Universal Prayer

Let us Love all people in the world in His name. Let our hearts go out in compassion and sympathy towards all those who are in sorrow and suffering. Let us invoke His blessings upon them. May we become His true children inheriting the qualities of our divine parentage.

- Sri Radhakrishna Swamiji

Editorial:

First Word

The year 2003 is welcomed like all its predecessors with happiness and jubilation, celebrations, gifts and glamour. The spirit of bonhomie, joy and resolution profiled the advent of the New Year. But despite all the revelry, our New Year sentiments vanish with the grind of daily life, and conflicts bring out the worst in us. We feel new for only a brief, punctual period. So, how do we retain our resolutions, friendships, devotion and tranquility?

Cultivating the right mindset is important. When you plant a coconut and if does not grow well, you won't blame the coconut. You will look for reasons why it is not doing well. It may need fertilizer, or more water, or less sun. But you never blame the coconut.

Yet, if we have problems with our friends or our family, we blame them. But if we know how to take care of them, they will grow well, like the coconut. Blaming has no positive effect at all, nor does trying to persuade using reasons and arguments. No blame, no reasoning, no argument, just understanding!

A devotee once asked Sri Radhakrishna Swamiji about what to do when someone does not willfully cooperate. Swamiji replied affirmatively, saying that the person would cooperate. The devotee asked the same question twice more and got the same answer. On asking for the fourth time, Swamiji replied, "Chant Vishnu Sahasra Namam, and do not fauve ill of the person. If you want to win over any kind of person, then do not reject him, consult him, abide by his wishes and bow down to him."

The fact of consulting, abiding and bowing to the person concerned will amply help to retain one's own tranquility and joy. And the important point of chanting Vishnu Sahasra Nama will keep one mentally and spiritually buoyed.

A happy 2003 to all our readers!

Happy New Year to You Sri Saipadananda's Maxims!

He who lives in 'Satsangh' or constantly associates with it, attains purity of mind and happiness very quickly,

Above all, acquire eager thirst for righteousness, truth and freedom.

Priceless are the words of wisdom that arise from the tongues of saints.

Practice Dharma and Truth as essential objects of life.

Your duty is perpetually to concentrate on your Guru at all times with your mind and soul.

Never hurt anybody, control anger by Move, 'Kshama' and 'Daya".

Eternal bliss is the birthright of every one of us and we can attain it only by adhering to the path of Dharma.

Where there is truth, virtue, justice and wisdom, there God is directly present.

Your kindness shines through your selfless feelings.

Eternal happiness, infinite knowledge, immortality, freedom and independence can be attained by God-realisation above.

Avoid unnecessary worry; simple living and high thinking must be your aim.

Recitation of Sri Vishnu Sahasra Nama has a great spiritual value.

The greatest remedy for all the ills of life, physical and mental, is to surrender the fruits of all our 'Karmas" to God.

One who rests at peace with himself will not be greatly perturbed by vicissitudes of fortune.

Your polestar is your Guru who guides you through his precept and teachings according to environment and circumstances.

One must transcend the individual consciousness and love all in the knowledge that every living being is a moving temple of God.

Universal love means that you should feel an affinity to everything in creation.

May Sai Baba bless everybody and guide his destiny".

- S. Narayana Murthy

The Wondrous Saint

By Sri Narasimha Swamiji

Who is Sai Baba? A few raise this question. They call him a Satpurusha, and believe that they understand what that is. But some do ask and some answer must be given.

If biographies of saints are difficult, that of Sai Baba is attended with difficulties almost insuperable. A cloud of mystery hangs over all the affairs of his life and completely veils off his birth, parentage and early life. None knows anything about that period.

He suddenly appeared at Shirdi (in the Ahmednagar District) as a lad of sixteen. Moving about hither and thither for a while, the young fakir settled at Shirdi taking his residence at first in a hollow under a neem tree and finally at the local mosque. None could discover if he was adopting any Sadhanas. But one fine day, when there was no oil in his lamps, he caused a flutter by keeping them burning all night with water alone evidently converting water into oil. He also nursed patients and administered medicines compounded by him to all and sundry-of course, gratis. But soon he dropped that practice and gave patients and people in distress bits and ashes from the perpetual fire that he kept up; and devils and diseases, infirmities and troubles of all sorts were removed.

Every morning he began and every evening he ended as a poor pauper fakir; but during the day abundance of money would flow in, and would be quickly disposed of, so much so that during the last two years of his life, income-tax was levied on those who were daily and regular recipients of his favors. Yet up to the very end of his life, Baba's sustenance was the begged bread and vegetable, his raiment was a ragged Kupni and a skull cloth and his residence was the bare floor of the mosque.

