX
Sri Shirdi Sai Temple of Austin, Texas opened at 601 E Whitestone Blvd (RM 1431), Cedar Park, TX. Daily 4 aarthis are performed to Sai Baba. As part of service to needy, a weekly sandwich seva is also conducted.

Shirdi Sai Mandir, Dulles, VA
Shirdi Sai Mandir is located at 43671 Trade Center Place #166 Dulles, VA 20166. The mandir is open through the week in the evenings from 6pm to 9 pm. Sri Satyanarayan pooja will be conducted every full moon day. Please call (703) 661-4724 for more information on activities, events and other information.

Shirdi Sai Mandir, Toronto
The Mandir is located at Unit 7 & 8 2721 Markham Road Toronto ON M1X 1L5 Canada. Daily services offered to Baba include abhishek and all aartis. For Mandir hours and activities, please call 647-444-4724.

Shri Shirdi Sai Baba Sansthan, Canada -Toronto
Devotees in Toronto, are invited to join in Sai Namavali, Satcharita reading, Bhajans, Aarti and Prasad every Thursday from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm. at GUR MANDIR 207 Queen's Plate Dr. Etobicoke - Hwy27 South of Finch for more info call (416) 294 4804

Sai Mandir, Baldwin New York
Devotees in New York and surrounding locations are informed about Sri Sai Mandir in Baldwin NY. The temple is located at 1889 Grand Avenue, Baldwin, NY 11510. Please attend daily Aaratis and Thursday Panchamruta Abhishekam and bhajans. For more information please call at 516-867-8008.

Shirdi Saibaba Temple, Iselin/Edison New Jersey
Devotees in New Jersey and surrounding locations are informed about Sri Shirdi Saibaba temple in Iselin NJ. The temple is located at 465 Lincoln Highway (Route 27) Iselin, NJ 08830. Please attend daily Aaratis and Thursday Panchamruta Abhishekam and bhajans. For more information please call at 732-283-1800.

Shirdi Saibaba Temple, Flushing New York
This temple is located near the famous Ganesh Temple, Flushing, New york. All the day-to-day rituals at the temple are being conducted in a manner similar to that in Shirdi. The temple is located at 46-16 Robinson Street Flushing,NY,USA 11355. For more information please call 718-321-9243.

FROM THE EDITORS KEYBOARD:

Sai Vichaar has learnt that several have received their weekly email into their unwanted email folder due to the email filter function of the respective email providers. Please check your email folders before deleting to make sure Sai Vichaar is not delivered into Spam mail. In the true spirit of Sai devotion, contributors are requested to remember to suit the content, language, style, and presentation, appropriate to a worldwide readership. It should also be noted that when a section from any material other than their own is quoted or referred to, it is the authors' responsibility to acknowledge the source appropriately.

Sai Vichaar requests the devotees to continue to submit to Sai Vichaar using the pages intended for various sections of Sai Vichaar. Sai Vichaar gratefully appreciates the patience of its readers during the past few weeks of revamping of our database. The "Question of the week" for this week is,

Q. Can intellect be an obstacle to devotion?

Humbly Yours,
The Editor

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From and Editor: Shirdi Sai Baba Web Site
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Sai Vichaar - April 30, 2009 :: Volume 11, Issue 51

2009-05-01T05:15:00.000-07:00

Shirdi Sai Baba updates -

Sai Vichaar
Thursday , April 30, 2009 :: Volume 11, Issue 51
(In its eleventh 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. Please do not reply to this email. All replies will be ignored. To contact us please see information at the bottom of this newsletter.

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: Humble and Modest

Baba said, "He (the devotee) should be modest and humble towards all, and worship Me with heart and soul. If he does this, he will get eternal happiness" in Sri Sai Satcharitra Ch.III. If you derive the least benefit from anyone, or should anyone contribute to your happiness in any way, acknowledge his services sincerely and feel grateful to him. Never for a moment think that the benefit of happiness you derived was due to your own Prarabdha and he was only an instrument and did nothing to earn your gratitude. On the contrary, you should feel that he conferred a great happiness. Gratefully remember the help received from him, do not forget it throughout your life even when circumstances have changed and always try to make him happy and be of service to him. Do not hesitate, when necessary, to acknowledge his services to you openly before a large gathering. This will foster mutual love between you and your benefactor and promote happiness and peace; the spirit of making others happy will grow from more to more among people, mutual sympathy and the spirit of service will receive encouragement. Remember that he who cherishes a feeling of gratitude towards his benefactor renders a great service to the world at large; for such an attitude pleases the heart of the benefactor, he feels encouraged, and the spirit of service and benevolence gets strengthened within him. Be grateful and never forget the obligation of your benefactor.

(Courtesy: Wavelets of Bliss - by Sri. Hanumanprasad Poddar)

CONTRIBUTED ARTICLE: Bhakthi is not mere emotionalism

It would be a gross mistake if you consider Bhakti as merely a stage of emotionalism, while it is actually a thorough discipline and training of one's will and the mind, a sure means to intuitive realization of God Almighty through intense love and affection for Him. It is a means to thorough apprehension of the true knowledge of Reality, beginning from the ordinary form of idol worship right up to the highest form of cosmic realization of your oneness with Him. You can achieve this by following the eleven fundamental factors, which Sri Ramanuja had prescribed. They are Abhyasa or practice of continuous thinking of God; Viveka or discrimination; Vimoka or freedom from everything else and longing for God; Satyam or truthfulness; Arjavam or straightforwardness; Kriya or doing good to others; Kalyana or wishing well-being to all; Daya or compassion; Ahimsa or non-injury; Dana or charity; and Anavasada or cheerfulness and optimism.

People put a question: "How can we love God whom we have not seen?"

Live in the company of saints. Hear the Lilas of God. Study the sacred scriptures. Worship Him first in His several forms as manifested in the world. Worship any image or picture of the Lord or the Guru. Recite His Name. Sing His glories. Stay for one year in Ayodhya or Brindavan, Chirakut or Pandhapur, Benares or Ananda Kutir. You will develop love for God.

Every act must be done that awakens the emotion of Bhakti. Keep the Puja (worship) room clean. Decorate the room. Burn incense. Light a lamp. Keep a clean seat. Bathe. Wear clean clothes. Apply Vibhuti (sacred ash) or Bhasma, and Kumkum on the forehead. Wear Rudraksha or Tulasi Mala. All these produce a benign influence on the mind and elevate the mind. They generate piety. They help to create the necessary Bhava or feeling to invoke the Deity that you want to worship. The mind will be easily concentrated.

Practice of right conduct, Satsanga, Japa, Smarana, Kirtan, prayer, worship, service of saints, residence in places of pilgrimage, service of the poor and the sick with divine Bhava, observance of Varnashrama duties, offering of all actions and their fruits to the Lord, feeling the presence of the Lord in all beings, prostrations before the image and saints, renunciation of earthly enjoyments and wealth, charity, austerities and vows, practice of Ahimsa, Satyam and Brahmacharya - all these will help you to develop Bhakti.

(Source: Swami Sivananda Saraswathi)

DEVOTEES SAY:

Pranita
It is eight years since I had got married and were eagerly waiting for a little one to arrive. I trusted Baba and knew that he would not let me down. And it happened after so many years after having lost hope Saibaba blessed us and now we are waiting for our bundle of joy to arrive in June. Shree Saibaba I pray and ask you to bless us and the new one who would arrive soon. Bless us so that everything is well and everyone is happy.

Padma
Baba just because of your kind grace my sister is going to have a baby soon. It is you who entered into my older sister's womb and coming in the form of a baby to fill my other sister's life with joy. Your ways you only know. We are just instruments in your hands. Koti Koti Pranams.

Samhita
Bless my pinni. You have taken care of me very well. Please bless her with a child.

Suneeta YN
Thank you very much Baba for giving me a healthy baby boy. Baba please take care of him and be with us always.

PRAYER CLUB:

Farah
Om Sai Ram, I have become very short tempered due to certain instances in my life and my three year old daughter seems to be at the receiving end of my outbursts. I love her a lot and the last thing I want to do is to hurt her. Give me the strength Sai natha to contain my temper even when she is throwing her tantrums and being difficult.

Shalini
Please help us in selling our house at best price since we want to give away all our debts within this month. Please help us out from this financial trouble. Please bless us that our PR process gets finished before six months and without any trouble. Baba please bless us.

Anbumozhi
Please bless us with children immediately as it is already nine years since marriage. I am without a job for the past six months please help me and bless me.

Anjana
Please make my parents healthy, happy, and strong. Please take care of my parents.

Sundaram
I am starting to feel unsecured and today was just unbearable. Baba you have graced me with the responsibilities of family too. Please let me take my salary with respect and not with disgrace.

Sai devotee
Please see that my brother's marriage should go well.

Giri
Please forgive me for whatever mistakes I had done & show me the way, which I had experienced, under your refuge.

Alka
Pl help us in clearing our debts as we are deep into it and the more we try to get rid of it the more we get trapped only your grace can help us in clearing our debts.

Sanjeev
My wife and I had full faith on you and made a humble prayer in your holy feet to shower your blessing/ashirwad to start our new business with honesty.

Raghuram
Let my refinance go clean, bless us for the India trip, and take us to Shirdi.

EXPERIENCE OF DEVOTEES:

Virendra
Its being almost more than a year or two, my father wanted to go for the operation to cut two cysts on the skull. I was so worried as if I thought the cyst is due to cancer or what? Whether the operation is possible or not? Whether it would be successful or not? We were facing some financial problems as well. SaiVichaar was something I had going. Through regularly and I promised Baba one day that I will thank Baba through Sai Vichaar if operation goes successful. And by Baba's grace and love, it all happened miraculously. The cysts were removed safely. I received money from my previous company on time. I am very much financially stable now. I am thankful to Baba for all the miracles I have experienced in my life. I know that it is all because of Baba. There are too many experiences I would like to share in SaiVichaar again. I pray to Baba to help all the needy beings who are suffering and have not yet been blessed by Baba. Jai Sai Nath. Shri Satchidanand Sadguru Sainath Maharaj Ki Jai

Yamini
I feel really gifted to write this experience. Only with lot of patience and trust in you, we can feel your presence. I was having severe earache, I checked with the leading ENT in Chennai he told no problem and to put drops when I get the pain. Due to hot summer, I got infection in my ear again and was suffering for 2 weeks. I was not willing to go to doctor again as they give antibiotic and it does not suit my stomach , I was praying Baba last Wednesday that if my earache stops I will write in Sai vichaar . The next day Thursday and Friday lot of pus and blood oozed out my ear and the pain subsided. Baba be with my kids , husband , parents ,my sisters family ,my in-laws and every soul on this earth and give them good health and peaceful life . Shower your courtesy on everyone. Make me pray you regularly and do my duties well. Thanks Baba, I will never forget you. Create an urge in me to visit Shirdi and get your blessings.

QUOTATION OF THE WEEK:

"The disciples should have firm faith, backed up by intelligence and if they and patience to these, their spiritual goal will not be distant. Control of breath -- ingoing and outgoing, or Hath-Yoga or other difficult practices are not at all necessary. When the disciples get the above-mentioned qualities, they become ready for further instructions and the Masters then appear and lead them on, in their spiritual path to perfection". - Sri Sai Satcharita

QUESTION OF THE WEEK:

Q. Can intellect be an obstacle to devotion?

A. by Rathnashikamani

Intellect is the capacity for rational thought or inference or discrimination. Intellect is a trait of mind by which humans differentiate the bad and good, though we cannot draw a clear line between these two aspects. One man's food is another man's poison. The bad and the good are subjective and influenced by the conditioning of one's own thoughts. Considering the overlapping aspects of good and bad, we can say that devotion is far from the intellect. Devotion entails from believing. Devotion just happens irrespective of the intellect. Often, intellect looks at the physical phenomenon where the rules of science are applied. At the surface level, modern science is away from the spirituality. But many intellectuals agree that science is a way leading to spirituality. Devotion blossoms when you are wonderstruck by the unfolding science of nature. Devotion is where you are left without any reasoning that is beyond the realms of human intellect. Devotion to scientific thinking ultimately transforms one to believe in the revealing nature of the Creation. Humans are the victims of their own devices. Intellect is a device humans sometimes use it like a double-edged sword. A sword is useful for the good and also for the bad. It depends on who uses it for what purpose according to a situation. Intellect evolves as one grows from infancy to maturity. Intellect consists of thoughts. Every communication is a thought. Devotion is a thought that communes with the supernatural. Devotion can be practiced. Bhakti yoga is the science of devotion. By intense devotion, the so-called intellect vanishes as the thoughts cease and the 'I' ness unifies with the paramatma.

SAI ACTIVITIES:

Sri Shirdi Sai Temple of Chicago and Suburbs, Illinois, USA
Sri 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.

Sri Saibaba Mandir, Minneapolis, MN
Sri Saibaba Mandir is located in Minneapolis, MN at 1835 Polk St NE, Minneapolis, MN 55418. The mandir is open 7 days a week in the evenings from 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm and during morning hours from 9 am to 12:30 pm, everyday. Satsangs are conducted every Sunday mornings, 9 am to 12:30 pm. Please call 612-789-7729 for more information on mandir activities, events and other information.

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.

Shirdi Sai Temple of New England, Boston Area
Sri Shirdi Sai Baba Temple of New England is now operational. It is located at 1827 Bridge St # 8, Dracut, MA 01824. The temple is open four days from Thursday to Sunday. For temple hours and activities please visit their website.

Shirdi Sai Center in Bay Area, CA
Shirdi Sai Center is located 897-B East Kifer Rd, Sunnyvale, CA 94086. For more information please call 408-705-7904 or 408-564-6704.

Shirdi Saibaba temple, Los Angeles, CA
Devotees in Los Angeles area are informed about Sri Shirdi Saibaba temple in Los Angeles area. The temple is located at - 144 South 4th Street, Montebello, CA 90640. For more information please call Krishna Samantula at 949-679-9938.

