Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Meditation on Sai Baba of Shirdi


Om Sai Ram,

For a more detailed and comprehensive article visit ->>>> Meditation - Shirdi Sai Baba.

Was thinking of writing a post of Sai Baba's love and grace, how to feel Sai Baba and arrived the following mail in my inbox.


Hi alpesh,
How are you.I am going through your site about Baba.Really it's a very nice
one. I am staying in Texas and a firm believer of Sai .Really you are a
blessed son of Babaji.I have learned so many things from your site.But i am
so unlucky that i even didn't see Shiridi.I am planning to go to Baba next
year. I have an request for you.Please can you write me how to do
meditation...because now a days i am going through some health problem.So i
need your help and want to get closer to Sai.
Thanks sai ram
mousumee.

Thanks Mousmee, for your comments, i feel blessed.

We often look and ask others for the way of meditation. Actually the best thing is Ask Sai Baba and our own selves. There is a story of stealing of rags (asking others, when Sai Baba himself is there to help you out) in Sai SatCharitra chapter 41.

Each one of us has a different appetite hence the food we take also should be different. Sai Baba the Sadguru knows best. what we should do is with deep love and faith from the very depth of our heart ask Sai Baba. He will surely show. There are many ways Sai Baba showed and still shows to his devotees. He asks two things deep love for him and Shraddha (Faith) and Saburi (patience). Few i will write down here. What ever the way, when we feel Sai Baba's love and grace in our heart and mind is best for us.

i use to and still meditate sometimes on Sai Baba's picture or idol. Just looking at the picture with total love and something happens. The body and mind and heart gets filled with his love and grace. One article how Sai Baba works on us will also be of much help, going through the links provided on the article will be worthwhile.

Watching Sai Baba's picture or idol or even the videos of Aarti are great way, by doing this with great love Grace of Sai Baba takes over. What we do is nothing compared to what the love and grace of Sai Baba does in return. But this much is needed.

Recently i was reading the book Unravelling the Enigma: Shirdi Sai Baba in the Light of Sufism, the book contains the translation of the script Abdul Baba used to write, while with Sai Baba. One pleasing surprise for me was Sai Baba used to quote the Sufi Mystic Poet Rumi, a lot of times to Abdul Baba.

The following poem i read immediately brings Sai Baba to mind

" If you want a customer who will pay in gold,
could there be a better customer than God, O my heart?
He buys our dirty bag of goods,
and in return gives us an inner light that borrows from His splendor.
He receives the dissolving ice of this mortal body
and gives us a kingdom beyond imagining.
He takes a few tear drops,
and gives a spiritual spring so delicious
sugar is jealous of its sweetness.
If any doubt waylays you,
rely upon the spiritual traders, the prophets.
The Divine Ruler increased their fortune so greatly,
no mountain could bear what they've been given."

" He buys our dirty bag of goods, and in return gives us an inner light that borrows from His splendor "

Yes i have felt this a lot of time. when the mind or heart is in turmoil, pain, i pray to Sai Baba, Baba, this is what i have, the pain the disturbance, am sorry but, i am giving it to you. Indeed he takes the dirty bag of goods, and returns the grace from his splendor. One can subscribe for the beautiful poems of Rumi at Sunlight yahoo Group.

By Baba's grace, i meet many of his devotees. Some are attracted to Aratis, some Sai SatCharitra, to some particular Bhajans or songs of Sai Baba brings tears in their eyes, some find great satisfaction in serving in temples of Sai Baba. Almost all love to talk about Sai Baba his miracles, their experiences.

It starts with one particular aspect and most often each of the above gives pleasure once the knot of love gets stronger with Sai Baba.

i would like to state the recent experience of mine. When the television serial Sai Baba started on Star plus channel of star tv ( you can watch recent episodes on video blog). i watched a couple of episodes and since i had read a lot, almost any book i could get and number of websites on Sai Baba of Shirdi. The tv serial looked far from the facts. So missed the episodes for about a year. Also was running the restaurant business which kept me busy on Sunday nights (time of the serial). About two months ago i sat in front of tv and was watching the serial. While watching tears started rolling from my eyes, got chocked with emotions. Now i never miss one, and all the times this thing happens.

So do what ever attracts you about Sai Baba, with deep love for him.