A Frequent Marvel:

Other features of this saint were his unaccountable and marvelous knowledge of things and events far removed from him in the matter of time and space, and a remarkable power to foretell coming events or to force events to come to pass in accordance with his supreme will. Visitors noted with surprise that he was frequently mentioning either expressly or by allusion their inmost secret thoughts, their remote past, past of which they had lost all memory and incidents that occurred hundreds of miles away from his residence which none could possibly have communicated to him. "He speaks as one seated in my heart (Antaryami)", was a remark that frequently escaped from the lips of the visitors and devotees. No wonder that even the proudest intellects bowed in submission before him and failed to find any other or more adequate name to express the possession of such wisdom, power and beneficence than God.

Even after He left the body

Dewan Bahadur G.S. Khaparde, Member of the Council of State, said of him; "Sri Sai Baba fulfilled my idea of God on Earth'". In fact, he and a host of men of learning, wealth and position vied with each other in serving at Baba's durbar, in carrying fans or other paraphernalia at the Aratis and Procession at which Sai Baba was worshipped as God Himself. And even now, though several years have rolled away since Sai Baba's body was placed in the tomb at Shirdi, the Aratis and processions continue and the eager throng of ladies and gentlemen, Hindus and Moslems, rich and poor, scholars and rustics still serve at the durbar of Sai and declare in the following words of Bedil, the Sufi of Sind, that Baba is really alive and that they have personal experience of his interest and intervention in their daily life.

"These men do never die.

They become the Praised Ones.

They shed mercy on the world with myriad hands;

They help the helpless.

They aid the depressed.

They leave not those that follow them when the time of danger conies.

They are men only in name.

In reality, they are God Himself.

These solitary ones are marvelous".

Father, Dear Father Sai

Father dear Father Sai.

Take me to your Lotus feet

And care me for as your child.

Bestow upon me your blessings

And show me your light, divine

Take possession of my heart and soul

And mould me as you wish.

Forgive me if and when I am wrong

And lead me on to the right path.

Father, dear Father Sai.

My life is at your feet

And my mind is at your stake,

Take me to your Lotus feet

And protect me from the worldly ways.

- Miss. Hema N. Shetty

Your Offering to Sai Baba

By Sri Radhakrishna Swamiji

You would think that you can give back nothing to Baba, who is a Supreme Giver, only Baba can give to his devotees. But this is not wholly correct. The action of giving cannot be unilateral. Even God receives first, then gifts. In the day to day practical life, there is no giving without taking. It is therefore that the word "give and take policy" has come into vogue.

If Baba asked for nothing, why could he have asked for Dakshina'? Why he would move from door to door in hot sun in Shirdi to beg for alms. It is true that Baba was never yearning for Dakshina or alms. He was simply searching the hearts of the devotees in this process. He was teaching us to part with or sacrifice a bit of our earning for a higher way of life.

Baba used to cater to the prayers or demands of his devotees. He would tender his hand of help through some strange miracles to salvage his devotees in distress or difficulties. This was also not without expectations from them. He responded to devotees' wishes so that the devotees should turn to his way of teachings and do what he liked them to do. But all of us forget this truth and go on asking for new farther from Baba every time, without taking note of Baba's demand from us. When Baba fulfils our wishes we are thrilled, we are choked with emotions of gratitude and we shed tears of joy.

We call Baba as the Kalpa tree. We say that He is our Guru, God. We proclaim that we are his devotees. But really speaking, we do not deserve to be his devotees or disciples. We are only searching for a link to spread a hand of begging before him again and again without remembering his real message and teachings to us. We forget what Baba wants us to do, nay we purposefully ignore it! We place a new demand at his feet. We are angry, if he does not fulfill.

The message of Baba's life: - All know that Baba meets devotees' demands. It is for this that people from all religions, sects, leads, castes throng round his samadhi. They come to fulfill their vows. They want to exchange the grace with offerings. They are blind to Baba's Upadesha. He does not want us to place demand after demand to him. He wants us to realize his message. He wants us to spread this message among others. He wants us to act and practice his teachings. He recognizes the bhakti manifest in practicing his tenets and teachings.

Shraddha (Faith) and Saburi (Patience): - We are familiar with these phrases without brooding over their meaning and aerial application to life. The unflinching allegiance to God and self sacrifice is denoted by Shraddha. It is not easy to practice this. Because we have to change the centre of gravity of our life, we must replace selfish thinking by God orientation, offering everything to his wishes. Saburi teaches us to be fixed in difficulties and onslaught of fate. We shake, waver each moment. How can we be devotees without practicing these tenets; Baba wants us to translate this into action in day to day life.

