MYSTERY OF MYSTERIES

AND

SUPER SAINT

SADGURU SAI NATH

BY DHARMA SAI

CONTENTS

Acknowledgement

Introduction

Little Advice

I.          Mysteries of Mystery

ii.         Mystery of Birth

iii.        Mystery of Universe, Life and Death

iv.        Mystery of Rebirth

v.         Mystery behind Fire workship

vi.        Saints and Their Miracles

vii.       What part is played by Sai in the Miracle of Creation?

viii.      Sai-The Supreme Saint

ix.        How Sai Baba Helps us a Theosophical View

x.         The Goal of Life, The Goal of Knowledge:   What is it

xi.        Life Divine (Realisation of self)

xii.       Yoga for all

xiii.      Bhakti, Bhagwan & Bagavats

xiv.      The Reality Behind Prayer and its Benefits

xv.       Spiritual Significance of "Dhuni"

xvi.      "Self Research"

xvii.     Peace of Mind

xviii     The Significance of Udi and Dakshina to Human life

xix.      The Allah Malikh of Shirdi

xx.       Our Six Relatives

xxi.      Mystery of Divine Incarnation

xxii.     Mind-Hindrance in Self Realisation

xxiii     God - Realisation (Ignorance or Reality)

xxiv.     Paramahamsa Yogis

xxv.      A Brief About The Author

.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTLet me express my full faith and my profuse indebtedness first to the Divine

Lord  "Sadguru Sai Nath Maharaj” without   whose inspiration this book would

never have been conceived.  It is He who encouraged and guided me throughout

in writing this book.

I am also thankful to the editor and all writers of articles published in "Sai

Leela" magazine.  This magazine is published by "Sri Sai Baba Sansthan, Shirdi".

My thanks are also due to Shri R.  Seshadri, Editor  "SAI PADANANDA"

published by "Sri Sai Spiritual Centre" Bangalore, for editing this book and his

valuable help in completion of this book.

I would also like to mention many thanks to Sai devotees who after reading

the articles written by me and also my previous book  "Sai Baba Ki Da in - Atma

Gayan" in Hindi, encouraged and urged me to write this book.

Finally I express my sense of intense gratitude to the almighty Brahman for

choosing me, as His instrument, to unveil the mysteries of the universe and

Sanatan Mythology.

Dharam Sai

INTRODUCTIONTo you, who are devoid of the Carping spirit, I shall now unfold the most

scared knowledge

Of Nirguna Brahma along with the knowledge of manifest Divinity knowing

which you shall be Free from the evil of worldly Existence.

(Lord Krishna, Gita, Chapter 9, Text 1)

The world, Sun, Moon and other planets can be seen with naked eyes or

can be observed by instruments.   But till date the universe and what it consists

remains a Mystery.  The subject of universe is out of the scope of this book.  In this

book we have tried to reason out the cause of manifestation of the world along with

living and non-living matters existing.

It is a well-known fact that this world has five most important elements i.e.,

Ether, Air, Fire, Water and Earth.  Every living or non-living matter in this world has

all these five elements  subject to the influence of its own nature.

            In Bhagavat Gita, Lord Krishna told Arjuna "Just as the extensive air, which

is moving everywhere, (being born of ether) ever remains in ether, likewise know

that all things  (who have originated from My Thought) abide in me".  (Gita Chapter

9, Text 6).  The meaning of "being born from ether" means cosmic energy.

The great Sages and Siddas of the inerrant past, by their strong intution and

through long range vision, had also found an inter-related celestial (terrestrial)

connected phenomena which are the cause of changes in cosmic order, which

controls and direct every happenings on earth (world), be it living or non-living.   

They observed these happenings and recorded in Vedas.  In the later days, the

Upanishads which form part the Vedas contain the records of spiritual truths, the

eternal teachings of religion.  Further research was carved out, by great thinkers,

and they found several new truths and gave a new life to the Upanishads.

As the years passed by, till latter days thinkers were no match to the sages

of the yore and failed to interpret them properly for lack of guidance.  Everyone,

even Sanskrit scholars, started giving their own interpretation without any rhyme or

reason.  Naturally the Vedas and Upanishads became to be looked upon as

superstitions, as mysteries, a lie, a fatalistic subject and so on.

The universe and every thing in this universe, living or non-living, is a

mystery.  Even the so-called Brahman or God   (the creator) is a mystery.  God is

not a finite corporeal being that  is why it is said that He is all pervading,

omnipresent, absolute and formless.   It is a Material Law that anything which is

physical   is subject to change, birth, bloom, decay   and destruction.   God being

eternal is, however, beyond any change, He moves and acts without needing any

corporeal space or size or form a colour of any other property or matter.  Some say

He is pure Mind but the Bible described Him as spirit!  Atman)” God is spirit and

they that worship Him must worship Him as spirit (as Truth").   (Bible John 4:24). 

What is spirit or Atman   A mystery of which no clear definition is available?

This world is unreal.   It is mere appearance.   This Jiwa is identical with the

Sat-Chit Ananda a Brahman  (God) as per Vedanta-Sarallopanishad  (Mantra 1-a

part).  It means that when ignorance is dispelled, one's Atman (essential-self)

shines of itself in its true state.  Whatever you see is like a mirage in a desert.  The

objects have a beginning and an end.  This world is involved into its cause, the

casual matter or non-manifest state during cosmic pralaya.   This self-effulgent

Atman which is distinct from the five sheaths, the silent witness of the three states,

which is unchanging, pure, eternal indivisible, all-full, self-contained, an

embodiment of peace, bliss and knowledge, is to be realized as one's own self.

That which is of the same nature is not affected by anything during the three

periods of time, is Sat Sat (absolute existence) only was prior to the evolution of

this universe.  When darkness was   rolling   over   darkness   during   the   cosmic

Pralaya (dissolution), Sat alone was.  Chit is that which knows itself and knows

others.  It shines by itself and illumines  (intellect, sun, moon, stars   and other

objects), it   is   absolute consciousness. Ananda is pure bliss.

Though the sages were firm in declaring that the Brahman alone was true,

yet this world of duality which is a matter of experience to everyone had to be

explained.   They had to recognize this fact and had to harmonise this world with

the one reality, the Brahman.  This they attempted by saying that this world is

created out of Brahman, in it exists, and in it, it is at dissolved at the end.  In other

words, Brahman is the essence of this world.   This explanation, however, was

perfected by Shankara   by propounding what is known as the Vivarta-Vada or

apparent manifestation of the world, giving the world a relative reality.  Vivata-Vada

is undoubtedly the most cogent explanation of creation.

According to Shankara, God is the material cause of the universe but only

apparently and not in reality.  The whole universe as it exists, is that beings in Suf

cult it is said that every thing in this universe is God in different forms.  Yet it is

unchanged, and all the changes are caused by Nama and Rupa (Name and form),

which are the cause of all differentiation.   When one is ignorance one sees the

phenomena and not the reality; where one realises the noumenon one does not

see the phenomena.   It is either the snake or the rope but

never both simultaneously. Ignorance or Maya is the cause of all this duality,

the absolute being mistaken for the world.  This Maya is not absolute nothing or

non-existent; for if it were, it could never produce the phenomena.   It is not also

existent, because that can be truly said only of the Absolute.  So it is something

which is neither; and in Vedanta it is called Anirvachaniya or inexpressible".

This Maya gives the name and form to what Brahman gives the material and the

latter seams transformed into all this".   There is no place in reality for the individual

soul; the reality is one existent, Sat, and the duality is due to ignorance.  All our

idea of fear, misery, and other evils are false and due to the idea of differentiation

and vanish with the knowledge of the Brahman or self.  Where one hears another,

one sees another that is small; where one does not see another, is God.   In that

greatest is perfect happiness.  In small things there is no happiness.

The issue being of paramount importance, it merits deeper pondering over

what the body and wise have said in this regard.

The inferior devotee says, "God exists, but he is very far off up there in

heaven".  The mediocre devotee says, "God exists in all being as life and

consciousness".  The superior devotee says  "It is God himself who has become

everything what ever I see is only a form of God.  It is He alone who has become

Maya, the universe and all living beings.  Nothing exists but God"   (Shri Rama

Krishna)

            The superior devotees who sees God in everything, be it living or non-

living, are called Turiashrama (the fourth order) Yogi or Paramahamsa yogi, which

they reach through the merits acquired by the    strenuous    exertion    of    many

previous     births   (Paramahamsopanishad Mantra 1).  The Gnosis (merifah) Sufi

is also of the fourth order as per Sufi cult and is of the Paramahamsa stations. 

Yogis or Sufis of fourth order seen not the self as individualized in himself or in

others, but in its true essence.   Yogi, or Sufi, or Great Master, or Sadguru are

difficult to be found because there is always one at a time in any country  (as per

Mantra 1 mentioned above) and their self (Atman) is self contained, and invisible,

unchanging, all full, eternal and pure, they enjoy pure bliss  (The happiness), the

happiness enjoyed by the king of the Gods, or by the sovereign ruler of all men, is

nothing compared to with what belongs to such yogi who is devoid of attachment

and is steadfast in the knowledge of the  self.  One chapter on Paramahamsa Yogi

is included in this book.  (as defined in Paramahamsopanishad).

(Gita ch 3, Text 7 and 8) Lord Krishna told Arjuna,  "Whenever

righteousness is on the decline, the unrighteousness is in the ascendant, then I

body Myself forth for the protection of the virtuous, for the enterpation of evil doers,

and for establishing Dharma  (right-consciousness) on a firm footings, I am born

from age to age.

The above statement declares that God takes birth in the form of prophet or

saint.   The comparison between Sai Baba and any philosopher, Prophet and saint

can only be adious and none should even be attempted.  Sai Baba being a

paramahamsa Yogi was also Gnoas  (marifah) Sufi.  He was a saint of very high

order  (Para-Brahman) and had full control upon Parakirti and Maya, Though he

being uneducated he was found explaining the meaning of verses from all religious

literature of Gita, Kuran etc., Baba had no formal education but who so ever came

in contact with him, always, looked up to him as "Knowledge-incarnate", Sai Baba

spoke with the total assurance of one who had no doubts about the powerness he

could say like Christ,  "Come into Me", have full faith in me and I assure you that

you will  be  freed  of  all miseries and attain the bliss.

For the saints, or sufi, or yogi of Sai Baba's caliber, Lord Krishna said  "The

devotees, however, who loving no one else constantly think of Me, and worship Me

in a disinterested spirit, to those ever united in thought with Me bring full security

and personally attend to their needs."  (Gita Ch9, Text 22).

The book in the life of Sadguru Sai Baba "Shri Sai Satcharita" by Shri

Govind R Darbhol Kar (Hemad Pant) is the only reliable book on Sai Baba.  While

reading this book you will come across lots of miracles performed by Shri Sai, like

lighting lamps without oil and with water only, bringing down the flames of Dhuni by

use of wooden satka, stopping the rain, sleeping on a plank which was suspended

from the roof with the help of worn out cloth pieces etc., These miracles performed

by Sabi Baba was not to get fame or to show that he can and had powers to make

impossible into possible.   Bu he wanted all human to realize that they have all the

powers, which are in universe, in them and there self (Atman) is Brahman, just as a

drop of sea water has the same properties as sea.   These powers can only be

developed if they have full faith in Guru and confident in themselves to realize self

(Atman) capabilities.  By these miracles Baba showed us the way to self-

realisation.

"Gems of Wisdom" are gathered in this book and are available for the more

asking.  May the readers be reached of knowledge?   May the grace of Sai Baba

embrace them in His loving embrace?

- Dharam Sai

.

LITTLE ADVICE

The Writers of such articles, Mysteries of Mystery, need necessarily to have

clear perception and enlightened idea what they have to achieve by such healthy,

spiritually enrich and enlivened writings to be read by all people who are either

social workers, students, curious observers, etc. so as to be goaded and guided to

set themselves on the right thinking lines.   These writers have the responsibility to

write with an analytical mind, such articles to be read and properly understood by

people, specially of the lower strata so that they can be elevated to higher levels of

understanding. 

In any literary work, deviate, seminar, expositions, preface is an important

part.  It is the breath of what is contained in the book in the form of letters, words,

sentences, etc.   Propounding as principles and the balance exposition thereof.   

That breath shouldn't be unbalanced nor suffer from short breath, but should enjoy

the balanced proportions of "Maha Prana", that means the listeners, readers and

practitioners should also experience the

after effects of balanced (Samana Vayu and Prana Vayu) and simultaneously

issuing forth such vibrations to readers and everybody denoting the long breath of

pranayama, Or else it should be of the same caliber as the mysteries as the

subject of Mystery of Mysteries.  Otherwise the effected patient will not receive the

high frequency vibrations but will only feel a tingling   sensation of the bracing of

lower frequency   of vibrations.   Consequently the blemish imposed on mystery of

mysteries superstitious belief will persist forever.

Everybody doesn’t observe the facts of the colour of a rainbow.  But it is

perceptive only from certain specific angles of the light.  Certain colour patterns

alone are visible near the Polar Regions.  It is the height of folly to say that a

certain colour pattern or combination doesn't exist in the region.   We should not be

obstinate in denying the existence of anything merely because    of    their

invisibleness, in    audibleness    or incomprehensibility to our intellect.  In the

learning of the mystical science there is an angle of understanding.

The gradual UN foldment of the wheel of the universe is a mystery. The

rotation of the earth round its axis is also a mystery.  Life by itself too is a mystery,

vice a versa the death.   But mysteries will ease to be mysteries or as mere

superstitious beliefs when once science begins to study and examine the

phenomenon in an unbiased and a detached way.

DHARAM SAI

MYSTERIES OF MYSTERYThe spiritual illustrations of Sai Nath are mysteries.   Baba's miracles are a

mystery.  Dream illustrations given by him to foreign devotees of Baba are also

mysteries.   In short Baba himself is a mystery.  While writing about the

experiences pertaining to Baba the question about miracle persists.   After having

perfected himself of the science of mysteries Shri Sai Baba lighted the lamps using

water for oil.  The miracle itself is classified as superstitious believes by the so-

called illogical   intellectual and this attitude is day-by-day increasing.  The time has

come for devotees like us to put a stop to this attempt by the crowd of growing non-

believers.

But, for that purpose, we, as writers of articles like "Mysteries of

Mystery" have to be continuous and careful to put down our experiences about

Baba.

People have to be enlightened and set on the proper logical thinking track

by writing about the mysteries of mysteries to relive them from the imbalanced

mind and body arising out of family quarrels, tensions, indisciplined food habits,

beneficial on contrary, lack of proper understanding, illogical thinking, vain

arguments, deep shuddering, imbalanced experiences of life's events, distorted,

diabolical desperadoes ruling the roost and to wean such persons from

quarrelsome, mentally and spiritually dissipating  atmosphere and to set them to

enjoy the  freedom  of elevated  thinking, such popular writings depicting  the

correct version of Baba's deeds of mysteries must be encouraged. 

A tired traveler in the sandy desert of an imbalanced life, need cold water to

quench the thirst of his parched throat which is his nectar.  A patient on deathbed,

who is dying in depressed, dissipated spirit and mind arising out of disbelief, can

be given at leisure of Baba's mysteries through such enlightened writings as

these. 

For example the epic Ramayana is not only people with hundreds of model

characters who make this tale immortal and inseparable from the constitution of

both our mind and body.  Rama personifies the maryada purshottam of the ruler,

while Sita depicts the strength of famine virtues.  When one takes this view, the

Ramayana ceases to be a "Story" of great people who did great deeds in the past. 

In fact, it is about the fight between the good and evil that's deep within us.    The

internal Ramayana ought to be observed before reading and comprehending the

actual epic. 

Rama, in the internal Ramayana of this mortal body, stands for our

consciousness, which is turn is born when the ten senses are under perfect

tandem.   Ten or Dash, and senses or Rath are personified in existence of

Dashrath of whom is born Rama.Consciousness thus rules when senses are under

control.  But the regime of Dashrath comes to an end when one of the ten senses

goes beyond control.  This one sense which fights the harmony of Ayodhya is lust,

personified by none other then the Queen, Kaikai.    

Ravana or ego (also Dashmukh i.e. ten-headed is born to bring about the

destruction and the ultimate victory of good over evil.  Here Dashmukh stands for

the ten senses gone totally out of control.

Meanwhile, Kaikai (symbolizing lust for power) brings about the premature

of death of Dashrath, which also leads the story of Ramayana to a 14-year tenure

(Vanvas) in the jungle.  Rama, Sita and Laxman who go to live in the forest

personify the union of consciousness, body and mind.  Sita the physical aspect of

consciousness, willfully sides with Rama (consciousness), while Laxman or union

of aim (laxhya=objective) and mind (mann-mind) is a guiding star and the third

force in the trinity.

But the mind is distracted by maya (Mareech, the deer).   The body, too

takes leave of its consciousness and becomes a pawn in the hands of ego. 

Symbolically this signifies the episode where Laxman is led astray by Mareech

while Sita is abducted by Ravana (Ego).  Further, the story of the Ramayana

portrays the episodes interlinked with each other and which depict how

consciousness wins over ego1 or in the metaphorical sense how Rama wins over

Ravana.   To kill the ego or Ravana, Rama has to take control of

he mind through pran vayu (Pavan Putra Hanuman).

The consciousness later has to be strengthened by intellect, which is

Sugreeva.  Intellect is refereed to as Budhi, which one can find in the strategies of

Sugreeva.  But to be one up over the intellect, lust needs to be curbed.  This lust is

personified by Bali in the epic.  Lust or greed can only be conquered by killing it

from behind, which Rama does.  The final conquest of the senses occurs when

thoughts are in absolute symphony. 

Thoughts, which often go haywire, are the Vanars of the Vanar Sena, which

assist the consciousness or Rama in his battle with By the virtue of this harmony,

our consciousness is able to kill in succession tamas (or Kumbhkaran), rajas

(Meghnath) and finally

the ego (Ravana).  When ahankar or ego is killed, satva prevailsVibhishana

personified   satva in Ramayana.    (Tamas   means sluggishness, rajas means

aggressiveness and satva means purity of mind).

Eventually Rama returns to Ayodhaya, and an inevitable satvic atmosphere

is restored.  The Ramayana is mysteries of mystery and is not just an epic.  It has

much more to give, which is incorporated and observed and leads to a life of bliss

and purity. 

Like Ramayana the Mahabharata epic is also full of mysteries of mystery,

even the birth of Lord Krishna is full of mystery and his birth symbolizes a bigger

reality.   Krishna represents Brahman   or  "God Consciousness” Being in touch

with   your consciousness is what spiritual health is all about.   Krishna Avtar is

synonymous with self-realisation.

Ignorance is symbolized by a poison, which represents darkness, narrow

mindness (small entry gate):  limitedness (small room) or things that keep the

mind, body and the soul in prison like conditions.   The chain in the prison means

the bondage of lust, greed, desires and the ego.

Birth of Krishna in prison means self-realisation born out of ignorance.  Self-

realisation can be acquired only by adhering to the eight principles of Ashtanga

yoga with tapas (abhaya) of hard work.   Shri Krishna, born, as the eighth child of

Devaki, represents tapas of eight limbs of yoga, Self-realisation i.e. the eight step,

can only occur after the first seven steps are successfully negotiated and the mind

is purified in the process.

In the state of Samadhi, there is spontaneous birth of the self. In   this state

(Sama=Equal; Dhi=intelligence) of   controls equality, you balance your self

between the good and the bad.

The symbolism is that as Krishna was born, the chains that bound his father

fell, the doors that had been bolted fleas open and the prison guards suddenly

went to sleep.   While the father, Vasudeva took the child and went to Gokul.   

Around the same time, Yashodha, the consort of Nanda, gave birth to a female

child.

The chains here imply the bondage to the eternal world and the five senses. 

A self-realized person is free of these bondages. The opening of the gates means

control over lust, desires, greed and attachments.  The sleeping guards stand for

all that's asleep in the self.

The thunderstorm, the rain and the fire represent the internal turmoil of the

uncontrolled desires and hatred.   The moment Krishna’s feet are touched by the

turbulent waters, everything settles.    The   lesson is that by   turning   towards

your consciousness you can calm the self.  Controlling the ego is depicted by the

snake sitting over the basket and guarding Krishna.   The girl represents the

Mayashakti, that is killed by Kansa (the ego).

Controlling your desires and vasanas is easy but controlling your ego is the

most difficult thing.  That is what is represented by the fact that at the time of Lord

Krishna's birth, Kansa still remained alive.   It took many years for Krishna  (self

realize state) to kill the ego (Kansa).

Thus, acquiring a state of self-realisation is not the ultimate goal in life.  After

self-realisation if your ego controls you, you can misuse your spiritual powers.  The

ultimate aim inlifeshould then be to kill the ego, which is what Krishna ultimately

did.

Health is not defined as the mere absence of disease but as a state of

Physical, Mental, Social, Spiritual and Environmentalwell being.  Attaining mental

and spiritual health is one of the most important aims in maintaining good health. 

The same can be achieved only by controlling the trials of mind, intellect and

ego on one side and fear, attachments and anger on the other.  One of the ways is

to realize the scientific aspects of religion. Both the Ramayana and the

Mahabharatha have a scientific basis. The birth of Krishna similarly has a Vedantic

basis, which depicts the principles of acquiring spiritual health.

Ramayana and Mahabharata, the two epics are the citation (Darshan) of

how man is and how he ought to be, are the observations

on these two fundamentals of life's   gradual unfoldment and development.  The

later writings appear to have displayed this very attempt of unfoldment and

enlargement by persons, provinces, individuals and society later.  Out of this

appearance the authors of and writers of mysteries have not escaped the clutches.

Writing on mysteries needs the inevitable embroideries, embellishments and

broaching of miracles in all their glitters.  But if it is not introspective in the

appearance then there is a danger of it axing at the roots of knowledge that can

delve into the depths of mysteries creating thus more confusion, if not confounding

further only to feel the arrogant, idiotic and indolent beliefs.  Consequently it

encourages social evils, meaningless mind-boggling rituals encouraging

unholy and unworthy social evils preventing the society from leading it along paths

beyond repair and of no return.

Solid forty years of one's life squeezed, nailed and hit grooved and carved

by events which made it oscillate, the spiritual man and individual entity or a

collective being who has done intense practice   (Sadhana) cogitation, devote,

lecturing, repeated recitation, rendition culminating in the writing of epics and if

after all those when we study such individuals in the later half of their lives they

appear to be a constantly agitated, abrasive, discredited, dilapidated,  decrepit,

dishonored,   abandoned, dejected  and  appear to be running towards their  own

spiritual annihilation.   In the end having reached the abyss of no return  and

frustrated recluses ruffian, they become addicts   and terrorists and impotent

cowards.  Such galaxy of people become the medium of intellectual idiocy and

according to their intellectual speculation religion is considered as the opium pills. 

Such was the episode which happened in one of the by-gone days.   In the later

period a near atmosphere of thoughts prevailed and a new society appeared on

the horizon and in such a frustrated condition and artificially recreated atmosphere,

the very thought of "Dharma Shastra" as made to disappear in the black hole of

nowhere and in the end it was branded as superstitious belief.