Saibaba Temple, Columbus, Ohio
Devotees in Columbus and surrounding Ohio locations area are informed about Sri Shirdi Saibaba temple in Metro Columbus area. The temple is located in a leasing space at 6599 Dublin Center Drive, Dublin, OH 43017. Please attend daily Aaratis and Thursday bhajans. For more information please call 614-799-8411.

Shirdi Sai bhajans every Thursday at Maitland, Florida
Devotees are invited to participate in Sai study and bhajans on Thursdays between 7-8 pm at Meditation Gallery, 219 E Horatio Ave, Maitland, FL 32715. For more details please contact Bonnie at 407-830-1276.

Sri Shirdi Sai Temple of Austin, TX
Sri Shirdi Sai Temple of Austin, Texas opened at 601 E Whitestone Blvd (RM 1431), Cedar Park, TX. Daily 4 aarthis are performed to Sai Baba. As part of service to needy, a weekly sandwich seva is also conducted.

Shirdi Sai Mandir, Dulles, VA
Shirdi Sai Mandir is located at 43671 Trade Center Place #166 Dulles, VA 20166. The mandir is open through the week in the evenings from 6pm to 9 pm. Sri Satyanarayan pooja will be conducted every full moon day. Please call (703) 661-4724 for more information on activities, events and other information.

Shirdi Sai Mandir, Toronto
The Mandir is located at Unit 7 & 8 2721 Markham Road Toronto ON M1X 1L5 Canada. Daily services offered to Baba include abhishek and all aartis. For Mandir hours and activities, please call 647-444-4724.

Shri Shirdi Sai Baba Sansthan, Canada -Toronto
Devotees in Toronto, are invited to join in Sai Namavali, Satcharita reading, Bhajans, Aarti and Prasad every Thursday from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm. at GUR MANDIR 207 Queen's Plate Dr. Etobicoke - Hwy27 South of Finch for more info call (416) 294 4804

Sai Mandir, Baldwin New York
Devotees in New York and surrounding locations are informed about Sri Sai Mandir in Baldwin NY. The temple is located at 1889 Grand Avenue, Baldwin, NY 11510. Please attend daily Aaratis and Thursday Panchamruta Abhishekam and bhajans. For more information please call at 516-867-8008.

Shirdi Saibaba Temple, Iselin/Edison New Jersey
Devotees in New Jersey and surrounding locations are informed about Sri Shirdi Saibaba temple in Iselin NJ. The temple is located at 465 Lincoln Highway (Route 27) Iselin, NJ 08830. Please attend daily Aaratis and Thursday Panchamruta Abhishekam and bhajans. For more information please call at 732-283-1800.

Shirdi Saibaba Temple, Flushing New York
This temple is located near the famous Ganesh Temple, Flushing, New york. All the day-to-day rituals at the temple are being conducted in a manner similar to that in Shirdi. The temple is located at 46-16 Robinson Street Flushing,NY,USA 11355. For more information please call 718-321-9243.

FROM THE EDITORS KEYBOARD:

Sai Vichaar has learnt that several have received their weekly email into their unwanted email folder due to the email filter function of the respective email providers. Please check your email folders before deleting to make sure Sai Vichaar is not delivered into Spam mail. In the true spirit of Sai devotion, contributors are requested to remember to suit the content, language, style, and presentation, appropriate to a worldwide readership. It should also be noted that when a section from any material other than their own is quoted or referred to, it is the authors' responsibility to acknowledge the source appropriately.

Sai Vichaar requests the devotees to continue to submit to Sai Vichaar using the pages intended for various sections of Sai Vichaar. Sai Vichaar gratefully appreciates the patience of its readers during the past few weeks of revamping of our database. The "Question of the week" for this week is,

Q. What is the attitude of Sai devotees towards raising their children?

Humbly Yours,
The Editor

ABOUT THIS EMAIL:

This newsletter is not sent unsolicited. This newsletter is e-mailed to you because of at least one of the following reasons:
1. You have subscribed through our on-line subscribe page,
2. You have visited our web site and shown interest in the Sai topics and asked for information, or
3. You have been gifted a subscription by a friend or a relative.

To Subscribe Sai Vichaar for receipt by Email please visit the URL http://www.saibaba.org/newsletter.html and select the subscribe option from the menu. If you are subscribing the newsletter for your friend or a relative, we request that the person concerned may be notified about receiving the newsletter and the willingness to receive the newsletter be confirmed.

To Un-Subscribe receipt of Sai Vichaar, please visit the URL http://www.saibaba.org/newsletter.html and select the unsubscribe option from the menu. If you have problems accessing the web page due to network problems, please send an e-mail to maildrop@saibaba.org with the words "Unsubscribe Sai Vichaar" in the subject line.

To make a contribution to any of the sections of Sai Vichaar, please visit the URL http://www.saibaba.org/newsletter.html and select the Submit Articles to Sai Vichaar option from the menu.

Back copies of HTML version of Sai Vichaar can be accessed by visting the URL http://www.saibaba.org/whatsnew.html.

For any questions or more information regarding this e-mail or our web site, please send an e-mail to maildrop@saibaba.org and your inquiries will be attended to promptly.

Thank you,
The webmaster

From and Editor: Shirdi Sai Baba Web Site
Shirdi Sai Baba Sanstha
(A non-profit organization)
Mail: 12N950 State Route 47
Hampshire, IL 60140, USA
Email maildrop@saibaba.org
Phone 847-931-4058
Fax 847-464-1567

© Copyright 1998-2009 saibaba.org, Shirdi Sai Baba Sanstha - Sai Vichaar Weekly may only be redistributed in its unedited form. Written permission must be obtained to reprint or cite the information contained within this newsletter. Sai Vichaar is devoted to the philosophy and teachings of Shri Sadguru Sai Baba of Shirdi, and will take every measure to avoid topics or themes contradicting the same. Sai Vichaar team or the Shirdi Sai Baba web site is not responsible for the opinions expressed by individual contributors.

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Shirdi Sai Baba updates

Sai Vichaar
Thursday , April 30, 2009 :: Volume 11, Issue 51
(In its eleventh 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. Please do not reply to this email. All replies will be ignored. To contact us please see information at the bottom of this newsletter.

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: Humble and Modest

Baba said, "He (the devotee) should be modest and humble towards all, and worship Me with heart and soul. If he does this, he will get eternal happiness" in Sri Sai Satcharitra Ch.III. If you derive the least benefit from anyone, or should anyone contribute to your happiness in any way, acknowledge his services sincerely and feel grateful to him. Never for a moment think that the benefit of happiness you derived was due to your own Prarabdha and he was only an instrument and did nothing to earn your gratitude. On the contrary, you should feel that he conferred a great happiness. Gratefully remember the help received from him, do not forget it throughout your life even when circumstances have changed and always try to make him happy and be of service to him. Do not hesitate, when necessary, to acknowledge his services to you openly before a large gathering. This will foster mutual love between you and your benefactor and promote happiness and peace; the spirit of making others happy will grow from more to more among people, mutual sympathy and the spirit of service will receive encouragement. Remember that he who cherishes a feeling of gratitude towards his benefactor renders a great service to the world at large; for such an attitude pleases the heart of the benefactor, he feels encouraged, and the spirit of service and benevolence gets strengthened within him. Be grateful and never forget the obligation of your benefactor.

(Courtesy: Wavelets of Bliss - by Sri. Hanumanprasad Poddar)

CONTRIBUTED ARTICLE: Bhakthi is not mere emotionalism

It would be a gross mistake if you consider Bhakti as merely a stage of emotionalism, while it is actually a thorough discipline and training of one's will and the mind, a sure means to intuitive realization of God Almighty through intense love and affection for Him. It is a means to thorough apprehension of the true knowledge of Reality, beginning from the ordinary form of idol worship right up to the highest form of cosmic realization of your oneness with Him. You can achieve this by following the eleven fundamental factors, which Sri Ramanuja had prescribed. They are Abhyasa or practice of continuous thinking of God; Viveka or discrimination; Vimoka or freedom from everything else and longing for God; Satyam or truthfulness; Arjavam or straightforwardness; Kriya or doing good to others; Kalyana or wishing well-being to all; Daya or compassion; Ahimsa or non-injury; Dana or charity; and Anavasada or cheerfulness and optimism.

People put a question: "How can we love God whom we have not seen?"

Live in the company of saints. Hear the Lilas of God. Study the sacred scriptures. Worship Him first in His several forms as manifested in the world. Worship any image or picture of the Lord or the Guru. Recite His Name. Sing His glories. Stay for one year in Ayodhya or Brindavan, Chirakut or Pandhapur, Benares or Ananda Kutir. You will develop love for God.

Every act must be done that awakens the emotion of Bhakti. Keep the Puja (worship) room clean. Decorate the room. Burn incense. Light a lamp. Keep a clean seat. Bathe. Wear clean clothes. Apply Vibhuti (sacred ash) or Bhasma, and Kumkum on the forehead. Wear Rudraksha or Tulasi Mala. All these produce a benign influence on the mind and elevate the mind. They generate piety. They help to create the necessary Bhava or feeling to invoke the Deity that you want to worship. The mind will be easily concentrated.

Practice of right conduct, Satsanga, Japa, Smarana, Kirtan, prayer, worship, service of saints, residence in places of pilgrimage, service of the poor and the sick with divine Bhava, observance of Varnashrama duties, offering of all actions and their fruits to the Lord, feeling the presence of the Lord in all beings, prostrations before the image and saints, renunciation of earthly enjoyments and wealth, charity, austerities and vows, practice of Ahimsa, Satyam and Brahmacharya - all these will help you to develop Bhakti.

(Source: Swami Sivananda Saraswathi)

DEVOTEES SAY:

Pranita
It is eight years since I had got married and were eagerly waiting for a little one to arrive. I trusted Baba and knew that he would not let me down. And it happened after so many years after having lost hope Saibaba blessed us and now we are waiting for our bundle of joy to arrive in June. Shree Saibaba I pray and ask you to bless us and the new one who would arrive soon. Bless us so that everything is well and everyone is happy.

Padma
Baba just because of your kind grace my sister is going to have a baby soon. It is you who entered into my older sister's womb and coming in the form of a baby to fill my other sister's life with joy. Your ways you only know. We are just instruments in your hands. Koti Koti Pranams.

Samhita
Bless my pinni. You have taken care of me very well. Please bless her with a child.

Suneeta YN
Thank you very much Baba for giving me a healthy baby boy. Baba please take care of him and be with us always.

PRAYER CLUB:

Farah
Om Sai Ram, I have become very short tempered due to certain instances in my life and my three year old daughter seems to be at the receiving end of my outbursts. I love her a lot and the last thing I want to do is to hurt her. Give me the strength Sai natha to contain my temper even when she is throwing her tantrums and being difficult.

Shalini
Please help us in selling our house at best price since we want to give away all our debts within this month. Please help us out from this financial trouble. Please bless us that our PR process gets finished before six months and without any trouble. Baba please bless us.

Anbumozhi
Please bless us with children immediately as it is already nine years since marriage. I am without a job for the past six months please help me and bless me.

Anjana
Please make my parents healthy, happy, and strong. Please take care of my parents.

Sundaram
I am starting to feel unsecured and today was just unbearable. Baba you have graced me with the responsibilities of family too. Please let me take my salary with respect and not with disgrace.

Sai devotee
Please see that my brother's marriage should go well.

Giri
Please forgive me for whatever mistakes I had done & show me the way, which I had experienced, under your refuge.

Alka
Pl help us in clearing our debts as we are deep into it and the more we try to get rid of it the more we get trapped only your grace can help us in clearing our debts.

Sanjeev
My wife and I had full faith on you and made a humble prayer in your holy feet to shower your blessing/ashirwad to start our new business with honesty.

Raghuram
Let my refinance go clean, bless us for the India trip, and take us to Shirdi.

EXPERIENCE OF DEVOTEES:

Virendra
Its being almost more than a year or two, my father wanted to go for the operation to cut two cysts on the skull. I was so worried as if I thought the cyst is due to cancer or what? Whether the operation is possible or not? Whether it would be successful or not? We were facing some financial problems as well. SaiVichaar was something I had going. Through regularly and I promised Baba one day that I will thank Baba through Sai Vichaar if operation goes successful. And by Baba's grace and love, it all happened miraculously. The cysts were removed safely. I received money from my previous company on time. I am very much financially stable now. I am thankful to Baba for all the miracles I have experienced in my life. I know that it is all because of Baba. There are too many experiences I would like to share in SaiVichaar again. I pray to Baba to help all the needy beings who are suffering and have not yet been blessed by Baba. Jai Sai Nath. Shri Satchidanand Sadguru Sainath Maharaj Ki Jai

Yamini
I feel really gifted to write this experience. Only with lot of patience and trust in you, we can feel your presence. I was having severe earache, I checked with the leading ENT in Chennai he told no problem and to put drops when I get the pain. Due to hot summer, I got infection in my ear again and was suffering for 2 weeks. I was not willing to go to doctor again as they give antibiotic and it does not suit my stomach , I was praying Baba last Wednesday that if my earache stops I will write in Sai vichaar . The next day Thursday and Friday lot of pus and blood oozed out my ear and the pain subsided. Baba be with my kids , husband , parents ,my sisters family ,my in-laws and every soul on this earth and give them good health and peaceful life . Shower your courtesy on everyone. Make me pray you regularly and do my duties well. Thanks Baba, I will never forget you. Create an urge in me to visit Shirdi and get your blessings.