Baba's Karma, Bhakti and Dhyana: Baba wants us to leave our narrow thoughts, selfish nature and obstinate ways and to take up a new life of service and sacrifice. He wants us to come out of the circle of selfishness and "I" attachment to personal benefits and live a life of benevolence and selfless service. This is Baba's Karma yoga. He wants us to offer each of our karma as a flower to God as offering. This is his Bhakthi yoga. That God is present everywhere is his Dhyana yoga. We have to offer all our thoughts, desires, passions and acts to God are the expression of this Dhyana yoga.

Baba's ultimate demand: Baba wants us to practice Nama and Dhyana. He wants us to take his name, forgetting all else (i.e. body consciousness). He wants us to meditate on his form. This should be perpetual, unending. We have to merge our mind, intellect, body and ego in his consciousness. This is his ultimate demand. Do not look at these words with levity. Know the gravity of the meaning and actual practice. When Baba begged from door to door in Shirdi for a loaf of bread, he did not actually want food from us. He wanted the offering of our whole existence.

Permanent Feature:

Power of Guru

From the glorious life of Sri Chinnappa Swamiji)

By Dr. G.R. Vijayakumar

The Supreme Secret

When you make Him your sole refuge, why harbor worry and fear? Leave yourself in His hands and all will be well with you. This is the Secret of self-surrender. That grants you true freedom and joy.

- Swami Ramdas

Sri Chinnappa Swamiji was a great Saint and an ardent follower of Shirdi Sai Baba. He led a quiet life at Hysodlour near Hudikeri in Kodagu District of Karnataka after taking premature retirement from the Indian Airlines.

Born in Kodagu somewhere in 1927, Chinnappa lost his parents in his childhood. His grandfather brought him up in an affluent coffee planter's family. Extremely intelligent, Chinnappa was a lover of devotional practices and spiritual pursuit. Even as a student, he mastered epic poems like the Ramayana and Bhagavatam besides other 'Puranas".

When he was just 12 years old he was infused with such longing for God that he began to look for a Guru. His favorite God was Lord Krishna and would spend the early hours of the day in a nearby temple singing the glories of Lord Krishna. He was blessed by a vision of Lord Krishna. He joined St. Philomena's College at Mysore for his collegiate education. At Mysore his 'sadhana' continued. He came in contact with Shri Raju who had established a Sai Baba Mandir at Mysore in the early forties. Chinnappa saw Lord Krishna in Sai Baba. He also influenced by the magnetic spell of Sri Narasimha Swamiji when had come lo Mysore for 'Sai Prachar'.

Chinnappa Swamiji joined the Indian Airlines at Calcutta. He decided against marriage and family life and continued his spiritual pursuit. His apartment was a mini Sai Mandir. He used to perform Krishna and Sai Pooja and conduct regular bhajans in his apartment. Who was Chinnappa's Guru? Who initiated him on the path of God-realisation? It is indeed an interesting story.

Chinnappa served the Indian Airlines with his heart and soul. Very sincere in his work once Chinnappa failed to account for ten rupees. He repeatedly tried to recollect where he had missed it, but in vain. He was concerned and his search for the missing tanner took a desperate turn. That evening, he overstayed in the office and busied himself with locating the error. For the first three quarters of the night he poured over the account books. At last in the fourth quarter, he found it. Overpowered by joy and hilarity, he clapped his hands loudly. His Officer asked Chinnappa the reason for his unusual hilarity. With all humility, Chinnappa told him about the missing tenner and his desperate search to locate the error in the account books. And finally, he told him how he could detect the error, which explained his joyous mood.

Hearing this, the Officer said: "If the detection of an error worth ten rupees has given you so much joy, how much more happiness you would get by detecting the biggest error of your life! If you apply yourself to solving this greatest error with the tenacity you displayed to resolve the error worth ten rupees, you will realize God. Is He anywhere far away"

Chinnappa's moment had come. His eyes were opened. He considered his Officer as his Guru, who had removed the veil covering his vision. Henceforth, he set out to solving the mystery of life with all his heart and soul, and as a result, was very soon blessed with God-realization. He attained the goal of human life. An error worth ten rupees led Chinnappa Swamiji to the resolution of the biggest error of life.

He is true that by Guru's grace the sadhaka should attain purity and also, that the Sadhaka has to go through concentrated sadhana for self-purification. It must not be forgotten that the Guru works in the Sadhaka from within. In fact the sadhaka and the Guru arc one and the same.

A dip in Sahasranama - 47

The Principle and Reality in Sahasranama

By Dr. H. Janardhana Acharya

Vishnu Sahasranamam has attained great popularity among devotees. Jagadguru Paramacharya Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi of Kanchi Kamakoti Mutt gave a lot of importance to chanting of Vishnu Sahasranamam in his benign presence in the same manner Sri Radhakrishna Swamiji practiced in Sai Spiritual Centre. Once when I called on him at Kancheepuram and offered my pranams, he asked me:- "what do you do" Though he meant my occupation, his benign presence made me utter: "I recite the Sahasranama and perform a brief Sandhya". His Holiness smilingly commented: "Oh, A Doctor performing Sandhya! It is equivalent to Agnihothra".