Why should it happen So some thought spiritualism as a misfit and not worth

loving and so the confusion prevailed.  In the post Ramayana and Mahabharata

period the principles evolved in them appeared to be beyond comprehension so as

to become a part of life and thought and the result was there was a void and an

abyss created by these.  Such an abyss turns out to be profound fear and such a

fear became a bridging ground between two poles in time to come.  The wicks of

thoughts produced by discipline and culture become strong by the amount of twist

given to the two threads.  The light of wisdom shines more and more by the use

of   oil   got   from   unmolested   observations   and   unobstructed examination.   

In the post Ramayana and Maharabharata period the twisted wick and the oil got

separated thus producing improper understanding and disillusionment.  In

each compartment there came an unfilled gap.  The traveller along the path

having to cross-insurmountable valleys of fear is lifted to the top in the wheel of

life.  Having begun the journey with a misunderstood enlightenment but virtually

treading an unlighted path, finding his way about ultimately converted into regarded

metamorphosis.  He got embroiled into the wheel of reincarnation without a guide. 

There arose a question that in the game of snake and ladder of the life and death

what was binding bridge that could be made available to the traveller expect the

constant dread, if not fear.   The epic story of Ramayana and the Mahabharata

are not merely a mystifying story or history but a road leading an aspirant to the

goal of liberation and fulfillment.  The thoughts embodied in them are mostly

allegorical and so difficult to understand.  That which is allegorical or allergic in

belief and the toiler acquired this allergy of belief in course of time has lost his

balance.  There arose a fear of misunderstanding.   He loses his bearings and

mooring by the repetition of his misunderstanding what came in the road of

misunderstanding gets guideless. Having become direction less.   We all grope in

darkness in search of a bearer of a torch to lead us ahead, but instead we only add

to the load of misunderstanding.   Such a stage arose in the past in the life of the

society where Ramayana and Mahabharata were born and so for got how these

epics were created in such a state of affairs.

No wise counsel was given by Lord Krishna to Arjun when he asked about

the performance of 'Sradha and Tarpana' but only suggested to give up the chase. 

Thus begins the first chapter of "Bhagawat Gita".

The periodic evolution of mankind had to be achieved and so Mahabharata

was written.   For this a proper man was to be created.   This was unavoidable

because there was a hermitage available in the mountains of Vindhyachala of

Acharya Sandipani where the code of conduct of Vaishnava Tantra evolved and

established by the Acharya, which aimed at homosapiens being elevated   into the

position of a Superman continuously and incessantly.   In the process of so

creating such a super personality the experiment in occult practices were utilized

involving various mystic knowledge and crafts.

Acharya Sandipani himself having evolved experimented going thorough the

mill of disciplines, found Sri Krishna the right sapling to be raised to the position of

a superman and to teach him imposed the bondage of the discipline and

discipleship in him.  And the child prodigy Sri Krishna had to keep his flute as

Šmortgage to the vow of bondage of discipleship to Acharya Sandipani.   Sri

Krishna became the ideal Superman to bridge the gap between Homo sapiens and

the superman and eventually he became only an honest observer of Mahabharata

and he fulfilled this mission.

In contrast the other heroes who are described as  "Rati", "Atirati',  'Maharati'

and 'Yudha Visharad' (war lords),  'Veer', 'Dheer', have to be absorbed and found

out how Mahabharata had to be created and what were the other instruments

required to create the situation.  The study of these objects becomes essential.

The mortal frame and the sword is a developed point  (Bindhu) revolving its

own limited axis.  The waves of thought vibration so created and in that process if

found its own bearing of a circle, which became his foundation seat of identity.  But

in the process of creating a new edition of itself, it gave place to a thought Kala.   

Having become aware, he became a social self.  Now there arose a gap between

social self and the collective of, which was widening to become the

cause of belligerency. Out of this fear was born the 3rd circle of selfish notions of

worldly wealth and in their possession of it, the mine and yours also created.   The

world began to manifest between these two poles of social self and collective self,

which became conscious of wealth.  The action and reaction began

to oscillate between these two and the ever-increasing fear resulted in and it gave

the balm of this ointment.  Consequently the self and the collective

self both became slaves and the victims of the oblation of the five virtual resulting

in the mortal man lose the transparency of his individuality and got transfixed which

produced in him the ever flowing tears of sorrow.   And so his thought

process results in refining observations as a vision. The gross opaque, which

resulted in tension, constant moistening of the eyes, which may result in tearful

emotionality.  All this he did and understood as to establish his social self  and  to

explain this social self the epic describes as follows: -

There are 18,000 chief parts and there are as many sub-divisions which give

and take, which creates a mental dialogue, feeds and several such qualitative

individual who are ever   charging emotional and yet joined together is defined as

social self. This is also called as self-satisfaction and is also called as "Aswatha”

which is literally split up as ‘A’ meaning negation.  'SWA' means existence and

'THA' means today or at this moment.

The social self of man appears as below: -

'A' means up to a point, 'BHA' means light of soil and 'SA' means source

of emerging knowledge.   Such appears   the   ASWATHA PRATISHTAS as such.   

She is the handmade of the Goddess of destiny.   She is also the queen and the

imminent form of Maya (illusion).  This becomes the perfect form of (Prakriti).

This is how Veda Vyas who has defined (Prathishta) the social self as such

has to be meditated upon.  There arose a clash in the collective self, which had

reached the zenity of progress of social self. Present technology era the answer to

this was given arising out of 'Newtons How and Aristotles Why’.  Although Sri

Krishna, disciple of Santipini, was administratively ordained, but the period

thereafter had no organized administration as such.  It was here the Vedanta and

thought from mystical science and thought arising out of that,  which created the

flow and its directionless growth became ever able to become a demonic flow and

in the on coming future the individual and the collective self, maintained its identity

and individuality began to fabricate ever new dialogues and the product thereof. 

The flow of thought ever became stronger in the quadrangular facets of self,

collective self, social self-wellbeing.   This was a result of the question how to

think.   The religious scriptures which taught how to think began to fabricate

mystical thought allegorical characters to undo knowledge.   The ill omens of

thoughtless atmosphere began to blow about.

Out of this confusion the attitude of let the by gone be buried in the grave

and by taking shelter behind this with the process of how to think through 'Veda

Vidya, Gudha Vidya’ and the relative sciences became the target proposition and

that became the yard stick of behaviour, Really the sage's sayings, prophet's

preaching and religious scriptures became useless and they never came to the

rescue of humanity.  Was it so and so arose a series of questions.  Once more the

thought process reversed and it appeared that whatever the saints,

sages and well-meaning people thought and said became secretive in appearance

and hence unknown. The secretive composition of these people became the ideal

but why was it so

Physiologically man appears to breathe.  Similarly any living object   with   a

figure which can be   called   a   flexible electromagnetic system appears to

breathe.  The breath is the   medium by which an object exists which is called a

continuous process.    This causes the brain to remain ever active, the bodily

nerves and arteries lose their tension and when proper breathing process is

adopted it is possible to prolong life. This breathing process or breath itself is

termed as life itself.

At the present time we are breathing less of 'Prana-Vayu’, which is clear

breath, and breathe more of the Avantra Vayu, i.e. polluted air.  Because the intake

of Prana Vayu being not enough, the body metabolism begin to age quicker

then necessary and making us 'nirutsag', lethargic and dense.  There is a certain

flow of vibration, speech, behaviour etc. in other words there is a proper flow of

music in it.   And this flow denotes the individuality of that man's nature.   It is also

a moving pictorial chart of his existence of his life force.   They are called as

'Dheehi', vibrational inebriation in the language of mystical science.   In the modern

technological science it is called attractant chemicals.   When this flow of  'Dheehi'

is unbalanced it results in 'Vyadhi' (Vya+Aa+Dheehi) as it is called so.  The

balanced flow of 'Deehi', vibration makes our brain the resultant memory and

thought become ever productive of thoughts and activities Further more, still

refined, the process of flow which is more balanced the super self ego begins to

experience a new awareness.  This process is called 'Samadhi'

(Sam+Aa+Dheehi). 

What is more is perfectly clear that all of us must practice and learn the

science of perfect breathing.

In all religious scriptures the political creations of saints and sages are set in

the meter and rhyme in the appropriate political science.   In these creations there

is a peculiar collective combination of words mixed with a flow of music,

with rhyming words, similes, metaphors, etc.  To solve the question of what the

saints and sages did for us we should direct the flow of breath in the poetic

creation of the sages.  In other words our breath should flow in line with the

cadenzas of the musical meter of the poetic flow of our saints and sages.   Our

inflow and outflow of breath should be musically aligned to the music flow of the

compositions.  This breathing process becomes rhythmic properly lined and

poetical and get absorbed in it.  The result is that all the bodily activities in the

nervous and the artery systems which depends on the pressure of the blood, and

such activities acquire a vibrational second wind which brings the blood to a normal

flow relaxing the nervous system resulting in a ‘laya’ of the music or 'Samadhi'.   

The vibrational wave of ‘Dheehi’ get locked into Samadhi instead of getting blocked

in Vyadhi.  As a result thereof we breathe the correct Prana Vayu; we become ever

young and our thinking gets pure, subtle and rarefied.  Howsoever the atmosphere

may be polluted the existence of 'Prana Vayu' cannot be denied.  Since we are

afflicted with a disease ridden body we are unable to breath the original  'Pran

Vayu'. 

The poetical creations of saints and sages is a bridge among nature,

animals, the words and the surrounding visionary objects.  There is a vivid rhythm

in the poetical creation of saints which depicts the visionary aspect of trees,

creepers, vegetation and the music arising out of this vision and vibrational effect

'Dheehi', which depicts the unifying force and the identifying medium resulting in

pure rhythm.  Man, animal and vegetation are the trial of the wheel of total life on

this earth.   The instrument that causes the union of these through which causes to

vibrate in union of rhymes, rhythm and beat is the music of flute.  How to achieve

such an atmospheric union can be found, is only the answer, that is the poetical

creation of the saints and sages should become a part of our breath.  This is called

"Sama Swasam” or rhythmic breathing as denoted by the   esoteric sciences.   

Now we the process of this "Sama Swasam" is a direct result of identifying of the

poetical creation.  In other words, if we bodily identify ourselves inside out of a

poetical creation all   our chemical voltage get converted and the   complete

metabolism is born; the imbalance is replaced by the balance and the duality

between the life and death and we become our independent observer of this

duality.

Mysteries are known by personal experiences; experiences means the

resultant controlled action of sequences of events.  Today in this world here are

133 procedures of religious beliefs out of which the Hindu, Bhoudha, Jain, Sikh,

Confusian, Tas, Shints, Islam, Yehudi, Sufi, Christian and the Parsi religious

beliefs, all such believers total nearly 314 of the world population.  These

twelve and the remaining religious leaders, writers and composers have passed

most valuable part of their lives in the company of one or the other animal.  Their

bondage with these animals appears to be the most evolutionary time span in their

lives.   In the age-old ancient institutions of hermitage of India, animals have played

an important part because they are called  "Yash" bestower of boons.  All through

the Bhagawat Gita there is reference of them being near to the human being, even

nearer then the preceptors themselves.  Today there are 380 languages with script

and about 10,000 or more   dialects. 

Bhagawat Gita appears to have been translated into almost all languages

with a script.

They know where there is evidence of knowledge about letters and words

denoting Shri Krishna.  In India in all the languages the political works and the folk

tales with the memory Sri Krishna and Sri Rama appear to be imprinted.

The   relationship between the saints and sages and   their experiences with

Sri Rama and Sri Krishna are Vaishnava Tantra oriented and the answer to this is

found in all the Adhayayas of Bhagwat Gita.

Sri   Krishna, disciple of Sandipani, was the   last   Sidda Purushottam of

Vaishnava Tantra Methodology of that period.   The process of creating a perfect

man was available in the only and one individual like that of Sri Krishna who was

perfect in that art.   He inherited the responsibility of the entire Mahabharat towards

himself.   The period after Mahabharat, the process of creating the perfect man,

the pure thought, his religious responsibility was left to Sri Krishna, the one and

only super conscious creative intellect  (Dhyana Brahman) becoming   the cutelrtic

agent of converting imperfection to perfection.   The period that followed got

ingrained in Krishna became the apitome as the embodiment of advice and

initiation in the form of Dhyana, Yog, and Tapa.  He became the Lord of action

(Karma Yogi) and began to be worshipped so.  The science of Tantra lays

emphasis on esoteric, mystery, rhyme, rhythm and coded aphorisms  (Sutras). The

Tantra Shastra contains 18000 kinds of methodology based on the study of

the wisdom of alphelogy, estoteric sonology, rythomology, esfleric geometry and

mystic aphaoresomology.  In acomposition, a verse is based on the rhythmic flow

of appropriate words in positive and their rhythms of composition become the wrap

and woof of the work fabric.  The peculiar condition of mixing of these forces

creates a powerful electromagnetic field. The body in which this process is

continuously created gives birth to the optic beams (primal power in man) or

Kundalini, which is latent in the body.  The adjoining atmosphere and the body

given to constant reincarnation in and the oscillating human body a kind of

unification is created which is the   resultant resonance.

And so we must emotionally identify our breath in the rhythmic creation

of the great saints and then only we will begin to understand what kind of legacy

has been left by the great saints and sages.

The time has come to rectify the mistaken notion of branding the ancient

literature as superstitious beliefs.  Before we began to write, broadcast and say at

great length about the mystic science before it is brought to lift, we ought to be alert

and astute, we have to put all our negative qualities of egoism and their allied

evil propensities to acid test in the cubicle.  Otherwise it is improper and imperfect.

On the writing on this subject in the province of mystic territory, the life of

ordinary beings is not a garland of questionable existence.  The man who has

undertaken the task of removing impediment and obstacles goes to the process of

becoming a magnets supersonic superman.  Our life is a game of snake and

ladders.  The casting of the dice is not according to the wish of the thrower.   We

have to be alert in throwing the dice.   The study of the Ancient Wisdom (Sanatan

Dharam) is dependent on developed and accomplished alertness.

Vedas, Upanishads and Dharma Shastras have taught the art of swimming

through   the blissful life of the   ocean.    The accomplished path of discovering the

road of blissful existence to extricate ourselves from the ever-increasing vibrations

of the imbalance and allied states was created by voluminous writings on Tantra

Shastra.

We should not be obstinate in denying the existence of anything merely

because   of their invisibleness, inaudible ness   or incomprehensibility to our

intellect.  In the learning of the mystic science there is an angle of understanding.   

Once that angular entry is achieved the mystical science will expose what hither to

appeared to be a miracle because it is the truthful comprehension of our gained

therein.  The gradual unfoldment of the wheels of the Universe is a mystery.  The

rotation of the Earth round its axis is also a mystery.  Life by itself too is a mystery. 

Vise-a-versa the death.  Since we do not possess the key to the realms of these

mysteries for a scientific investigation and understanding them, we continue to call

them as miraculous unknown entities.  There is a science behind all these miracles

and the laws governing their certainty and uncertainty of happening.    

The fundamental knowledge about all these as obtainable by the study of the

mystical science embodied  (Tantra Shastra), methodically guided by an adept

(Guru) in the field.

Mysteries will cease to be mysteries or as mere superstitious beliefs when

once science begins to study and examines the phenomenon in an unbiased and

detached way.

The renowned governor of the inner domain and the Lord of the inside of all

insiders and composer of mystical sciences, Hajir-E-Imam, Haji Malang Baba and

through   the   profound inspirations of Shri Sai Nath this writing is being offered as

a humble effort to the three.   Those who are devoted   know thoroughly the

mystical science and the allied subjects.

To become a devoted disciple we should be alert and to be alert we must

know the art of submission and surrender.  Let us all in one heart, in one breath, in

one-thought prostrate at the feets of Hajir-E-Imam and all others.

Let this writing be the pathfinder from the underdeveloped to the developed

condition in listening to the music of the flute of the mystical sciences.   With this

act of determination let us all pray in front of Shri SAI BABA who is our nearest

abode in this life and on this land at this very spot.   Let there be the cessation of

births and rebirths granting us the eternity forever and ever...

"SHIVAM!  SHANTAM!  ADVAITAM!"

.           MYSTERY OF BIRTH

Shri Sai Baba of Shirdi helps those, who help themselves with faith in HIM

independently surrender, dedicate and meditate on HIM with purified devotion.

Everyone knows that a man or women, born or dropped into this universe, is

from an atom of Brahman, the CREATOR, but what for You should know it is only

to think of Him, meditate on HIM and surrender to HIM with purified devotion, so

that you can be back to HIM.  Yes, to go back and rejoin HIM is the purpose, for

which you have come into this mundane world, to pray to HIM and reach

Him back, you should pray.   To pray, you should   possess sufficient

physical energy, strength and concentration   to meditate and dedicate and thus

surrender at HIS LOTUS FEET.   To obtain this strength, you should live but not

live to eat.   To eat you should have food and to get food, you should earn.   To

earn, you should toil hard honestly.

Thus, you have been given a test in the world to see how far you are firm

and faithful to Brahman and to see how to stand the vigours of test- an acid test -

indeed and how you can attain the goal by vanishing or killing temptation

for material benefit without any attachment to mundane objects.  That is the cause

of your birth but not to forget this purpose and get lost in the mundane world,

manifest with the illusion shadowing around, with a veil, challenging you with all

wicked forces dragging and drifting you away from good.  Thus, make a victim of

situation, circumstances an environments in the filthy atmosphere for worldly

desires an amusing ill-gotten wealth, power, pomp, false glory and lust with an ego,

which is transit, are manifest in man.

Man least realizes, though he is endowed with the power of realization   and

desecration that the mundane objects   and acquirements are an illusion and that

the body decays and dies (the Atom leaves) or Atom casts its Kavacha or covering

and takes a new form or creation according to its past Karma.   Your possessions

and your self perish but not the INNER SOUL.   THE ATMAN, which is ever

glowing sacred, sublime and supreme light, since the Atmam is from Brahman,

which is ever existing and never ending, and so, the Atmam seeks to go back and

join the Brahman, when its mission is finally over in the world, Like the water of the

sacred river, where much of impurity is mixed, but the water remains pure.

What is the mystery behind the man's birth-every one knows, but no one

realizes - just imagine that out of a drop of Dhatu Bindu, a liquid fluid drop-a figure

is carved out of a human feminine body as also other creatures in Universe with

different shapes description - all but a mass of flesh with bones and nerves, suiting

different climates, food and conditions of water, land and air.  The figure of a man

is shaped and set with different organs, each to function its duty

independently with nine outlets.  Each organ is endowed with separate exclusive

power to function its own without any inter-linking or inter-dependence between

them.  What one organ does, the other cannot.  The one of course connected to

each other by instinct to one central box-the Brain, which   is   endowed with the

power   of   thinking, discriminating and directing.

Who on Earth can tell, may not even latest advanced modern scientist, with

all his exhaustive research for space and atom, what this miracle is.  Take the

organ "The Eye", which is also out of the same "Dhatu-Bindu" - has the power to

see - only good things - but not bad ones, so is the case with every other organ.

Could the modern advanced scientist, a Research Scholar, a Moon goer or

an atom blaster make a human form with the functioning of the organ from any

other material, chemical liquid or fluids He must be first born, created by God and

by accident of birth as ordained by the Lord, man can then become a scientist and

carry on research on the Moon, star or any planet or even go near the Sun, blast

an atom or a hydrogen bomb and destroy the world, but can he win over God

Become God Himself That is the  Divine Supreme and Super-Power-The Creator-

The Brahman-mystery since one cannot see or know where and how it is.

A man of flesh developed into a body with bones, nerves, lungs, heart, etc,

with joints to facilitate movements as desired and this structure covered to shape

the body with skin with no fire or grinder inside, but the food, solid or liquid, you

take is ground and some part of it is changed into blood and marrow, to give

strength to the body and thus automatically permit with its own mysterious God

made mechanism-a wonder-but once it stops functioning, no one can revive it and

that is the end of the human  being.  Even the body does not retain any excess

food but rejects the same as excreta and water (urine).

The Supreme Power - the universal divine Power-God has not made the

human being only from sexual mating or by conjugal bliss, but has also made

several millions of creatures on the Earth, in different ways even under water and

air by his Supreme power creation, with conditions suited in their areas.

Now it should be accepted without dispute, by common sense, that God is

above man.  It may be noted here, as you all know, that a frog lives within a solid

rock-how it breathes-where is the air, water and food for this creature - particularly

a creature mostly inclined to live in water.  Can man make such creations is it

possible for our revered and learned scientists to do such a thing   No it is

impossible.  Apart from such living creatures, there are forests, vegetation, plants,

food products for human being and other creatures to exist, in addition to water, air

and heat the necessities, without which no living being can or will survive.  If it is

not God-the Omnipotent, the Omnipresent – who can do these miracles

Here lies the hidden secret-the mystery-the miracle of man's birth, which we

should ponder over, since this cannot be realized, known or revealed by anyone.  It

is only here, that one should realize the existence of God-The Unseen power.   It is

sheer accident of birth ordained by the Lord according to one’s past Karma, that

we are born in different environments, society and status and as such are we not

bound to be indebted, to be grateful to realize and repay our gratitude to that

Almighty God Omnipotent and Omnipresent-the Brahman Should we not therefore

struggle, strain, exert and endeavour to get back to HIM  - our father-from where

we came-humans endowed with sense organs with discretionary power as loyal

and dutiful children  of  God-The Universal Father

The law of evolution and revolution is a fundamental principle in anything

and everything.  Any object, creature or man that moves from a particular place,

should in the natural routine course, go back, rejoin or reach the starting point or

place.  That is the law of nature.  To quote a simple example-a man goes out on

work from his house, a bird from its nest, a beast or an animal from its dwelling

place for food etc. will naturally return to its dwelling place by night.  Even the

planets, the Sun, the Moon and the Stars appear according to their set times,

disappear or reappear.   Similarly in our birth, we come from Brahman and we

should go to HIM.  Unless and until one knows and realizes this theory, he cannot

understand the purpose of his existence or goal of his life and birth.

Granting that a man has acquired all, is he to enjoy, possess them eternally

and do they accompany him when he dies   Why should they be acquired at all

How far and what for is this temporary desire It is on the contrary, the more

possesses, the more worries, anxiety, mental agony, bodily illness will haunt him.   

So, that is not worth possessing, why should one possess that and what for Take

the case of a materialistic, great, big or rich man and a spiritually disposed great

saint or seer.  Both are men, Both live-the former in a mansion with all luxuries, the

later all alone, solitary secluded and isolated in a hut-Ashram-with no luxuries or

man to attend on him-all by self-help, self served.

 The former wades through in the storm of wicked world with all vicious

surroundings, thoughts, desires, deeds with no goal in sight for salvation or God

realization - for Moksham or Mukti, only this man’s name and fame will echo in

public, only for a temporary period so long as he is in limelight with some position

or status.  The moment he is pulled down from position or status, none will

recognize or even look at him.  He dies a miserable death with all wicked ideas,

thoughts and deeds of the past, surrounding him.  Some may die in harness. 

