Satsang Gifts of Sai Baba

Gifts of Sai Baba
By Dr. V. N. Shiradhonkar
"The ignorant runs after false pleasures and falls into
the wide net of death. The wise knows what is eternal;
he does not expect anything of lasting value from the
inconstant pleasures of life."
- Kenopanishad

SAI-brother K. N. Narayan Swamy has made an appeal-
'Dedication to Sai' - in the January 1988 issue of Sai
Padananda, in which he has called upon Sai devotees
to contribute articles / experiences on Sainath to
several Sai magazines. Prompted by his appeal, my
mind mused over the gifts that Sai Baba has conferred
upon us.

Shirdi Sai Baba is a phenomenon. His physical body has
disintegrated into the elements many years ago. But
today belief in him and his power to assist people in
times of distress is growing. Sai Baba started no cult
and spread no religion which one could identify with
him. His teachings have been the essence of all religions.
His believers are countrywide and include Hindus,
Muslims, Parsis, Christians, and others and several
others abroad.

Saints exist to give devotees temporal and spiritual
benefits. Sai Baba has said: "I have come to give such
good things to the devotees". Once when one of His
devotees objected to people going to Sai Baba for
temporal benefits, Baba told him: "Do not do that. My
men first come to me on account of that only. They
get their heart's desires fulfilled and comfortably
placed in life, and then they follow me and progress
further. I bring my men from long distance under many
pleas. I seek them and bring them to me. They do not
come of their own accord. I draw them to me". These
words are law even today.

His assurances (11 sayings) are fulfilled in the case of
each Sai devotee in his own inimitable manner. Sai Baba
did not care for money or gifts during his life time: He
begged for food and ate along with dogs, pigs, beggars
etc. He had a perfect conquest of the palate and perfect
sense of equality that He displayed to all the living
creatures. They indeed see the very perfection of what
the world's scriptures had conjoined for the true seekers
of God, viz., not minding what one eats and treating all
life as one.

What gift can we give Sai Baba who in fact is sustaining
us in every moment of our life? We breathe Sai, talk Sai
and live Sai. I can only borrow a line of G.S. Khaparde
from his 'Shirdi Diary' -"From the moment I approached
Him, all the load of my worldly cares disappeared though
only a few minutes, before, it was felt to be exceedingly
oppressive and such as to cause disgust in life". So let us
contribute our two-pice 'dakshina' - Sraddha and Saburi
to our Sai Maharaj.

(Source Saipadananda July 1988