In the Sahasranama the Truth, the Reality, the 'Tatvam" is brought out in a most impressive way- "Pramanam Prananilayah Pranahhrith Pranajeevanah Tatvam"(963). 'Pramanam' means authority. What now follows this word 'Pramanam' i.e., 'Prananilayah Pranabhrith Pranajeevanah' is authoritative and is the Reality, the 'Tatvam".

By 'Prananilayah', we mean that He resides in every being or in every Athma. In another place the same idea echoes as 'Sarvasunilayah '(710). Where does He reside? Which is His house? Where can we surely find Him? Such questions are answered by this word 'Sarvasunilayah'.

'Pranabhrith' means sustainer of every being or every Athma. 'Pranajeevanah' means that He is the life itself or Jeevathma. To give stress to the idea that follows, i.e., to the idea of Tatvam' almost the same point is repeated again and again in these three words.

Thus the Sahasranama declares that the greatest realization of Godliness, Truth- Satyam is the conviction (Tatvam) that He resides m every being. Such a conviction should enable the aspirant to see God in every being, and he, the aspirant, being concluded in the latter, should be able to see himself, his own self in every other being.

Gospel of Sri Radhakrishna Swamiji

By Prof. R. Narayana lyengar

(Contd. from previous issue)

"No. Swamiji, I am not like that". DVK is politely protesting. "I wanted to tell you in private when no one was around, that is why I was keeping quiet. Perhaps that girl might have thought I had told you about the incident." All are laughing at the confessions of DVK. No one would doubt his sincerity of purpose, or his devotion to his Guru.

28-12-1974.

It is afternoon about 3-30. Swamiji is conversing with two young persons. From the conversation it appears that the visitors are from Kulithalai, near the native place of Swamiji. The conversation is centered on that town only. Is there water in Kaveri? How are the canals and fields? There has been some talk about local people also. In between, Swamiji has gone to his room. One of the visitors asked his friend, 'he appears to be leaner than your father, am I right?' Now they have introduced themselves and a conversation has started: "Swamiji is my uncle, I am his elder brother's son. I had seen Swamiji way back in 1951, when he had come to our place for my upanayanam. After that he has not visited that place at all.'"

Now it is learnt that he is Raj and son of Sri Ramaratnam, who was the Agent of the Kanchi Kamakoti Matam. His friend is Rangarajan, from Srirangam. Rajan on further inquiry is telling that Swamiji has two more brothers, one in Pallavaram and the other brother stays at Kunda, near Ooty. He is continuing his impressions about Swamiji. "He was always like this. He never differentiated between relatives and others. He would speak always with the same equanimity. When he came to our town also, he moved with us the way he would do with the Maharaja of Mysore. The king and the commoner were the same for him. I have seen him along with Narasimha Swamiji. Then also he had the same equipoise, as now".

Meanwhile, Swamiji has returned and is enquiring... "How are the temples; is the Shiva Temple properly maintained? What about the Srinivasa Temple?" Swamiji appears to be pleased to learn that they are well maintained and poojas are being conducted as previously. Swamiji is eager to go out somewhere. Krishnamurthi has arrived late and Swamiji is hurrying him to start. The two visitors are also accompanying us in the car.

After leaving them near the Rangamannar Temple in Jayanagar First Block, Swamiji has brought us to the house of Sri Rama Shastri, nearby. Even as Swamiji has alighted from the car a young person has received him. In the front verandah of the house a huge portrait of Sai Baba is prominently visible. There itself, the lady of the house and the youth are bowing to Swamiji respectfully. Now, Swamiji has gone into an adjacent room and calling us also in. It is apparent from his movements that Swamiji knows the hosts well and is happy to move freely with them. An aged person affected by paralysis is sitting in the room. He is Rama Shastri to meet whom Swamiji has been so eager today. The hosts were unaware of the visit and hence are extremely happy with the unexpected and spontaneous grace of Swamiji. Rama Shastri's condition is rather pathetic. He is unable to lift his right hand and his speech has failed. However his emotions are clearly visible on his face. He is extremely moved by the presence of Swamiji; he is lifting his left hand and is uttering ‘Baba, Baba'. He is unable to utter or produce any other sound, but is able to hear and understand what all is said.