Although they might have lived a luxurious life with pomp and power and some

even a most exciting life style, what a contrast!  The same man if he was saint, a

seer, spiritually devoted, dedicated, living and meditating in an Ashram (hermitage)

away and unconcerned with the wicked and vicious world, detached from the

mundane objects, surrendered   to the LOTUS FEET OF THE ALMIGHTY   for

God realization, salvation, Mukti or Moksha contended and satisfied, with his

hermitage, he is loved and revered and respected by all. 

This saint or seer is enemy to none.  He is striving to guide the people and steering

them to the path of divinity.  This saint or seer has no anxieties, worries and

ambitious.  His food is also restricted.  His only aim in life is to reach Brahman from

where he came.  To that place he seeks to go back.  That should be the aim of

man, only such a soul finally reaches the goal by rejoining Brahman and gets rid of

the wretched birth in the world again, not to live a tempting, dodging, deceitful, purl

and vicious worldly life.

History repeats itself.  Great men come and go.  Their greatness is inscribed

on their epitaphs - none to read man, who conquered the world materially for

pomps and power and there is none among them, who conquered Him-the

Almighty, buy those saints and sages and seers with no pompous and powers, left

behind them, the Vedic rituals, Philosophy religious and scientific teaching for

people, to attain Moksha, Mukti or salvation to spread in the world are

remembered.   A sacred task, for man's salvation is performed by them, for which

we have to express gratitude, feel grateful and bow to such sears in reverence.

Should everyone observe or follow this path or principle.   This world will not

be as wicked as existing now.  That depends on them-as a test by the creator-of

course all cannot acquire and pass in the school examination-some fail and some

pass.

CHAPTER - III

MYSTERY OF UNIVERSE LIFE AND DEATH

The earth is believed to have born some forty crores of years ago.  The

earth was all surrounded by water. The first ever life to evolve in the turmoil of

churning of the water was protozoan life, more known as amoeba.  Amoeba, which

evolved in the water, is unicellular life capable of multiplying by dividing themselves

into two.  Thus they multiplied into many millions lives in the water, thy also began

to grow assuming bigger shapes.  Slowly but steadily over a period of fifteen crores

of years, out of these evolved the fish with spines, from them further the amphibian

species, which can live both in water and on land came into existence.   The first

fish to become an amphibian which had the front half-soft and pliable while the

hind portion so hard as would even break a stone.  The animal could live for

almost a year without any food.  But then the hard hinder part will begin to soften

becoming pliable.   This is known by the name of MAZOPOTIS.

Around ten crores year ago the Stone Age began to appear.   In this way the

following species of reptiles which can live both in water and on land or either were

born as predecessors to snakes. 

They were seventy feet long and their bodies were like snakes. Wonder of it

is that these earlier reptiles species had a pair of both front and hind limbs (legs).  

They were not hands and legs!  It is curious indeed that the difference in the

existence of snakes had come into being here itself.  Actually as by the laws of

evolution serpents as reptiles should have hands and legs, but instead of that the

serpents have developed a different novel organ, namely wings.

How does a snake of higher order look like Agni Sarpa, flying snake, red

snake, golden snake and fire spitting snakes are there.   They are called snakes

bird (Pakshi Sarpa).  When their glow falls on white crystalline ice or snow it

transmits a blush reliance.   The blush reliance on crystalline ice or snow is

produced by "VASUKI" snake.  They are found to be of pure white and deep blue

color giving a fiery glow.  They are said to belong to the class of "DEVA SARPA". 

There are three divisions in serpents or otherwise Cobras.   The first of them

is called "ANTRIKSH NAAG".  The second one space is known by the name "BHU-

NAAG".  The third one "SHAREERASTHA NAAG" or the bodily serpent.

Because serpents have no memory, it does not mean that they as a class

does not hold any desire.  They do have desire even though they do not have

memory.  That way this secret plays an important role in this great Universe.  All

lives on the Earth have desires.   It is by sowing ignorance that a life comes to

suffering because of their desires "VASNA" and Longing.

Desires are of three kinds viz SATWA  (Spiritual),  RAJASA (Activity)  and

TAMAS (Sluggishness).  Lord Mahadeva himself is also, SATYAM (Truth),

SHIVAM (Propitious) and SUNDARAM  (Beauty). 

This Universe itself is Shivam, Shantam and Adwaitam!   In the language of

modern science it is being told that this universe is a creation of the interaction of

those electrons, protons and neutrons.    Indian philosophy acclaims and accepts

Srusthi (Creation), Sthiti  (Existence) and   Vinash   (Destruction).  Mohammed

Prophet's teachings say "LAA ELAH ELLALAHA"the meaning of these is the same

as above (SATYAM, SHIVAM, SUNDRAM).   The GODS OF Srusthi  (Creation),

Sthiti  (Existence) and   Vinash (Destruction) are said to be the trios BRAHMA,

VISHNU and MAHESHA, respectively.  It is the same desire of these trios to create

and maintain has trickled down to every life on this Earth and other planets as well.

The distinction and relationship among, "BHU NAAG", the Earth serpent,

"SHREERASTHA NAAG", the body serpent, and  "ANTRIKSHA NAAG", the

cosmic serpent, are being spelt out more clearly.

"Bhu Naag" are beneath the earth in the form of air (in gaseous form), the

weight of the Earth remains spread out equally.   This is the picture of the Earth

resting on the hood of Shesha.   In between the Bhu Naag beneath the Earth and

"Antriksha-naag" are the entire life creations.  In order to establish a relationship

between these two life creations of the Earth is considered as a dual link.  Bhu

Naag and Antriksha Naag between them they create innumerable luminous spikes

and air belts.  If in their bodies, in the air and animation, any disturbance occurs

they remain there and they become the cause of their destruction.  The same

principle applies in connection with their  "Bhu-Naag" and "Antriksha Naag" those

life being that arise in between through the medium of "Naags" in the body.  If they

maintain a balance in that world and the being living in that world, they proceed in

the parallel journey and they proceed on the path or progress thereafter.

Let us see what "Shreerastha Naag" means.  This Earth and the living

beings   on it are product of the   five   elements (Panchamahabhutas), i.e. Earth,

Water, Fire, Air and Ether.   The product of all these give elements is mind  (Manu)

the sixth element  (Mahabhuta).   All these have their own independent vibration

power.  Each one realizes in its own capacity its own waves of vibrations in the

atmosphere, in their specific period of time.  In all they release 360 vibrations which

are as below: -

i.  Earth - 56 vibrations ii) Water - 52 vibrations iii) Fire - 62 vibrations   iv) Air - 52

vibrations   v) Ether  - 72 vibrations   vi) Mind - 68 vibrations  (Total 56 + 52 + 62 +

52

+ 52 + 72  + 68 = 360 vibrations).

All these vibration forces operate horizontally above the Earth and also

move in a circular manner.  They all together are called a flock.  Since they move

around in a circular manner a natural central focal point is created.  This focal point

contains the entire power of waves and so it maintains control over all of them.   

This central focal point is the lord of all flocks. 

Therefore, he is known as "Ganapathy".  Unless the living beings keep

contact with the central body of all flock viz Ganapathy, they cannot have access to

the cosmic forces.   As per Hindu Dharma Shastra the worship of Ganapathy is

necessary before performing any Puja or any other act.  This is the sum and

substance of the operation of the five elements  (Panchamaha Bhutas) on this

earth.

Let us now see the map of inner stellar world.  The universe and their

various divisions are a product out of the effulgent sphere.  The words and their

constituents are made of high-energy complex system, so says the modern

scientific world.  The high-energy focal point is known in the Hindu Shastra as

"Isham".  From prajapati Brahma, Shiva, Vishnu and Minakshi are the self evolved

or born atmospheric layers out of this "Isham", out of these five layers is produced

a layer called  "Swarga Lok" is called  "Bhraspathi lok" or "Aaditya lok".  This

"Aaditya Lok" consists of more than ten thousand suns and there are twelve such

Aadityas in this plane.  Accordingly our present sun stands as a medium speed

range star, such is its magnitude as per the scientific opinion of famous American

astrophysicist Karl Sagan.

When this dispersment of the layers of the "Swarga Lok" takes place.   The

thirty-three crores of brilliant wavelengths are produced.   They, as per Hindu

Shastra are called thirty-three crores of Devas.   These thirty-three crores of Devas

are centralized, bonding take place, and there forms a string of twenty-seven layer

which consists of Prajapati, Brahma, Shiva and Vishnu are produced and are

known as four "Padas" or feet of the twenty-seven  "Nakshatras" (Stars).  This is

called as  "Ajaanja Lok".   The very existence here is effulgent and transparent. 

Based on memories and desires in one hundred and eight ways, visible and

gross forms of soul are scattered on this Earth in perambulation and combination

of the twenty-seven stars and their four feet (padas) by these Karma Deva.  By a

predetermined action eighty four lakhs of embryos await to receive these scattered

souls.   As per Hindu Shastra this is known as the sphere of "Vaishnava".   This

is followed by  "Pitur-Chitra Lok",  "Dev Gandharva Lok", "Pishachya Lok" and

finally "Prithvi Lok" known as world of name (Nama Lok Rachna).

As already stated that the mind and the five Mahabhutas have produced

three hundred and sixty vibrational patterns in the atmosphere layer of the Earth. 

They move horizontally and in a circular manner.  Now on these layers, the band of

one hundred and eight luminous waves produced from twenty-seven nakshatras

and their four feet begin to mix in a circular   manner.  Pavitrakam as known in the

Hindu Dharam, is that flash points wherever these said circular luminous waves

cut or cross the continuously moving horizontal beams or rays, "Narayana Reshas"

(lines) or series of lines connecting the several flash points reaching unto "Isham"

Narayana Reshas is a controlling factor. 

This Narayan Resha displays an  "Aabha" or light particles. Because of this

"Aabha" Narayana Resha looks like a snake and therefore the formation is called

as "Antriksha Naag" or Cosmic Serpent.   This Antriksha naag is of nine varieties.   

"Anantam, Vasukim, Shesham, Padmanabham, Cakambalam, Shankhapalam,

Dhritarshtam, Cha, Takshakam and Kaliyam"it can penetrate any dimension.

How   the relationship between Anriksha Nag and   Earth   is established   

Just as Narayana Resha reaches  "Isham" through points of  "Pavitrakam", the

other end of this Reshu when it touches the Earth it is creator of a "Kshatrapal

Dev" (Demi Gods of Earth).  Kshetrapal acts as a link between the "Bhu Naag" and

"Antriksha Naag" to help humanity.  These sports were discovered by great sages

and preceptors like Vasishtha and Vamadev.   There are three kinds of

vibrational wavelengths which are equal (Sama), unequal  (Visdeva) and oblique

(Tiryak).    Whenever Antriksha Naag touches the earth it produces equal

vibrations. 

The two preceptors has anti-gravity forces in them so that they could walk

one and a half-foot above the surface of the earth and their feet were sensitive to

the vibrational effect because of this   levitation   act.   Whenever they sense   the

balanced vibrational   forces there they establish the   location   of Kshetrapal.  The

meaning of "Dev" is derived from "Dyu" which is light wave.

The Kshetrapal of the whole universe is "Kaal Purusha" or  "Mahan Kaal" or

Maha Kaal.  The one and only God of this Universal manifestation is called

"Jagatpita" or "Jagat Pitamah" (Father of the universe) and is known as Bhagwan

Shankar or Shiva or purity personified.  The product of the entire Vishwa is from

Shiva and so he is known as the presiding deity of the universe.  There are three

thoughts at the back of the process of creation, absolute purity, absolute

knowledge and absolute penance and they are found in Great God "MAHADEVA".

The spiritual sexual union of Lord Shiva and Shakti is the producer of

universal expoition.  It is but natural the purity of Shiva's existence is maintained in

a sacred fire ritual of the endless creation of the universe.  In the hereditary thought

process Sanatana Dharama, the Atma of Jiva proceeds from progress to progress

and achieves its objective.  The Atma is also called Maha (great), Swa, Sharirik,

Hamasa, Dipa and Shiva.

The meaning of the word "DEV" is derived from the original word "DYU"

which means light.  The first originator mother is Aditi and the first father is Eravan

(where 'Era' means water).  Eravan is a cloud and this cloud is dependent on Sun,

Along with reference to Earth, Sun is the father and Earth is the embryo.  This

embryo is like a molehill known as Santeri.  The molehill is a representative of the

embryo of the Earth, while the serpents residing in the molehill are the

representative of the male sexual organ.  Kshetra means Earth (Bhumi) and

whatsoever rules over this Earth is called Kshetrapal.

The Kshetrapal Dev of the whole universe is Shankara.   In the neck of

Bhagwan Shankara there resides the snake called Vasuki.  Vasuki produces a kind

of poison in Shiva, who is absolute knowledge and absolute attainment.  The heat

of this poison is cooled by Shiva through Kalahala.  Shiva dances in order to

reduce the heat and by this process he sheds the various layers from the cosmos

to the Earth and by this act he purifies them.  Vasuki on the neck of Shiva also

dances and from Vasuki's dance innumerable crimson   coloured sparks are

created which cause purity to create an ideal universe.  According to the condition

of the atmosphere, the descendants of Vasuki, which were born from the crimson

sparks travel towards purity.  Sage Pauganda and his spouse Vamalambuja Devi

did penance in Himalaya  (Gulmarg) desiring for progeny.  At that time from the

glow of the crimson sparks of Shiva's dance were born several 'Agni Sarpa'.  The

Agni Sarpa blessed Pauganda Rishi and his wife Vamalambuja Devi to enable

them to beget a serpent progeny called Ravaleshwara.  Since this birth took place

at Kedar, it is severally known as Kedar, Kedarnath, Kadareshwar, Kedarling,

Kedarjyoti, etc.   This was known in the folklore as Jyotiba, Ravaleshwar or

Ravalnath, because of the sage known by the name of Jamadagni's fire of anger

which was also "Tandava".  Killing of Renuka by Jamadagni was due to his

Tandava being a swarupa of Shiva.   Jamadagni himself was Vayu and controller

of fire.  The fire of anger abandoned by Jamadagni was dispersed and absorbed

by Parasuram, Navanarayana, Sumudra Aaranya, etc., which came to Narayana in

the form of five sparks and it became Jyotilinga or Jyotiba. Accordingly to this

"Deva Sarpa" which came into existence is called Ravaleshwar.

Guru Gorakhnath put on a woman's dress to bring his Guru from the

clutches of the matriarchal kingdom along with his son "Nivanath" and   all this

were achieved to re-establish the cult   of "Navanath'.  This is very well deserved in

the cult of "Navathat" and the famous  "Kimilyagar" written by Gorakshanath in the

language of the  "Chuli Ka Paishachi".   Guru Gorakhanath the immortal yogi was

known in his "Poorvashram" as Lama Vijra Satva Shuddha.  He had left Himalayan

Luma hermitage to practice little known ritual and establish the Nath cult in the

South.   Many priestly households became the followers of this cult and several

princesses of Nepal, Bhutan, Tibet gave patronage to it.   The Navanath

appeared to have established a new cult of Sufi in Russia.   Hereafter, many

celebrated Sufi Saints came   from Uzbekistan.   Kazhakistan.   They migrated to

India and have settled down here.  Their mausoleums were built here which

became a pilgrimage centre for all religious people.   All   these mausoleums of

several Sufi saints were established under the Nath cult.   Thus began the ritual of

worship of naag depicting the Earth symbolizing the Purusha.  For this very reason

the Nath Samprayada began the worship of Bhairav and Bhairavi.  From this cult

was born the branch cult of Sufi Saints.  The snake residing in   the mole hill and

they are an interrelation   between extraterrestrial naag and terrestrial naag.  Both

of these are connected with Kshetrapal Dev.  But the connecting link between

these two and the third one residing in the body is a medium of high nature.  The

Nathas from the level of bodiless Antriksha-Naag and joining it with terrestrial

naag, traveled along the Narayana Resha originating from Antariksha Naag.

Even so while in the limited body faculties, they contained their performance

through their Samadhi.   In the   Hierarchy   of discipleship these Sufi Saints

continued their task by their mortal frames in their mausoleums and maintained

their unity between the Antriksha Naag and the terrestrial naag.   Meanwhile we

bow down before these mausoleums, we also continue to do the same task

and get encouraged to do so.   For this reason we receive the guidance and

blessings of these great men.  To that extent they are benevolent to us.

As already stated there are three varieties of naags.   In the above paras

you have been acquainted with Antriksha Naag and Bhu-naag.   Now let us see

what is meant by ShreerasthaNaag.   As already stated the word Naag means air,

our body also consists of nine varieties of "Vayu", the tenth Vayu is called as

'MAHAPRAN". Among the nine vayus, which includes Pran there, are four

external Vayus. -  i.e. Vayan, Apan, Saman and Udan.   They remain within the

cavity of the body.  Naag, Koorma, Krukala, Devadatta and Dhananjaya are the

names of internal vayus.  They operate in the arteries and veins.  "Apan Vaayu"

resides in the cavity below the naval point.  Behind the naval center resides the

"Saman Vayu".   Near the cavity next to the heart resides "Prana Vayu"."Udana

Vayu" resides in the cavity near the neck, while the "Vyana Vayu" pervades the

whole body and maintains the balance of the movements of other vayu.

How does a man die The 'Apan Vayu' below the naval center attacks the

'Saman Vayu' which lies behind the naval center.  Consequently the  'Saman Vayu'

leaves its place and moves to a side.   Now the  'Apan Vayu' attacks the 'Udana

Vayu' in turn throws the  'Apan Vayu' downwards.  Due to this pull and push there

are two results taking place.  There are peculiar noises in the throat, this is what is

called the last action of the vibratory sound before life departs from the body.   The

second action is while the 'Apan Vayu' is being pressed down, the  'Pran Vayu'

moves upwards by the pressure and when this pressure becomes unbearable the

'Pran' leaves the body.   After these external Vayus leave the body the five inner

Vayus begin to leave.  But since they reside in the tanmatras they take time to

leave the body, that is why even when the 'Pran' has left the body, the body does

not become cold but maintain the heat till 'Naag', 'Kurma', 'Krukal' and 'Devadutta'

leave the body.

The  'Dhananjaya Vayu' does not leave the body until the body is burnt to

ashes or buried underneath the soil and gets mixed with the soil. Because

'Dhananjaya' resides in the cavity of the skull and the tanmatra, it does not leave

altogether and until the skull is burnt or disintegrated it remains there.  The thing

that flat between the no man's land and the two planets, when they cross the

barrier of the gravitational force and get into some speed, they remain in that field

moving for ever.  They cannot by themselves change their speed.  For that reason

in that no-mans layer there has to be some kind of external thrust, then only these

floating things get speed for them.  In the layer of no-mans land and the

'Dhananjaya Vayu' of a man, there are memories floating around various lives.

The same force, hence 'Pran' which is in the middle, suffers. Though a

disciplined yogic life the 'Dhanjaya Vayu' gets blown up and activated.  The

memories in Dhananjaya get pushes about and they get activated and they collide

with other memories and the various broken memories get speed.  All the

memories get awakened in this turmoil, we gradually get to know why are the

events taking place like this.  Then we become aware of the act of discretion, how

events should take place, that is how they get churned.  This awareness to accept

and reject memories according to our discretion is given to us by our Guru.

The body remains alive because of the movement of five internal vayus and

four external vayus, because of these nine vayus or naags of the universe and the

planetary bodies remain alive.  Just as there is a Mahapranwhich is the tenth in the

body, there is also a similar Mahapran in the Universe which is called "Isham" or

"Ishwara".  The movements of the nine naags in the Brahamanda are similar or

dependent upon the nine vayus in the body.  It is absolutely necessary to be aware

of this phenomenon. We are an instrument and integral part of the Universe, the

Brahamananda, to maintain the purity of it.  The word purity is used to mean

eternal existence, in other words, the purity means to be aware constantly of it. 

The existence of God as purity is dependent on the purity of our awareness

thereof.

You should command the nine Naags residing in our body and not to forget

that your existence depends on the nine Naags of the universe.   Oh!  Antriksha

Naag Rajas, Kindly shower your grace upon us so that the Naags residing in our

bodies may ascend to the zenith of Narayana Resha, which is latent in you.

. CHAPTER - IV

MYSTERY OF REBIRTH

Is there any relation with the sudden death of a person and his good

behaviour and not wishing any ill will towards anybody Even so, while a person is

being ill treated in his lifetime and the moment he is dead they develop a personal

feeling for him, it is declared the greatness of the dead man for ulterior motives.

Science believes that if an intimate object is shifted from its original place then the

space occupied by it leaves a vacuum behind and it persists.  If the object has

remained in a place for longer period the 'vacuum' so created and left behind is

called as its past or in other more familiar expression as a’ Ghost'.   Well-known

Russian scientist through his invention called as 'Kurlian' photographic method has

very ably proved even an inanimate object possession and "Aura" and this.  The

Aura of an inanimate object is dead which means that the light atoms are not alive

nor vibrant like those which exist in  "Aura" of an animate object which are found to

be alive and vibrant and so in the former case they are found on a coma and

frozen state.  In an astral aura changes take place according to time space and

distend chain of activities.  If you hold a mirror in front of you and put it aside and

again hold the mirror in front of you and like this if you do it again and again there

comes a moment when there is no mirror in front of you but you still see your mirror

image of a fraction of a second even while there is no mirror in front of you.  Our

whole atmosphere is like a xerox machine and whatever and whenever anything

happens, then its image is impressed upon the atmospheric "Xerox" (Zerox)

sphere. 

In the atmospheric xerox band whatever and whenever anything that

happens is retained as an impression of all such activities are called the Ghostly

pasts, we can call such phenomena as the "Karmas" of their past.

What is the life principle of living instinct of an animate object   Is it its body

But that too is mortal.   Is it its memories   But they too disappear behind a curtain

of time.   Is it its civic behaviour pattern or fated disunity But they too are

changeable to relative reality according to time and space.  

Then where does the immortal existence exist of all inmate beings   If we

think of a man, as a reverberant thinking being then his existence lies buried in his

thoughts alone.   Thoughts alone are even present and immortal while the body is

mortal. Ultimately man's existence lies in his thoughts and out of thoughts are born

his actions, memories, his destiny is carved out of such behaviour.  Just as a

'vacuum' is created in the place of an object which is removed away.  Similarly

immediately after the death of a person and even though the final funeral rites are

performed, a vacuum operates of all his activities and presence which depend

upon the intensity of his existence and behaviour.   But since an's existence is

termed as a living organism the vacuum that he creates has an extra charge

existence of its own.  Such a vacuum posses individually or collectively the three

fold envelope of physical form, meaning memory and motive oriented actions,

depending upon the affinity between the living and departed soul, one of the three

envelops established an invisible contact with the living person and a manifestation

of existence takes place. 

