IN TUNE WITH SAI BABA
(As published in Souvenir published by Sri Shiridi Sai Baba Samajam, Hyderabad in the year 1991)
"If one ever meditates on Me, repeats My name, sings My deeds, and is
thus transformed into Me,
one's karma is
destroyed.
I stay by his side always."
—SHiRDi SAi BABA
My husband is a doctor - an old fashioned
24-hour-a- day doctor for whom 'Hospital is the temple and patient God".
He will be usually up at 7 AM for the Dispensary and his hours last late in the
evening till their are no more patients waiting. But he always comes home at
noon, and before eating, went in the den and close the door for a half hour of
quiet time alone. He calls this his 'daily dose of silence' I now know that it
is this time of stillness and quiet renewal that gives him the strength to
endure the long hours and that has kept alive the positive outlook that has
been so much a part of his character.
In our modern, Pressure-Cooker world
where the most frequently prescribed drugs are tranquilizers, the need for my
husband's prescription for daily doses of silence is greater than ever
When I asked him what he did during his
quiet time, he answered: " I just sit still and clear my mind - get in
tune with Sai Baba. It relaxes me and brings me peace. I can't really say how.
I do this. Everyone has to find his own way".
It was not until many days later that I
began, in earnest, to search for' my own way'. I have always been a devotee of
Sai Baba, and prayer and worship have been an integral part of my life. But the
meditation I did was random and wandering and it did not bring me the
relaxation and peace my husband had found.
When at last I began studying tine
subject seriously, I discovered that Sai-devotees have used meditation as a
means of quietening the mind and getting 'in tune with Sai Baba'.
"Simply say SAI SAI with heart
overflowing ................ I rest in such devotees".
I have read these words so many times but
they never really truant much to me. I had not been conscious of Sainath seated
deep in my heart because I had been too busy frantically scurrying from one
external goal to another. When I prayed, I would direct my attention outward,
as if I were sending long-distance messages to a remote Being way off in the
sky somewhere-
Then I started to meditate. I learned to
withdraw my attention temporarily from external distractions and to focus
deeply inward until I felt I was standing in the presence of Lord Sainath. For
quite sometime, specific forms of meditation on Sai Baba have been a vital part
of my prayer life, bringing me heightened awareness, increased perception and
alert restfulness.
The power is Sai Baba's power; the
meditation are the lens to focus the
power.
There are many
ways of coming into the presence of Sai Baba through meditation, but I think
probably the best way to start is with -Guided meditations'. Let me share two
of them with Sai-devotees. It is best to choose one that seems to appeal you to
and then plan to use it every day for at least three weeks .Even if you feel
that one type of meditation is not -working' for you, don't abandon it in less
than three weeks. It often takes that long for your mental, emotional and
spiritual instruments to attune themselves to the new harmony.
Set aside a time when you will not be
disturbed for at feast 15 or 20 minutes, Follow the directions given,
visualizing each part of the meditation. Take your time- Don't go on until you
truly feel and experience the scene being described. After a few times of doing
this, you will be able to do the entire meditation alone-Sit on the floor or
comfortably in a chair that has a straight back. For most techniques, don't try
to meditate lying down. You might fall asleep, It is best not to wear any
binding clothes that may interfere with your breathing or make you tense.
Don't strain, Remeber, the gate is always
open. Sai Baba seeks you. All you need to do is to be still and create a space
for Him to come to you.
Sit quietly for a short time, relaxing
and letting go of any tension you may feel in your body.
Now close your eyes and direct your
attention to a spot right in the centre of your chest at about the place where
your ribs begin to separate. Inhale deeply, expanding your chest as far as you
can. Now, hold that breath in as you say silently in your heart: "Om Sai
Sri Sai Jai Sai". Exhale forcing as much of the air out of your lungs as
you possibly can Repeat this five times.
Now with your attention still focussed at
the centre of your chest, begin to visualise a tiny 'Being' about an inch high,
standing on a soft white cloud near your heart Assume that this 'Being' is Sai
Baba. He is clothed in white robe and His right hand is raised in blessing.
There is a warm, compassionate smile on His face and His eyes glow with love.
Look within now and see Him there. Feel His presence within you.
Notice, now, that rays of gleaming light
are radiating from this tiny 'Being'. As you watch. His whole body becomes
luminous, glistening. You begin to feel a pleasant warmeth glowing within your
heart where He stands. Experience that warmeth and light.