Swamiji is talking to him normally, but with great compassion and love. Swamiji has put some Vibhuti into Shastri's mouth and is softly patting on his back. After taking some milk and talking to the other family members for some more lime, Swamiji is ready to take leave of them. Before departing, Swamiji is again consoling Rama Shastri, but Shastri is unwilling for the separation. He has embraced Swamiji with his left hand and is crying pitiably 'Baba, Baba." His spirits are strong as is clear from his efforts to bow his head to Swamiji but the body is not willing. Swamiji is silently caressing his head and has in fact embraced him. No doubt this is a rare scene. While the elderly looking person, Rama Shastri is a personification of suffering. Swamiji is compassion personified. After a few minutes of such silent communication, Swamiji is telling, 'don't worry everything will be all right and has started towards the door. Shastri's eyes are so expressive. He is looking at Swamiji with such gratefulness as if an untold appeal has been heard. It is like pathos in a silent drama, but enacted in real life.

While returning in the car Swamiji is talking about Rama Shastri. "What a nice person he is. I know him for the past twenty years and more. He was an engineer in the State PWI. After retirement, within a short time he was paralyzed. Three of his sons are abroad. Two are in America. The other one is a medical doctor in England. The surprising thing is even though he lost his speech, he can utter Baba, Baba. He cannot say any other word. His memory is still intact. He understood very well what all I spoke. Even now on Sundays and Thursdays I get some eatables from his house without fail..."

On the way back to Ashram, Swamiji saw the Rama Murthy couple from the Cantonment area of Bangalore, walking and took them into the vehicle in the Mandir Swamiji recited Vishnu Sahasranama as usual, with all the devotees around. After one round of recitation, quite unexpectedly Swamiji is eager to go to the Hanuman Temple at Ragigudda. Swamiji has taken with him Rama Murthy and his wife. A new disciple by name Venkalanim from Palghat is also accompanying Swamiji to the temple.

Swamiji has returned by 7.15 in the evening and is eagerly looking at the arrangements for today's pooja on account of Dattatreya Jayanthi. On a chair a picture and an idol of Dattatreya have been arranged with flowers around. Swamiji is emotionally looking at the framed picture and is telling "I think I have told you the story of that picture. This came to me when I was in that room (he meant N.R. Colony). That day was Ashadha Shukla Ekadasi. It is a very important festival at Pandharpur. All right, (as if absent minded) I will tell you some other time, not now.” The usual bhajans have been sung. Swamiji himself is leading the Dattatreya bhajans. Dana Guru, Dana Guru, Dattatreya Avadhuta Guru. He is further singing Dattaguru, Dattaguru, Pavana Datta Dayalaa. Immediately after this bhajan, Swamiji is talking with the devotees nearby. This is somewhat unusual and also there are not many people today, but the few around are listening to Swamiji peacefully.

Today is Datta Jayanthi, but who is this Dattatreya? He is God himself. He is roaming on this earth in the form of Guru (teacher). In the Puranas it is said that he was born to Atri and Anasuya. But he is really ayonija (not born out of a human womb! You might have heard of that story. Anasuya took all the three babies together, and hence he got three heads. This is representative of Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshwara, that is creation, protection and dissolution. Do you know about Bet Narayana Maharaj? He attained Samadhi in this city only. His Samadhi is in Gavipuram area. He conducted a long yagna in this city. He would often conduct Satyanarayana Pooja also. Once he came to Ooty and stayed there for forty days. I had the opportunity to know about this great man there. He was greatly devoted to Dattatreya. He was a very high level upasaka (mystic devotee) of Datta. He had a golden idol of Dattatreya which he would worship almost continuously. He has helped me much in my progress on the spiritual path. He was the person who directed Narasimha Swamiji to go to Shirdi. It seems he said you will get the Kohinoor diamond itself, let there be no worry. There in Ooty, whenever he had time, he would be singing Dana Guru, Dana Guru, Dattatreya Avadhuta Guro; or Pavana Datta Dayalaa. I remembered this and I wanted that Bhajan to be repeated here today. We should remember those who have helped us. This way we can acquire their grace also.

Another interesting thing is that Baba is supposed to be Datta's avatara. In his life story, there is an event that once on a Datta Jayanthi day, he said to his disciples 'put up a curtain here. All of you sing outside the curtain, till the mother delivers the baby. No one understood anything of what Baba said, but they obeyed him and tied up a screen to the columns near the dhuni where Baba used to sit. After sometime, Baba called 'now the baby is born, go and see inside.' When the devotees went inside the hall, there was none there, but Dattatreya as a baby was lying in a cradle. All were surprised, but within sometime the scene vanished and Baba was sitting in his place as usual. In any case, this incident indicates that between Baba and Dattatreya, there should be some close link. When we think of Datta, we think of his parents also. Their spiritual powers and devotion was so great, God himself came to their household. Atri and Anasuya are ideals for householders. The name Anasuya itself is so beautiful; it means a lady devoid of jealousy. If there were to be no jealousy, there would be no hatred towards any one. In the absence of hatred, compassion and friendship develop. With this, the ego decreases and eventually vanishes. This is what Krishna has said:

Advesta Sarva-bhutaanaam maitrah Karuna eva ca I

Nirmamao nirahankaarah Sukha-duhkha sama-kshami If

After this stage only comes God Realization. For this realization, ego is the most difficult obstacle. To circumvent this obstacle only, devotion and guru's grace are needed. Without grace nothing is possible. Our scriptures explain this very well. But now a day’s people have lost interest in them. Some argue, what is the use of these Shastras (scriptures). A person asked me, "foreigners do not believe in our scriptures, and they don't follow our moral codes; just because of this, can we say that they will not get Mukti (salvation)? What a funny question! There are cows of different colours, black, brown, white etc. All yield milk, white milk only. This is true; but if investigated scientifically further the subtle differences in the quality of the milk will be clear. It is said, milk from a black cow contains healthy ingredients."

Swamiji has spoken too much today. He does not talk in between Bhajans. Today has been an exception. After the formal evening activities are over, Swamiji is narrating the incident connected with the picture of Dattatreya. 'There is a long history behind this picture of Datta. It is so funny when I recollect the incident. In those days I was staying in a room in N.R. Colony. That day was Ashadha Shukla Ekaadashi. I had decided to fast and spend the whole day in Bhajan and meditation. By 10 o' clock in the morning, many disciples brought dishes for phalahaara (food permitted on Ekadashi day). I firmly told them 'today is strict fasting' and rejected that foodstuff!

(To be continued)

Blissful Encounter

I have a soul exhilarating experience to share. One Morning when Sun rose up with clouds clinging I was prompted to rise up on hearing the doorbell ushered in SAI. To my surprise mild smiling

Hardly believing my own deceptive vision I welcomed Him offering traditional greeting;

Of washing his Lotus Feet in an open vessel

Followed by my drinking that nectar of our first meeting

I held out to him a morning cup of Cheer.

With Bread, Butter, Sweets, Milk and Fruits to relish

Also, hurriedly arranged for his whistling smoke

Made Him thus comfortable in his own image to establish.

I looked to Him and He looked to me in return; Defying that oft-proclaimed meaning of the phrase For it was a live contact at an intimate personal level And not merely a vague idea or philosophical craze.

Next I offered Him a thousand-one obeisances with flowers. Played soft music and bhajans for Him to hear Persuaded Him to indulge in small luxury; Of putting on silken robes and jari embroidered foot-wear.

Demonstrating Unmistakably His pinnacle of love, He allowed me this rare privilege of serving. And sanctified the abode of a sinner like me intensifying, for more such visits, my craving.

Next when we meet after absolution of my responsibilities Let our roles, of Host and Guest be reverse, I shall then ever and ever remain with you as I enjoy living on the hospitality of others.

At the Feet of the Guru

Riddle in Vision Solved In Person

By R. Seshadri

Sri Radhakrishna Svvamiji was an embodiment of love, unlimited, unconditional and universal. He used to soother all those, without any reservation, who approached him. He breathed love, preached love and bestows it on his devotees even 22 years after his leaving the physical body. He used to get dreams and visions even in his teens, some of which he has even recorded. The folio wing episode exemplifies the value of love through the lips of Anjaneya:

I had an opportunity to join one of Swamiji's week-end pilgrimages, along with, Sri D.V. Krishna Murthy and Sri D.V. Narayanan. After visiting some devotees at Tumkur and the Gulur Ganesa Temple by car, we left for Devanarayana Durga, a popular Narasimha Kshetra. Swamiji narrated a vision he had a night before. In Swamiji's own words to the extent I could remember:

I was taking a few devotees with me through a garden. When I saw a fruit laden tree, I stopped. I saw a monkey atop, which reminded me of Anjaneya. Instinctively I looked at the bottom and found a bear there, reminding me of Jambavan. I asked the monkey to give me some fruits to be distributed to the children (devotees) with me. The monkey protested, saying that the human beings would waste the fruits, by consuming the skins and throwing away the essence (juice). However, it plucked a fruit and gave it to me. He said that Jambavan would give fruits for the devotees. While giving me the fruit, Anjaneya said in Tamil: 'Aimluii Thiruithi Anbai Perukkidil Anandamurakinie' meaning, by correcting the Five and spreading love, bliss can be achieved. The monkey asked me to drink the fruit juice and shower love on all.

What is the Five in Anjaneya's message? Swamiji asked. We all tried to give some explanation and reached the foot of the Nararayana Durga Hills. Five women with pots in hand were off in some Puja. They surrounded Swamiji, went around him as dakshina" and _Offered 'Pada Namaskar", as their leader was reclaiming". He is Sri Ramachandra Prabhu. Do obeisance to him.