The affinity between the dead and the departed ones   are physically (form)

memory oriented may contain such divisions like cast, creed, religion, races and

such admixture of existence and the particular envelope that operated its existence

depends upon the memory pattern of the living and dead souls.  Even after the

death of a person his thoughts and memories continue to operate and influence the

surrounding atmosphere.  Whether it is organic or inorganic.   How does memories

or thoughts of a dead person exist and if so where Year’s back there appeared a

news item in a local Bombay Daily, which described an experiment performed by a

German Scientists.  He filled up ten glasses with acid.  The acid had the quality of

burning to ashes any live tree or live molecule which is thrown in it.  He puts one

life molecule (L. M) in one of the glass full of acid and it immediately got burnt to

ashes.   He thereafter took a spoonful of the acid from the first glass and put it in

the second glass of acid.  He examined the contents of the second glass and found

that the L.M. was as alive as ever.  How was this possible Having known that the

L.M. put in the first glass got burnt up and after taking a spoonful from the first

glass and put in the second glass how was it possible for the L.M.  to remain alive

in the second glass.  Thereafter he took a spoonful of acid from the second glass

and put it in the third glass and continued this process until he reached the tenth

glass and he found to his astonishment that the L.M. was alive and kicking.  The

scientist got flabbergasted.  When according to known laws of science the L.M.

Should have perished forever, then how was it possible for the L.M.  to display its

existence.  But it proved its ever-present existence, why The scientist came to the

conclusion that the L.M. got burnt to ashes in the first glass still the

embryonic embedded "Life Memories" continued to exist forever, and so the

E.E.L.M. continued to impress upon the succeeded glasses their impression of

existence as real and made the scientist to feel that the L.M. continued to exist as

ever.

Just as the L.M. having got burnt to ashes continued to exist as E.E.L.M.

similarly when a person is dead and his body is burnt to ashes, his E.E.L.M.,

continues to exist and manifests in the form of a mortal being as a "Phantom". 

This what we call as ghostly Phantom and such phantom impressions

are embedded in   the atmospheric zerox band, and as life memories are a symbol

of once existing entity - God and so there is no such thing called soul as a separate

entity in the body of a normal human being.   The awareness of this fact and its

actual manifestation takes place when a person realizes itself realization of the "I"

in him, and when this takes place it is called "Blissful self existence".  Just as the

impression imprinted in the atmospheric "Zerox" are its memories, similarly the

entire living organism and even the individual living being is the symbol of

the ultimate supreme entity.   The entire cosmic creation is the desire encrusted

"Memories egg" and is the crystallization of the cosmic thought of unknown

dimensions.

Many people are unaware that they are dead.  Imagine that in your dream

you dreamt that you are dead and you do not wake up then what Even a dead

person dreams that he is dead, but this dream state does not last long.  Even while

the body is burnt or buried his immediate memories of hunger and thirst are kept

lingering on in the collective life memories and after sometime on certain occasion

when the desire of dinner and lunch arises, such intense desire awakens and the

intensity increases.  Now these lingering memories have no physical vehicle to

achieve the objective-hence begins to agonized existence.  Desires remain

unfulfilled because of the absence of any physical vehicle.  These are classified in

our religious scriptures as "Naruka-Yatana" (Kingdom of hell). Formally, when

alive, a man was bound by his bad thoughts of bad places and due to body

restrictions of family circumstances like status, culture etc. was prevented from

doing any unwanted deeds even though the desires were there but their such

actions were taboo and totally avoided by the process of reasoned actions, but

after death such a bonded existence did not prevail and the mathematics was that

desire alone became the mode of travel.   It is therefore while alive man desires to

do a good act or visit an ideal place, then after his death he also operates on the

same approach and obtains heavenly bliss and this is called as "Heavenly

departure" for the dead soul.  Therefore life after death depends upon desire

oriented before departure after death and there are no separate habitation domains

as such for hell or heaven.   That is why those who are scared of life, they turn

towards spiritualism and experience the agony of jumping from fire into the frying

pan.  Life after death is not any separate body of existence but a mirror image of

what you desire and your actions   in your lifetime.   Except that the   subtlety   of

vibrational frequencies, time factor and relativity are of fantastic nature and very

often of a frightening nature.   There is a world of difference between the

manifestation of pain and pleasure into non-existing super fine state of existence

and that of cognizant worldly pain and pleasure of living being.   It becomes difficult

to comprehend the magnitude of manifestation of a multidimensional vision and

here the state of and law of relativity operates, it being a separate reality with life

forms of its own, in a time and space concept of its own e.g. in the corporal life of a

man who can drive a car at 100 km.  Per hour acquires a speed of 10,000 km. per

hour in the non-corporal world.   One can imagine and comprehend the relative

happiness a man enjoys between the corporal and non-corporal existence.  If a

man encounters an accident to his car while alive, he similarly encounters an

accident in his non-existence state of life but of a different magnitude of a

frightening nature.

Let alone the accident part.  The remnant sum of the living memories of a

living being is blown to smithereens after an accident.  What remains behind are

memories of an animal oriented nature and when the desire arises of being born

again then these animal   oriented memories drag him towards similar   animal

existence.   The accident advice given by Sanatan Dharma to all mankind was that

"obtaining a human form is a divine blessing and one should be ever mindful of

one's mind and use intelligence judiciously".   And as one grows old, one should

curb one's desires and wants and keep all action under control.  If this is achieved

then the memories instead of blowing to smithereens with remain intact and it

would be possible to obtain a human form with divine grace.

As stated above many people are not aware of their death.   To give

and revive this awareness, the Hindu Dharam prescribes a ritual of observing a

third, tenth and thirteenth day of remembrance and offering a ball of food to a crow

and to find out whether it touches it or not.  If the desires of the dead person still

persist then the crow does not touch the food.  What is the reason behind this   A

crow possesses an  "Infra-sight".   In addition to what we see with our normal sight,

there are three more sights known as "Infra", "Gamma" and "Bita" sights.   The

images that are within the range of these light frequencies are not available to our

normal sight.  Since a crow possesses infra sight it sees the memory frames of a

dead person hovering over the food which is offered, the crow is frightened and

keeps away from the food and refuses to touch it.  When the living relatives see

this they make a solemn offering to the dead person's desire, the departed soul

thereafter realizes that he is living in his memories alone and cannot touch the food

so offered and he recedes and the crow having seen the dead person depart it

immediately touches the offered ball of food.  The crow is not learned enough like

man to see the soul, but that something, which was hovering over the food, has

gone so he pounces upon the ball of food.   The ancient Hindu system having

studied the behaviour pattern of crow over a long time has established this

mode/laid down this ritual of the dead of posterity because they found out that the

crow is a symbol and representative of the domain of the dead and hence that

realm of the departed is turned as   "Vayas Lok" because they consider crow as

Vayas   or representative of the dead.  It is not in our nature to know nature as

such and remain in an ever-bountiful nature behaviour, ever tolerant, forgiving

creates the seeds of human welfare.  This awareness is provided in the past so

that the thought process is immortal and everlasting.

I have written enough and Heaven alone knows as to how much has been

grasped by you.  At least the invisible infra waves of the galaxy of memories must

have read what I wrote and at least some of the living memories would obtain the

peace they had deserved.

CHAPTER - V

MYSTERY BEHIND FIRE WORSHIPHis Holiness Gajanan Maharaj of Akkalkote has said: -

"Short cut to progress is dubious and full of   explosive potentialities.   Science un-

tempered by this criterion may lead to slave test tube babies made in order,

domination of the technocrat   over   all the surveys, consequent   pushbuttons

conflagration, lava of desires feeding on itself and enveloping the globe unmindful

of the wanton destruction, greed, anxiety, insecurity, chaos and disharmony it

brings in its train,"  "A single misdeed perpetrated in any corner of globe

will adversely affect the atmosphere, this in turn will have a deleterious effect on

the functioning of the human mind.  So the circle perpetuates.  That is why peace

like progress is indivisible.  By conscious efforts we have to purify the space

dividing the Trilokas.  Yajna is conscious effort made in this direction".

In a brochure entitled 'Sacrifice' published prior to the Somayag at Akkalkot

by Sadguru Seva Samiti says: -

"A time is approaching when science and religion will reunite and

harmonise.   The fundamental unity of God in his essential attributes makes it

imperative that science and religion must harmonise.  Science is nothing but the

investigation of physical laws while religion is realization of God and His laws in the

metaphysical realm.   When God created universe he created the physical as well

as the metaphysical world.  He projected his will into the physical world created

natural laws.   There also exists a third world, which can be described as physical

and metaphysical divinities from where contribute towards the unity of the physical

and metaphysical world and strength the bond between them.

This new consciousness for need of spiritual values is arising in the world.   

In order to achieve this aim in life, the world atmosphere needs to be charged with

the effect of harmonious musical notes and holy recitations.  Harmony is an atomic

energy that keeps off evil of all kinds.

"The hermitages of Vedic seers in days immemorial were acting as

generating stations of Divine power solely with the object of enkindling humanity to

attain perpetual bliss.   In the holy atmosphere these seers used to perform fire

worship continuously. Experimentation and minute observation of results

there from convinced humanity about the efficacy of such worship, whether

performed individually or collectively.

These are known as the ritual of Yajyna in Sanskriti and merely fire worship

in some other parts of the world.  During this form of worship offering of various

items are made to be consumed by the fire along with the chant of Mantras.   

Mantras are a combination of various syllables from the alphabets of Sanskrit. 

By virtue of the peculiar and specific combinations mantras become potent

sound combined with the power of the thought also behind them.   The word

Mantra also carries a thought and "meaning".   Manah Trayata iti Mantrah also

holds good.   This means the word or words which potentially vibrations  - charged

can elevate the mind of the person who spells them repeatedly mentally or mildly

audible with due devotion.  The power or the form of power it denotes, not only

that, the subtle sound vibrations of them penetrates through every cell, but

transforms them in due course to shining divinity.  Again the air around also reified

the sound vibrations and particles of the air get altered and surcharged as to dispel

all the impurities therein and also neutralizing whatever pollution there about the

makes it clear and porous so as to allow more of the divine substance of "Prana" to

fill in.  Thus helping only peace and Godly encircled thoughts prevail all over the

place.  This, in turn, permit "Devas" and their agencies take their due and

legitimate place around so to shower on us their grace and promote plenty and

prosperity.   That is what Bhagwan.Vedas describe the rituals for various types of

yagnas in typical details like the design, the mode of construction and the

directions the alter is posited.  The solid and liquid offerings to   fire and intervals

between the offerings are   clearly prescribed.   Fire is prepared from wood of a

particular set of trees only.  They do not need tending by human hands.   Different

mantras are to be chanted for, different yagnas and their sequences are stated. 

The intonations and pauses in utterances are mentioned.  The qualifications of the

priests and also of the performers are given.

           

Various types of yagnas are mentioned for the satisfaction of various types

of worldly desires, either for the individual or the community.  There were different

yagnas prevalent in olden days performed for the fulfillment of specific desires.   

Yagna lasting for a week or more is called 'SATRA'.   In yajyna the offering of

animal flesh or blood has absolutely no place. Yajyna performed with a desire to

obtain rains, Parjanya Kameshti would attract water particles as a combined

result of specific offerings to fire among chants of certain mantras when at a

temperature of about 640oc there appears a thin film in the atmosphere due to

oxidation of organic substances leading to showers.

Rais bring down to Earth Prana from celestial atmosphere.   There are

instances when Yajynas were performed with a desire to beget an offspring as in

the case of Shri Rama and Draupadi.  These are known as Putrakameshti and

Kanyakameshti Yajynas.  Yajyanas were also performed to avert great wars and

world disturbances when divinities were invoked.

Yagnas even bring to this day the potential for the above achievements.   

With the advance of physical sciences and the consequent enlargement of human

knowledge present is the most opportune   time for resuscitation of yajynas   is

society. Frontiers of pure science are receding and the scientist is on the verge to

declare a new approach to problems of life, creation, time and infinity.   It will be

easier now   to acknowledge that the disappearance of yajyna from society has

robbed humanity of a potent weapon which is intrinsically an antidote to pollution

besides being capable of generating an atmosphere   which imprints the human

mind with   seeds   of contentment and prosperity.

The purificatory effect of a properly conducted yajyna on  the mind  is the

biggest blessing to mankind and will enable  man  to climb up the stairs to

spirituality for "Blessed are the pure  in heart for they shall SEE GOD”.

CHAPTER - VI

SAINTS AND THEIR MIRACLES

A miracle is commonly considered to be an effect or event without law or beyond

law.  But all events in our universe are lawfully wrought are lawfully explicable.

In India in the past there lived great saints, yogis and sagesy   had

achieved great powers and could   perform   acts inexplicable on account of their

yogic prowess.   They could command the whole universe with their powers

attained by yoga  or penance.

Changdeo, a great yogi who lived in the thirteenth century, was a very great

authority on yoga.  He could control wild animals like tigers and serpents.  When

he went to see Dnyandeo he rode a tiger and had long serpent to be used as

whip.  He could bring he dead to life through his yogic powers.  He lived for

fourteen hundred years.   Dnandeo, also a yogi, went forward to receive Changdeo

riding a wooden log, they could do this because they were both great yogis.  The

yogis, on account of their yoga sadhana attain great power known as siddhi. 

Siddhi is superhuman prowess on account of which the yogi can perform wonderful

acts. 

Siddhis are eight.  Anima, Mahima, Laghima, Prakamya, Prapti, Feshita,

Vashita and Kamvasayita.  The Siddhis are a result of service, penance and

meditation.

            Once Namdeo and Dyandeo went on a pilgrimage to the north.   It was

summer and the sun was shining bright.  The travel was on foot through the desert

of Rajasthan.  Both felt very thirsty.  But no water could be seen nearly. 

Everywhere was a mirage. They saw a green spot at a distance.  They walked to

the spot. There was a deep well.  Water had reached the bottom of the well. There

was no open or a bucket at hand.  Dnyandeo on account of his yogic powers

assumed a small form equal to a thumb went down the well and quenched his

thirst.  Namdeo was not a yogi but he was a great devotee of Vitthal.  He prayed to

God and expressed his desire to get water and drink and the well immediately

overflowed.   He quenched his thirst.  So Dnyandeo on account of his yogic powers

and Namdeo on account of his deep devotion attained the fulfillment of their

desire.  This could be called a miracle.

The power attained by yoga can influence the whole world.  Such a person

can rule over the animate and inanimate things in the universe, can see and

experience things from the past, present and future and all the beings carry out all

his orders.

Jesus Christ cured many sick persons only by his touch.   Some persons

haunted by Ghosts approached him and he rid them of the influence of the ghost. 

He even brought to life the dead.   He did so many things which were inexplicable. 

This is because he is a yogi and a saint.

Each person's soul is a part and parcel of Paramatman.   The Paramatma

has no form.  It i colourless, odorless and without any of the three Gunas Satva,

Rajas and Tamas.  But just as water has no shape but assume a shape when

transformed into ice similarly the human soul assumes the shape size and form as

it is part and parcel of Paramatama.

The Yogi concentrates his attention on a thing and transforms the things into

another desired thing.  Thus he becomes one with Brahman.   When once he does

this he can control the animate and inanimate things in the universe.  The Yogi as

also a devout devotee can see God everywhere and then he can perform any

miracle. *

CHAPTER - VII

WHAT PART IS PLAYED BY SAI IN THE MIRACLE OF CREATION

Is there anything conceivable, which can be called a miracle other than the

creation itself It suggests to me there is none.

Can we see birds flying in the sky, aquatic species existing in water and

creatures, that live in the vast expanse of world and firmament, are as miracles. 

We cannot imagine our flying or be under water or reach the remote stars and

celestial bodies hanging in and around us in the normal way and so, we may

postulate these as miracles.  We may also have to dismiss them as quite normal,

for they are their normal nature to be so, since they cannot exist in other

conditions.

However, from our standpoint, observations and capabilities, there are

several things that we do not know and their activities when observed, they indeed

strike us as miracles.  More we are steeped in ignorance, the experiences of

miracles, by and large increase and sway our mind with awe.  More and more

knowing and the knowledge increased in us, the myth and deception of miracles,

wonders and unique things happening, disappear from us and we only see the

Reality.  That is, I mean the existence of God only.

It is my endeavor in this small essay to speak of the part played by God in

solving the puzzle of our existence.  It is my ardent wish to establish that Shirdi

Sai's appearance in the drama of the world is to annihilate the pith and substance

of our misconception of the world, its existence and the myriad of things, that upset

us and keep us in different states of amazement and understanding.

Well, what existed in the beginning and what is going to be the end or in

other words, what survives the holocaust   Different answers have sprung from

different quarters in answers to the above questions.  Even the texts of religion of

various hue and colour, ancient and modern, gave some explanations to the

mystery of   the creation.   The Scientists, Geologists   and   others explaining the

very same question also attempted to answer it in their own inimitable style. 

People of varied faith, who believe in this or that got satisfied with the explanations

offered by various cults and beliefs to which they are most drawn.  In spite of all

this, the milliondollar question remained, with no one being absolutely satisfied with

the results of the probe, but still longing for a clear-cut, unwavering, true and real

answer for it.

Whatever be it and the beginning may be, we invariably, deduce that, if

there is anything before creation, it is none other than, say, call it God, Shakti

(Potential Power), capable of multiplying, changing into a mass of things endowed

with vast power and potential life (Jeevan Shakti).  Life permeates and percolates

in the order of creation everywhere, that appears as many, but in essence this life

force (Jeevan Shakti) has its existence in only One, that is God.  Therefore, the

common saying has arisen,  "All is that only" and originated from it and ultimately

the force of God gets merged in its Being.  We also, infer, there is nothing called

total destruction or resurrection. They are only changes in status, repeated in

successions, perhaps in infinite ways.   Every destruction is for   construction.

However, we have now to confine ourselves to the existing things of opposites, that

make the creation possible and that display the power and glory of God.

It is possible and meaningful only, if pairs of opposite exist, that shall make

the creation sustainable.   Jillellamudi Mother 'Anusuya' says that the differentiation

alone makes the creation a reality.  God wants this play to endlessly continue as a

sport of Him.

Well, then in this seemingly chaotic creation based on Karma (action and

reaction) theory, there is order and set laws, which undoubtedly govern it.  Where

imbalances are noticed and the order and the law imposed on the creation, is

disturbed and threatened, the Avatars sprang from the energy of colossal

dimensions   called God.   Undoubtedly, Lord Sainath is   the offspring direct from

the real power be, in the form of a Human being at a particular spot of the world in

India and that too in Maharashtra.   Shri Sai Baba used to say that certain things

and talents are found only in certain places, So.  Also India is a land of Holiness

and hence Holy ad avtaric Purushas abound in large number in this Indian Sub-

Continent, i.e. Bharat.

Maharashtra abounds in large number of Bhaktas and Saints and

especially the Godavari terrain produced remarkable Saints. There is indeed no

difference between God and Saint.   Lord Krishna explicitly says in Gita that He

resides in Saints.   Sai Baba is above the order of Saints and in fact, He

represents the Primordial Energy, God.

His advent saw a great transformation in the political horizon of India and in

the unification of our country.   While He was living, many people contacted Him

and the silent work in their variant natures have planted tremendous change in

them, as is found in the Shri Sai Satcharitra authored by Rev. Annasaheb

Dadholkar and Rev. B. V. Narasimha Swamiji.

           

How Sai works is unique.  He allows the creation to go on untrammeled and

bring in subtle changes in the relationship and minds of the beings.  He helps

people in distress and woe, by cutting across the jargon of karma and gives them

ample scope to rectify and develop.   Sai looks after minutes, needs to the

highest requirement of emancipation.  The constant faith in Him and the prayers

to Him (Sai), wards off many dangers and isolation.  The trust in Him slowly

develops to spirited love on Him and for everything one is made to depend on Him

only.  Finally, He enriches His devotes to love everyone and the creation to serve

with steadfast faith.   The advance devotee perceives only Sai Baba is everything. 

Sai Maharaj trains his lovers to face several ordeals of life with ease and without

the desire of seeking anything at all.  The greatest transformation He brings in His

devotees in desirelessness and slowly, but steadily march to the Summum Bonum

of life of the realization, that He is God.

When Sai Baba plays a miraculous part all over, the grip and influence of

Him are so expanding every nook and corner and all is blessed to see the world,

the creation fast moving to an ideal plane of Self Realisation and utmost

satisfaction.

This is a Golden Era, Let, all take to His Bhakti and directions and it is so

sure, all doubts of the creation will cease and everyone shall ultimately see the

creation as a play, which should be effectively and happily acted by all, while their

merging in the Totality of Sai is a definite certainty.

The part played by Sai Bhagawan is the miracle, which is far wider and

greater than all the miracles of the creation

CHAPTER - VIII

SAI-THE SUPREME SAINT

Saints and sages using their mission in this world have tried to enlighten the

human mind through their precious preachings.   It is interesting to note that these

preachings last forever, as their validity is worth one's own life.  Being a country

blessed with great saints, India has been praised for its spiritual strength by the

entire world.   As an incarnation of LORD DATTATREYA, during His mission, Sai

Baba has spread the religion of love, compassion and endurance.  Some of its

preachings, which have been cited in the present context, reflect the same.

When we consider the significance of "Dakshina", Baba asked for two

rupees, From this one would easily mistake this for monetary

values, But, Baba actually meant FAITH and PATIENCE.   It is evident that

undaunted faith helps mankind to be relived of all problems.   This term Faith as

used by Baba, reflects in the saying of Ramakrishna Paramahansa, who said,

"Faith is life and doubt is death".

The term patience has universal application.  Here again, the present day

saying goes 'patience pays'.  This is true, because one would be easily carried

away when confronted by troubles. It’s at that time patience would be required. 

Keeping undaunted faith in Baba, and developing the trait of patience helps us to

live in peace.

When one goes through the assurance given by Baba, "Remember me,

believe in me, heart and soul and then you will be most benefited!"   It shows the

concern of Baba for mankind.   Again Baba assured that if one tried to go near Him

by one foot, He would advance towards the devotee by ten feet.   This signifies the

fact, that every humble attempt by devotees to reach the fold of Baba would be

blessed in multiples by Him.

Sai Baba warned human beings, not to be carried away by worldly honour.   

This is because these are momentary.  It is ultimately the grace of God and

blessing that would come to one's rescue. 

So, the main purpose of human life has to be an unending attempt to be honoured

in the court of Baba.

Baba's reference to Karma is the same as explained by Lord Krishna in the

"Gita".   He has suggested to us, to endure whatever that came to us, as it reflects

the outcome of our Karma.   The only means is to think of God and request for his

guidance.  This would lessen the burden.  Unconditional surrender at the "LOTUS

FEET" of God helps us in better living.

Baba has given the highest place of Guru.  He suggested that love for one's

guru and surrendering to him would help one, to visualize the real light in life.

It is worthy to note that in Baba's presence, there would not be any kind of

difference between the rich and the poor.  He is the only saint, who spread the

tendency of tolerance among various religions, saying  "SABKA MALIK EK".  This

is evident by the people belonging to various religions coming to Shirdi and

worshipping Baba.

Baba had the unique power of visualizing the same ATMA (or SOUL both in

human form and also in the form of animals.  He suggested that a person before

taking food should necessarily satisfy any form of living being, that comes to the

door.   Baba has personally proved this, by thanking a lady, who has fed a roti to a

black dog.  Baba felt that satisfying the dog has satisfied Him personally, as the

same ATMA existed in both the forms.