QUOTATION OF THE WEEK:

"The disciples should have firm faith, backed up by intelligence and if they and patience to these, their spiritual goal will not be distant. Control of breath -- ingoing and outgoing, or Hath-Yoga or other difficult practices are not at all necessary. When the disciples get the above-mentioned qualities, they become ready for further instructions and the Masters then appear and lead them on, in their spiritual path to perfection". - Sri Sai Satcharita

QUESTION OF THE WEEK:

Q. Can intellect be an obstacle to devotion?

A. by Rathnashikamani

Intellect is the capacity for rational thought or inference or discrimination. Intellect is a trait of mind by which humans differentiate the bad and good, though we cannot draw a clear line between these two aspects. One man's food is another man's poison. The bad and the good are subjective and influenced by the conditioning of one's own thoughts. Considering the overlapping aspects of good and bad, we can say that devotion is far from the intellect. Devotion entails from believing. Devotion just happens irrespective of the intellect. Often, intellect looks at the physical phenomenon where the rules of science are applied. At the surface level, modern science is away from the spirituality. But many intellectuals agree that science is a way leading to spirituality. Devotion blossoms when you are wonderstruck by the unfolding science of nature. Devotion is where you are left without any reasoning that is beyond the realms of human intellect. Devotion to scientific thinking ultimately transforms one to believe in the revealing nature of the Creation. Humans are the victims of their own devices. Intellect is a device humans sometimes use it like a double-edged sword. A sword is useful for the good and also for the bad. It depends on who uses it for what purpose according to a situation. Intellect evolves as one grows from infancy to maturity. Intellect consists of thoughts. Every communication is a thought. Devotion is a thought that communes with the supernatural. Devotion can be practiced. Bhakti yoga is the science of devotion. By intense devotion, the so-called intellect vanishes as the thoughts cease and the 'I' ness unifies with the paramatma.

SAI ACTIVITIES:

Sri Shirdi Sai Temple of Chicago and Suburbs, Illinois, USA
Sri 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.

Sri Saibaba Mandir, Minneapolis, MN
Sri Saibaba Mandir is located in Minneapolis, MN at 1835 Polk St NE, Minneapolis, MN 55418. The mandir is open 7 days a week in the evenings from 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm and during morning hours from 9 am to 12:30 pm, everyday. Satsangs are conducted every Sunday mornings, 9 am to 12:30 pm. Please call 612-789-7729 for more information on mandir activities, events and other information.

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.

Shirdi Sai Temple of New England, Boston Area
Sri Shirdi Sai Baba Temple of New England is now operational. It is located at 1827 Bridge St # 8, Dracut, MA 01824. The temple is open four days from Thursday to Sunday. For temple hours and activities please visit their website.

Shirdi Sai Center in Bay Area, CA
Shirdi Sai Center is located 897-B East Kifer Rd, Sunnyvale, CA 94086. For more information please call 408-705-7904 or 408-564-6704.

Shirdi Saibaba temple, Los Angeles, CA
Devotees in Los Angeles area are informed about Sri Shirdi Saibaba temple in Los Angeles area. The temple is located at - 144 South 4th Street, Montebello, CA 90640. For more information please call Krishna Samantula at 949-679-9938.

Saibaba Temple, Columbus, Ohio
Devotees in Columbus and surrounding Ohio locations area are informed about Sri Shirdi Saibaba temple in Metro Columbus area. The temple is located in a leasing space at 6599 Dublin Center Drive, Dublin, OH 43017. Please attend daily Aaratis and Thursday bhajans. For more information please call 614-799-8411.

Shirdi Sai bhajans every Thursday at Maitland, Florida
Devotees are invited to participate in Sai study and bhajans on Thursdays between 7-8 pm at Meditation Gallery, 219 E Horatio Ave, Maitland, FL 32715. For more details please contact Bonnie at 407-830-1276.

Sri Shirdi Sai Temple of Austin, TX
Sri Shirdi Sai Temple of Austin, Texas opened at 601 E Whitestone Blvd (RM 1431), Cedar Park, TX. Daily 4 aarthis are performed to Sai Baba. As part of service to needy, a weekly sandwich seva is also conducted.

Shirdi Sai Mandir, Dulles, VA
Shirdi Sai Mandir is located at 43671 Trade Center Place #166 Dulles, VA 20166. The mandir is open through the week in the evenings from 6pm to 9 pm. Sri Satyanarayan pooja will be conducted every full moon day. Please call (703) 661-4724 for more information on activities, events and other information.

Shirdi Sai Mandir, Toronto
The Mandir is located at Unit 7 & 8 2721 Markham Road Toronto ON M1X 1L5 Canada. Daily services offered to Baba include abhishek and all aartis. For Mandir hours and activities, please call 647-444-4724.

Shri Shirdi Sai Baba Sansthan, Canada -Toronto
Devotees in Toronto, are invited to join in Sai Namavali, Satcharita reading, Bhajans, Aarti and Prasad every Thursday from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm. at GUR MANDIR 207 Queen's Plate Dr. Etobicoke - Hwy27 South of Finch for more info call (416) 294 4804

Sai Mandir, Baldwin New York
Devotees in New York and surrounding locations are informed about Sri Sai Mandir in Baldwin NY. The temple is located at 1889 Grand Avenue, Baldwin, NY 11510. Please attend daily Aaratis and Thursday Panchamruta Abhishekam and bhajans. For more information please call at 516-867-8008.

Shirdi Saibaba Temple, Iselin/Edison New Jersey
Devotees in New Jersey and surrounding locations are informed about Sri Shirdi Saibaba temple in Iselin NJ. The temple is located at 465 Lincoln Highway (Route 27) Iselin, NJ 08830. Please attend daily Aaratis and Thursday Panchamruta Abhishekam and bhajans. For more information please call at 732-283-1800.

Shirdi Saibaba Temple, Flushing New York
This temple is located near the famous Ganesh Temple, Flushing, New york. All the day-to-day rituals at the temple are being conducted in a manner similar to that in Shirdi. The temple is located at 46-16 Robinson Street Flushing,NY,USA 11355. For more information please call 718-321-9243.

FROM THE EDITORS KEYBOARD:

Sai Vichaar has learnt that several have received their weekly email into their unwanted email folder due to the email filter function of the respective email providers. Please check your email folders before deleting to make sure Sai Vichaar is not delivered into Spam mail. In the true spirit of Sai devotion, contributors are requested to remember to suit the content, language, style, and presentation, appropriate to a worldwide readership. It should also be noted that when a section from any material other than their own is quoted or referred to, it is the authors' responsibility to acknowledge the source appropriately.

Sai Vichaar requests the devotees to continue to submit to Sai Vichaar using the pages intended for various sections of Sai Vichaar. Sai Vichaar gratefully appreciates the patience of its readers during the past few weeks of revamping of our database. The "Question of the week" for this week is,

Q. What is the attitude of Sai devotees towards raising their children?

Humbly Yours,
The Editor

ABOUT THIS EMAIL:

This newsletter is not sent unsolicited. This newsletter is e-mailed to you because of at least one of the following reasons:
1. You have subscribed through our on-line subscribe page,
2. You have visited our web site and shown interest in the Sai topics and asked for information, or
3. You have been gifted a subscription by a friend or a relative.

To Subscribe Sai Vichaar for receipt by Email please visit the URL http://www.saibaba.org/newsletter.html and select the subscribe option from the menu. If you are subscribing the newsletter for your friend or a relative, we request that the person concerned may be notified about receiving the newsletter and the willingness to receive the newsletter be confirmed.

To Un-Subscribe receipt of Sai Vichaar, please visit the URL http://www.saibaba.org/newsletter.html and select the unsubscribe option from the menu. If you have problems accessing the web page due to network problems, please send an e-mail to maildrop@saibaba.org with the words "Unsubscribe Sai Vichaar" in the subject line.

To make a contribution to any of the sections of Sai Vichaar, please visit the URL http://www.saibaba.org/newsletter.html and select the Submit Articles to Sai Vichaar option from the menu.

Back copies of HTML version of Sai Vichaar can be accessed by visting the URL http://www.saibaba.org/whatsnew.html.

For any questions or more information regarding this e-mail or our web site, please send an e-mail to maildrop@saibaba.org and your inquiries will be attended to promptly.

Thank you,
The webmaster

From and Editor: Shirdi Sai Baba Web Site
Shirdi Sai Baba Sanstha
(A non-profit organization)
Mail: 12N950 State Route 47
Hampshire, IL 60140, USA
Email maildrop@saibaba.org
Phone 847-931-4058
Fax 847-464-1567

© Copyright 1998-2009 saibaba.org, Shirdi Sai Baba Sanstha - Sai Vichaar Weekly may only be redistributed in its unedited form. Written permission must be obtained to reprint or cite the information contained within this newsletter. Sai Vichaar is devoted to the philosophy and teachings of Shri Sadguru Sai Baba of Shirdi, and will take every measure to avoid topics or themes contradicting the same. Sai Vichaar team or the Shirdi Sai Baba web site is not responsible for the opinions expressed by individual contributors.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

No virus found in this incoming message.
Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
Version: 8.5.287 / Virus Database: 270.12.12/2090 - Release Date: 05/01/09 06:17:00

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Shirdi Sai Baba updates

Sai Vichaar
Thursday , April 30, 2009 :: Volume 11, Issue 51
(In its eleventh 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. Please do not reply to this email. All replies will be ignored. To contact us please see information at the bottom of this newsletter.

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: Humble and Modest

Baba said, "He (the devotee) should be modest and humble towards all, and worship Me with heart and soul. If he does this, he will get eternal happiness" in Sri Sai Satcharitra Ch.III. If you derive the least benefit from anyone, or should anyone contribute to your happiness in any way, acknowledge his services sincerely and feel grateful to him. Never for a moment think that the benefit of happiness you derived was due to your own Prarabdha and he was only an instrument and did nothing to earn your gratitude. On the contrary, you should feel that he conferred a great happiness. Gratefully remember the help received from him, do not forget it throughout your life even when circumstances have changed and always try to make him happy and be of service to him. Do not hesitate, when necessary, to acknowledge his services to you openly before a large gathering. This will foster mutual love between you and your benefactor and promote happiness and peace; the spirit of making others happy will grow from more to more among people, mutual sympathy and the spirit of service will receive encouragement. Remember that he who cherishes a feeling of gratitude towards his benefactor renders a great service to the world at large; for such an attitude pleases the heart of the benefactor, he feels encouraged, and the spirit of service and benevolence gets strengthened within him. Be grateful and never forget the obligation of your benefactor.

(Courtesy: Wavelets of Bliss - by Sri. Hanumanprasad Poddar)

CONTRIBUTED ARTICLE: Bhakthi is not mere emotionalism

It would be a gross mistake if you consider Bhakti as merely a stage of emotionalism, while it is actually a thorough discipline and training of one's will and the mind, a sure means to intuitive realization of God Almighty through intense love and affection for Him. It is a means to thorough apprehension of the true knowledge of Reality, beginning from the ordinary form of idol worship right up to the highest form of cosmic realization of your oneness with Him. You can achieve this by following the eleven fundamental factors, which Sri Ramanuja had prescribed. They are Abhyasa or practice of continuous thinking of God; Viveka or discrimination; Vimoka or freedom from everything else and longing for God; Satyam or truthfulness; Arjavam or straightforwardness; Kriya or doing good to others; Kalyana or wishing well-being to all; Daya or compassion; Ahimsa or non-injury; Dana or charity; and Anavasada or cheerfulness and optimism.

People put a question: "How can we love God whom we have not seen?"

Live in the company of saints. Hear the Lilas of God. Study the sacred scriptures. Worship Him first in His several forms as manifested in the world. Worship any image or picture of the Lord or the Guru. Recite His Name. Sing His glories. Stay for one year in Ayodhya or Brindavan, Chirakut or Pandhapur, Benares or Ananda Kutir. You will develop love for God.

Every act must be done that awakens the emotion of Bhakti. Keep the Puja (worship) room clean. Decorate the room. Burn incense. Light a lamp. Keep a clean seat. Bathe. Wear clean clothes. Apply Vibhuti (sacred ash) or Bhasma, and Kumkum on the forehead. Wear Rudraksha or Tulasi Mala. All these produce a benign influence on the mind and elevate the mind. They generate piety. They help to create the necessary Bhava or feeling to invoke the Deity that you want to worship. The mind will be easily concentrated.

Practice of right conduct, Satsanga, Japa, Smarana, Kirtan, prayer, worship, service of saints, residence in places of pilgrimage, service of the poor and the sick with divine Bhava, observance of Varnashrama duties, offering of all actions and their fruits to the Lord, feeling the presence of the Lord in all beings, prostrations before the image and saints, renunciation of earthly enjoyments and wealth, charity, austerities and vows, practice of Ahimsa, Satyam and Brahmacharya - all these will help you to develop Bhakti.

(Source: Swami Sivananda Saraswathi)

DEVOTEES SAY:

Pranita
It is eight years since I had got married and were eagerly waiting for a little one to arrive. I trusted Baba and knew that he would not let me down. And it happened after so many years after having lost hope Saibaba blessed us and now we are waiting for our bundle of joy to arrive in June. Shree Saibaba I pray and ask you to bless us and the new one who would arrive soon. Bless us so that everything is well and everyone is happy.

Padma
Baba just because of your kind grace my sister is going to have a baby soon. It is you who entered into my older sister's womb and coming in the form of a baby to fill my other sister's life with joy. Your ways you only know. We are just instruments in your hands. Koti Koti Pranams.

Samhita
Bless my pinni. You have taken care of me very well. Please bless her with a child.

Suneeta YN
Thank you very much Baba for giving me a healthy baby boy. Baba please take care of him and be with us always.

PRAYER CLUB:

Farah
Om Sai Ram, I have become very short tempered due to certain instances in my life and my three year old daughter seems to be at the receiving end of my outbursts. I love her a lot and the last thing I want to do is to hurt her. Give me the strength Sai natha to contain my temper even when she is throwing her tantrums and being difficult.

Shalini
Please help us in selling our house at best price since we want to give away all our debts within this month. Please help us out from this financial trouble. Please bless us that our PR process gets finished before six months and without any trouble. Baba please bless us.

Anbumozhi
Please bless us with children immediately as it is already nine years since marriage. I am without a job for the past six months please help me and bless me.

Anjana
Please make my parents healthy, happy, and strong. Please take care of my parents.

Sundaram
I am starting to feel unsecured and today was just unbearable. Baba you have graced me with the responsibilities of family too. Please let me take my salary with respect and not with disgrace.