Searching for the poem of Rumi about buying dirty bags of ours which fits so well for Sai Baba, i stumbled upon another good one. So will end the post with it. It goes as

" This Will Not Win Him -->
Reason says,
I will win him with my eloquence.

Love says,
I will win him with my silence.

Soul says,
How can I ever win him
When all I have is already his?

He does not want, he does not worry,
He does not seek a sublime state of euphoria -
How then can I win him
With sweet wine or gold? . . .

He is not bound by the senses -
How then can I win him
With all the riches of China?

He is an angel,
Though he appears in the form of a man.
Even angels cannot fly in his presence -
How then can I win him
By assuming a heavenly form?

He flies on the wings of God,
His food is pure light -
How then can I win him
With a loaf of baked bread?

He is neither a merchant, nor a tradesman -
How then can I win him
With a plan of great profit?

He is not blind, nor easily fooled -
How then can I win him
By lying in bed as if gravely ill?

I will go mad, pull out my hair,
Grind my face in the dirt -
How will this win him?

He sees everything -
how can I ever fool him?

He is not a seeker of fame,
A prince addicted to the praise of poets -
How then can I win him
With flowing rhymes and poetic verses?

The glory of his unseen form
Fills the whole universe
How then can I win him
With a mere promise of paradise?

I may cover the earth with roses,
I may fill the ocean with tears,
I may shake the heavens with praises -
none of this will win him.

There is only one way to win him,
this Beloved of mine -

Become his.

-- Jalaluddin Rumi "

Become his, totally become Sai Baba's, surely he will carry you.

picture on this post courtesy http://www.flickr.com/photos/shastrix/333816358/



5 comments:

Kalpana said...

Wow, great post! I too get tears when I see Him on TV sometimes, which can never be controlled so easily. That's the power of Him. He creates a wonderful feel within us.

రామ ShastriX said...

Thanks for this post, Alpesh.

Always nice to meet fellow bloggers who cry for Baba. Interestingly, as Sri Ramakrishna has observed, tears of joy come out of the outer corners of the eyes. More….

Btw, have gnoted the portion that moved me the most in your post.

Anonymous said...

Hi Mr. Alpesh,

I am a newcomer into the world of Saibaba since my first visit to Shirdi in July 2007. I am now reading Shri Sai Satcharita for the first time covering atleast one chapter every day.

Yesterday (13 Nov 2007) I was going through your blog about how you meditate on His picture and it appealed to me very much since I have the same thoughts in mind. Also, I read about another devotee's comment about alternative methods by Sri Ramakrishna Paramahans.

Today, I was reading Chapter XXII and there it was in page 171 where He says “All My senses left their places, and concentrated themselves in My eyes, and My sight was centred on him. Thus, My Guru was the sole object of My meditation and I was conscious of none else. While meditating on him My mind and intellect were silent and I had thus, to keep quiet and bow to him in silence.”

I consider this as His guidance that he showed me your blog and His method within 24 hours of each other and will follow your method of meditating on His picture.

Thanks for the opportunity to share this with all of you.

Regards,
Shekar

Alpesh Patel said...

Thanks for this wonderful comment Mr. Shekhar, Yes Sai Baba's ways of guiding his devotees are unique and versatile.

For devotees like us who seeks meditation “All My senses left their places, and concentrated themselves in My eyes, and My sight was centred on him. Thus, My Guru was the sole object of My meditation and I was conscious of none else. While meditating on him My mind and intellect were silent and I had thus, to keep quiet and bow to him in silence.” is the essence Sai Baba has pointed to us !!!
Jai Sai Ram !!!

Anonymous said...

Hi,
i'm a strong believer of sai baba since 8 years he has transformed my life and helped me in every moment of my life i dont understand one thing when ever i think of sai my eyes are filled with tears and even friends are commenting on that i dont bother about all of them but in deep of my heart i have profound love to my guru and really dont have any worldly desires but i have big question in the journey of spiritual knowledge i found i'm not understanding my guru's
love towards me i dont know i will cry like a child who miss their mother and i always prefer him. now my life still with lots of problems in
some times i lost my belief in sai too but still my love for sai is alot

i always believe in my efforts i will put my efforts first then trust my guru for his help is this wrong pls help me what stage is my bakthi with my guru i hope this site will give some answer to me
Thanks alot in advance

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