For most of the Sai Baba devotees, Shirdi is a place they dream and wish to visit. The magic of being there, the sacred vibrations, the land which Sai Baba Himself selected to live when he was embodied. The land on which He moved about, the land from where He took care of His devotees and guided them to be better self.
The sacred places of Shirdi, like Samadhi Mandir, Dwarkamai, Chavadi, Gurusthan and Lendi Bagh where Sai Baba spent most of the time while embodied. The place where they can feel His presence. The place where devotion is easy.
The mind, the heart are too much attracted to Sai Baba.They yearn for the darshan of Sai Baba and visiting the sacred places in Shirdi. Even while engaged in daily cores like brushing the teeth, having tea and breakfast, taking the bath, one can feel the divine vibrations, and the heart still yearns for having the darshan of Sai Baba and visiting other sacred places.
While having darshan the heart and mind feels a different kind of deep satisfaction and joy. And one does not want to leave that place soon.
This is the magnetism of Shirdi.
The writer have often noticed that with most devotees, this intense feeling of love and devotion, is not seen once the Shirdi is left.
Sai Baba often used to say, “ I am not only in Shirdi, I am everywhere. Those who remember Me with love, i rush to the call of love.”
When we devotees, visit Shirdi, we get the taste of sacred love and divineness. All activities are centered with the feeling of devotion and love towards Sadguru Sai Baba. This holds great importance of the sacred land Shirdi, the pilgrimage. This is the reason that the heart of most devotees is attracted to Shirdi, the divine love in abundance. No doubt about it, that Shirdi is the most treasured place to visit on this earth for Sai Baba devotees, for those who have known love of Shirdi Sai Baba.
But we do not have to forget that, once we have tasted and felt the love, our minds do not stray away when we are away from Shirdi. If we keep our minds and hearts with Sai Baba’s love wherever we are, whatever we are doing, we can still feel His love and grace wherever we are, whatever we are doing.
The most often herd answer to this is, “When we are in Shirdi we are away from daily duties and work required for survival and social engagements.” In answer to this most common query or answer let’s remember some important quotes of Sai Baba from sacred text Sai SatCharitra. In chapter number 28 Sai SatCharitra Sai Baba said, “ I do not require any door to enter, I do not have any from nor extension. I reside everywhere and at all times. Casting the burden on Me, who becomes one with Me. I control his bodily activities, becoming his controller.”
In Sai SatCharitra chapter 40 Baba said, “ Those who remember me, I always remember them. I do not require carriage, airplane or rail coach. Whoever calls me with love. I manifest the same moment instantly.”
So keeping in mind the importance of the sacred land Shirdi and the sacred associated places like Samdadhi Mandir (Temple), Masjid or Dwarkamai, Chavadi, Gurusthan, Lendi Bagh, ……. the importance of the love felt there, the experience of the other should not be forgotten.
Just as Sai Baba told regarding the sleeping on the wooden plank about His near and dear
devotee Mhalsapati, “When I go to sleep I ask often Mhalasapati to sit by My side, place his hand on My heart and watch the 'chanting of the Lord's name' there, and if he finds Me sleepy, wake Me up. He can't do even this. He himself gets drowsy and begins to nod his head. When I feel his hand heavy as a stone on My heart and cry out - 'Oh Bhagat', he moves and opens his eyes.”
Can we place our heads in the temple of our home the way we do at Shirdi? Do we ask for few minutes more with Baba’s love? Or the mind is too occupied with the things and work waiting.
Do we have enough trust in Baba’s words that those who remember Him with love and cast the burden on Him, He takes care. Or we are too enthusiast to take the burden on our own.
Do we do the needed work feeling His love and remembering Him with deep love, or we forget the love and get heavy with “OH, I have to do a lot. Where is the time for devotion at peace?”
Do we look for SatChitAnand that He points to? , Do we look forward to merge and melt with Him? or Do we look for the solutions our mind gives? Do we believe and work for Divine love - the answer against anguish? Do we give an insight why Sai Baba fulfills our desires? Do we look towards the gold Sai Baba points to ? Or we are still after the gold most of the humanity is after?, and mostly fall for the same.
Do we say i am poor, you take care?, while doing what we do. Or do we feel we are smart enough to handle things on our own?
Are we still searching for Ways of worshiping Sai Baba? Or we have faith that the love towards Sai Baba itself will show the ways.
Do we yearn for what we experienced in Shirdi all the time and feel it wherever we are, whatever we are doing. Or are we leaving it just for the visit of Shirdi?
When we visit a restaurant and like the taste of food too much, we learn the recipe and enjoy the food at home also. The recipe for the love and devotion felt at Shirdi is “Remembrance of Sadguru, Remembrance of His love and grace felt, Remembrance of the gratitude for what He has done and what He does for us? So let us create Shirdi in our heart! For us let us create Shirdi at our home and wherever we are whatever we do. We know the recipe. Sai Baba told us the recipe, “ "Shri Hari (God) is the sport of His own devotees (i.e. He dances to their tunes), hungering to the simple and guileless (devotees), and enslaved, altogether, by love. But to Hypocrites He remains unattainable always. "
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