Now slowly let this 'Being' of light, Sai
Baba within you, begin to grow. Let His warmeth and light spread from that
small spot downward into your abdomen and upward into your lungs and heart,
unitil His body fills your whole torso Then feel Him growing again, until His
head fills your head, His arms fill your arms and His legs fill yours.
He now fills you completely and your
whole body is bathed in holy light, both inside and out-It is a glistening,
airy light that makes you feel almost weightless, all-pervading light that
gently consumes any impurities within your body within your soul. Be still now
and feel it. Let it happen. Be that light-filled Sai-filled soul.
Then, gradually feel this 'Being' of
light diminishing in size again, until He is once again a tiny figure, standing
on a cloud in the centre of your chest near your heart.
Know, in the depths of your being, that
He is always there. No matter where you are no matter what events are happening
in your outer world. He stands within your heart cooing you, guiding you,
blessing you.
Say short
prayer - 'Om Sai Sri Sai Jai Jai Sai'. Open your eyes. stretch if you like and
return to your dally routine. During the day, if problems come up or if
unpleasant emotions arise, return your thoughts momentarily to that 'tiny
Being. You carry within you; and -see' the Sai-light near your heart; know that
He loves you.
One evening a few minutes after the wind
had slammed the heavy door on my son's little finger and he was jumping up and
down in pain. It was white and flat and the circulation had been completly cut
off. I realised, with a sense of horror as to whether my son would loose the
finger. While I phoned up my husband and waited for him ro arrive, I said a
short prayer. Actually I began to practice 'Being of Light' meditation.
A feeling of warmeth and light radiated
through me, and I held on to this awareness of Sai Baba's presence until my
husband arrived, about 20 minutes later.
My husband removed the gauze I had wrapped
my son's injured finger and I gasped. The flesh was full and pink and natural
looking The circulation had started again.
Well, I don't understand this Sai-miracle.
It is possible that it has nothing to do with my meditation. I only know that
whenever I have had a need, if I have been able to first establish firmly in
the Sai-consciousness, the need has been met !
After you have been sitting quietly for a
few minutes, relax by taking several deep breaths. Then close your eyes and
envision yourself walking along a sandy beach. The air is balmy, tall palm
trees are swaying softly behind you, and the sand is warm between your toes.
The sun sprinkles diamonds over the surface of the water. The sea is calm, and
its gentle waves lap rhythmically up on the shore, whispering echoes of the
great mysteries of the universe Sit down in the sand see it all; feel it all;
hear it all - now.
After a while, you become aware that this
is net an ordinary ocean. This ocean is love-infinite, boundless, eternal love.
It is the love of Sai Baba. A deep inner yearning arises in you a longing for
the unconditional, changeless, eternal love that only this ocean can give. Feel
that yearning. Let it build up in you. Feel the ocean drawing you to it.
Now see yourself getting up from where you
have been sitting, on the sand and walking toward the beckoning sea. As you
wade into the warm water, you feel no fear. Like a sleepy child smuggling into
its mother's lap, you relax into the buoyant, sustaining water. Let go now, and
surrender yourself into that ocean of love.
Let go some more. You are safe, secure,
protected loved, Let yourself be rocked by the rhythmic, swelling tides of
everlasting arms.
Now imagine that your body is made up of
salt. Those absolutely pure, all-embracing waters begin to soak into you As
your porous body absorbs them, you feel, deep within your chest, a gentle
stroking stroking stroking. It begins just below your ribs and flows up over your
heart, your lungs, your throat. Feel those cleansing waters now, stroking away
all of the pain, hurt feelings, rejection, loneliness, loss and grief you have
been unable to let go of.
As the love of Sai Baba continues to wash over you, in waves ......... and waves ..........and waves, feel your body of salt
dissolving, melting, merging into that ocean of love, until there is only
one, and you are a part of that one.
At this moment, you are love No longer is there any pain of
loneliness, any sense of separation, any feeling of grief or loss, There is only love. Fee! it. Know it Be it.
Now slowly let
the rolling tide flow back to the shore. Feel the salt crystals re-forming
about your being-arms, legs, torso, head The salt becomes flesh again. Only now
you are something more then flesh. Deed in the centre of your being,
beyond body, beyond thought, beyond emotion, there is a treasure chest from the
see, a gift to you from the infinite ocean of love. You carry within you the
unspeakable mystery of divine
Open your eyes now, and say 'Om Sai Sri
Sai Jai Jai Sai".