From all the above references, we come to understand that faith and

patience are the prime requisites to reach the fold of Baba.Also it has been made

clear, that developing love for fellow beings and serving them satisfy Baba.

Finally an unconditional surrender at the LOTUS FEET OF SAI BABA would

make our lives worth living

CHAPTER - IX

HOW SAI BABA HELPS US A THEOSOPHICAL VIEW

Our worldly concern and worldly joys mean so much to us that the word

"Help" is often interpreted as some material gain as:  profit in business, promotion

in office, suitable match for our children, recovery from illness or rescue from some

mishap and so on.   Maya holds us all under Her powerful spell so much and for so

long.   Little do we think how temporary pleasures fail to satisfy us and how as one

desire is fulfilled another follows and often these pleasures contain the seeds

of pain.   Again so inordinate is our desire that we do not hesitate or scruple to

commit bad karma in pursuing our pleasure.  Worse than that we develop for these

pleasures a carving, which goes with us life after life, even though we shall have

atoned for our sins by suffering.   Temporal pleasures are in these ways transient

and they become breeding grounds for bad tendencies as:  lust, greed, anger,

envy, etc. and bad karma.  They infect our minds, dim clear thinking and check our

spiritual progress.  These arguments are not intended to deprecate bodily

enjoyments altogether. Moderation should be observed in having them.

As against all these take spiritual joys called bliss.  Bliss is unmixed without

even a touch of pain.  It is pure, holy and it has a freshness, which cannot be found

in sensual leasures. Pooja, bhajan, satsangh, devotional reading, as:  Shri Sai

Satcharitra, serious study, and meditation bring us joys that never go stale.

Engaging in some kind of yoga is rewarding.  They delight us from day to day, and

are therefore, called nityanand. This is what Sai Baba likes to give us.  He

complains:   "People do not ask me, what I want to give."   This joy is a tonic to us.

It purifies our minds, raises our efficiency and promotes our spiritual progress. 

This is where Sai Baba "Helps us".  Sai Baba also says "Life is spent in vain, if one

does not engage in yoga, or any other spiritual work."

The illusion that surrounds us in nature called phenomenal universe and the

three gunas:  tamas, rajas and satwa that create tendencies in ourselves, impel us

to act.  Our actions are good or bad according to our tendencies and we are

compelled to be reborn to undergo the results of our actions.  While in the act of

expiating for our past Karma (actions), we are led by our tendencies to commit

more Karma, which entangle us in future rebirth.   We are in this way caught up in

a whirlpool of Karma and rebirth, from which there seems to be no way to come

out.

Whatever good Karma we may have done leads us to a guide.   One such

guide is God, has a grand plan and that plan is helping individual souls march step

by step to Perfection.  This marching forward is called evolution.  What a Sadguru

does is to cooperate with God in working out His grand plan.  He is a Messenger of

God, and his mission is to lead humanity back to its source.

It is essential to understand that while the Sadguru shows the path, it is

entirely up to everyone to work for one's evolution. Just as faith of the patient in the

doctor, and the patient's cooperation with the doctor in following his directions are

necessary for recovery, so the faith of the aspirant in his Sadguru   and his

scrupulously carrying out   his   Sadguru's instructions are necessary to progress in

spiritual life.   The Sadguru knows two important points in his devotee.   First, the

tendency or sanskara of the devotee and second, the stage of evolution attained

by the devotee.  Accordingly he prescribes sadhanas suitable to a particular

devotee.  Samartha Sadguru, Sai Baba bade Abdulla Bhai clean the streets in

Shirdi and fetch water, he asks Das Ganu Maharaj to do Harikatha.  He asks other

devotees to go to Siva Mandir, or read the Pothi (scriptures like Bhagawata or the

Gita), other to recite Vishnu Sahasranama, others to go to other shrines, to join

satsangha or to meditate.  The Sadhanas  (spiritual practices) prescribed by Sri Sai

Baba varied from one individual to another according to   their tendencies and

development of the individual concerned. 

By these sadhanas the aspirants benefit in two ways.  While they progress

spiritually, they also add to their store of good karma (punya) and at the same time

they are enabled by Sai Baba to pay our other Karmic debts.  Here Sai Baba saves

them from having to reincarnate so often in the future.  This He does by

intensifying their sufferings in the present life itself.  We see some ardent devotees

exposed to enormous suffering.  He has done this in the case of Dr Pillai of

Nagpore, Abdulla Bhai, Mhalsapati and Upasani Maharaj.

Even good Karma is regarded as golden fetters if the Karma is done with the

consciousness that one is the doer.   In the declaration "I do this service in the

name of my Master" there is a ring of Rajas".

This may lead reincarnation with chances of betrayal to indulge in pride and

hurting others' sentiments.  But it is hard to get over this tendency.  Nothing sort of

absolute self-denial and surrender to Sai Baba can help in destroying this feelings.

Then by the grace of the Master the aspirant realizes that his Lord is the

doer and he is only an instrument.   This is the greatest upadesha of Bhagwan to

Arjuna.  "Nimitya matram bhava, Sabyachi".  (Be thou the instrument).

Selfless work can alone help us in receiving the grace of the Master.

Distributing food, medicines, clothes or   affording shelter to the poor, giving

emotional comfort as:  listening to the words of the distressed, the bereaved or the

convalescent, diverting the careworn by music or fine arts or entertainment's,

helping is studies and above all, disseminating   spiritual culture. 

It has been made sufficiently clear how Sai Baba helps us not only come out

of troubled existence but enter into a richer and more fruitful life.  It is up to every

one of our readers to reflect on all that has been discussed above and meditate on

Baba.  Then He will give the prompting from within as institution or send some one

or cause some circumstances to show the way to the devotee concerned. Out of

twenty-four hours in a day, do we set apart a twenty-four minutes in prayer,

devotional reading, meditation or any other spiritual work   Even in those brief

moments how often do our minds skip over to the next programme or chew upon

what happened yesterday!   We talk aloud about our understanding the spiritual

values, glorify the spiritual heritage of our Rishies and condemn the materialist

tendencies of the Westerners.  Can our own hearts bear close scrutiny in this

regard   Are we proof against temptations   The modern man, whether he is Indian

or any other national gives first place to the satisfaction of his worldly carvings.

Aware of the preference of the modern man for temporal joys, Sai Baba

blesses him first by granting him a material favour.   He does this for some time till

he binds the devotee by a tie of gratitude.   By degrees Baba changes the man's

gratitude into devotion to God.

The degrees are that the devotee's love for Baba grows so strong that he

does not mind even if his prayer for more favours pass unheeded.   In this way the

devotee is trained to   accept cheerfully whatever comes to him as a result of his

past Karma.  He regards even sufferings as gifts of God.

Next Baba knocks off the conceit of the devotee by making him realize

how he fails whenever he starts any work on his own account and how success

crowns his efforts when they are taken in the name of the Master.

In some rare cases Sai Baba enters the heart of the devotee and works from

within to change his bad tendencies.  Once Nana Saheb Candorkar was smitten

with the charms of a woman as she came to pay her respect to Sai Baba.  He was

taught by Baba to understand the body as temple of God.  Getting distracted by

physical beauty is, therefore, like becoming lost in the architectural splendour of a

temple and forgetting the Murti (image of God) within. Since then Nana Saheb

grew in wisdom and purity and Baba was also working within him.  One day as

Nana Saheb started his service in his prayer room, a naked women of captivating

beauty appeared before him.  Nana Saheb threw his shawl upon her.  She shook it

off, skipped and dashed out of the room.  Nana Saheb chased her and threw the

fleece to cover her nakedness.  She jumped into a bush and vanished.

Baba has said that he remained inside every one and had any thing that

occurred in any body's mind and could not escape his notice. Sai Baba has

assured Justice Rege that he would be by him and inside of him too.  Baba had

also exposed erratic people by telling them what lay in the innermost recesses of

their heart. 

We see in Sai Baba the fulfillment of the declaration:   "Anthar bahir cha tat

sarvam vyapya Narayana stitaha"   (Narayan exists pervading all inside and out).

Sai Baba bade Pandit Kashinath who accosted him for spiritual progress, sit

quiet in Khandoba temple eating roti and curry. Baba undertook to do the

necessary work for him.   The Pandit obeyed the Master and became eventually

the famous Upasani Maharaj, founder of Sakori Ashram.

What is needed is to meditate on the Master for some brief moments, at

least, in the day and start the work of absolute surrender, a difficult task, of course.

There are instances to illustrate Baba's definite contribution to our evolution,

such as, how He settled a dispute between reptiles, sympathized with the lizards,

enabled a cow to attain through successive births to the stage of a Brahmin lady,

and how He deprived a black magician of his power leaving him only the ability to

perform simple feats in the service of Baba.   To a Theosophist who suspected

whether Baba was a black magician, He declared that He was a White Magician

leading the people along "Shubhra Marg" (illuminated path) to the White Lodge.

A stage is reached when even the result of God actions proves as hindrance

to the ultimate liberation as it leads to rebirth to enjoy their fruits with chances of

being betrayed into lapses and regress.   So, the Avtars warn their devotees to

dedicate the fruits of their labours at the feet of their master, which the devotees

readily follow because of their profound devotion to Him and by that means, the

way is paved for the individual souls to ensure their immunity from the Karmic

bondage.   Any good act performed in this spirit ian act of dedication or selfless

service and the doer becomes automatically a replica of the Avatara itself, which is

nothing other than a dedicated life of the Supreme Being for the service of the

universe.  In leading a selfless life in obedience to the Master as explained above

the individual souls are only assisting in the Mission for which the Avtar has come

among us.

Lord Sainath calls His devotees who are almost all of them highly

evolved souls to assist Him in the Mission for which He has incarnated.   In order to

make them efficient instruments in his work.  He ensures their protection from

Karmic commitments.

The peculiar feature of Sai Avtar is that it is taken to benefit individual

'jeevas' instead of the benefit being of a general nature as was the characteristic in

the previous avataras and a double effect is achieved in this Avtara, namely, of not

only benefiting the individuals but  of  helping  others  by  these individuals being

used as fit instruments for the purpose

CHAPTER-XLORD SAIBABA'S SAYINGS AND TEACHINGS

THE GOAL OF LIFE, THE GOAL OF KNOWLEDGE:  WHAT IS IT

This is one of the problems discussed by intellectual workers on purely

rationalistic lines.   Tiruvalluvar, the   author   of 'Thirukkural', says that it is only

true knowledge, which enables you to see the reality behind the final outward

forms of things, which means the truth, which remains after the analysis of the

entire Triad, namely, Self, World, and God; that is Brahman.  We need not enter

into questions of Dvaita or Advaita, though there are people, who way that to deny

the separate existence of a human soul, is to commit suicide, that on ultimate

analysis two things remain namely, the self undistorted and God, whom the self

reaches.   There are also many other divergent views.   The ultimate truth is

complex and not capable of a simple statement and thus the intellect also go on

contradicting and fighting, How does Baba deal with devotees, when they are

faced with this problem

Chandorkar and other graduates, who had studied philosophy, Sankara’s

commentary on the Gita, and other works, were confronted with these problems,

and sometimes they discussed these at the Wada at Shirdi.  Baba did not

profess to be a University professor offering solutions for problems to be published

to the world, but dealt with each man individually as he approached Him as Guru. 

Baba's solution was always on the lines of getting over theoretical difficulties by

adherence to practical methods.  By sticking to Baba with full faith, these problems

could be solved.  Unless there was the proper approach, there was no solution.

Baba indicated this view in the way, in which He dealt with a sceptic like the

Stationmaster of the Valambi Railway Station.  The man had no belief in Baba.  But

having persuaded by Das Ganu, that Baba was a great soul with wonderful

powers, he was just prepared to accept Das Ganu's invitation, so that he might go

and see Baba for himself before he judges about him.   When the Valambi

Stationmaster and Das Ganu came to Shirdi, the all-knowing Baba was behaving

peculiarly.  He took up a number of pots, washed them one after another, and

placed them mouth downwards, which seemed to be quite the reverse of what one

should do, and what one does usually.  The Valambi Stationmaster was impatient

and asked Das Ganu, "What is the meaning of all this procedure of Baba" Das

Ganu asked Baba, and Baba’s reply was  "This is the way in which people

approach Me, only when the vessel is placed with mouth upwards, it can receive

anything; but this is the way, in which people approach me, with mouth

downwards."   The hit was not quite intelligible to the Valambi Stationmaster.   

Receptivity meant some degree of faith and respect for the person approached, so

that the person approached, could   pour   into the approaching persons some

seeds   of instruction, edification or other useful teaching.   But, the Valambi

Stationmaster was quite innocent of any faith or regard for Baba, and could not

derive any benefit from Baba.

But Baba's point was quite clear, to solve any problem, connected with

one’s spiritual progress, one must be dead earnest and approach some person,

whom he has got regard for, or faith in, and then patiently wait for solution of his

intellectual or other problems.   Baba occasionally used even accidental chances to

furnish further illumination on this matter.  After 1910, Dixit and some other friends

wanted to leave Shirdi, and asked permission of Baba to go; Baba said 'You may

go'.  Then a devotee asked, "Baba, where is one to go” Baba at once gave a new

turn to the talk, and made is educative.  Baba's answer was,  'Up', that is 'Above

this', which obviously meant, 'Above the present worldly   level, in which one is

grovelling with so   many attachments and repulsions, sorrows and joys, and so

much of confusion.  Guru was essential and useful to overcome obstacles, that

would otherwise hamper one's spiritual progress.  The word 'Guide' here meant

'Guru'.  Baba's reference to the deep yawning pit meant  'hell'.  So, Baba drove

once again the much needed lesson, that unless one got a Guru, one would make

no progress at  all, or in the language of Kabir, "Guru vin Kone Bhavave Vat" that is

'Unless there is Guru, who is to show the way” Baba again   and again pointed out

that the solution to   one's intellectual riddles, conundrums and mazes, lies in the

practical step of summoning up faith and reverence and love to a Guru, who will

himself   thereafter solve all problems; remove   all difficulties and drive off all tigers

and bears from the  route, and  save one or in any case had far reaching  results.   

Upasani Baba, who came to Shirdi in 1911, took Baba for his Guide and got his

help especially, by silent instruction through visions.   In one of the visions, Upasini

found, that as he was passing on, there was a deep pit, which afterwards he learnt

was hell, and clutched at his feet, and tried to pull him down.   He had sufficient

grace to remember his Guru and said, "Let go, let go. If you don't let go, I will tell

Sai Baba."

The   remembrance of the Guru knocks off all Vasanas   and tendencies,

which lead to hell.   Thus, Upasani’s feet were released from the clutch of the

hands from hell.   Upasani was then told that is was a mistake to go very near the

brink of that pit.  It was the Guru's grace that saved him from that pit.  This is

allegorical or symbolical, but, in point of fact, it was this same Guru Sai Baba's

grace, that saved Raobahadur H.V. Sathe from the brink of hell, the sin of

immorality with a lady of doubtful reputation at the Shala at Shirdi.  On that

occasion Sathe felt like a thief caught red-handed.  He repented immediately his

stupidity and he resolved never again to call at that woman’s place or to omit such

a sin.  So, Baba did really save this devotee of His from falling into a yawning pit,

and thus showed that He was the Guru, who would take a man on to the goal of his

life.   If a man commits such mortal sins as adultery or debauchery, he can never

be fit to receive the higher truths, which alone can take him on to purity,

detachment, and love of God that ensures salvation and liberation.

Thus, what Baba spoke to Dabholkar was illustrated in the case of Sathe. 

But, this was not the only instance, in which Baba helped either Sathe or others.  It

is not merely Kama that degrades the soul and takes it to hell.  Krodha, anger or

hatred does the same.   Baba in this case of Sathe, did another piece of signal

service.   Sathe had purchased a plot of land at or near Shirdi, and wanted to go

and see the place.  He brought a cart and wanted his wife to get into it, so that they

might go and see the place.  But, Dada Kelkar, his father-in-law, who arranged the

sale, was anxious that claims to that land should not be put forward by

Sathe's Jnytis or next of kin, as they would claim, it if they came to know that the

land was purchased by him.  So, he had told his daughter not to go with her

husband to see the land.   So, when Sathe wanted his wife to get into the cart, she

would not come.   Then, at once Sathe got angry, and took the horsewhip in his

hand, and wanted to whip his wife, for her impertinent refusal.  He had lifted his

hand, when Sai Baba who was watching the whole scene, unseen, from his won

Mosque, sent up Megha to hurry up and bring Sathe to Baba.  So, as the whip was

lifted, Megha said, "Baba wants you," and down fell the whip.  Sathe went to Baba. 

Baba there softened Sathe, and told him that there was no necessity for him to see

the land for the land was there all the time.  Sathe found how Baba had saved him

once again from an act of gross cruelty to his wife, which would also be one of the

sins leading to hell.  Conquest of temper is essential for one’s religious progress.

CHAPTER - XILIFE DIVINE (Realisation of self)

In Gita Lord Krishna said, “O Dhananjaya, Arjuna, I have shown you the

divine Cosmic Form, My diminutive forms, and the light of my devotion.   Partha,

adore Me, surrender to Me, Merge in Me.   The absolute dedication and surrender

will enjoin you to Atomic knowledge of realization.  That body is the field of my

sport, where the five senses, mind, Prana and bodily intellect are playing a game of

lust and desire.  The dream of the Jiva state abides in this field (Kshetra).  The

relationship between Jiva and Shiva is forgotten”.

In the commentary on Gita, Dhyaneshwar has said that the mind is a link

between senses and the discriminative intellect.  It is of the material of Vayu and is

fickle.  The mind resides outside the intellect’s sphere and controls ego.   It fans

the desire, inspires hope and follows up fear.  It pushes the senses in sensory

pursuits.  It feeds the Sankalpa to create a world of its own and vanishes its own

creations.  It makes the Jiva to be extrovert and restless.  It drives the senses after

objects.   It covers the intellect with ignorance and fans the hope that one can

derive happiness from the vanishing objects.

The mind rejoices in multiplicity.  In the knowledge for Yoga Sadhana effort

is made to put an end to the play of mind.   However, this very mind has its own

divinity, because it can join the senses to the self.  In the devotional path the

stream of mind is tended towards God.  In the Dhyana way, taking resort to truth

and philosophy ends the fiction of mind.   The intellect is made to prevail upon the

mind.  In Yoga, the mind is made to vanish.   The human mind is thus fickle but can

be controlled and steadied.  It is divine in its substance and can join us to the

cosmic mind and can bring its qualities in the individual mind.   When the mind

turns into itself, it has a magical effect.  It abandons the sensory objects and

merges in the body. It crosses the portals of the waves of consciousness and

retires back in Self.  When the mind vanishes, the Sansar or the external world

evaporates.  The duality ends.   The God oriented mind expands itself to its cosmic

shape.   It embraces the universe and gives the realization, which God resides in

our inner being.  But it takes the help of devotion, knowledge and yoga to reach

this type of experience or understanding.   The working of body, mind and speech

come to a standstill.  The mind with tendencies of senses merges in the heart.  The

consciousness merges in self.  The motions of breath also become slow.   The

intellect merges into the being.   This state of happiness, equilibrium and self-

based contentment is the state of bliss.   The individual being transforms into

ecstasy and stabilizes in the proximity of cosmic consciousness.

Dhyaneshwar has classified devotees into three categories 1)

Sthitapradnya, 2) Dhyani Bhakta and 3) Gunateet Bhakta.   The devotee called

“Sthitapradnya” (steady minded) reaches the inner knowledge  (Sanvid) by the

force of actions without longing for fruit.   The Dhyani devotee becomes bereft of all

desires, and lusts and reaches the knowledge (Sanvid) in Ananda form.   The

Gunateet  (who is beyond three Gunas) reaches renunciation and reaches

knowledge (truth).  All these three types of experiences are of the same sort,

although viewed separately by us.   Lord Krishna declares that he approves of the

Dhyani Bhakta, because he is ever engrossed in perpetual remembrance of God. 

The real devotee is stuffed with love for God and incessantly thinks of nothing but

God.  This kind of love is naturally moistened with intensity, sentiments and

affection.  It is therefore desirable to be Dhyani Devotee.  The aspirant of Yoga

Path lays stress on Naval, Heart and Eyebrows centers.  The serpent power in him

inspires new life at the place of Parvani  (i.e. Nabhichakra). 

Their concentration on the heart center swings between the mediator and

object of meditation.  The Kundalini makes a swing here like a cradle and

manifests as a flame.  Near the eyebrow center, it endows the aspirants with divine

vision  (Divya Drishti).   The unbeaten drum sound in the heart leads the aspirant

onward and merges him in bliss through the corridor of  the lustrous light of Adnya

Chakra.  The external world lives in material sky (Bhutakasha), whereas the subtle

world of the mind lives in Chittakasha (Astral Sky).  The Chidakasha or the higher

sky begins from the naval center.  The Daharakasha blooms near the heart,

whereas the higher sky (Mahadakasha) begins above the neck center.  Thus the

heart has its Daharakasha within, while the Kantha has the Mahadakasha starting

from its arcade.   The material sky and the astral sky (Chittakasha) are common all

beings whether human or animal beings.

The astral sky (Chittakasha) is made up of desires and hence it is expansive

as the universe.  It assumes the narrow shape of subtle body.  This is the root

cause of creation of time space dimensions in the mind.  The wrong knowledge

causes the illusory sights in the Chittakasha.  We have to cross the Bhutakasha as

well as Chittakasha by constant Sadhana to rise up to the level of higher

Chidakasha.   When the mind sublimates into Unmani state, it merges with cosmic

consciousness.   It is therefore inevitable to cross the barriers of selfishness,

desires and lusts and follow the path of divine life.

There are two glands at the base of the brain 1) pituitary 2) hypothalamus,

which give a new current of life, when Sadhana activates them.  This is the Amrit

oozing from  “Satravi Kala”.   When we reach this stage, the mind easily tends

inside and merges into the simple Samadhi  (Sahaj Samadhi).    The intellect is to

be made to stick up to the original support less principle to enable oneself to enter

into the field of cosmic mind.   For this we have to surpass the limits of life of body

senses, and control ripples of mind.  These processes of Yoga must be assisted by

devotion.  Otherwise the mind will not be controlled along with the Prana  (vital

breath).   This   is necessary to live the universal life of a Dhyani Bhakta.   We

should not be a drab Dhyani or Yogi.  We should be a Dhyani Bhakti Yogi

simultaneously.

The Yogi of Dattatreya cult, Shri Tembe Maharaj, has said in his  “Datta

Mahatmya” that Pranayam control Pran but cannot still the mind.  We have to

undergo the process of Pratyahara and withdraw our mind and senses from the

objective world just as the tortoise controls his limbs.  The Pratyahara must be

followed by Dharana. This will engage the mind in love.  The ripples of the mind

must merge with the help of recitation of name and concentration on the form of

the Godhead.  Mind can be “no mind’ with the help of Pratyahara.  The Dharana

and Dhyana will have to be fixed on the Saguna   Form with the help of

Namasmaran, Manaspooja   and devotional attachment.  The four-armed beautiful

Vishnu Form is specially devised for meditation.  The mind still with Prana under

the influence of concentration on the form of Narayana. When Prana is won along

with the mind and the mind is evaporated into nothingness, the aspirant enters in

Chidakasha (higher sky) and starts living the Divine Life.