There were exactly five women as mentioned by Anjaneya earlier in the vision and Svvamiji allowed the women to touch his feet. (Till then Swamiji had not allowed people to touch his feet.) Swamiji then took us to the Hanuman Temple nearby, where the chief priest was waiting with some devotees to receive Swamiji. He mentioned that he knew that a great saint would be visiting the temple as Hanuman, appearing in his dream the previous night, foretold him about the ensuing visit. After some Bhajan, bananas were distributed to us. When it was offered to Swamiji, the priest stopped it saying that special Prasad was kept near the deity as commanded by Hanuman. It turned out to be fruit juice!

Interpreting the Five, Swamiji said it referred to the five sheaths -annamaya, pranamaya, mononmaya, Vijnanamayaand anandamaya kosha, or to the five elements or the senses. No wonder Swamiji captivated and enslaved every one who went to him through his LOVE.

(Almost a similar version appears in "Apostle of Love''.)

Thy Heritage

Make thy life rich and glorious, by inheriting the realm spiritual Of Love, Joy and Peace.

Open the flower of thy soul, to shed its immortal beauty and grace.

Reveal the supreme radiance of thy being, which is God's own splendor.

-Swami Ramdas

Significance of Makara Sankranthi

By Swami Sivananda Saraswathi of Rishikesh

The mind will not concentrate on the name first, hail subsequently you will succeed. Keep the picture in front and concentrate on it. If the mind fleets away from name, if it leaves the picture fix it on the name again.

The Sanskrit word "Sankramana" means "to begin, to move". The day on which the sun begins to move northwards is called Makara Sankranthi. It usually falls in the middle of January. Makara Sankranthi ushers in the New Year. The newly-harvested corn is cooked for the first time on that day. Joyous festivities mark the celebration in every home. Servants, farmers and the poor are fed and clothed and given presents of money. On the next day the cow, this is regarded as the symbol of the Holy Mother, is worshipped. Then there is feeding of birds and animals.

In this manner the devotee's heart gradually expands during the course of the celebrations, first embracing with its long arms of love the entire household and neighbors, then the servants and the poor, then the cow and then all other living creatures. Without even being conscious of it, one develops the heart, and expands it to such proportions that the entire universe finds a place in it.

As Sankranthi is also the beginning of the month, Brahmins offer oblations to departed ancestors. Thus all the greatest sacrifices enjoined upon man find their due place in this grand celebration. The worship of the cosmic form of the Lord is so well introduced into this that every man and woman in India is delightfully led to partake of it without even being aware of it.

To aspirants all over the world this day has a special significance. The six-month period during which the sun travels northwards is highly favorable to aspirants for their march towards the goal of life.

The great Bhishma, the grandfather of the Pandavas, who was fatally wounded during the Mahabharata war waited on his death bed of nails for the onset of this season before finally departing from earth plane. Let us on this great day pay our homage to him and have to become men of firm resolve ourselves!

If you do this, then the Makara Sankranthi has a special vigilance for you. For the sun symbolizing knowledge, wisdom and spiritual light, which receded from you when you revealed in the darkness of ignorance, delusion and sensuality, now joyously turns on its northward course and rushes towards you. to shed its light and warmth in greater abundance upon you and to infuse into you more life and energy.

On the Sankranthi day, sweets, puddings and sweet rice are prepared in every home, especially in South India. The pot in which the rice is cooked is beautifully adorned with turmeric leaves and roots, the symbols of auspiciousness. This cooking itself is done by the ladies of the household with great faith and devotion, feeling from the bottom of their hearts that it is an offering unto the Lord. When the milk in the pot in which the rice is cooked boils over, the ladies and the children get round the pot and shout "Pongalo Pongal!" with great joy and devotion. Special prayers are offered in the temples and houses. Then the people of the household gather together and eat in an air of love and festivity.

There is family re-union in all homes. Brothers renew their contact with married sisters who have gone away to live with the husband, by giving the sisters some presents.

The farmer is lovingly greeted by the landlord and is given presents of grains, clothes and money. When you celebrate Sankranthi or Pongal in this manner, your sense of values changes. You begin to understand that your real wealth is the goodwill and friendship of your relatives, friends, neighbors, and servants; that your real wealth is the land on which your food grows, and the cattle which help you in agriculture and the cow which gives you milk. You begin to have greater love and respect for them and for all living beings - the crows, the fish and all other creatures.

In Maharashtra and in North India, spiritual aspirants attach much importance to Makara Sankranthi. It is the season chosen by the Guru for bestowing his Grace on the disciple. In the South too, it should be noted that it was about this time that Mahadeva favored several of the Rishis by blessing them with His beatific vision.