Sai devotee
Please see that my brother's marriage should go well.

Giri
Please forgive me for whatever mistakes I had done & show me the way, which I had experienced, under your refuge.

Alka
Pl help us in clearing our debts as we are deep into it and the more we try to get rid of it the more we get trapped only your grace can help us in clearing our debts.

Sanjeev
My wife and I had full faith on you and made a humble prayer in your holy feet to shower your blessing/ashirwad to start our new business with honesty.

Raghuram
Let my refinance go clean, bless us for the India trip, and take us to Shirdi.

EXPERIENCE OF DEVOTEES:

Virendra
Its being almost more than a year or two, my father wanted to go for the operation to cut two cysts on the skull. I was so worried as if I thought the cyst is due to cancer or what? Whether the operation is possible or not? Whether it would be successful or not? We were facing some financial problems as well. SaiVichaar was something I had going. Through regularly and I promised Baba one day that I will thank Baba through Sai Vichaar if operation goes successful. And by Baba's grace and love, it all happened miraculously. The cysts were removed safely. I received money from my previous company on time. I am very much financially stable now. I am thankful to Baba for all the miracles I have experienced in my life. I know that it is all because of Baba. There are too many experiences I would like to share in SaiVichaar again. I pray to Baba to help all the needy beings who are suffering and have not yet been blessed by Baba. Jai Sai Nath. Shri Satchidanand Sadguru Sainath Maharaj Ki Jai

Yamini
I feel really gifted to write this experience. Only with lot of patience and trust in you, we can feel your presence. I was having severe earache, I checked with the leading ENT in Chennai he told no problem and to put drops when I get the pain. Due to hot summer, I got infection in my ear again and was suffering for 2 weeks. I was not willing to go to doctor again as they give antibiotic and it does not suit my stomach , I was praying Baba last Wednesday that if my earache stops I will write in Sai vichaar . The next day Thursday and Friday lot of pus and blood oozed out my ear and the pain subsided. Baba be with my kids , husband , parents ,my sisters family ,my in-laws and every soul on this earth and give them good health and peaceful life . Shower your courtesy on everyone. Make me pray you regularly and do my duties well. Thanks Baba, I will never forget you. Create an urge in me to visit Shirdi and get your blessings.

QUOTATION OF THE WEEK:

"The disciples should have firm faith, backed up by intelligence and if they and patience to these, their spiritual goal will not be distant. Control of breath -- ingoing and outgoing, or Hath-Yoga or other difficult practices are not at all necessary. When the disciples get the above-mentioned qualities, they become ready for further instructions and the Masters then appear and lead them on, in their spiritual path to perfection". - Sri Sai Satcharita

QUESTION OF THE WEEK:

Q. Can intellect be an obstacle to devotion?

A. by Rathnashikamani

Intellect is the capacity for rational thought or inference or discrimination. Intellect is a trait of mind by which humans differentiate the bad and good, though we cannot draw a clear line between these two aspects. One man's food is another man's poison. The bad and the good are subjective and influenced by the conditioning of one's own thoughts. Considering the overlapping aspects of good and bad, we can say that devotion is far from the intellect. Devotion entails from believing. Devotion just happens irrespective of the intellect. Often, intellect looks at the physical phenomenon where the rules of science are applied. At the surface level, modern science is away from the spirituality. But many intellectuals agree that science is a way leading to spirituality. Devotion blossoms when you are wonderstruck by the unfolding science of nature. Devotion is where you are left without any reasoning that is beyond the realms of human intellect. Devotion to scientific thinking ultimately transforms one to believe in the revealing nature of the Creation. Humans are the victims of their own devices. Intellect is a device humans sometimes use it like a double-edged sword. A sword is useful for the good and also for the bad. It depends on who uses it for what purpose according to a situation. Intellect evolves as one grows from infancy to maturity. Intellect consists of thoughts. Every communication is a thought. Devotion is a thought that communes with the supernatural. Devotion can be practiced. Bhakti yoga is the science of devotion. By intense devotion, the so-called intellect vanishes as the thoughts cease and the 'I' ness unifies with the paramatma.

SAI ACTIVITIES:

Sri Shirdi Sai Temple of Chicago and Suburbs, Illinois, USA
Sri 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.

Sri Saibaba Mandir, Minneapolis, MN
Sri Saibaba Mandir is located in Minneapolis, MN at 1835 Polk St NE, Minneapolis, MN 55418. The mandir is open 7 days a week in the evenings from 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm and during morning hours from 9 am to 12:30 pm, everyday. Satsangs are conducted every Sunday mornings, 9 am to 12:30 pm. Please call 612-789-7729 for more information on mandir activities, events and other information.

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.

Shirdi Sai Temple of New England, Boston Area
Sri Shirdi Sai Baba Temple of New England is now operational. It is located at 1827 Bridge St # 8, Dracut, MA 01824. The temple is open four days from Thursday to Sunday. For temple hours and activities please visit their website.

Shirdi Sai Center in Bay Area, CA
Shirdi Sai Center is located 897-B East Kifer Rd, Sunnyvale, CA 94086. For more information please call 408-705-7904 or 408-564-6704.

Shirdi Saibaba temple, Los Angeles, CA
Devotees in Los Angeles area are informed about Sri Shirdi Saibaba temple in Los Angeles area. The temple is located at - 144 South 4th Street, Montebello, CA 90640. For more information please call Krishna Samantula at 949-679-9938.

Saibaba Temple, Columbus, Ohio
Devotees in Columbus and surrounding Ohio locations area are informed about Sri Shirdi Saibaba temple in Metro Columbus area. The temple is located in a leasing space at 6599 Dublin Center Drive, Dublin, OH 43017. Please attend daily Aaratis and Thursday bhajans. For more information please call 614-799-8411.

Shirdi Sai bhajans every Thursday at Maitland, Florida
Devotees are invited to participate in Sai study and bhajans on Thursdays between 7-8 pm at Meditation Gallery, 219 E Horatio Ave, Maitland, FL 32715. For more details please contact Bonnie at 407-830-1276.

Sri Shirdi Sai Temple of Austin, TX
Sri Shirdi Sai Temple of Austin, Texas opened at 601 E Whitestone Blvd (RM 1431), Cedar Park, TX. Daily 4 aarthis are performed to Sai Baba. As part of service to needy, a weekly sandwich seva is also conducted.

Shirdi Sai Mandir, Dulles, VA
Shirdi Sai Mandir is located at 43671 Trade Center Place #166 Dulles, VA 20166. The mandir is open through the week in the evenings from 6pm to 9 pm. Sri Satyanarayan pooja will be conducted every full moon day. Please call (703) 661-4724 for more information on activities, events and other information.

Shirdi Sai Mandir, Toronto
The Mandir is located at Unit 7 & 8 2721 Markham Road Toronto ON M1X 1L5 Canada. Daily services offered to Baba include abhishek and all aartis. For Mandir hours and activities, please call 647-444-4724.

Shri Shirdi Sai Baba Sansthan, Canada -Toronto
Devotees in Toronto, are invited to join in Sai Namavali, Satcharita reading, Bhajans, Aarti and Prasad every Thursday from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm. at GUR MANDIR 207 Queen's Plate Dr. Etobicoke - Hwy27 South of Finch for more info call (416) 294 4804

Sai Mandir, Baldwin New York
Devotees in New York and surrounding locations are informed about Sri Sai Mandir in Baldwin NY. The temple is located at 1889 Grand Avenue, Baldwin, NY 11510. Please attend daily Aaratis and Thursday Panchamruta Abhishekam and bhajans. For more information please call at 516-867-8008.

Shirdi Saibaba Temple, Iselin/Edison New Jersey
Devotees in New Jersey and surrounding locations are informed about Sri Shirdi Saibaba temple in Iselin NJ. The temple is located at 465 Lincoln Highway (Route 27) Iselin, NJ 08830. Please attend daily Aaratis and Thursday Panchamruta Abhishekam and bhajans. For more information please call at 732-283-1800.

Shirdi Saibaba Temple, Flushing New York
This temple is located near the famous Ganesh Temple, Flushing, New york. All the day-to-day rituals at the temple are being conducted in a manner similar to that in Shirdi. The temple is located at 46-16 Robinson Street Flushing,NY,USA 11355. For more information please call 718-321-9243.

FROM THE EDITORS KEYBOARD:

Sai Vichaar has learnt that several have received their weekly email into their unwanted email folder due to the email filter function of the respective email providers. Please check your email folders before deleting to make sure Sai Vichaar is not delivered into Spam mail. In the true spirit of Sai devotion, contributors are requested to remember to suit the content, language, style, and presentation, appropriate to a worldwide readership. It should also be noted that when a section from any material other than their own is quoted or referred to, it is the authors' responsibility to acknowledge the source appropriately.

Sai Vichaar requests the devotees to continue to submit to Sai Vichaar using the pages intended for various sections of Sai Vichaar. Sai Vichaar gratefully appreciates the patience of its readers during the past few weeks of revamping of our database. The "Question of the week" for this week is,

Q. What is the attitude of Sai devotees towards raising their children?

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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Shirdi Sai Baba updates

Sai Vichaar
Thursday , April 30, 2009 :: Volume 11, Issue 51
(In its eleventh 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. Please do not reply to this email. All replies will be ignored. To contact us please see information at the bottom of this newsletter.

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: Humble and Modest

Baba said, "He (the devotee) should be modest and humble towards all, and worship Me with heart and soul. If he does this, he will get eternal happiness" in Sri Sai Satcharitra Ch.III. If you derive the least benefit from anyone, or should anyone contribute to your happiness in any way, acknowledge his services sincerely and feel grateful to him. Never for a moment think that the benefit of happiness you derived was due to your own Prarabdha and he was only an instrument and did nothing to earn your gratitude. On the contrary, you should feel that he conferred a great happiness. Gratefully remember the help received from him, do not forget it throughout your life even when circumstances have changed and always try to make him happy and be of service to him. Do not hesitate, when necessary, to acknowledge his services to you openly before a large gathering. This will foster mutual love between you and your benefactor and promote happiness and peace; the spirit of making others happy will grow from more to more among people, mutual sympathy and the spirit of service will receive encouragement. Remember that he who cherishes a feeling of gratitude towards his benefactor renders a great service to the world at large; for such an attitude pleases the heart of the benefactor, he feels encouraged, and the spirit of service and benevolence gets strengthened within him. Be grateful and never forget the obligation of your benefactor.

(Courtesy: Wavelets of Bliss - by Sri. Hanumanprasad Poddar)

CONTRIBUTED ARTICLE: Bhakthi is not mere emotionalism

It would be a gross mistake if you consider Bhakti as merely a stage of emotionalism, while it is actually a thorough discipline and training of one's will and the mind, a sure means to intuitive realization of God Almighty through intense love and affection for Him. It is a means to thorough apprehension of the true knowledge of Reality, beginning from the ordinary form of idol worship right up to the highest form of cosmic realization of your oneness with Him. You can achieve this by following the eleven fundamental factors, which Sri Ramanuja had prescribed. They are Abhyasa or practice of continuous thinking of God; Viveka or discrimination; Vimoka or freedom from everything else and longing for God; Satyam or truthfulness; Arjavam or straightforwardness; Kriya or doing good to others; Kalyana or wishing well-being to all; Daya or compassion; Ahimsa or non-injury; Dana or charity; and Anavasada or cheerfulness and optimism.

People put a question: "How can we love God whom we have not seen?"

Live in the company of saints. Hear the Lilas of God. Study the sacred scriptures. Worship Him first in His several forms as manifested in the world. Worship any image or picture of the Lord or the Guru. Recite His Name. Sing His glories. Stay for one year in Ayodhya or Brindavan, Chirakut or Pandhapur, Benares or Ananda Kutir. You will develop love for God.

Every act must be done that awakens the emotion of Bhakti. Keep the Puja (worship) room clean. Decorate the room. Burn incense. Light a lamp. Keep a clean seat. Bathe. Wear clean clothes. Apply Vibhuti (sacred ash) or Bhasma, and Kumkum on the forehead. Wear Rudraksha or Tulasi Mala. All these produce a benign influence on the mind and elevate the mind. They generate piety. They help to create the necessary Bhava or feeling to invoke the Deity that you want to worship. The mind will be easily concentrated.

Practice of right conduct, Satsanga, Japa, Smarana, Kirtan, prayer, worship, service of saints, residence in places of pilgrimage, service of the poor and the sick with divine Bhava, observance of Varnashrama duties, offering of all actions and their fruits to the Lord, feeling the presence of the Lord in all beings, prostrations before the image and saints, renunciation of earthly enjoyments and wealth, charity, austerities and vows, practice of Ahimsa, Satyam and Brahmacharya - all these will help you to develop Bhakti.

(Source: Swami Sivananda Saraswathi)

DEVOTEES SAY:

Pranita
It is eight years since I had got married and were eagerly waiting for a little one to arrive. I trusted Baba and knew that he would not let me down. And it happened after so many years after having lost hope Saibaba blessed us and now we are waiting for our bundle of joy to arrive in June. Shree Saibaba I pray and ask you to bless us and the new one who would arrive soon. Bless us so that everything is well and everyone is happy.

Padma
Baba just because of your kind grace my sister is going to have a baby soon. It is you who entered into my older sister's womb and coming in the form of a baby to fill my other sister's life with joy. Your ways you only know. We are just instruments in your hands. Koti Koti Pranams.

Samhita
Bless my pinni. You have taken care of me very well. Please bless her with a child.

Suneeta YN
Thank you very much Baba for giving me a healthy baby boy. Baba please take care of him and be with us always.

PRAYER CLUB:

Farah
Om Sai Ram, I have become very short tempered due to certain instances in my life and my three year old daughter seems to be at the receiving end of my outbursts. I love her a lot and the last thing I want to do is to hurt her. Give me the strength Sai natha to contain my temper even when she is throwing her tantrums and being difficult.