The Nathas do not recognize the broad framework of Yadnya and Vedas. 

They value Omkar, which is the mystic Veda in the compact form.   Nathas adored

Nama in the form of Omkar Pranava.   The sound in the word is divine.  The Nada

can merge the jiva into self.  Nathas withdraw the mind from sense life, rouse

Kundalini power and repeat Soham in the breath; they cross the six Chakras and

hear Anahata to enter Divine Life.   The Natha way is influenced by the Guru

Mantra and the Guru Bhakti.   Gorakshanath in his Siddhasiddhant Praddhati

describes the half-opened eyes stabilized breathing of Sadhaka who sees the still

lamp not fluttering by wind.  The Manonmani stage downs together with the

Amanaska Mudra.  The Atma manifest as a virtual flame.  The Nada and

Amanaska Yoga is held by Nathas as supreme Sadhana.   The Shiva coupled with

Shakti is the support of Universe.   Goraksha admonishes reaching Nirutthan Pada

by Nadalaya, Sahajakumbhaka and Pratyahara.  According to Nathas reaching

Shiva principles with duality-non-duality approach is the divine life leading to the

light, which is Ananda.

PURIFICATION OF BODY, MIND AND THOUGHTS

Sai Baba had emphasized that the body, mind, intellect and ego have to be

purified first for the success of all sadhana efforts.   This is because we are

unclean due to the effect of past karmas.   Moreover we are being taught every day

about the lure and desirability of money fame, power and enjoyment.  This

produces a lasting impression on the subtle body which is beyond mind and

intellect and which survives physical existence.   We have to think in different

directions and live a different way of life to smudge the impact of these

unwholesome effects.   The different way of thought, action and life is the

“Sadhana”.

The body gets purified on account of selfless service and benevolent acts. 

This helps in obliterating the impressions of past karmas on the mind.  When the

mind is sublimated, the seeds of devotion can be sown and nurtured within.   The

barren and stony soil of selfish deeds and thoughts is not fit for sowing the seeds

of intense love for God.  The aspirants must properly understand this.   Selfishness

is a road leading in altogether opposite directions more than the road to God or

liberation.   A man approaches God step by step, when he removes the pains of

others, assists men in distress and knows the God inherent in others’ minds.

Similarly, it is essential to install the memory and the idols of God in the heart by

incessant recitation of name and meditation on the form.  This enables the subtle

body  (that outlives physical death) to wipe off the imprint of selfishness and to

replace it by the image of God.

A Sadhaka has to tune in his consciousness with the divine consciousness. 

This means that he has to merge his consciousness in the cosmic consciousness. 

This purges the ego (The ego is not pride here).  The consciousness of an

individual when purified induces God element within from the universal level.  The

still, tranquil and peaceful God oriented consciousness adjusts itself with Cosmic

Ego  (God).  The jiva is attracted to the divine Shiva.   This is the path of Divine

Life.  The string that leads into the light beyond time and space through the portals

of life and death is a string of Gunashakti.  This string can be handled through

selfless life, harmonizing with God and merger of prana and mana in eternal

peace. The power of Guru intervenes here and takes charge of the aspirant’s life

and carries him towards the final goal of liberation.

The sadhana of freeing from the samsar is no tantamount to forsaking wife

and children. It means that we have to see the happiness and sorrows in life with

an eye of a witness. This has been said by Baba himself. We cannot see life like

an impartial witness because of our concepts of happiness and distress, which are

illusory in substance.

We shall be able to unchain ourselves from the shackles of Prarabdha only

when we can see the working of six vikaras  (Shadripus) in the detached manner. 

We must not be conceited when prosperity floods our lives.  We must accept good

fortune modestly.  We must not allow the wicked to exploit us due to our

weakness.  Riches are transitory.  We must honour the saints and saintly people. 

We must feed the hungry, pity the animals, give alms to the poor.  However, we

should not squander our money because nobody would support us, once the

money is frittered away.   The money is an absolute essentiality in the prapancha.  

If we are to spend, we should spend for the orphans, disabled, destitutes and for

public welfare.  Our living should be simple and unostentatious.  We should avoid

disputes and squabbles.  We should not breed familiarity with the servants.  We

should love our spouse, but should not be henpecked.  All the world is a caravan

serai.  We should love God alone.  All is fleeting; hence we should do our duty and

leave the fruits to God.

The weal and woe, the prosperity and poverty are the effects of Birth-

Prarabdha  (Deha-prarabdha).   We have to consume it and exhaust all with the

attitude of faith and patience.   If we commit a theft or a murder for the sake of

money, it would bring in Karma-prarabdha  (i.e. fruit of karma).   It is not Deha-

prarabdha.   The destiny did not mean to gift it to us.  We have ourselves brought

the karma by our greed.  We have now to consume earlier Deha-prarabdha and

the new Karma prarabdha.  If it cannot be exhausted in this birth, we have to take

another birth to repay it.  It is for this, that we should have absolutely control over

the mind and action.  We should not enable ourselves in the new web of karma

due to lust and greed.  We should exhaust the original Deha-prarabdha with faith

and patience.

An aspirant must accomplish the  “Four Sadhanas”   (Sadhana-

Chatustaya).  This is vivek, vairaga, shamadama and mumuksha.  In other words,

it means renunciation, discrimination, control of mind and desire for liberation.  We

must read on with these four instruments in our hand.  All yogas, yadnyas,

penances are fruitless and futile for want of these four sadhanas.   This is because

the human mind is not cleansed and made bereft of dirt if these four virtues are not

attained by aspirants.  The love for God  (i.e. Devotion) can be cultivated in a pure

body and heart. 

This ground has to be prepared.  The pathways leading to pure Chaitanya

and God realization spring from this base.  The roads of light begin here only.  This

is the interpretation of Baba’s

teachings.

PREPARATION OF  MIND, BUDHI,  BHAVA  AND  SANKALPA  FOR  REALISATION.

The readers have acquainted themselves with the bare truth that the

Sadhaka must imbibe in himself, a number of virtues, piety, moral behaviour,

compassion and service.  The virtues are divine wealth.  The Yamas and Niyamas

in yoga science, suggest virtuous and moderate life.  If our daily life is selfish, self-

centred, and infested with wrath, lust, jealousy and hate, it will not be useful at all

Sadhana.  On the contrary it is fully detrimental to the life of atomic progress and

attainment.  It is a fact that a man does not change his nature, behaviour and

expression of his mind, intellect and ego in an easy way.  His mind turns to God,

only when he is bitterly hit by dire disappointment, shocks or the battering at the

hands of distress. Only a few are the blessed ones who have an inborn tendency

of piety, devotion, love and unselfish attitude.  This is an outcome of merits of past

births, which enjoin them to the Godly wealth of these virtues.   God waits to see

and watch, when we would take to the new way of life by an inner change within

us.  For this his test is made up of the incident of weal and woe to which he

exposes us from time to time.  One who has honestly changed his ways and who is

endeavouring to reach God by sincere and honest efforts is not far away from

God.  He cannot see God face to face because of the impurity of mind, buddhi and

ego.  The light of realization would flood his life, when he is inspired into divine life

through the grace of Guru or God.

The mental, physical and intellectual preparation is an essential prerequisite

of Sadhana.  We forget this simple truth and stick up to our old type of behaviour

and action.   We forget the significance of the preparation or ignore its pressing

demand.   It is because of this fact that we do not cross even the first step to reach

the arcade of Sadhana.  We must change our previous selfish and lusty life.   Then

alone the body and mind are reformed   to suit the needs of Sadhana.   We forget

this conveniently.  This truth is echoed in Yama and Niyama in Astanga Yoga. 

The truth, non-violence, non-stealing, celibacy and non- acceptance of anything

from others constitute  “Yamas”.   This discipline causes the senses to diminish

their attachment for the worldly things and purifies the mind and body.  The body

becomes energetic and the luster of morality shines in the mind.   The individual

selfishness based on attachment abates.  The intensity of desires and longing for

outward things evaporates.   The  “Niyamas” constitute sacredness, love, pity

which tinge the body and mind in their divine colours.  Niymam means assimilating

purity, satisfaction, penance, self-emancipation and trust in God which are virtues

leading to mental discipline.   This includes some   exercises of body; breathe

control, Asanas, penance, recitation of name, vows, etc.  These help to achieve

external purification of the body.  A man is self-contented because of Santosha. 

Silence and peace free the consciousness from the external interruptions and

involvement and begins to think extrovertly.    Truth, celibacy and silence are such

magic techniques, which open the doors of happiness.  This type of the pure

aspirant (who observes silence, celibacy and truth) imbibes in his free

consciousness God’s love, universal compassion, service of humanity and such

other divine virtues, if he practices Tapa, Swadhyaya, Ishwar pranidhana

(Niyamas) japa or recitation of name concentrates the mind and intellect on God’s

name and form.  The rays of His grace are attracted towards the mind of the

aspirant and illuminate his heart.   Swadhyaya  (or self study) is next stage in which

an aspirant coaches himself and turns his mind to God.  The next stage is Ishwara

Pranidhana (Meditation on God), which joins the mind, buddhi and ego to God

directly.  This consists of nine-fold devotion (Smarana, Chintana,Samkirtana,

Archana, Atmanivedana, etc.)   This orients   his consciousness towards God and

teaches him to love God deeply.  If the love towards God is fixed and steadfast, the

divine wealth like purification of the body and mind, compassion, humanitarian

attitude is easily accessible to the Sadhaka.  The simple meaning of Yama Niyama

is to make the senses and mind to leave their natural tendency towards worldly

things and to love God intensely and steadily.  In short, this is the process to stop

the tendency of the mind to run after worldly things and tend it back to the Atman. 

The mind that runs after the worldly things come back with the attachment for

things.  The Sadhana aims at breaking his web of attachment between the worldly

things and the human mind by remaining aloof in water like the lotus leaf.  We have

to gain detachment, satisfaction and contentment by the Sadhana.   The door   of

knowledge   lies hidden behind   the   curtain   of discontentment.  The door for

entry into Anand opens through this Santosha or contentment.  We have to block

one thought by another thought.  When thought and sankalpa (will) are brought to

an end pure and sacred consciousness appears within us.   The web of thoughts

and wishes create a mind.  Mind is nothing but a bundle of desires and longings. 

Peace abides in freedom from desire.  The Sadhana gives this freedom.  The

Sadhaka should keep the God’s name on his tongue, his form in the

eyes and turn the consciousness  (mind, budhi and ego) into Godly awareness. 

This Sadhana means merging one’s will in God’s will and turning the sorrow in the

form of desire into happiness or bliss.  The senses will be controlled by the mind;

the mind by prana, prana by laya (merger) and laya by constantly hearing the and

the mind should not relish planning of desire (samkalpa) nor the bonds of

past memories.  This emancipates the mind and makes it fit for Sadhana.    This is

indeed the reason why the Sadhana   of purification of the mind, buddhi, ego and

Samyama is inevitably essential.   The steps of future exercises like Asana,

Pranayam, Pratyahar, Dhyana and Dharana are open to those who achieve this

preparatory success.  This preparation means, in other words, to repulse the

attached mind from the sources of attachment like wealth, fame, power and lust

and fix it on God   through concentration, moral life, selflessness, love and

compassion and benevolent acts.  This creates true Ananda.  Every good actor or

fair feeling leads us towards God and advances us to the goal of realization of the

self.  The variety and indulgence are not real pleasure.   The body is apart from the

inner consciousness is   a truth realizable through Sadhana.  Love is the means of

attaining Prashanti  (Bliss).   The unity of humanity and self-knowledge springs

from Prashanti.   Prashanti is   constantly   flowing contentment and Ananda.  It is

unselfish but faith bound life.  It is truth, love, knowledge and Shanti (Peace).  This

enables an aspirant to see his atma shining apart from the five sheaths of his

existence, body, mind and inner consciousness.  This is a Sadhana leading to

original truth by casting each sheath by turn. 

The Sadhana reveals that a man is God.  This Godhood could be reached

by purifying the body, mind, rejoining the buddhi to God and by revealing the inner

pure “I” in our ego or consciousness.  This Pure “I” is God.  This pure “I” is a part of

the universal consciousness (God).  The doers of Sadhana, love, realization and

bliss open through this pure “I”.  It is therefore an unavoidable part of Sadhana to

refine the mind, buddhi and ego.  It is not only refinement, but also a reforming and

purging process.  The reason for insisting this factor again and again in this article

is that the man has gone for away from the purity of mind and buddhi in this life of

speed, selfishness and self-centred ego.  He has to revert himself to the original

nature by honest and dynamic efforts.  We can purchase an article from a shop

after payment of the cost but we cannot purchase divine life and realization in the

market.  We must change ourselves internally, inwardly and be fact to face with the

divine life and its demands.  One can very well understand the value of Sadhana

and its essentiality also on a mental plane.  But he has to act positively by offering

the necessary sacrifice, inner change and surrender.  The methods of money,

power, and organization will not be of any help there.

            The main intention behind this preparation is that the mind and buddhi

should be clean, pure and capable of accommodating nobler and higher tenets. 

The mind is to repent first to enable oneself not to mix up in sense objects even

when one is face to face with sensual enjoyment.  When we pull the string of love

and devotion, the tensions of “I” consciousness relax.  The heart is a sporting

playground of Saguna God.  Navel is a place of dynamic action.   Talusthan   is

the   entrance door   to   the   crest   center  (Brahmarandhara) and the crest center

is the place of merger of Shiva and Shakti.  We have to enter this preparatory

Sadhana so that we could step on the threshold of divine life.   The consciousness,

which is marked by individuality at the navel and eyebrow center, gets expanded

when the consciousness is raised higher   and higher from navel to the heart

center.    The universality of cosmic elements made up of love, compassion,

devotion, humanitarian and kindness sprout up in the heart.  When the Saguna

form of God is fixed with steady love in the heart, the ego crosses individuality and

enters into universality and merges in cosmos.          

            The   process   in the consciousness namely   Saguna   Nirguna

transformation, individuality-universality merges are vital in imparting perfection to

an advanced aspirant.  The Sadhana of control described earlier together with

renunciation of the fruits of action help in the pooja of the universal God residing as

a spark in the heart.   This discipline is of   great significance and assistance to a

true aspirant.  This orients a Sadhaka through his senses, mind, buddhi and ego

towards the Paramatma residing in the heart.  When the senses together with

the mind turn into the heart and the waves of devotional love sentiments spring

out through the senses.   The control and denouncement turns into love and higher

sentiments.  This is a high and elevated stage of Samyama and Vairagya

(renunciation and detachment).  This cannot be experienced at the very

outset when the exercise of Sadhana is at an infancy stage.   This would demand a

constant and determined service and Sadhana   for sometime. The Gudakesh

(Paramatma) lives in the heart.  This is universal or cosmic God.  He is the master

of the senses.  He is to be invoked in the heart.  Bhakti is the method of

invocation. 

This takes us over Samyama and purification stage and dips us into the main

stream of devotional love.  The devotion does the reverse action of pulling down

God into the mind, buddhi and ego.  That is why Tukaram and Kabir call Bhakti

as superior to the plane of heart.  This requires the process of Nama, love, control

of breath and such other techniques the Saguna form is a sportive aspect of God.

This leads to Nirguna.  That is why Saguna is significant.   The Saguna love

is also called “Shambhava Bhava” or  “Viralodaya Bhava”.   This is a sentiment of

positive assumption of cosmic ego.   This sprouts through love for God.  The divine

love is a rare gift of God.  The love expands with equanimity sense.   The

surrender melts it into fluid action.  When the love assimilates in Chitta (inner mind)

it becomes the energy of Chitta.  This is the descent of God in other words.  The

devotee enters the heart of the universe through his own heart.  The universe

becomes the heart of the devotee.  The ocean of Samsara turns into the ocean of

love sentiments.  The bhakti sentiment starts from the deep faith  (Shraddha) but

mere faith is not bhakti.  The steady and determined emotion of love is faith.  It has

the basis of determination of buddhi and fixture of emotion.  But bhakti is a

spontaneous flow of love.  Action tinged by love devotion is the

easy denouncement or detachment (Sahaj Sanyas) love with faith, suffer

Prarabdha with courage (Saburi), surrender enjoyment to God and face the

senses.  God can accept the offerings through a picture also.   But the mind must

be cosmic oriented.   God is indebted to love and a servant of Bhakti.

This article has dwelt upon the initial spiritual preparation consisting of purification

of the mind, intellect and ego and control of breath.  It has also touched the

advanced stage of devotion flourishing in a pure and controlled mind.  This article

has descanted the stage of sublime sentiments.

Tukaram describes the realization experience as follows: -

“The Pranas have been sluggish, drowsy and slumbering.  The sign of

immorality is manifest.  The eyes have dilated by light, throat is choked with

sentiment, the body is thrilled with ecstasy. The mind has been glued to the self

and is motionless.   The blue light is lit like in the dawn.  The seventeenth Kala is

exuding Amrit.   The sun and moon are together.   The Jiva is allying with Shiva. 

The ecstasy is sprouting in the water of bliss.  The Jiva is plunged in Ananda and

the mind is Unman.  The awareness of space, direction and time has died down. 

Atma has expanded into the universe.  Aham has merged in Soham and the

external world has vanished.  The Brahma has blazed out of the heart as a flame.

CHAPTER - XII

YOGA FOR All

There are millions of creatures in the universe. Among all, the form of

human being is the best, in the sense; it is nearer to the Creator.

The   Creator creates the Universe with some thinking   and analyzing. 

Among all creatures man only can think and analyse.   So the human form is the

best form to realize the ‘Supreme Being’ or to be one with the Universal one.  If the

man tries, he can know the knower in him.  He can realize the self.  Once he

knows the self or life or Atma inside him, then all lives or selves inside all beings

are known to him.  Then he becomes Brahmagnani or Brahman himself.  He joins

with the Para Brahma or Universal God.  Once he joins with Para Brahma, he

becomes God Himself.  He realizes that he has no birth or death; he has no

pleasure or pain.  He is Paramahamsa.  The main aim of all human being should

be to become Paramahamsa.  This can be achieved by Yoga.

To achieve Yoga, there are many more ways or processes.   Among them

are by severe asanas, pranayams, following difficult as terites, by long-range

tapas, by Kriya yoga or Gnyan yoga or Karma yoga and Bhakti yoga, etc.  But for

an ordinary worldly man all the above paths are very difficult. If this is so, then how

the worldly man can achieve Yoga and merge with God.

The worldly man can easily realize God and merge with him.  If he realizes

what is “I”.  “I” is this material jada body of blood, flesh, and bone or “I” is the self or

consciousness or life of this body.   If I am not there, then this body of mine

becomes dead.   This body cannot see, cannot speak, cannot move and cannot do

anything.   So the doer, seer, hearer, knower is not this body, but it is “I” the self or

life inside this body.  So “I” am is not this body but the life of this body.

As per the Gita, the life or Atma cannot be cut, cannot be burnt, cannot be

sunk in water.  It has no birth or death.  So “I” the life or self has no birth, no death

and no growth.   It is separate from the jada body.  It is the witness of all activities

of his body.  I am the self or Atma, the part of Paramatma.  Like the air inside the

body is not different from Universal Air, similarly the Atma inside this body is not

separate Universal Atma, or Paramatma.  Parabrahama i.e. Paramatma is

permitted in everybody, everywhere.  So “I” the self in my body is the same in the

self in everybody.  The qualities and nature of self or Atma or Brahma is one and

the same in everybody including all avtars like Rama, Krishna, Sai Baba and

Shankaracharya.  That is why Sai Baba says “I realize that I am God and you do

not realize that you are also God”.  This is the difference between an Avtar and an

ordinary man.

The life or Brahma or Atma is the witness of all our activities.   This witness

i.e. God is Sainath, can help us or put us in trouble, if we do good things or bad

things.

Once we realize that the self or life in everybody is the same or Atma, which

is in us, then we feel the universal self.  We will hesitate to trouble or cheat or harm

any other creatures.   All lives or atmas in others will be our own Atmas or lives. 

Then we will feel “Vasudev Kutumbakam”.  Then only we will feel complete Yoga,

with God or Paramatma.  So to get complete merger with God severe austerities,

Sadhanas, asanas, pranayam or tapas is not required, except realizing the truth

that we are not this material jada body, but the life on Atma of our body.  Once truly

we realize this, then our Yoga or merger with God is very easy.   All worldly may

will vanish and we will become the true Human Beings or Paramahansa or Avtar

Purush.Realise this, then you can realize the real realization i.e. achieve the true

Yoga with Baba.

.

CHAPTER - XIII

BHAKTI, BHAGWAN & BAGAVATSBhakti is a real genuine search after the LORD, a search beginning,

continuing and ending in love. Even a single moment of this divine madness of

extreme love for God brings us eternal freedom.  Bhakti is intense love for God.  

When a devotee gets it he loves all and hates none.  He becomes God-

intoxicated and satisfied forever.  This love is perennial and cannot be reduced to

any earthly benefit, because so long as worldly desires last, that kind of love does

not come.  Bhakti is greater than karma, greater than Yoga because these are

intended for an object or goal in view while Bhakti is its own friction, its own means

and its own end.

Bhakti has been one constant theme of our Sages, Saints and Mystics. 

The supreme greatness and efficacy of Bhakti has been

expressed, written and sung by them and all of these have emphasized that one

great advantage of Bhakti is that it is the easiest and the most natural way to reach

the great divine end in view.   The singleness of attachment (Nishtha) to a loved

object is the basis for genuine love for God.

The great danger that exists in various stages of Bhakti is fanaticism.  Love

for one ideal does not result in hating another ideal.  Here, in is the explanation of

why the same man who is so lovingly and steadfastly attached to his own ideal of

God becomes a violent fanatic when he sees or hears anything of any other ideal.

Herein comes the knowledge for discrimination, Jnana, Three things are

essential to fly to Godhead.

Jnana is one wing, Bhakti is another and yoga is the rudder.  All of us

cannot pursue all the three forms of worship together in harmony and therefore,

Bhakti alone is the only easy way for, with intense love for God, to reach Godhead

in a throne’s path where the soul meets God face to face.

In this age of religious wrangles and fanaticism the value of Bhakti cannot be

deprecated.  The aim of a true devotee is one, the union of his soul with God and

this is the highest achievement of human consciousness.  Our Vedas, Upanishads,

our epics, the Bhagawat Gita, the countless writings and compositions of   our

saints, seers and mystics have time   and   again, persistently, dinned into our

ears the need for   Bhakti, punctuated with an intense love for God.

All Saints are worshippers of the Eternal in one form or another and it is

done with their intense love to God.  Many of them are not merely content with a

spark of Divinity alone.   Their ultimate goals was emancipation from suffering of

Sansara of rebirth forever and reaches Godhead.   The emancipation they sought

not only for themselves but for all people as well.   All the great Saints worked for

this goal with a lot of dynamism and determination carrying this message to one

and all.