"Blessed Sai Ram-God of love. Thank
you for cradling me in your loving arms, for helping me to know that there is a
harbour within me, where the livining waters ever roll, in waves of eternal
love. Glory to you - Jai Sai Ram',.
Music is one means of achieving
relaxation through meditation. It differs from the guided meditation in that
there are no stop by step instructions to follow, and you should do it lying
down. It may also take longer than a guided meditation. You don't have to be a
musician; you don't even have to know anything about music to fly on the wings
of music meditation. All you need is a record player and some music on Sai Baba
by Anup Jalota or Hari Om or any one. Try to arrange it so the music will play
continously for at least 15 to 30 minutes.
Background music is one thing; group
singing of Sai-bhajans is another thing ; but music meditation is neither of
these, and it is, at best can be better than either. Sometime at night, after
children go to sleep and if no on else is needing my attention. I go in the
living room, close the door, turn the tape recorder on and the lights off, lie
down on the couch and do music meditation in the dark. It is much more than
just listening, though it is a merging of self with that which is beyond Self.
To come into the presence of Sa, Baba on
the wings of music it is best to be alone. Do not try to knit or read or do
anything else while you listen Close your eyes or if it is night time turn off
the lights, so that you will not be disturbed by visual stimuli. Lie down in a
comfortable position. Then give your full attention to the music. Listen with
your heart, not your ears,
Imagine that the music: flows into the
room on a beam of silver-white light from a heavenly source. Let that light dip
directly down into your heart and pass through it, rising up again into the
clouds. As the music continues to swell, let yourself be pulled upward by it,
heart first, as if you were soaring through the air on silver white wings Just
climb on to the music and ride with it.
RISING SWELLING SURGING FALLING FLOATING
GLIDING until you become the music.
I cannot tell you how to do this, and
nothing at all may happen the first few times you try it. Then one night, when
your heart is open, you will begin to feel the invisible pull- Go with it. Stay
with it
Let the silver-white ray of music
transport you beyond yourself, into the farthest reaches of the universe Let the sound of the music expand and grow,
until it bounces off the clouds of time and echoes against the edges of
infinity. Let yourself rnerg3 into the timeless, space less, eternal presence
of Sai Baba.
When the last
chords of the music fade away, you will find yourself in the presence of a
silence more profound than any you have known before. In the still hush of this
moment, offer your soaring heart, into the eternal stillness. With a prayer in
your heart, give your winged soul to Sai Baba.
"Sai Baba - you are love incarnate.
I know that I can never drift beyond the wings of your love- You are my beam of
light that shines in the darkness; let me be a singing note in your eternal
song. Glory to you - My Sainath",
When my son Raghu was just a toddler, he
became separated from me in a Market Complex at Bangalore. I went from shop to
shop asking the clerks if they had seen my son- I could only hear: He was here
a few minutes ago calling for mummy, but he rushed away before we could help
him find you". When we finally met each other, we agreed that, if we ever
got separated again, he would stay right where he was and wait for me to find
him- That is what we need to do in meditation. We need to stay in one place
long enough for Sai Baba to draw us to Him.
If you have a
problem or need, by all means pray about it do everything you can to bring
about a desired result. But at some point you must leave off seeking an answer
and seek Sainath within. Nothing else will bring you lasting fulfillment;
nothing less will satisfy the deep inner hunger that is, in truth, your soul's
homesickness for our heavenly father- Sai Baba. When you deeply become aware of
His presence your life, you will know the truth of Sai Baba's promise : "YOU
LOOK TO ME I LOOK TO YOU".
Mrs. SEETHA VIJAYAKUMAR
w/o dr.g.r.
vijayakumar
HOSUR 635109 (T. N.)
My dear Sai Brothers & Sisters,
J A I
SAI RAM
You are fortunate that you have divine
guidance add protection of Lord Sai Nath to off shore the ocean of life
comfortably with joy Lord Sai Nath is within your heart just listen to His call
in silence and act accordingly. Wait with patience and have unfailing faith in
Sai and your own self. Sai always listens to earnest prayers of his devotees.
He never fails. You look to him. He looks to you; the devotees experience are
the testimony to this assurance of His. You help others and Sai helps you.
Surrender to Sai Completely and be happy in whatever way He keeps you. You are
bound to win His gracious blessings which is the most coveted treasure. You
could have.
May Lord Sai naths grace and blessing be ever with you ;
SATYA KAPOOR