Shalini
Please help us in selling our house at best price since we want to give away all our debts within this month. Please help us out from this financial trouble. Please bless us that our PR process gets finished before six months and without any trouble. Baba please bless us.

Anbumozhi
Please bless us with children immediately as it is already nine years since marriage. I am without a job for the past six months please help me and bless me.

Anjana
Please make my parents healthy, happy, and strong. Please take care of my parents.

Sundaram
I am starting to feel unsecured and today was just unbearable. Baba you have graced me with the responsibilities of family too. Please let me take my salary with respect and not with disgrace.

Sai devotee
Please see that my brother's marriage should go well.

Giri
Please forgive me for whatever mistakes I had done & show me the way, which I had experienced, under your refuge.

Alka
Pl help us in clearing our debts as we are deep into it and the more we try to get rid of it the more we get trapped only your grace can help us in clearing our debts.

Sanjeev
My wife and I had full faith on you and made a humble prayer in your holy feet to shower your blessing/ashirwad to start our new business with honesty.

Raghuram
Let my refinance go clean, bless us for the India trip, and take us to Shirdi.

EXPERIENCE OF DEVOTEES:

Virendra
Its being almost more than a year or two, my father wanted to go for the operation to cut two cysts on the skull. I was so worried as if I thought the cyst is due to cancer or what? Whether the operation is possible or not? Whether it would be successful or not? We were facing some financial problems as well. SaiVichaar was something I had going. Through regularly and I promised Baba one day that I will thank Baba through Sai Vichaar if operation goes successful. And by Baba's grace and love, it all happened miraculously. The cysts were removed safely. I received money from my previous company on time. I am very much financially stable now. I am thankful to Baba for all the miracles I have experienced in my life. I know that it is all because of Baba. There are too many experiences I would like to share in SaiVichaar again. I pray to Baba to help all the needy beings who are suffering and have not yet been blessed by Baba. Jai Sai Nath. Shri Satchidanand Sadguru Sainath Maharaj Ki Jai

Yamini
I feel really gifted to write this experience. Only with lot of patience and trust in you, we can feel your presence. I was having severe earache, I checked with the leading ENT in Chennai he told no problem and to put drops when I get the pain. Due to hot summer, I got infection in my ear again and was suffering for 2 weeks. I was not willing to go to doctor again as they give antibiotic and it does not suit my stomach , I was praying Baba last Wednesday that if my earache stops I will write in Sai vichaar . The next day Thursday and Friday lot of pus and blood oozed out my ear and the pain subsided. Baba be with my kids , husband , parents ,my sisters family ,my in-laws and every soul on this earth and give them good health and peaceful life . Shower your courtesy on everyone. Make me pray you regularly and do my duties well. Thanks Baba, I will never forget you. Create an urge in me to visit Shirdi and get your blessings.

QUOTATION OF THE WEEK:

"The disciples should have firm faith, backed up by intelligence and if they and patience to these, their spiritual goal will not be distant. Control of breath -- ingoing and outgoing, or Hath-Yoga or other difficult practices are not at all necessary. When the disciples get the above-mentioned qualities, they become ready for further instructions and the Masters then appear and lead them on, in their spiritual path to perfection". - Sri Sai Satcharita

QUESTION OF THE WEEK:

Q. Can intellect be an obstacle to devotion?

A. by Rathnashikamani

Intellect is the capacity for rational thought or inference or discrimination. Intellect is a trait of mind by which humans differentiate the bad and good, though we cannot draw a clear line between these two aspects. One man's food is another man's poison. The bad and the good are subjective and influenced by the conditioning of one's own thoughts. Considering the overlapping aspects of good and bad, we can say that devotion is far from the intellect. Devotion entails from believing. Devotion just happens irrespective of the intellect. Often, intellect looks at the physical phenomenon where the rules of science are applied. At the surface level, modern science is away from the spirituality. But many intellectuals agree that science is a way leading to spirituality. Devotion blossoms when you are wonderstruck by the unfolding science of nature. Devotion is where you are left without any reasoning that is beyond the realms of human intellect. Devotion to scientific thinking ultimately transforms one to believe in the revealing nature of the Creation. Humans are the victims of their own devices. Intellect is a device humans sometimes use it like a double-edged sword. A sword is useful for the good and also for the bad. It depends on who uses it for what purpose according to a situation. Intellect evolves as one grows from infancy to maturity. Intellect consists of thoughts. Every communication is a thought. Devotion is a thought that communes with the supernatural. Devotion can be practiced. Bhakti yoga is the science of devotion. By intense devotion, the so-called intellect vanishes as the thoughts cease and the 'I' ness unifies with the paramatma.

SAI ACTIVITIES:

Sri Shirdi Sai Temple of Chicago and Suburbs, Illinois, USA
Sri 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.

Sri Saibaba Mandir, Minneapolis, MN
Sri Saibaba Mandir is located in Minneapolis, MN at 1835 Polk St NE, Minneapolis, MN 55418. The mandir is open 7 days a week in the evenings from 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm and during morning hours from 9 am to 12:30 pm, everyday. Satsangs are conducted every Sunday mornings, 9 am to 12:30 pm. Please call 612-789-7729 for more information on mandir activities, events and other information.

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.

Shirdi Sai Temple of New England, Boston Area
Sri Shirdi Sai Baba Temple of New England is now operational. It is located at 1827 Bridge St # 8, Dracut, MA 01824. The temple is open four days from Thursday to Sunday. For temple hours and activities please visit their website.

Shirdi Sai Center in Bay Area, CA
Shirdi Sai Center is located 897-B East Kifer Rd, Sunnyvale, CA 94086. For more information please call 408-705-7904 or 408-564-6704.

Shirdi Saibaba temple, Los Angeles, CA
Devotees in Los Angeles area are informed about Sri Shirdi Saibaba temple in Los Angeles area. The temple is located at - 144 South 4th Street, Montebello, CA 90640. For more information please call Krishna Samantula at 949-679-9938.

Saibaba Temple, Columbus, Ohio
Devotees in Columbus and surrounding Ohio locations area are informed about Sri Shirdi Saibaba temple in Metro Columbus area. The temple is located in a leasing space at 6599 Dublin Center Drive, Dublin, OH 43017. Please attend daily Aaratis and Thursday bhajans. For more information please call 614-799-8411.

Shirdi Sai bhajans every Thursday at Maitland, Florida
Devotees are invited to participate in Sai study and bhajans on Thursdays between 7-8 pm at Meditation Gallery, 219 E Horatio Ave, Maitland, FL 32715. For more details please contact Bonnie at 407-830-1276.

Sri Shirdi Sai Temple of Austin, TX
Sri Shirdi Sai Temple of Austin, Texas opened at 601 E Whitestone Blvd (RM 1431), Cedar Park, TX. Daily 4 aarthis are performed to Sai Baba. As part of service to needy, a weekly sandwich seva is also conducted.

Shirdi Sai Mandir, Dulles, VA
Shirdi Sai Mandir is located at 43671 Trade Center Place #166 Dulles, VA 20166. The mandir is open through the week in the evenings from 6pm to 9 pm. Sri Satyanarayan pooja will be conducted every full moon day. Please call (703) 661-4724 for more information on activities, events and other information.

Shirdi Sai Mandir, Toronto
The Mandir is located at Unit 7 & 8 2721 Markham Road Toronto ON M1X 1L5 Canada. Daily services offered to Baba include abhishek and all aartis. For Mandir hours and activities, please call 647-444-4724.

Shri Shirdi Sai Baba Sansthan, Canada -Toronto
Devotees in Toronto, are invited to join in Sai Namavali, Satcharita reading, Bhajans, Aarti and Prasad every Thursday from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm. at GUR MANDIR 207 Queen's Plate Dr. Etobicoke - Hwy27 South of Finch for more info call (416) 294 4804

Sai Mandir, Baldwin New York
Devotees in New York and surrounding locations are informed about Sri Sai Mandir in Baldwin NY. The temple is located at 1889 Grand Avenue, Baldwin, NY 11510. Please attend daily Aaratis and Thursday Panchamruta Abhishekam and bhajans. For more information please call at 516-867-8008.

Shirdi Saibaba Temple, Iselin/Edison New Jersey
Devotees in New Jersey and surrounding locations are informed about Sri Shirdi Saibaba temple in Iselin NJ. The temple is located at 465 Lincoln Highway (Route 27) Iselin, NJ 08830. Please attend daily Aaratis and Thursday Panchamruta Abhishekam and bhajans. For more information please call at 732-283-1800.

Shirdi Saibaba Temple, Flushing New York
This temple is located near the famous Ganesh Temple, Flushing, New york. All the day-to-day rituals at the temple are being conducted in a manner similar to that in Shirdi. The temple is located at 46-16 Robinson Street Flushing,NY,USA 11355. For more information please call 718-321-9243.

FROM THE EDITORS KEYBOARD:

Sai Vichaar has learnt that several have received their weekly email into their unwanted email folder due to the email filter function of the respective email providers. Please check your email folders before deleting to make sure Sai Vichaar is not delivered into Spam mail. In the true spirit of Sai devotion, contributors are requested to remember to suit the content, language, style, and presentation, appropriate to a worldwide readership. It should also be noted that when a section from any material other than their own is quoted or referred to, it is the authors' responsibility to acknowledge the source appropriately.

Sai Vichaar requests the devotees to continue to submit to Sai Vichaar using the pages intended for various sections of Sai Vichaar. Sai Vichaar gratefully appreciates the patience of its readers during the past few weeks of revamping of our database. The "Question of the week" for this week is,

Q. What is the attitude of Sai devotees towards raising their children?

Humbly Yours,
The Editor

ABOUT THIS EMAIL:

This newsletter is not sent unsolicited. This newsletter is e-mailed to you because of at least one of the following reasons:
1. You have subscribed through our on-line subscribe page,
2. You have visited our web site and shown interest in the Sai topics and asked for information, or
3. You have been gifted a subscription by a friend or a relative.

To Subscribe Sai Vichaar for receipt by Email please visit the URL http://www.saibaba.org/newsletter.html and select the subscribe option from the menu. If you are subscribing the newsletter for your friend or a relative, we request that the person concerned may be notified about receiving the newsletter and the willingness to receive the newsletter be confirmed.

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For any questions or more information regarding this e-mail or our web site, please send an e-mail to maildrop@saibaba.org and your inquiries will be attended to promptly.

Thank you,
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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
Hampshire, IL 60140, USA
Email maildrop@saibaba.org
Phone 847-931-4058
Fax 847-464-1567

© Copyright 1998-2009 saibaba.org, Shirdi Sai Baba Sanstha - Sai Vichaar Weekly may only be redistributed in its unedited form. Written permission must be obtained to reprint or cite the information contained within this newsletter. Sai Vichaar is devoted to the philosophy and teachings of Shri Sadguru Sai Baba of Shirdi, and will take every measure to avoid topics or themes contradicting the same. Sai Vichaar team or the Shirdi Sai Baba web site is not responsible for the opinions expressed by individual contributors.

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Shirdi Sai Baba updates

Sai Vichaar
Thursday , April 30, 2009 :: Volume 11, Issue 51
(In its eleventh 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. Please do not reply to this email. All replies will be ignored. To contact us please see information at the bottom of this newsletter.

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: Humble and Modest

Baba said, "He (the devotee) should be modest and humble towards all, and worship Me with heart and soul. If he does this, he will get eternal happiness" in Sri Sai Satcharitra Ch.III. If you derive the least benefit from anyone, or should anyone contribute to your happiness in any way, acknowledge his services sincerely and feel grateful to him. Never for a moment think that the benefit of happiness you derived was due to your own Prarabdha and he was only an instrument and did nothing to earn your gratitude. On the contrary, you should feel that he conferred a great happiness. Gratefully remember the help received from him, do not forget it throughout your life even when circumstances have changed and always try to make him happy and be of service to him. Do not hesitate, when necessary, to acknowledge his services to you openly before a large gathering. This will foster mutual love between you and your benefactor and promote happiness and peace; the spirit of making others happy will grow from more to more among people, mutual sympathy and the spirit of service will receive encouragement. Remember that he who cherishes a feeling of gratitude towards his benefactor renders a great service to the world at large; for such an attitude pleases the heart of the benefactor, he feels encouraged, and the spirit of service and benevolence gets strengthened within him. Be grateful and never forget the obligation of your benefactor.

(Courtesy: Wavelets of Bliss - by Sri. Hanumanprasad Poddar)

CONTRIBUTED ARTICLE: Bhakthi is not mere emotionalism

It would be a gross mistake if you consider Bhakti as merely a stage of emotionalism, while it is actually a thorough discipline and training of one's will and the mind, a sure means to intuitive realization of God Almighty through intense love and affection for Him. It is a means to thorough apprehension of the true knowledge of Reality, beginning from the ordinary form of idol worship right up to the highest form of cosmic realization of your oneness with Him. You can achieve this by following the eleven fundamental factors, which Sri Ramanuja had prescribed. They are Abhyasa or practice of continuous thinking of God; Viveka or discrimination; Vimoka or freedom from everything else and longing for God; Satyam or truthfulness; Arjavam or straightforwardness; Kriya or doing good to others; Kalyana or wishing well-being to all; Daya or compassion; Ahimsa or non-injury; Dana or charity; and Anavasada or cheerfulness and optimism.

People put a question: "How can we love God whom we have not seen?"

Live in the company of saints. Hear the Lilas of God. Study the sacred scriptures. Worship Him first in His several forms as manifested in the world. Worship any image or picture of the Lord or the Guru. Recite His Name. Sing His glories. Stay for one year in Ayodhya or Brindavan, Chirakut or Pandhapur, Benares or Ananda Kutir. You will develop love for God.

Every act must be done that awakens the emotion of Bhakti. Keep the Puja (worship) room clean. Decorate the room. Burn incense. Light a lamp. Keep a clean seat. Bathe. Wear clean clothes. Apply Vibhuti (sacred ash) or Bhasma, and Kumkum on the forehead. Wear Rudraksha or Tulasi Mala. All these produce a benign influence on the mind and elevate the mind. They generate piety. They help to create the necessary Bhava or feeling to invoke the Deity that you want to worship. The mind will be easily concentrated.