SHRI SAI BABA of Shirdi is unique in this respect for  “HE” preached neither

a specific religion nor cult but propagated among those who came to him, a

selfless Bhakti with intense love for God.   Baba entreated of his devotees to bid

good-bye to worldly possessions, honour, offices and status and in an absolute

state of abdication and abandon ponder on the Divine.   With this message to his

devotees, Baba remained a Fakir and transformed those who came to Him to

transcend the empirical and ethical levels and rise further to the spiritual.  This is

the ultimate philosophy all religions teach and the Saint of Shirdi is a living

example.  May HIS grace be upon all of us in a path divine to Godhead?

CHAPTER - XIV

THE REALITY BEHIND PRAYER AND ITS BENEFITS

Prayer is very much misunderstood by the modern people.  In their  view, prayer is

nothing but a travesty of universal material law,  a  fagade  to  deceive the Almighty

and  a  business  of  certain  persons   to  fill  their  belly  by  misguiding   others. 

The  materialistic  modern  man  does not  believe  in  awakening  the  spiritual

powers.

Young blood is naturally rebellious.  Instead of having faith  in 

discrimination,  it  believes  in being upset  and  excited.   It   desires   a   new

revolution, new transformation and new   world   in   every   direction.   Its  

approach is   purely   material.   It   has   absolutely no interest in spiritual life.  It

thinks itself to be   so   strong   that is does not demand anything from God by 

way   of   prayer.

This   disregard   is but a proud declaration of   atheism.   It   is   hypocrisy to

express doubt about the reality of divine power.  It   is   egoism   of   the   physical   

powers, which, with its narrow selfishness, turns everything to dust.  Some ordinary

people   on   the other hand, think that by way of praying, we can deceive   the  

Omniscient   God   to   give   us what we want, this view is also mistaken.

Prayer is not a mental entertainment. Prayer is a kind of spiritual

achievement.   Dutifulness, awareness, hard work and   prayer   with deserving

devotion behind it alone bring   about   the   bliss from the above as its fruit.  The

imagined calculations for self-aggrandizement of those who demand more than

their   service   are   however not fulfilled by prayers, it is generally   observed.  

God will not pay heed to the prostration and   auspicious   ceremonies   of persons

who are lazy, daydreamers or who are   deep   in sense enjoyments.

Prayer is a Spiritual Exercise.

There can be three motives of prayers. They are: -

a)   Prayer are offered for obtaining the material needs or for making good some

important lacunae in one’s life, such as  food,  clothing,  service, money, wife, or

child, relief  from  disease,  redress from some distress, tiding over calamity, to

obtain great  fame,  to  pass  in examination, to  attain  intelligence  or  in  general

to be successful in all undertaking in worldly affairs.

b)   Prayer is offered for spiritual evolution, to control the Kama and Krodha i.e. the

desires and anger, to understand what is soul, what is God, what is Death, what

are the conditions of Jiva after   death and what is this creation, for   mental   and

intellectual development, and for knowing the real path of liberation.

c)   Prayer has another facet.  There are real devotees of God who have no

demand whatsoever.  They only wish to be merged in the God Consciousness and

the love of God.  The sole concern in God realization.  This effort is the best kind of

prayer.

Benefits or Prayer

Prayer is a way to control the mind in the same manner as recitation of

name, rituals, repetition, sacrifice, etc.  It is a necessary exercise to the mind as the

gymnasium material is necessary for physical culture.  Prayer is a means of

cleansing the mind of the dross, which collects around it due to worldly thinking.

Prayer brings about internal order, balance in mind, sharpness of intellect,

clearness of perception and discernment.  It opens up the psyche of man towards

heights of spiritual truths and comes as a great help towards self-ennoblement.

Prayer is useful instrument with its subtle influence, which makes everyday

of our life a day of balance, enthusiasm and peace.  The subconscious mind of

man, which is said to be a very powerful force by psychologists, has a tremendous

effect on our behaviour.   Prayer helps us to understand this hidden layer of our

mind and brings great hope of divine sassier By prayer are aroused and activated

thoughts and feelings of good emotion, successfulness, vigour and the mind

saturated with positive towards life in general.   It creates a fertile soil for beat

thoughts in mind.   It may be said even that a battle started with prayer is a battle

for a win.

Prayer is a way of Repentance

When a man really repents his bad actions, he feels anguish.   He desires to

be free from his collected Karma and wash the sins off his inner being.  Prayer is a

very forceful weapon to cut away all the sins.  It washes away the worries,

anxieties, tensions, diseases and diseases forming wicked thoughts, and also does

away with false pride, which is a fearful enemy in the path of Enlightenment.

The spiritual current, which ensues due to the utterance of the sacred and

often repeated and pregnant words and phrases, purifies the atmosphere around

the reciter and fills it with peace and divine love.

Life starts with a blissful prayer and ends with a blissful prayer.  Out life is but a

continuous prayer.

When the stars of great noble thoughts of purity and divinity shine forth one

by one in the sky of our consciousness, the darkness of the night also seems

pleasant.   The   blackest prospects seem to be springboards to the highest

revelations.    

Many a times, a Sadhak feels great pangs of desire to see for himself the

divine source of his being, the source of all things, the prism or dial brilliancy of

God.  While praying, one moment of dazzling vision clears away all the shadows of

doubt.   The depression becomes itself the sunshine of happiness and within the

darkness a clear shaft of light touches our inner being, the white light of our faithful

prayer, the merit made perfect by the God, the divine response to our appeal.  True

prayer fills our life with joy, inundates it with a subtle kind force.

The Place of Prayer in Spiritual LifeWithout Prayer, the life of man is as dry and dark as that of beasts.   Our

worldly life often becomes poisonous with duality, malice, jealousy, deceit,

competition, envy and crookedness.   We burn ourselves by the ambers of anger. 

We run after thousand and one objects of quenching our thirst for pleasure. 

We lose the sense of proportion and discrimination, lose sight of real inward

happiness and fall down as pray to the objects of senses.   The mind that thinks of

mundane dross objects, itself becomes of their dross nature.  It is necessary to

wipe away this cross.   That is the beginning of spiritual life.  Desire, pride, thirst for

joy and pleasure, lust are to be killed.   The beautiful qualities of the Soul are to be

awakened and developed.   Prayer is the best method, the best helpful instrument

for this purpose, When a man considers that God is always before him, and

accepts his actual faults and cries out for relieving him out of the dross, he starts

getting an equilibrium and a peace never tasted before, humility, pity, forgiveness,

compassion to take full possession of the mind.

To be free of egoism, one has to surrender his self to the Greater Self,

which is omnipotent.  That Self is God, the Being- Moving-Joyful.    The Sat-Chit-

Anand Ishwara.   When   in   all humility, the mind surrenders its activities to this

Universal Action of God, it loses its pride of separateness and the dawn on divine

compassion in all its simplicity takes place.

In prayer, we remember the qualities of God, which are pity, love, charity,

control, good action, good conduct and the highest bliss.   Contemplation over

these qualities manifesting in the Universe as attributes of God, creates in our mind

a steadfast faith in Him and the dirty thought trash is thrown out like dead leaves in

a great tempest.

Prayer is a system of conversation with our Beloved God.   In prayer, the

one who prays speaks with his own heart and the Universal Heart listens.  Prayer

is a way to be unified with the power of the Atma, which creates, sustains and

protects the entire Universe endlessly and ceaselessly.  A real devoted prayer is

heard by him and full response comes from Him for it.

Prayer is essential for spiritual enhancement.  The dualities of desire can be

discarded only through real prayer.   True prayer relieves the mind of its burdens,

awakens the knowledge of the true and brings light in the darkened hearts.

Prayer is therefore a “Must” in our daily life.  It is the bread of our spirit.

CHAPTER XV

SPIRITUAL SIGNIFICANCE OF “DHUNI”

At Shirdi, we find a very important and conspicuous thing, called  “Dhuni”,

just in front of Sai Baba’s seat, in Dwarakamai.

At a glance, we may have a doubt, what for Sai Baba has installed  “Dhuni”,

the Holy fire, and does it bear any relevance to Sai Baba’s   Life and Message   

The answer is  “Yes, there   is relevance!” Sai Baba is not just the 51/2 feet

physical stature, as He appears to be. He is the personification of tremendous

Light, Power and Wisdom! “Dhuni”, which was installed by Sai Baba and which is

eternally burning, represent this glorious light of Atomic Excellence!

Sai Baba never preached any religion! But He engaged Himself throughout

His life, in re-linking Humanity with its original inner source of Divinity!  This re-

linking is called  “Religion”  as  per the Latin Origin of the word!  Out of our

ignorance, we identify with our gross physical bodies!  Religion is supposed to wipe

out this false identification with the external and to re- establish the rapport with our

internal divine nature!   Hence, Swami   Vivekananda   also explained that   religion

is   the manifestation of divinity already within! Sai Baba uncovered this divinity in

us along with its spiritual dignity!  In this noble and wider appreciation, “Dhuni” is a

great spiritual symbol, signifying several meanings and values for us!  Baba always

used to sit in Dwarakamai, by the side of the Dhuni and looked at it deeply, self-

absorbed!   He used to spend money for purchasing faggots of firewood to be fed

into the “Dhuni” meditating!   What a bewitching picture we can imagine in our

minds! Meditation is Tapas!  By Tapas, Gnana-Agni burns our past Karma

(Prarabdha) to ashes!   It burns the Sanchita also into dust!   By Gnana-Agni burns

our past Karma (Prarabdha) to ashes!  It burns the Sanchita also into dust!  By

Gnana Agni our present actions will not bear any fruits of good or bad in the future

(i.e. AGAMI)!

Sai Baba’s acts are the most valuable lessons and significant messages for

us!   He used to sit meditating by the side of  “Dhuni”!   Let us also meditate on Sai

Baba, silently, with our mind still and steady, without fluttering!  This is the curse of

Sadhana, we can infer from this picture of Sai Baba sitting by the side of the Dhuni

in meditation.

In the light of the above observations, let us know something about the

concept of  “Agni” as understood from our Indian Cultural Heritage!

The entire creation is the modification of “Fire” as per  “Agni Puranam”.  Our

body consists of five fires!  1) Vaiswanara Agni  (Fire in the digestive system) 2)

Kama Agni (Fire of Desire); 3) Krodha Agni (Fire of Anger) 4) Gnana Agni  (Fire of

Wisdom) and 5) Yoga Agni  (Fire of Yoga).

Fire of Anger and the Fire of Desire ruin the man’s spiritual prospects.   We

should do Sadhana only to augment the Fire of Knowledge and Fire of Yoga, and

at the same time to reduce the Fires of Kama and Krodha to nothingness.

In our culture, there is no event, which does not associate with the

ceremonial fire, which commands high esteem:

“           Dhuni” is fed by firewood, contributed by the devotees!   It symbolizes a

collective aspiration!   Anything done with   a collective objective is called “Yagna”

or “Yaga” in our culture!   “Dhuni” is also called “Yaga Agni”, Yaga and Yagna are

one!   Today  “Dhuni”, which is eternally burning at Shirdi represents the Holy Fire

of “Yagna” for the sake of collective peace and prosperity of the entire Humanity!

Sai Baba is for the entire Humanity!

“Dhuni” also symbolizes the state of eternal vigilance and perpetual

awareness!  Acquiring this spiritual state is called  “Jagruti”, which dispels the

horrid dreams we see in the sleep of ignorance!  This is “Tamasoma-Jyotir-

Gamaya”.

Let us cross over the darkness and enter into the light!   Dhuni is burning at

Dwarakamai to give this message to the future generations of Humanity!

When we go to Shirdi and see the “Dhuni”, we generally offer a coconut into

the “Dhuni”.  It is symbolic of our TRIGUNAS of SATWARAJAS and TAMAS to be

burnt in the fire of Wisdom, GNANMA AGNI!  Our life is an eternal story of

modifications of these GUNAS!   Sai Baba is GUNA-ATITA, beyond the realm of

‘GUNAS’, which are the attributes of Maya Shakti!   Sai Baba is the Controller of

MAYA! Our adding fuel to the “Dhuni” is symbolic of burning down our sins to

ashes.

The real meaning of the word ‘BHARAT’ is the “One who is immersed in

Light”!  “BHA” means Light and “RATA” is the person engaged!   Sai

Baba has come in human form only to re-settle us in the  “LIGHT” to make us truly

“BHA-RAT”!

“Dhuni” stands as an eternal symbol for the revival of this

ancient glory for which India stood for the thousand and thousands of years! 

Today the “Dhuni” of Shirdi gives us the Light of Wisdom; it gives the heated-up

comfort of Self- awareness!   It burns our sins to ashes for our Spiritual Upliftment.

CHAPTER - XVI

“SELF RESEARCH”Everybody likes to know “God” or the secret lying behind the universal truth.   But

only those Saints who are simply Godly incarnations like Ramakrishna

Paramahansa or Lord of Shirdi  (SAI NATH) are capable to show you that the truth

lies within you.   They never claim, that they are inventing or   discovering

something, which is outside, but they are helping us to find out our own ‘Swaroop’

or ‘Self’.

What is ‘Self’ It is something concrete, which can be shown by anybody to

everybody Which is the place one can search for It is always with you, which you

have totally forgotten!   Someone  (of course a highly spiritual realized personality)

has to remind you!!  You have to search for it again to recognize or to know your

own ‘Self”.  Once you got that knock by the grace of highest authorities, you don’t

need to do ‘research’, but  ‘Be Thyself’ forever!  Just as a radioactive isotope helps

in training the path of a particular physiological phenomenon in a life cycle of an

unknown plant, you yourself may see your own body (to which a common person

called as “I”) as a separate entity of matter in light of “Thyself”  (‘Atma Swarop’). 

One may find it a bit tough task, because since years together  (rather births

of ‘Janmas’ after ‘Janmas’) we have a fine notion to call our body as ‘Self’.  We are

not ready to accept that  ‘Self’ is different from the body, to which we stamped as

“I” or  “Myself” or “It’s me” or likewise.  Only those, who follow their  “Sai” (Sadguru)

enjoy the ‘Self’ just like ‘Hanskshirnyaya’; they can see their own body as a

separate entity   functioning simultaneously in the light of ‘Self’.

Some people may study Bible, some may like to work on  ’Chatur Vedas’,

some may take interest in Kuran, and some may like to know the underlying

principles of Zen Philosophy.  However, none of the sacred Dharmagrantha under

the Sun, will reveal its secret to you, unless you develop a very high perceptual

level and it is only in the hands of those ‘Karan Purush’, who incarnated only and

only for the purpose, they just lit and make you see your own self in your own it for

granted, that you are luckiest person, like Vivekananda or Ramakrishna

Paramahansa or Upasini Baba of Shri Sainath or light.   By any chance if you meet

such personalities, you can take a Path of Parth Sarahi.  In fact, we are so much

involved outwardly, that we are unable to judge such unique personalities, even

though they are existing and staying among us.  Sometimes it becomes too late to

know our own Sai  (Sadguru), who may show us Sai (Atma) the self searching for

the Sai  (Sadguru) outside the four walls may bring you to the stage of researching

our own Sai (‘Atma’) inside the four walls of the body.  Once this ‘Self Research’ is

over, what remains is simply bliss and love.  The real truth is that whatever the

words, that are written here is simple due to my Sai Gurudeo Dada Bhagwan 

(Brahmibhut Sambalal Muljibhai Patel), whom I met by the grace of Shri Sai Baba.   

Bhakti and Nishkama Karma are the Pioneer preparatory steps without which you

cannot approach even the door of the lift (Akarma Marg) or the path shown rather

indicated by  ‘Karan Purush’ or we may term that personality as  “Sai Darshi” 

(Atmaswaroop or ‘Self’) who is instrumental to show ‘Sai’  (Atma Swaroop or Self)

within you.  It is very difficult to state about the  ’Self’ in particular, because one has

to take the help of relative terminologies just to explain the uniqueness.  It is not

the matter to be seen or shown as such.   However, your high perceptual level of

understanding may lead you to the self realization.  The highest perceptual power

is the Divine gift in the case of Saints, who are born with it, while devotion with faith

may put you at that level.  Once you attend that state nothing needs to be told or

said, but it remains just a matter of unique experience!   What else can

one write in this  ‘Self Research’ (True ‘Sai Darshan’) The thesis of

innumerable pages may not be sufficient either to discuss or to talk on this subject.

Simply silent salvation is the solution for the  ‘Supreme Sai Darshan’.   It is better

to enjoy, sometimes, researching the self (a step earlier) rather than realizing the

step.   Because you cannot drink water, if you become water.   As long as a drinker

and the drink are separate, there is a charm.   And hence, Sai Baba never allowed

his devotees to be diverted from their duties. Because Sri Sai Himself was a

‘Dnyanaswaroop Self’.   Simply His presence may make His devotees courageous

in doing their daily duties faithfully.

When say “I”, I represent my body as “I”, to be outside world.   When we

say, I see or hear, and then I feel my body is seeing or hearing.   But, when we are

in sound sleep or in coma, the so-called my body cannot hear the sound and

cannot see the things, appearing in front of this body.  So, what is that  “I”, which

sees, hears, talks, thinks Is it the body or something else inside the body, which

keeps this body alive, warm and fresh   This is the life or Atma or consciousness.   

This consciousness only sees, hears, thinks, talks and makes the body alive.   That

consciousness is life or Atma, is “I”.  So, “I am” not this material Jade Body, but the

life of this body.  So, I am Atma or Brahma.  Atma or Brahma is formless, limitless,

beginning less and endless.   It is energy or life.  So, “I”, that is consciousness

never dies.  Only when I leave this body the body decays or dies.   I am the rider or

master of this body.  I only make this body to think, to see, talk, walk, act, etc., So, I

am Brahma or Aham Brahmasmi, that is I am GOD.

CHAPTER XVII

PEACE OF MINDUnlike the soul which is radiated from God and uncreated, the mind is made

of material substance.  The soul, already a spark of the Divinity of God, its source,

is turned inward towards the spirit side of life.  The mind conditioned by worldly life

goes upward, toward material objects, and seeks to derive enjoyment from objects

of the sense.  The mind seeks satisfaction for itself, and is almost always

insatiable.  Given satisfaction it demands more.  It loves ease and relaxation to the

extent that it does not value spiritual disciplines, prayer and sacrifice, nor worship

of the God Purification can occur through God’s mercy.    One must take the mind

and rid it of dust and dirt.   The mind collects dust, like the surface of glass.  As

soon as a surface is polished or cleaned, you can see dust forming immediately.  

The dust that forms on a glass will not do the harm that dust on the mind does.  “It

ought to be removed by virtue of the purificatory waters of discipline, introspection,

contemplation, recitation and cultivation of devotion.... And association and

devotees.”   The mind is a reflector of light.  When one removes the impurities of

wrong thinking, self-importance, egotism and ignorance from the mind then it will

be reflective of divine light.

The mind’s impurity should be destroyed because it contaminates the heart. 

When that happens, the heart aspirations are not heard by the mind.  “Can’t you

hear”, the heart says, “I do not want worldliness.  I just want to dwell upon God.” 

Or if heard, the heart’s prompting is dismissed as sentimental emotionalism or non-

importance.   God has encased the heart chakra near the heart thereby causing

the human heart to be highly sensitive.   The slightest finger on the heart causes

filibration.  The heart organ is very close to the heart chakra, physical center.   One

should listen to what the heart says, because it is the voice of one’s conscience

and of one’s soul.  So many times the heart is conveying a truth to the individual

while he, unwilling to listen, is engaging in faulty reasoning, selfish acts, or lewd

conduct.  D not let your mind make your heart impure.

Like a spoiled child, the human mentality resists discipline.   This leads to

wrong thinking, which brings about wrongdoing.  The restless mind always disturbs

one’s inner peace that is natural to the soul.  Hence, there is a constant struggle

between the mind and soul.  Many people lose the battle daily when they yield to

anger, deceits, ignorance and   hatred.    Because   the uncontrolled mind is

dangerous like a lethal weapon in the hands of a child, it cannot be trusted.  It must

be subdued and conquered.  One must exert control over the mind lest it becomes

agitated and destructive like a run-away animal.  The mind, with its mundane

worldly values above spiritual ones, must be re- trained to appreciate divine life. 

The process of systematic redevelopment of the mind is not easy, yet not

impossible.   For one seeking spiritual communication with God, it can and must be

done the earthly plane.   No matter   what challenges, test or trials have to be

faced, one must focus the mind on God.  Since the purpose of Life is to attain God,

the mind needs to become one-pointed in concentration upon God.

Surrender the mind to God; it then will become one and at peace in the

Spirit and in the Blessedness of God.

CHAPTER - XVIII

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF UDI ANDDAKSHINA TO HUMAN LIFE

Lord Shirdi Baba always with his practical demonstration taught we human

beings the ways and means to reach the goal of self- realisation.   It was the

practice of Baba to ask for Dakshina from the devotees and then confer His

Blessings by applying UDI on their foreheads at the time of their departure.

Let us first see the importance of Dakshina, which   Baba practised.   Baba

used to ask for Dakshina from the  people,  who  went to see Him and seek His

blessings.  Of course, He never used  to  take  Dakshina from those devotees, who

were not  willing  to  give  with their pure heart.  A question may be asked as  to

why  Baba,  a fakir and perfectly non-attached, ask for Dakshina   In  the  Veda, it

is said that pooja of God is not complete unless  a  golden coin is offered.  So, if a

coin was necessary in the pooja of Gods, why should it not be offered in the pooja

of saints also   So, our Hindu shastras has laid down, that when one goes to see

God, saints or Guru, one should not go empty handed.   The Brihadaranaya

Upanishad says that Lord Prajapathi advised Gods, men and demons by one letter

“DA”.  Gods understood by this letter that they should practise Dama i.e. self-

control; the Men, that they should practise Daya i.e. compassion.  So, men were

recommended charity.  Lord Prajapathi advised to give charity with faith, modestly

and liberally and with awe and sympathy.   So, Lord Baba practised the precepts of

the Upanishad, by asking for charity from devotees in order to remove their

attachment to money, which is a must for attaining self-realisation.   The peculiarity

of His charity was that he had to give back hundred times more of what He

received.

There  are many instances (see Sai Satcharita) where  Baba  asked  for

dakshina  again  and again, but in  their  later  life  such  devotees never lacked

shortage of money and made them to lead a  contented life.

Baba practised Dakshina (with a secondary meaning) but not in terms of

money.  Like for example, He asked for Dakshina from a devotee, Prof. G.C.

Narke, who replied that he did not have even a pie.  Baba knew that he did not

have money but at the same time Baba knew that he was reading the book “Yoga

Vasishta”.  So, Baba meant to say, “Deriving lessons from the book and lodging

them in the heart, where Baba resides”.  Sometimes Baba accepted the money

and after Blessing it, He returned some amount to the devotee, to guard it or keep

it in his shrine of worship.   How did Baba utilize the Dakshina in the form of money

Out of the total amount collected, Baba spent very little for his own sake i.e. for

buying Chillim and fuel for his Dhuni and the rest He distributed as charity to

various persons.   Here lies His greatness and concern for the poor people.   So,

Baba   by practising Dana in his day-to-day life taught the devotees to remain

unattached to money, which is one of the requirements for attaining self-

realisation.  Our scriptures say that of all the charities, giving food is the best one. 