The Masters

By S. Maneey

(Continued from the previous issue)

Devotee arrived at Ramana's place at 1 pm in the hot sun. The fellow devotees urged him to have a bath in the pond nearby. This spot was lonely. As the devotee was taking bath, Ramana who was sitting in the Pachiaraman Koil (temple) suddenly got up and left the place. Those around thought that he was going out for call of nature. He proceeded straight to the pond, where a leopard was also making way to quench its thirst. He addressed the leopard "go now and come later, he (referring to the person taking bath) would be frightened if he sees you". At these words the leopard quietly walked away. Ramana then went up to the bather and told him "we should not come here at this part of the day as wild animals would be coming to quench their thirst".

Early in life Ramakrishna had two ideas filled in his mind abhorrence of money and regarding every woman as his mother. Throughout his life he never touched money a burning sensation would be felt if he touched it. As a worshipper of Mother Kali he regarded every woman, including his wife, as Mother Kali. Ramana Maharashi also regarded every woman as his mother and did not touch money at all. Sai Baba looked upon every woman as his mother and addressed them as such. But, in the matter of money he was accepting it and even openly demanding it from devotees. Strange, a closer look would reveal that the difference was only apparent.

All Masters use symbolism to some extent, but Sai Baba used it profusely. As with other things he turned the demand for money or dakshina also into symbolism. For instance, he was demanding six rupees from a woman repeatedly. She gave them. Baba again asked whether she..., would give six rupees. She replied that she has already given! Baba said "See that you do not go astray". He was referring to the six vices which the lady had to surrender. Six rupees that he demanded were not the metallic coins, but the six vices. The other sons for his demand for money were the payment for first fruits, or fulfillment of forgotten vows.

What did he do with the money that he collected? He distributed all, left and right and by the end of the day he had nothing left on his person. Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and Ramana Maharashi showed detachment for money by not touching it; whereas Sai Baba showed detachment for it by asking for it symbolically and keeping nothing.

Different Paths:

A Master takes disciples along the path that he himself had trodden. Ramakrishna surrendered his heart and soul in the worship of his personal God Mother Kali, and realized God. Thothapuri Swami guided him to experience the impersonal God or The Absolute.

His advice to his disciples was to keep body, mind and senses pure for the worship of God. He said realization of the personal God-Rama, Kali, Shiva, and Christ etc was the same as realization of The Absolute. He said that there is no difference between a personal God and an impersonal God. They are two aspects of the same thing, like milk and its whiteness, the diamond and its luster, the snake and its wriggling motion.

Sai Baba did not worship any personal God like Rama or Shiva. He regarded his Guru as everything, personal and impersonal aspects of God. As he himself realised God through devotion to his Guru, it was this method that he enjoined on his followers. It is the surrendering of body, mind, soul, and possessions to the Guru that is the means of attaining Realisation. It is seeing God in the Guru, through the Guru, and as the Guru and identifying Guru with God. Sai Baba's teaching was simply devotion to the Guru and complete surrender to Him. This is a very potent method and that it can be adopted only in the case of a perfect Guru like Sai Baba of Shirdi.

"Keep quite and I will do the rest", he sometimes told his devotees. This is comparable to the passage in the Bible where Jesus says - keep still and know that I am God." As in the case of Ramakrishna's devotees, the devotees of Sai Baba have to keep themselves chaste, pure, simple, and upright to receive the Guru's grace and It is necessary that they should have full faith in the Master. A devotee need not trouble himself about complicated metaphysical and philosophical problems about ultimate destiny. The Guru will lift him up and endow him with vaster knowledge and increasing realization of Truth. The end is safe in the Guru's hands.

All sense of ahankara and ego have to be wiped out from a devotee's mind, as it is an obstruction to the working of the Gum. In the scheme of things of Sai Baba the Master does not teach, he radiates influence. Ramakrishna and Ramana Maharshi taught and radiated influence. Sai Baba's method was different. He spoke very little and appeared to give more importance to action. There was no doubt that he was transmitting grace on a devotee inwardly, just as Ramakrishna Paramahamsa did as also Ramana Maharshi, but he used symbolism in doing it. When no one was around, he would stand before the fire in the mosque, take out old coins, rub them constantly and gently saying, "This is Nana's, this is Bapu's, this is Kaka's etc." If any one approached he would put back the coins. He also used the method of laying on of hands on a devotee's head, which had remarkable effect.

Ramana Maharshi left his house in search of his father Arunachalaand found him in Arunachaleshwara in Tiruvannamalai. As he saw Arunachala he was overpowered with ecstasy and stayed in the temple for many years doing meditation.

Even at an early age, while living with his family in Tiruchuzhi, near Madurai, he had experienced the phenomenon that he was not the body. He elaborated this conclusion when he moved up the hills to his ashram in Tiruvannamalai. He realised God through the method of self-enquiry. Who am I? The real 'I" is neither the body nor any of the senses, nor the sense objects, nor organs of action, nor prana nor mind, nor even deep sleep where there is no cognizance of these. Exclude each one of these and what re