Practice of right conduct, Satsanga, Japa, Smarana, Kirtan, prayer, worship, service of saints, residence in places of pilgrimage, service of the poor and the sick with divine Bhava, observance of Varnashrama duties, offering of all actions and their fruits to the Lord, feeling the presence of the Lord in all beings, prostrations before the image and saints, renunciation of earthly enjoyments and wealth, charity, austerities and vows, practice of Ahimsa, Satyam and Brahmacharya - all these will help you to develop Bhakti.

(Source: Swami Sivananda Saraswathi)

DEVOTEES SAY:

Pranita
It is eight years since I had got married and were eagerly waiting for a little one to arrive. I trusted Baba and knew that he would not let me down. And it happened after so many years after having lost hope Saibaba blessed us and now we are waiting for our bundle of joy to arrive in June. Shree Saibaba I pray and ask you to bless us and the new one who would arrive soon. Bless us so that everything is well and everyone is happy.

Padma
Baba just because of your kind grace my sister is going to have a baby soon. It is you who entered into my older sister's womb and coming in the form of a baby to fill my other sister's life with joy. Your ways you only know. We are just instruments in your hands. Koti Koti Pranams.

Samhita
Bless my pinni. You have taken care of me very well. Please bless her with a child.

Suneeta YN
Thank you very much Baba for giving me a healthy baby boy. Baba please take care of him and be with us always.

PRAYER CLUB:

Farah
Om Sai Ram, I have become very short tempered due to certain instances in my life and my three year old daughter seems to be at the receiving end of my outbursts. I love her a lot and the last thing I want to do is to hurt her. Give me the strength Sai natha to contain my temper even when she is throwing her tantrums and being difficult.

Shalini
Please help us in selling our house at best price since we want to give away all our debts within this month. Please help us out from this financial trouble. Please bless us that our PR process gets finished before six months and without any trouble. Baba please bless us.

Anbumozhi
Please bless us with children immediately as it is already nine years since marriage. I am without a job for the past six months please help me and bless me.

Anjana
Please make my parents healthy, happy, and strong. Please take care of my parents.

Sundaram
I am starting to feel unsecured and today was just unbearable. Baba you have graced me with the responsibilities of family too. Please let me take my salary with respect and not with disgrace.

Sai devotee
Please see that my brother's marriage should go well.

Giri
Please forgive me for whatever mistakes I had done & show me the way, which I had experienced, under your refuge.

Alka
Pl help us in clearing our debts as we are deep into it and the more we try to get rid of it the more we get trapped only your grace can help us in clearing our debts.

Sanjeev
My wife and I had full faith on you and made a humble prayer in your holy feet to shower your blessing/ashirwad to start our new business with honesty.

Raghuram
Let my refinance go clean, bless us for the India trip, and take us to Shirdi.

EXPERIENCE OF DEVOTEES:

Virendra
Its being almost more than a year or two, my father wanted to go for the operation to cut two cysts on the skull. I was so worried as if I thought the cyst is due to cancer or what? Whether the operation is possible or not? Whether it would be successful or not? We were facing some financial problems as well. SaiVichaar was something I had going. Through regularly and I promised Baba one day that I will thank Baba through Sai Vichaar if operation goes successful. And by Baba's grace and love, it all happened miraculously. The cysts were removed safely. I received money from my previous company on time. I am very much financially stable now. I am thankful to Baba for all the miracles I have experienced in my life. I know that it is all because of Baba. There are too many experiences I would like to share in SaiVichaar again. I pray to Baba to help all the needy beings who are suffering and have not yet been blessed by Baba. Jai Sai Nath. Shri Satchidanand Sadguru Sainath Maharaj Ki Jai

Yamini
I feel really gifted to write this experience. Only with lot of patience and trust in you, we can feel your presence. I was having severe earache, I checked with the leading ENT in Chennai he told no problem and to put drops when I get the pain. Due to hot summer, I got infection in my ear again and was suffering for 2 weeks. I was not willing to go to doctor again as they give antibiotic and it does not suit my stomach , I was praying Baba last Wednesday that if my earache stops I will write in Sai vichaar . The next day Thursday and Friday lot of pus and blood oozed out my ear and the pain subsided. Baba be with my kids , husband , parents ,my sisters family ,my in-laws and every soul on this earth and give them good health and peaceful life . Shower your courtesy on everyone. Make me pray you regularly and do my duties well. Thanks Baba, I will never forget you. Create an urge in me to visit Shirdi and get your blessings.

QUOTATION OF THE WEEK:

"The disciples should have firm faith, backed up by intelligence and if they and patience to these, their spiritual goal will not be distant. Control of breath -- ingoing and outgoing, or Hath-Yoga or other difficult practices are not at all necessary. When the disciples get the above-mentioned qualities, they become ready for further instructions and the Masters then appear and lead them on, in their spiritual path to perfection". - Sri Sai Satcharita

QUESTION OF THE WEEK:

Q. Can intellect be an obstacle to devotion?

A. by Rathnashikamani

Intellect is the capacity for rational thought or inference or discrimination. Intellect is a trait of mind by which humans differentiate the bad and good, though we cannot draw a clear line between these two aspects. One man's food is another man's poison. The bad and the good are subjective and influenced by the conditioning of one's own thoughts. Considering the overlapping aspects of good and bad, we can say that devotion is far from the intellect. Devotion entails from believing. Devotion just happens irrespective of the intellect. Often, intellect looks at the physical phenomenon where the rules of science are applied. At the surface level, modern science is away from the spirituality. But many intellectuals agree that science is a way leading to spirituality. Devotion blossoms when you are wonderstruck by the unfolding science of nature. Devotion is where you are left without any reasoning that is beyond the realms of human intellect. Devotion to scientific thinking ultimately transforms one to believe in the revealing nature of the Creation. Humans are the victims of their own devices. Intellect is a device humans sometimes use it like a double-edged sword. A sword is useful for the good and also for the bad. It depends on who uses it for what purpose according to a situation. Intellect evolves as one grows from infancy to maturity. Intellect consists of thoughts. Every communication is a thought. Devotion is a thought that communes with the supernatural. Devotion can be practiced. Bhakti yoga is the science of devotion. By intense devotion, the so-called intellect vanishes as the thoughts cease and the 'I' ness unifies with the paramatma.

SAI ACTIVITIES:

Sri Shirdi Sai Temple of Chicago and Suburbs, Illinois, USA
Sri 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.

Sri Saibaba Mandir, Minneapolis, MN
Sri Saibaba Mandir is located in Minneapolis, MN at 1835 Polk St NE, Minneapolis, MN 55418. The mandir is open 7 days a week in the evenings from 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm and during morning hours from 9 am to 12:30 pm, everyday. Satsangs are conducted every Sunday mornings, 9 am to 12:30 pm. Please call 612-789-7729 for more information on mandir activities, events and other information.

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.

Shirdi Sai Temple of New England, Boston Area
Sri Shirdi Sai Baba Temple of New England is now operational. It is located at 1827 Bridge St # 8, Dracut, MA 01824. The temple is open four days from Thursday to Sunday. For temple hours and activities please visit their website.

Shirdi Sai Center in Bay Area, CA
Shirdi Sai Center is located 897-B East Kifer Rd, Sunnyvale, CA 94086. For more information please call 408-705-7904 or 408-564-6704.

Shirdi Saibaba temple, Los Angeles, CA
Devotees in Los Angeles area are informed about Sri Shirdi Saibaba temple in Los Angeles area. The temple is located at - 144 South 4th Street, Montebello, CA 90640. For more information please call Krishna Samantula at 949-679-9938.

Saibaba Temple, Columbus, Ohio
Devotees in Columbus and surrounding Ohio locations area are informed about Sri Shirdi Saibaba temple in Metro Columbus area. The temple is located in a leasing space at 6599 Dublin Center Drive, Dublin, OH 43017. Please attend daily Aaratis and Thursday bhajans. For more information please call 614-799-8411.

Shirdi Sai bhajans every Thursday at Maitland, Florida
Devotees are invited to participate in Sai study and bhajans on Thursdays between 7-8 pm at Meditation Gallery, 219 E Horatio Ave, Maitland, FL 32715. For more details please contact Bonnie at 407-830-1276.

Sri Shirdi Sai Temple of Austin, TX
Sri Shirdi Sai Temple of Austin, Texas opened at 601 E Whitestone Blvd (RM 1431), Cedar Park, TX. Daily 4 aarthis are performed to Sai Baba. As part of service to needy, a weekly sandwich seva is also conducted.

Shirdi Sai Mandir, Dulles, VA
Shirdi Sai Mandir is located at 43671 Trade Center Place #166 Dulles, VA 20166. The mandir is open through the week in the evenings from 6pm to 9 pm. Sri Satyanarayan pooja will be conducted every full moon day. Please call (703) 661-4724 for more information on activities, events and other information.

Shirdi Sai Mandir, Toronto
The Mandir is located at Unit 7 & 8 2721 Markham Road Toronto ON M1X 1L5 Canada. Daily services offered to Baba include abhishek and all aartis. For Mandir hours and activities, please call 647-444-4724.

Shri Shirdi Sai Baba Sansthan, Canada -Toronto
Devotees in Toronto, are invited to join in Sai Namavali, Satcharita reading, Bhajans, Aarti and Prasad every Thursday from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm. at GUR MANDIR 207 Queen's Plate Dr. Etobicoke - Hwy27 South of Finch for more info call (416) 294 4804

Sai Mandir, Baldwin New York
Devotees in New York and surrounding locations are informed about Sri Sai Mandir in Baldwin NY. The temple is located at 1889 Grand Avenue, Baldwin, NY 11510. Please attend daily Aaratis and Thursday Panchamruta Abhishekam and bhajans. For more information please call at 516-867-8008.

Shirdi Saibaba Temple, Iselin/Edison New Jersey
Devotees in New Jersey and surrounding locations are informed about Sri Shirdi Saibaba temple in Iselin NJ. The temple is located at 465 Lincoln Highway (Route 27) Iselin, NJ 08830. Please attend daily Aaratis and Thursday Panchamruta Abhishekam and bhajans. For more information please call at 732-283-1800.

Shirdi Saibaba Temple, Flushing New York
This temple is located near the famous Ganesh Temple, Flushing, New york. All the day-to-day rituals at the temple are being conducted in a manner similar to that in Shirdi. The temple is located at 46-16 Robinson Street Flushing,NY,USA 11355. For more information please call 718-321-9243.

FROM THE EDITORS KEYBOARD:

Sai Vichaar has learnt that several have received their weekly email into their unwanted email folder due to the email filter function of the respective email providers. Please check your email folders before deleting to make sure Sai Vichaar is not delivered into Spam mail. In the true spirit of Sai devotion, contributors are requested to remember to suit the content, language, style, and presentation, appropriate to a worldwide readership. It should also be noted that when a section from any material other than their own is quoted or referred to, it is the authors' responsibility to acknowledge the source appropriately.

Sai Vichaar requests the devotees to continue to submit to Sai Vichaar using the pages intended for various sections of Sai Vichaar. Sai Vichaar gratefully appreciates the patience of its readers during the past few weeks of revamping of our database. The "Question of the week" for this week is,

Q. What is the attitude of Sai devotees towards raising their children?

Humbly Yours,
The Editor

ABOUT THIS EMAIL:

This newsletter is not sent unsolicited. This newsletter is e-mailed to you because of at least one of the following reasons:
1. You have subscribed through our on-line subscribe page,
2. You have visited our web site and shown interest in the Sai topics and asked for information, or
3. You have been gifted a subscription by a friend or a relative.

To Subscribe Sai Vichaar for receipt by Email please visit the URL http://www.saibaba.org/newsletter.html and select the subscribe option from the menu. If you are subscribing the newsletter for your friend or a relative, we request that the person concerned may be notified about receiving the newsletter and the willingness to receive the newsletter be confirmed.

To Un-Subscribe receipt of Sai Vichaar, please visit the URL http://www.saibaba.org/newsletter.html and select the unsubscribe option from the menu. If you have problems accessing the web page due to network problems, please send an e-mail to maildrop@saibaba.org with the words "Unsubscribe Sai Vichaar" in the subject line.

To make a contribution to any of the sections of Sai Vichaar, please visit the URL http://www.saibaba.org/newsletter.html and select the Submit Articles to Sai Vichaar option from the menu.

Back copies of HTML version of Sai Vichaar can be accessed by visting the URL http://www.saibaba.org/whatsnew.html.

For any questions or more information regarding this e-mail or our web site, please send an e-mail to maildrop@saibaba.org and your inquiries will be attended to promptly.

Thank you,
The webmaster

From and Editor: Shirdi Sai Baba Web Site
Shirdi Sai Baba Sanstha
(A non-profit organization)
Mail: 12N950 State Route 47
Hampshire, IL 60140, USA
Email maildrop@saibaba.org
Phone 847-931-4058
Fax 847-464-1567

© Copyright 1998-2009 saibaba.org, Shirdi Sai Baba Sanstha - Sai Vichaar Weekly may only be redistributed in its unedited form. Written permission must be obtained to reprint or cite the information contained within this newsletter. Sai Vichaar is devoted to the philosophy and teachings of Shri Sadguru Sai Baba of Shirdi, and will take every measure to avoid topics or themes contradicting the same. Sai Vichaar team or the Shirdi Sai Baba web site is not responsible for the opinions expressed by individual contributors.

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Sai Vichaar: Thursday , April 23, 2009 :: Volume 11, Issue 50

2009-04-24T15:49:00.000-07:00

Sai Vichaar
Thursday , April 23, 2009 :: Volume 11, Issue 50
(In its eleventh 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. Please do not reply to this email. All replies will be ignored. To contact us please see information at the bottom of this newsletter.

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: Service

If silence is the language of the spiritual bliss, how does one communicate it? If it is thought to happen at His will and His alone, how does one receive it? Only because someone wasn't silent! One may wonder if that amounts to being egotistic to go around telling people about God's miracles in their lives and the message shared through them. If that were being egotistic, equally egotistic would be choosing not to do the task of sharing and spreading His love within one's means. However, one has to be careful about the double-edged sword known as the sense of individual identity or the self. The self that makes one rise above the obstructions and render service may also come back and impart the doer with the sense of doership.

Service, in any form, is a way of spreading God's message and sharing His love with fellowmen. Such service needs to be done, diligently, meticulously, with whole heart and spirit, and most importantly humility. Such service, whether for a social purpose or to promote spiritual awakening, will be successful. Shri Dabholkar wrote Sai Satcharithamritha only after duly humbled by Sainath. The humility of Dasganu Maharaj reflected in his costumes. The most humble Booty was abundantly blessed for his construction was consecrated due to Baba's samadhi mandir.

If one word describes the nature of a Sai devotee, it has to be "Humility". God of Gods, Shri Sai Baba called Himself, simply a servant of God. Portrayed as the humblest of the humble and the most merciful, Baba has several times stressed the importance of humility. Humility is the most required attribute of a Sai servant and only those who believe this and practice are honored at Baba's court. The services of such, whether towards a spiritual cause or other, will accomplish its objectives.

CONTRIBUTED ARTICLE: Baba's Universal Appeal

Recently I have come across many Sai Baba devotees who profess not to eat meat and ask others to become vegetarian because of their faith and belief in Sai Baba. Firstly I must say that Baba requested everyone not to preach about how we should or should not worship him. According to a very prominent chapter in the Sai Satcharita, Sai has requested that people be allowed to serve him as they see fit and we should not adopt any 'holier than thou ' attitude towards others- so recently when I heard that a 'guru' mentioned to people to abstain from eating meat on account of Sai Baba I was rather surprised- the Sai Baba that we all know and love enjoyed 'mutton palao' and actually made it with his own hands. Sai Baba is tolerant of all and he has preached no hard and fast rules for anyone. All who have read the Sai Satcharita will agree with me of just how tolerant he was of everyone's views, and ideologies. These traits of his are what really endears him to all and helps us in turn to be more understanding of opinions and views of others. If one wishes to abstain from eating meat that is their desire and not because Sai has told him to do so -the beauty of Sai Baba's teachings are their simple yet profound nature. Baba sees man not for who he is but for what he is -religion with him was always an identity and he taught of one God that is father to us all. In the notes he left behind he asked us never to fast as he rightfully maintained 'God is not available on an empty stomach' this is so true cause if one is hungry you will find that your concentration is low. In this same way Baba teaches us so much in order to make us all better citizens of tomorrow -every moral and lesson is valuable and we take it away in the true spirit of being Sai Baba devotees.

This article is written solely because I feel that Sai Baba devotees should take decisions (like the one mentioned above) reason out what they feel and what their heart desires-Sai is always there for us and all decisions taken with care and concern for ourselves and others will fructify and our faith will grow stronger.

(Contributed by Havovi Medora)

DEVOTEES SAY:

Raveendra Kona
Thanks a lot Baba for getting our Work permit approved and for getting visa stamped fro my wife.

Ganeshbabu
This ugadi, wife, my son and me together paid a visit to Shirdi and spent three days here. We really felt that we are relaxing in the nice lap of saimatha. Baba is always ready to share his lap to all his children. We attended artis, samadhi darshan and enjoyed the love of BABA in all forms. I wish we the children of Sai can enjoy the bliss and bless of Sai lap.

Shweta P
Jai Sai Ram. Baba thank you so much for giving me work from home so that I can take care of my child as well. Baba, always have bless us and help us to nourish good thoughts so that we always try to help others.

Lalita
The recent turnaround of a decision against my daughter shows us again how you stand by those who have entrusted all at your feet. A million thanks to you!

Sumangala
Baba Thank you for sending Sai Vichar. Whenever I am in bad situation you rescued me. Thank you Baba. Baba I am alone. Nobody is here to take care of me. Some times I will face lot of problems in my office. I am 52 years old lady; I am not in a position to work as earlier due to health problems. Baba I had made a mistake, that I done 8 days Roti Pooja given by my neighbor. I have to give that one to 2 persons to continue that one. Nobody is available to take that one, and I give that one with banana to Cow.

PRAYER CLUB:

Sai Devotee
Om Sai Ram.. Baba please bless Chikuji. You know he is hospitalized since more than one month. Baba please your blessings on Him, as he needs them. Baba please take care of him. Om Sai Ram

Narayana
Thank you Sainath for everything you gave. My son passed his semester with your blessings. Please shower your blessings for his bright future.

Lakshmi
Baba we want our sons to be well settled with their family close to us. They should live with love and brotherhood. Bless them with bhakti. My elder son is not financially sound. Help us all to clear our debts and bring peace and harmony in our home. Give us bathtub in you, lead us always be with us always.

Selvan
Dear sainath. I do not know what is happening in my life. Again I am un-employed. Dear lord kindly bless me to get a site. I will visit your temple and take prasad for devotees.

Shakila
Om Sai ram, Wednesday is the appointment of my son, I pray that no surgery is advised and everything is through medication. Please Sai bless him and always be there with us for we only look at you for everything. He should be healthy as before, I pray to you for his quick recovery.

Rajnish
Baba Thank you very much to listen all of my prayer. With your blessings my work visa got approved in less then one month and my personal experience is that you always listen to all your devotees and solved their problems. Please shower your blessings on all of us.

Srujana
Oh Baba, Please bless my husband with no problems with his projects and extension of his visa.

Preethi
I am totally lonely - have tried all means to complete - but this month I have reached the dead end. The rented house should be vacated, lots of family function - all are awaiting our house warming ceremony - but no idea how u are going to help. PLEASE SAVE ME. I had asked a loan form my office after long after thought only. I have not received any reply.

Saipriya
Sai, You know that I need a job desperately. It is causing lot of problems; please help me get a suitable job Sai. Help me Sai, please. I beg you.

Jagan
My son, Sanjay is out of job since last 10 months. He, my wife and I are very distressed over this. Please help him in getting a good placement in Delhi very soon through showering your blessings and taking him under your fold and helping him. You have been helping me all through my life and without your blessing and boon conferring hand; we would have never been where we are to day. Please grace him also and relieve him from this misery of joblessness.

Pragya
Baba pls accept ours pranam. Baba you know everything and last night we were very upset. Baba we don't no why that has happened but we r very upset. Please show us right path and help us to get that money. And all other fronts regarding our job. Please help us and always be with us. Baba pls help in profession front also.

Raje
My son is having an infection in his eye for the past one week. The medicine given by the doctor does not seem to be working, as there is no improvement in his condition. I am quite worried as I hope there is no serious infection. Kindly shower your blessings on him and cure him from this problem Baba. I promise to write to you again once he is better. Thank you Baba for all your grace and blessings on our family.

Lakshmi
Namaste Baba... Sainatha, you are everything for me...with all your blessings I am going through a treatment for baby. Please be with me through out the process and bless us with a child of your blessings. Please keep our mind to be focused at you and shower your blessings on all your devotees.

EXPERIENCE OF DEVOTEES:

Harish
Hello all the SAI Devotees, I would Like to share 1 of my best experiences of our GREAT SAI GURU. Baba is saving me in each and every work I do, wherever I go he follows me, OM SAI RAM. My life changed after I became a devotee of SAI BABA. Now he his everything for me, I can't live without him for a second. This happened to me in January 2009. I was looking for the job change in December, I had total of 1 year Experience, my salary was very less in the first company, financial condition in my home was going worst, day by day. I started praying to Baba, that I should get the job with good company with the best salary, I had reached Shirdi in December 2008 for the first time, I started believing SAI only from June 2008 Guru Pournima, I came to know about Saibaba from one of SAI Devotee. I prayed in Shirdi, that I should get good job soon. Then, I had told my BABA, what was the salary package I was expecting, and you know miracle happened in the next 20 days Itself, I got a call from the good company in Bangalore MNC, and I got the best salary, it was the same salary that I had asked Baba to give me, Interview went so smoothly, interviewer agreed to the package that I negotiated, I got 100% Hike in my salary, I was so happy, now day by day by financial condition, is getting better because of SAI's Blessings. I Love SAI BABA.OM SAI RAM. My Life is NIL with out SAI Let SAI bless all of us.

Alka
I remember when I was 15 years old, somebody gifted me Baba's Photograph at that time I was not even aware of who this supreme Power is! But once I saw his photograph I starting praying and slowly I realized that I have found the supreme that I was looking for since years. The journey began from there. From that date and time I only pray to my beloved Baba. Once I formed the connection with the supreme all problems starting creeping in and for every problem I talked to Baba andhe guided me, showed me the right track and way to handle the problems. When I look back & ask these questions to myself: Why somebody gifted me Baba's photograph? Why all problems starting creeping in my life, after I started praying Baba? How come my family has as well started praying Baba? And when I sit in silence and try to find answers; Baba answers. As you are my favorite child that is why the photograph was gifted to you. So stay with me. Baba knew that I am going to be surrounded by so many problem, so I need strength andguidance. He knew that I was the hook for him for the entire family to be pulled towards lotus feet. So that Baba's devotees always surround me. Thanks Baba for everything. I have no word to express how much Baba has helped and blessed my family and me always. I always pray to my Baba. Be there for me and my family and let me go form this world while thinking andthanking You.

QUOTATION OF THE WEEK:

"Have consideration for the poor and the wretched" - Sri Saibaba

QUESTION OF THE WEEK:

Q. Can intellect be an obstacle to devotion?

SAI ACTIVITIES:

Sri Shirdi Sai Temple of Chicago and Suburbs, Illinois, USA
Sri 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.

Sri Saibaba Mandir, Minneapolis, MN
Sri Saibaba Mandir is located in Minneapolis, MN at 1835 Polk St NE, Minneapolis, MN 55418. The mandir is open 7 days a week in the evenings from 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm and during morning hours from 9 am to 12:30 pm, everyday. Satsangs are conducted every Sunday mornings, 9 am to 12:30 pm. Please call 612-789-7729 for more information on mandir activities, events and other information.

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.

Shirdi Sai Temple of New England, Boston Area
Sri Shirdi Sai Baba Temple of New England is now operational. It is located at 1827 Bridge St # 8, Dracut, MA 01824. The temple is open four days from Thursday to Sunday. For temple hours and activities please send mail to maildrop@nessp.org.

Shirdi Sai Center in Bay Area, CA
Shirdi Sai Center is located 897-B East Kifer Rd, Sunnyvale, CA 94086. For more information please call 408-705-7904 or 408-564-6704 or send email to saibandhu@yahoo.com.

Shirdi Saibaba temple, Los Angeles, CA
Devotees in Los Angeles area are informed about Sri Shirdi Saibaba temple in Los Angeles area. The temple is located at - 144 South 4th Street, Montebello, CA 90640. For more information please call Krishna Samantula at 949-679-9938.

Saibaba Temple, Columbus, Ohio
Devotees in Columbus and surrounding Ohio locations area are informed about Sri Shirdi Saibaba temple in Metro Columbus area. The temple is located in a leasing space at 6599 Dublin Center Drive, Dublin, OH 43017. Please attend daily Aaratis and Thursday bhajans. For more information please call 614-799-8411.

Shirdi Sai bhajans every Thursday at Maitland, Florida
Devotees are invited to participate in Sai study and bhajans on Thursdays between 7-8 pm at Meditation Gallery, 219 E Horatio Ave, Maitland, FL 32715. For more details please contact Bonnie at 407-830-1276.

Sri Shirdi Sai Temple of Austin, TX
Sri Shirdi Sai Temple of Austin, Texas opened at 601 E Whitestone Blvd (RM 1431), Cedar Park, TX. Daily 4 aarthis are performed to Sai Baba. As part of service to needy, a weekly sandwich seva is also conducted.

Shirdi Sai Mandir, Dulles, VA
Shirdi Sai Mandir is located at 43671 Trade Center Place #166 Dulles, VA 20166. The mandir is open through the week in the evenings from 6pm to 9 pm. Sri Satyanarayan pooja will be conducted every full moon day. Please call (703) 661-4724 for more information on activities, events and other information.

Shirdi Sai Mandir, Toronto
The Mandir is located at Unit 7 & 8 2721 Markham Road Toronto ON M1X 1L5 Canada. Daily services offered to Baba include abhishek and all aartis. For Mandir hours and activities, please call 647-444-4724.

Shri Shirdi Sai Baba Sansthan, Canada -Toronto
Devotees in Toronto, are invited to join in Sai Namavali, Satcharita reading, Bhajans, Aarti and Prasad every Thursday from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm. at GUR MANDIR 207 Queen's Plate Dr. Etobicoke - Hwy27 South of Finch for more info call (416) 294 4804

Sai Mandir, Baldwin New York
Devotees in New York and surrounding locations are informed about Sri Sai Mandir in Baldwin NY. The temple is located at 1889 Grand Avenue, Baldwin, NY 11510. Please attend daily Aaratis and Thursday Panchamruta Abhishekam and bhajans. For more information please call at 516-867-8008.

Shirdi Saibaba Temple, Iselin/Edison New Jersey
Devotees in New Jersey and surrounding locations are informed about Sri Shirdi Saibaba temple in Iselin NJ. The temple is located at 465 Lincoln Highway (Route 27) Iselin, NJ 08830. Please attend daily Aaratis and Thursday Panchamruta Abhishekam and bhajans. For more information please call at 732-283-1800.

Shirdi Saibaba Temple, Flushing New York
This temple is located near the famous Ganesh Temple, Flushing, New york. All the day-to-day rituals at the temple are being conducted in a manner similar to that in Shirdi. The temple is located at 46-16 Robinson Street Flushing,NY,USA 11355. For more information please call 718-321-9243.

FROM THE EDITORS KEYBOARD:

Saibaba.Org is undertaking relocation, migration and technology upgrade projects during 2009. The relocation phase has been completed. The upgrade and migration project is expected to be completed in phases during the year. The team will try to ensure that no services are interrupted for a long time but at times it will become necessary to bring down the equipment for maintenance and upgrade. Due to which there may be disruption in the distribution of Sai Vichaar. If this happens, you can always retrieve back copies of Sai Vichaar from the website by visiting the whatsnew page. We request your cooperation and regret inconvenience caused to you if any in this regard.

In the true spirit of Sai devotion, contributors are requested to remember to suit the content, language, style, and presentation, appropriate to a worldwide readership. It should also be noted that when a section from any material other than their own is quoted or referred to, it is the authors' responsibility to acknowledge the source appropriately.

Sai Vichaar requests the devotees to continue to submit to Sai Vichaar using the pages intended for various sections of Sai Vichaar. Sai Vichaar gratefully appreciates the patience of its readers during the past few weeks of revamping of our database. The "Question of the week" for this week is,

Q. Can intellect be an obstacle to devotion?

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
Hampshire, IL 60140, USA
Email maildrop@saibaba.org
Phone 847-931-4058
Fax 847-464-1567

© Copyright 1998-2009 saibaba.org, Shirdi Sai Baba Sanstha - Sai Vichaar Weekly may only be redistributed in its unedited form. Written permission must be obtained to reprint or cite the information contained within this newsletter. Sai Vichaar is devoted to the philosophy and teachings of Shri Sadguru Sai Baba of Shirdi, and will take every measure to avoid topics or themes contradicting the same. Sai Vichaar team or the Shirdi Sai Baba web site is not responsible for the opinions expressed by individual contributors.

Sai Vichaar Source: www.saibaba.org

Sai Vichaar Thursday , March 05, 2009 :: Volume 11, Issue 43

2009-03-12T09:42:00.001-07:00

Shirdi Sai Baba updates -

Shirdi Audio:mp3, Bhajans, prayers, Aarties download

Sai Vichaar
Thursday , March 05, 2009 :: Volume 11, Issue 43
(In its eleventh year of publication.)

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: Walking on the Water!

A Christian quote goes as follows, "Next time when you think you are perfect, try walking on the Water". This is in reference to the incident when Jesus walked on water to reach his disciples sailing in a ship. This incident is often quoted to extol the virtues of Jesus and hold his magnificence high. At the same time, it takes a dig at the shortcoming or limitation of men who think they are perfect.

Spiritual journey with Sadguru is unique to every soul. There are no external yardsticks and no comparisons can be drawn from one individual to the other. The argument that all are equal is also questionable since each of us are unique; hence, the question that if all are equal or not is also irrelevant. One such revelation in the context of spiritual journey is the feeling of "blessedness" and a perception that one's pursuit, standing and understanding of Sadguru are superior to that of others. The episode of Anna Chinchanikar and Mavsibai in Sai Satchaitamritha spells the fact that none but Sadguru is capable of judging others' devotion.

In Sai path, everyone is in the process to perfection, each a work in progress. While one aspect of Sai devotion is to perfect his/her own human nature towards divinity, by the grace of Sadguru, the other aspect is to spread the love, peace, compassion and harmony that Sai has bestowed upon the self. A spiritually fulfilling journey for a Sai devotee is the spreading of love, compassion, and forgiveness that Baba has bestowed on him to others, however small that might be. None is perfect; all are just forgiven. Saibaba, the merciful fakir, the compassionate father, and the Perfect One!

CONTRIBUTED ARTICLE: False and Effervescent

Spiritual pursuits, sooner or later, must give rise to a realization that life as one sees is myth, the play of Maya. A long-lasting sleep completely full of dreams and nightmares. Existing dormant in the seeker as a neglected fact, this realization will assume immense importance as one proceeds with Saadhana, an intense yearning, with the guidance of Guru. Only the Supreme soul that transcends time and space, as we define it, knows this as the Truth. Saint God of Shirdi, the manifestation of supreme consciousness told this to His children. Numerous incidents and anecdotes involve Sai belittling the perceived values of humankind only to emphasize the permanent virtues that one should long for. Preaching about Brahma Gnana to the miser merchant in Sri Sai Satcharitamritha is one such example. Understanding the limitedness of pain and pleasure may be one important step in the human life that helps accomplish the bigger goal of God-realization, which is nothing but self-realization. Let us examine the vision that Yogi Minocher was blessed with by Sadguru Sainath on June 12, 1952:
"Different faiths are like different rivers that flow from different regions but ultimately join the ocean. The object of every religion is God. He alone is worthy of worship and none else. To make sordid desires of life to dominate is to invite catastrophe. Do not be dragged in the mire of worldly temptations for they are death knells of misery and degradation. Riches are the burning bricks with which the vault of hell is built. Lust for power is a shadowy business. Do not aspire for worldly applause for it is fickle and baseless. Stain not your soul with allurements of life but keep it stainless with love and light of God.

God alone is the reality; all else is of unreal nature. Seek God in the simplicity of your heart. Renounce the gewgaws of life. Hold fast to Truth and Righteousness. Mercy and Compassion, Love and Gentility, Simplicity and Humility, Earnestness and Sincerity, Passivity and Catholicity, Sobriety and Integrity, Forgiveness and Forbearance, Patience and Perseverance. Aspire to be a Saint, a sage by getting out from the common track and following your own God. Work ceaselessly, pray to God zealously, keep your mind serene and calm even in the midst of storms and tempests. Be pure in heart and you will see God. God-realization is the goal of life, not earthly happiness which is false and effervescent.

(Contributed by Sai Vichaar Team)

DEVOTEES SAY:

Jagan
Do not know what to say Baba. Now I think I am the happiest man in this world and I know you will make everyone feel like this. Thanks for everything Baba and we need you like this all the time, we love you Baba

Dipti
The children of all Sai devotees are taught to be honest, loyal and courteous and most importantly they should not harm anyone.

Devotee
Hey mere Sainath many thanks, which have you, helped for finding the kind-hearted man. One man entered in the brother in law life as a friend who helped him to find the good party. It seems to me that you have sent this man. Please always blessing to my brother in law AND his family and help to recover the bad debts and pending payments. Please help him to take good decision. I know you are kind hearted and help the poor.

Nandini
Baba, we are very thankful to you for making my husband pass his exam.Please stay with us every moment of our life and bless him with a job and the Visa. Thank You Baba for everything you have given us.

PRAYER CLUB:

Devotee
Sai Baba, You know what kind of mental hell i am going through for past six years. I had worked hard for this relation , I lost my esteem, Myself and costed all I could to sustain in it. Now, I feel exhausted. This is now going to affect my little daughter which I cant bear. I had gone through all good or bad times only looking at your face baba, all the time reciting your name and meditating on you in my vision. That has been my deriving force through out. Today I pray on your holy feet and surrender totally on them to help me out of it and make things better to enable me grow up my child and give her a good Life. Do help Baba. I need your blessings. Jai Sai Ram.

Amru
Dear Sai, You have always been with my family and me. Sai I am going to India for my daughters engagement tomorrow, please be with me and my family as always and see that the whole function and all our traveling etc., goes on smoothly.

Sai devotee
Om Sairam!! Baba my elder brother has been hospitalised and is terribly depressed since his wife and children do not bother about him nor respect him. My earnest request Baba, you are the provider and the protector of all human being and therefore beg you to heal my brother and make him healthy, happy and peaceful within. I shall definitely post my gratitude in Sai Vichaar

Devotee
Shri sairam, pranam, saibaba please bless me , my career, I am very much worried . I don't have any one to support.Please protect my job.

Meena
My daughter is going to write public exams on Monday 2nd March. Make her to write well and make her to get 1100 in the exams. Please baba be with her and make her to write well. Bless her with enough strength and courage to prepare for the entire exams. I am believe and trust you that you will help me. Baba bless our family.

Sai Devotee
You know what has happened to me and from that day onwards I am tensed and where ever I go for a job, I am not successful. If Baba feels that I should continue in the same company I request Baba to give me some HINT that I will be continuing in the same company so that I can start my routine work which I am unable to do all these days. Please Baba give me some clue for searching a new job or how ever you think, but I am leaving my problems to you with a request to help me in solving the job problem. I will be the happiest one if you do this for me.

Devotee
Baba u just saved us from mouth of death in an accident last night. Thanks Baba ....Baba we have no one other than you please do save us from our emotional n financial stress i am blank do not know what to do ...to correct the disaster of last night. You know people ...so where shall we go what to do how to solve we know nothing please come save us BABA. I am nervous ...blank to do anything I have bowed down on your leg with all my problems only you can save us BABA please save us.

Vara
Saibaba ! with Your grace my daughter delivered a male child. All were very happy, but it is short lived. The one month old child developed skin rashes allover the body and not reducing at all. So many tests, including skin biopsy, were performed on this one month kid. They are anxiously waiting for the results. Doctors are suspecting dreadful diseases like neonatal lupus or skin cancer. Saideva, save Your own Prasad. Bless him with good health. Get your child to Shirdi. Only Your miracle can save him from this serious situation. I confess and ashamed of my arrogant behavior when I came to shirdi. You have already been punishing me without a job and a miserable life. Please do not punish the young kid for my sins. Forgive me Baba!

Devotee
I fall at your feet and pray you Babaji to take my brother out of the bad time he is going through. He is not keeping in good health from a long time and it seems to get worse day by day. He is also looking for getting admissions into good college for further studies as you know. My parents and every body in the family is very worried for him. Please bless us and pardon us of any mistakes knowingly or unknowingly done by my brother or any of us .Please baba grant him good health and help him get admission in a good college.Please every body kindly take a moment to pray for good health and prosperity for my brother.

EXPERIENCE OF DEVOTEES:

Sukruta
As promised that I'd like to share my remarkable experiences of Shri Sai Baba with other devotees. I've been going through a very rough times(unexplainable) for a long time( more than 10 years) with my (would be ex) in-laws and him. Yet I've been coming out of the situation un hurt. All Baba's Blessings. Recently in Oct 2008.Lord Sri Rama appeared in my dreams in gold!(idols in gold) and then Sai Baba(amma Sai) also appeared in gold walking towards me, this happened within few days. Later I saw in my dream making Lord Siva linga out of turmeric. That happened to be on monday. Prior to that I read Satharitra and his letter. He mentioned that I'd get the darshan of Shiva Rama and Himself. That was the message I got repeatedly while I was reading Sachatra. As told this happened! I prayed Siva that I 'd make a Linga out of turmeric on Shiva Ratri day and worship.As such on Shiva ratri day(Feb23-09) I was very nervous how to make shiva linga..I prayed my Dear Sai Baba (my amma) to help me.within couple of minutes I made a wonderful Shiva linga (turmeric) It's all HIS miracles. Baba koti koti pranamas. You're with me and protecting me all the time!!

QUOTATION OF THE WEEK:

"Demolish the wall of difference that separates you from Me; and the road for our meeting will open"-Sri Sai Baba

QUESTION OF THE WEEK:

Q. What is the attitude of Sai devotees towards raising their children?

SAI ACTIVITIES:

Shirdi Sai Temple of Chicago and Suburbs, Illinois, USA
Shirdi Sai Temple announces three day Sri Ramanavami Celebrations from April 2nd to April 4th, 2009. For full details and event information please visit temple website at www.saibaba.us and follow the link to events page from the menu. For sponsorship or other questions please call the temple line at 847-931-4058.

Sri Saibaba Mandir, Minneapolis, MN
Sri Saibaba Mandir is located in Minneapolis, MN at 1835 Polk St NE, Minneapolis, MN 55418. The mandir is open 7 days a week in the evenings from 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm and during morning hours from 9 am to 12:30 pm, everyday. Satsangs are conducted every Sunday mornings, 9 am to 12:30 pm. Please visit the mandir website www.hamaresai.org or call 612-789-7729 for more information on mandir activities, events and other information.

Shirdi Sai Center in Bay Area, CA
Shirdi Sai Center is located 897-B East Kifer Rd, Sunnyvale, CA 94086. For more information please call 408-705-7904 or 408-564-6704 or send email to saibandhu@yahoo.com. You can also visit our website is www.Shirdisaiparivaar.org.

Shirdi Sai Mandir, Dulles, VA
Shirdi Sai Mandir is located at 43671 Trade Center Place #166 Dulles, VA 20166. The mandir is open through the week in the evenings from 6pm to 9 pm. Sri Satyanarayan pooja will be conducted every full moon day. Please visit the mandir website www.shirdisaimandir.org or call (703) 661-4724 for more information on activities, events and other information.

FROM THE EDITORS KEYBOARD:

Saibaba.Org is undertaking relocation, migration and technology upgrade projects during 2009. The relocation phase has been completed. The upgrade and migration project is expected to be completed in phases during the year. The team will try to ensure that no services are interrupted for a long time but at times it will become necessary to bring down the equipment for maintenance and upgrade. Due to which there may be disruption in the distribution of Sai Vichaar. If this happens, you can always retrieve back copies of Sai Vichaar from the website by visiting the whatsnew page. We request your cooperation and regret inconvenience caused to you if any in this regard.

In the true spirit of Sai devotion, contributors are requested to remember to suit the content, language, style, and presentation, appropriate to a worldwide readership. It should also be noted that when a section from any material other than their own is quoted or referred to, it is the authors' responsibility to acknowledge the source appropriately.

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

What is the attitude of Sai devotees towards raising their children?

Humbly Yours,
The Editor

© Copyright 1998-2009 saibaba.org, Shirdi Sai Baba Sanstha - Sai Vichaar Weekly may only be redistributed in its unedited form. Written permission must be obtained to reprint or cite the information contained within this newsletter. Sai Vichaar is devoted to the philosophy and teachings of Shri Sadguru Sai Baba of Shirdi, and will take every measure to avoid topics or themes contradicting the same. Sai Vichaar team or the Shirdi Sai Baba web site is not responsible for the opinions expressed by individual contributors.

source:sai vichar email

Shirdi Sai Baba updates -

Shirdi Audio:mp3, Bhajans, prayers, Aarties download