He, who gives food to the poor and hungry, is the best charitable person.   The

Taittiriya Upanishad says, “Food is Brahma, from food all the creatures are born

and having been born, by food they live and having departed into food again they

enter.”  So, it is our duty to give food to attain an uninvited guest, when he comes

at our doorstep in the afternoon, particularly if he is crippled, lame and blind.  Baba

says that the merit of feeding such a disabled person is much, more than feeding

the able bodied.

Now let us see, what is UDI or VIBHUTI and its significance.  Udi  or  ash

means  that  the end result of  all  these  animate  and  inanimate  things,  that is

left after it is burnt.  It  was  the  usual  practise of Baba to buy fuel from a part of

the  Dakshina  amount  collected from devotees.  This fuel, he used to throw  it  in

the Dhuni, the sacred fire, which He ever kept burning.   This ash from the fire was

called UDI or VIBHUTI and Baba used to freely distribute this Vibhuti to the

devotees at the time  of  their  departure.   Let us now see the significance of Udi

as taught to us in the scriptures and also bye Lord Baba.  All the visible

phenomenon in the Universe are as transient as the  ash.   Our human body

composed of the five elements will fall down after fully enjoying  them and is finally

reduced to ashes  after  the  body  leaves  the mortal coil.  Baba also taught us by

the  Udi,  that  the  Brahman  is  the only  reality  and  the  Universe  is  ephemeral

and no one in this world be he, a son, father or a wife  is  really  ours.  We come

alone into this world and we  have  to  leave  this world alone.  Udi is conferred on

devotees with the cure of  physical  and mental maladies but Baba  wanted  to  lay 

stress on devotees’ ears the principle of discrimination  between  the real and

unreal, non-attachment to the unreal by His Udi  and  Dakshina.   Udi taught us the

importance of non-attachment.   Unless man acquires these two qualifications in

the course of his life, it will be impossible for him to cross over the sea of the

mundane existence.   So,  to lay emphasis on  the  principle  of  discrimination  and

non attachment to the devotees Baba gave  Udi  as prashad and besmeared some

of the Udi on the Bhakt’s  forehead  and placed His Divine Hand on their head and

asked for  Dakshina.   Udi also had its material significance.  Udi conferred health,

prosperity and many otherworldly gains.   Baba  cured  many  devotees’ serious

ailments, blessed them with wealth through  Udi  given  by  His  Divine Hand. 

Many devotees  were  blessed  with  happiness  through  Udi.   Even now the

Sacred  Udi  obtained  at  Shirdi  at the Dhuni has been curing diseases and

freeing  people  from  mental tensions, etc., and given them spiritual  happiness, 

which  is  vital for him to attain Moksha.  So, we can see that Baba actually put into

practise the teachings of Upanishad with His practical demonstration to His

devotees through the twin weapons of Udi and Dakshina, which taught us

discrimination and non-attachment.   Herein lies the greatness of our SADGURU

SAI BABA who preached what He spoke in daily life.

BOW TO SHRI  SAI.  PEACE   IS TO A LL.

CHAPTER - XIX

THE ALLAH MALIKH OF SHIRDIBaba always used to utter “ALLAH MALIKH” and says that He is slave to

God.   My only intention is to prove with my little knowledge that Baba Himself is

“ALLAH MALIKH” i.e. God.  A simple sample survey of Sai Satcharita proves the

same (from Shri Sai Satcharita of Sansthan and Sri Sai Leelamrutham of Acharya

Ekkilala Bhardwaja in Telugu).

It can be boldly and proudly said that Sai Baba of Shirdi is the most

Sampurna (complete) Avatara fof “DATTA”.  Baba is quite a peculiar and

controversial personality.  What everybody knows is that this unknown Fakir is

named and noted as  ’SAI BABA of SHIRDI” only.  No particulars of Baba and

biography are available  till this moment.  That is a speciality of this “Avtara”.  It is a

judicial combination of Hindu, Muslim.  His residence  was  a  dilapidated Masjid

with the name of “DWARAKAMAI”.  It is open for all always.  Hindu rights and

Muslim customs are observed side by side without any hitch under the noble, able

guidance of this  “SADGURU SAMRAT”.   Sree Rama Navami and Urus, the

sandal procession, is continued till now in the ‘abode of   this secular God’ with

Hindu, Muslims brotherhood.

Whoever enters into the “Darbar” of this “YOGIRAJA” with folded hands are

not permitted to go empty handed, unblessed even till this moment.  This so called

mad old “FAKIR” is keeping up  his  promise  that “DO NOT BE ANXIOUS THAT I

WOULD BE AWAY  FROM  YOU,  YOU  WILL  HEAR MY BONES SPEAKING

AND DISCUSSING  YOUR  WELFARE”.   So,  ’our Father’ did not leave any ‘legal

heirs’, even though took ‘MAHASAMADHI’ in the year 1918.  The only thing is that

‘our Care-Taker’ is not physically present.  This is also not correct and

proves my foolishness to say that ‘our Guru God’ is not physically present as the

past and present experiences of so many Sai Bandhus are still proving that at the

hour of need  ‘this Shirdi mother’ is running physically stretching His four hands to

save his ‘Bhaktas”.

Baba appears to be mad and bad through His external peculiar

behaviour and seems to be illiterate.  His happy and pleasant moods

immediately followed by mad behaviour  (in our view) scolding very badly in

unworthy language and beating with ‘Satka’ males and females are some

standings.  But the multimillionaire of those days, Shri Booti, the well learned,

highly educated and better qualified Sarvashri G. G. Nakre, G.  S.  Khaparde, Rao

Bahadur, M. W. Pradhan etc, did not at all dare enough  to  open  their  mouth and

thus dumb found before Baba with  folded  hands,  eagerly awaiting to carry out the

instructions and orders of this  ‘Almighty’, know all the deeds of ‘Sai Saheb’ are for

the welfare  of devotees and they are blessings in disguise.

Even though this ‘God’ amongst us played like a father, with His children, in

those days with Shama, Mahalsapathi etc., with the close intimacy Shama often

used to forget the Divinity of Baba.   Only after the physical departure of Baba,

Shama could come to know actually what he lost and worried and started repenting

for his innocent behaviour towards “his God” with his close intimacy.

This kind Fakir led a royal life as a ‘true fakir’ with  ’panch Bhiksha’ and

stood as an example.  Nana Valli’s test is an example for this.  There is no value

for wealth, pomp and show in the view of Baba.  The King and pauper are equal to

Him.   The most potent and effective weapon, the new invitation and patent

medicines of this Hakim  “UDI” is the Sarva Roga Nivarini, Sanjeevini:  all of us

know.

The premier servant of ‘this Doctor of doctors’ Bhagoji Shinde was a leper

naturally we hate.   But no other devotee was affected.   In 1910 pushing His arm

in the Dhuni, Sai Deva saved the life of a blacksmith’s child.  It clearly shows that

‘the all persuasiveness and mercy of this  ‘Shirdi God’.   When Mrs. Khaparde

worried much about the plague of her child   and approached Baba, Baba took his

suffering showing the same to Mrs Khaparde, saying,  “See, how I have to suffer

for my devotees.   Their difficulties are mine”.  The whereabouts of the missing

mare of Chand Patil were informed and fire and water for chillim were created by

‘Sai Fakir’ from the same place.   When the shopkeepers refused to give oil, for the

whole night, there were lights in the Masjid with water.  When Das Ganu placed his

head on the feet of Baba, seeking permission to go to Prayag for holy bath, there

flowed streams of Ganga, Yamuna water from both the toes of this Sadguru

Samrat.  So many persons were blessed with children; Gopala Rao Gund, Damu

Anna, Sapatnekar are some examples.

This ‘Magnet of Shirdi’ knew all yogic practices.  Baba’s Dhavti and Khanda

yoga were quite unique and extraordinary.  When there was an omission in the

‘Pooja’ of Mr. Tarkhad in Bandra, it was brought to the notice of Mrs Tarkhad at

Shirdi, I need not explain the wonderful yogic feat about the bedstead, the wooden

plank of Baba used to sleep.  One evening, there was a terrible storm and all

flocked in the Masjid for shelter.  No local deity at Shirdi came to his or her rescue. 

So they prayed to Baba, their God.  Then, Baba addressed the storm in a loud

thunderous voice,  ‘Stop, stop your fury and be calm’.   The nature obeyed His

command and the people went home well pleased.   On another occasion at noon,

the fire in the Dhuni began to burn brightly.   Its flames were seen to be reaching

the rafters above.   The people dared not to ask Baba.  But Baba soon came to

realize what was happening.   He took up his ‘Satka’ and dashed against a pillar in

front, saying ‘Get down, Be Calm’.  At each stroke of the strike, the flames began

to lower and slow down and in a few minutes, the Dhuni became calm and normal. 

This is our Sai,  an  incarnation  of God.  He will bless any man, who will prostrate

and surrender Himself to Him.  This proves Baba’s control over the elements.

Baba had all the ‘Ashta Siddhis’ (Eight Powers) at his command.   He never

practised nor craved for this.   They came to him naturally, as a result of His

perfection.  This Divine Doctor cured His devotees’ diseases with forbidden diet in

His own way.   Bhimaji Patil’s severe chronic chest disease, Bala   Ganpat

Shimpi’s malignant type of malaria, Booty’s dysentery   and vomiting, Alandi

Swamiji’s severe ear pain, Kaka Mahajani’s diarrhoea, fourteen year stomachache

of Dattopant of Harda, Shama’s piles complaint, Gangadharpant’s (Kaka

Mahajani’s elder brother) many years stomach pain, Nana Saheb Chandorkar’s

intense stomach pain are a few example.  It goes without saying in the delivery

case of ‘Mainatai’, how Baba suffers in attending to the needs and wants, in

serving and saving His devotees.   In this case Baba manifested Himself as tonga,

tonga driver and horses also to save “Mainatai” moved by her unshaken faith.

Shama was a schoolmaster staying in the school, observing Baba without

faith in the early days.  At night he used to hear somebody speaking in English,

Hindi and in other   foreign languages in the Masjid.  At that time nobody could be

found except Baba.  So it was the sincere opinion of Shama that Baba knows so

many languages.   Nobody believed that Baba   knew Sanskrit.  One day our

Unpadh (illiterate) Baba surprised all by giving a good interpretation of verse from

Gita to Nana Saheb Chandorkar.   All the Sai Bandhus know that in 1886 Baba

made an attempt to cross the border line (i.e. Seemollanghana) and took 72 hour’s

Samadhi.  Is it humanly possible certainly not?  Very much pleased with the

brilliant services of Bayajabai, Baba promised to look after and protect her son up

to the last.   Thus keeping up His promise Baba accepted the “Death invitation” of

Tatya Kote and took Mahasamadhi in 1918.  Can anybody deny this fact   Once

Nana Saheb Dengale, a great Astrologer told Booty  “Today is an inauspicious day

for you.  There is danger to your life”.  This made Booty restless and when he

came to the Masjid, Baba said “What does this Nana say He foretells death for

you.   Well, you need not be afraid to tell him boldly.  Let us see how death kills.” 

By the grace of Baba he was safe.  Except Baba can anybody give such a

guarantee to life

Devidas, Jankidas, Gangagir Maharaj, Ananda Swami, disciple of Akkalkot

Maharaj, praised Baba as “GEM”.  Mehar Baba considered our Sadguru Samrat as

“Kohinoor”. Once during a casual talk at the Masjid, Baba touched the water pot

with satka.   When asked about this deed, it was made clear by Sai Deva that He

was putting off the fire engulfing to the cottage of his brother Tajuddin Baba of

Nagpur.  On enquiry, it was proved to be true.   Once Baba did not go to Lendi

Bagh even though that was the time and was in the dust by the side of the wall of

the Masjid.   When questioned by Sathe, he was told by Baba “My brother,

Gajanan left us”.   By that time Ganajan Maharaj took Mahasamadhi at Shegaon. 

In  1917.   Baba told other devotees,  “My devotees, responsibility is mine.   I do

not allow the downfall of my devotee.   In such cases, I will stretch my four hands in

saving him”.

So many incidents in Sai Sat Chatrita proved that Sai is  “Sakala Devata

Swarupi”,  “Sakal Sadhu Swarupi” and  “Sakala   Jeeva Swarupi”.   He is  “Para

Brahma”.  Now let us hear Sai Baba’s words, guaranteeing the welfare of the

Bhaktas, ‘there will never be any dearth or scarcity regarding food and clothes in

my devotees home.   It is my special characteristic that I look always to and

provide for the welfare of those devotees, who worship me wholeheartedly with

their minds ever fixed on me”.   Lord Krishna has also said the same in the Gita.

If we think that Baba was a Mohammedan, the best Brahmins, and

Agnihotries leaving aside their orthodox ways tell prostrate at His feet.  Those who

made enquiries about His nationality were dumbfounded and were captured by His

Darshan.   So none could definitely decide, whether Sai Baba was a Hindu or a

Mohammedan.   He was always calm and controlled.  He knew  the  inner  most 

secrets  of  all and when he gave expression to  them,  all  were  surprised. 

Though He had a human body, his deeds were Godly.   All people considered Him

as Lord God in Shirdi.

Even before taking Mahasamadhi, Baba gave nine rupees to Lakshmi Bai

Shinde for the selfless service rendered by her.   After leaving the body, Nana

Saheb brought some water and poured it  in  Baba’s mouth.  It came out.  Then he

cried out loudly ‘Oh Deva’.   Baba seemed just to open His eyes and say “AH” in a

low tone.   But it soon became evident that Baba had left His body for good.

It may be noted here that as observed by Professor Narke, Baba’s body did

not get ‘stiff’, though it was exposed for thirty-six hours and that all the limbs were

elastic and that His Kafni could be taken out without being torn into pieces.

Baba appeared in Lakshman Mama Joshi’s dream and drawing him by His

hand, said ‘Get up soon.  Bapu Saheb thinks that I am dead and so he won’t

come.  You do the worship and the Kakad Arti  (morning arti)”.  Lakshman Mama

was the village astrologer and was the maternal uncle of Shama.  He was an

orthodox Brahmin and daily worshipped Baba in the morning and then all village

deities.  He had full faith in Baba.  After the vision, he came with all the pooja

materials and not minding the protest of the Moulvis, did the pooja and Kakad Arti

with all due formalities and went away.  Then at noon Bapu Saheb Job came with

all others, and went through the noon Arti as usual.

This is my humble submission with my very limited knowledge with Bhakti

only, not with Shakti to say once again about our Allah Malik of Shirdi, that total

and unbroken was his love for Bhaktas.   He was the mine of storehouse for self-

knowledge and full of divine bliss.  Such was the Divine form of Sai Baba,

boundless, endless and undifferentiated.

.

CHAPTER - XX

OUR SIX RELATIVESTRUTH IS OUR MOTHER:

The mother always keeps a watchful eye over the child and takes care of it. 

She protects it from all dangers and accidents. The mother bird too spreads her

wings and brings the little ones under their shade.  She protects them from sun and

shower and from any foul play.  So does Truth protects man from all troubles in life!

Plenty are instances to show from literature, where the vow of Truth brought

final victory to man.  In recent times, we saw how Gandhiji waged a peaceful war

with truth and non-violence as weapons and brought freedom to our country.

Truth, like a loving Mother, is the shield, which protects us from all dangers

in the battle of life and brings us final peace and victory.

KNOWLEDGE IS OUR FATHER:A wise father always tells the boy what is good and what is bad. The boy’s

future depends on the training, which the father gives him in the early days of his

life. The boy is what the father makes him.

So, does wisdom or knowledge prevent man from falling into bad company

and vices. It helps him to keep the company of the wise and the pious and trains

him in right conduct of life.

It is indeed, the father, which initiates the son to Gayatri, as the primary

Guru. Knowledge, like the father, with its power of discrimination, helps us to keep

away from petty pleasures of the senses and to realize the eternal truth and bliss.

DHARMA IS OUR BROTHER:The elder brother stands by the younger one and guides him, with his

example, in the performance of duty-duty to the parents, duty to the family and duty

to the society. He leads the younger one through the thick and thin to final victory.

Yudhishtra never deviated from the righteous path nor did he allow his wife

and brothers to deviate from it. He led them to the ultimate victory.

The sense of Dharma or righteous is an unfailing support to us in troubles

and doubt and leads us to prosperity in this life and in life hereafter.

Dharma, like the elder brother, saves us from falling into pitfalls and helps us

to reach the goal.

A friend is an unfailing companion in every walk of our life. He is very helpful

to us with his sound advice. A true friend comes to our help in times of need.

But, such a friend is not easy to find in society. It is only love and kindness

on our part that can make friends of others.

Kindness begets kindness and makes friends of strangers and enemies

too. Even wild and cruel animals become tame and friendly to a loving and

sympathetic person. If we love others, others love us in return. A kind and loving

person is never in want of friends.  By extending love and sympathy to a person is

distress; we derive all the benefits, that a friend may extend to us.

So, a sweet and loving word on our tongue is spoken of as a friend in any

walk of life.

CALMNESS IS OUR WIFE:A loving wife stands by her husband in the times of adversity and helps him. 

She does all the service with soft and pleasing words.   She is not perturbed by the

harsh words of her husband, but with calmness brings him round.

She is herself always calm and composed and she keeps her husband also

in perfect peace by her sweet words and service.

A calm and peaceful mind, like a loving and devoted wife, always serves to

overcome troubles in our life and brings happiness.

FORBEARANCE IS OUR SON:When our limbs are weak and feeble in old age, it is the son, that comes to

our help and serves us.

As another safeguards the ship in troubled waters, so does a son safeguard

the interest of his parents with patience in their old age.

If we endure the troubles in the dark days of  our  life  with  patience, bright

days will dawn upon us in course of time.

The power of forbearance of endurance, like a true son, is the only refuge to

us in adverse circumstances.  It enables us to sustain ourselves in troublesome

days till we see sunny days ahead.

Adherence to these gifted qualities is a great virtue, practised by a few, but

respected by many.  It protects man from all troubles and difficulties in life and

ultimately brings the crown of success and glory to him.

We may lose earthly relatives, but these Godly qualities are spoken of as

the six never failing relatives in our life.

BOW TO SHRI SAI, PEACE BE TO ALL

CHAPTER XXI

MYSTERY OF DIVINE INCARNATIONThe divine Incarnation is a mystery, because the infinite and the omnipotent

being is, according to this doctrine, born as a man, a limited being.   This is

unaccountable and mysterious, yet a little thought will make it clear that the

mystery in it is not more than what is involved in the Supreme Being manifesting

Himself as the universe.  The first and the primeval incarnation is the Purusa, the

Cosmic whole ensouled by Him, and out of Purusa all the sportive descants have

come.

How the incarnation takes place is indicated by two expressions Atma-

mayaya and Prakrtin svam adhisthaya.   Atam-maya is His inherent power or will. 

No limited being can set any limitation to that power.  It is what makes the

impossible possible.   It implies that manifestation in any limited or imperfect form

does not affect His infinitude and perfection.  In the incarnation this infinitude and

perfection are present, in spite of the human form   through which these manifest.   

The worship   of   the incarnation is therefore equal to the worship of the Supreme

Being Himself.

Prakruti is His material Nature, constituted of three Gunas of Sattva, Rajas

and Tamas.  The body and mind of all beings are the combinations of their

evolutes.   But in their case   these combinations are formed subject to Karma.  But

the body of the incarnation is not subject to Karma, but is formed by Divine will for

the purpose of world-redemption.  He is born not as a slave but as the master of

nature out of his free will and his body informed of pure Sattva.  The individuals, on

the other hand, is born as the slave of Karma for attaining the individual ends of

Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksa.  His body is formed mostly of Tamas and Rajas

and as he advances spiritually, a little of Sattva also enters into its make up.  Thus

the embodiment of the incarnation is vastly different from that of the individual. 

The individual is action of the Absolute being, which is called an incarnation, is an

expression of self-mastery and is meant to serve a cosmic and not an individual

purpose.

It is said that the life of a Divine incarnation and his relation with His various

associates and devotees leave behind a very rich tradition of holy acts and ways of

living which form the subject- matter of devotional texts, and these become

Themes for pious contemplation by generations of their followers and devotees.

The trans-physical importance of the Divine incarnation is more after His

lifetime than when He is alive, that an incarnation receives wide recognition.  After

the incarnation disappears, He is worshipped as the deity by his followers, and his

personality, deeds and teachings become the centre of a cult.  A person may not

understand philosophies and theologies, but through faith and devoted worship of

the incarnation, even a man of little learning can attain salvation.  An incarnation is

always hypostative with Brahman, and even after his physical body passes away,

he is available for worship to those with faith.  The faith consists in the capacity to

grasp the identity of the incarnation with the deity himself.  The Divine incarnate is

always linked with the infinite and Absolute Brahman.  He is an expression of the

Anugraha-Sakti or Grace of Brahman, and not a mere individual center of power. 

So he is one with the eternal Godhead.   The worship of any personalized

conception becomes object   for practising Bhakti and Jnana, and a means for

salvation, only if this faith is dominantly present in the mind of the worshipper.  

Bhakti, Jnana and Mukti can be given only by the Supreme Being, and the

incarnation is essentially this supreme being  - His Redeeming Power or His

Anugraha-Sakti.

“According to the Stages of human evolution, there will be different

conceptions of the Deity, and the followers of one, even if they think that theirs is

more refined, need not look down upon others as heathens or coffins worshipping

false deities and consider themselves alone as the followers of the true Deity  - For

whatever the path, God approaches man through that path, and if the faith of the

votary is genuine, he will be led to higher and higher forms of worship.  So the

followers of every religion must have respect for, and acceptance of, the faith and

form of worship of other religions in spite of the differences that are sure to prevail

in their ideologies and practices.  For,  it  is  the same God that is worshipped by

them all just  as  all  rivers,  in  spite of their divergent courses, led  to  the  same 

ocean,  so do all faiths lead to Him i.e., take one to  the  same  God who inspires

them all”. So said Shirdi Sai Baba.

Fundamental tenet of universal religion, wherever worship is done, only the

one Supreme Being is worshipped.  No one, except the perfected sage, can

worship Him in His fullness, since the human mind can grasp only limited aspects

of Him.  The more an individual or a community is evolved, the more noble and

comprehensive will be their conception of the Deity.   But the less evolved men too

are adorning the same Deity, grasping such aspects of His, as his undeveloped

mind would allow.

Deities are the power aspects of the Divine worshipped in separation from

Him, the infinite and the Absolute Being.   They are expressions of His power, but

manifesting under limitations.   Devotees, who want boons, or divine favours,

worship   them according to the ritualistic code with offerings and Mantras and

prayer for the fulfillment of their particular wants.  But it is only He, the one God,

who fulfils even these wants.  It is only the Supreme Lord who fulfils such prayers

to the Deities.   There Deities are like the vassals and high officers of an emperor,

and the powers are only the reflection of the power of the Supreme Being.  So

even the fulfillments that came through the worship of the Deities come from Him,

the Supreme Being only, as He alone is the sat-chit-Ananda, the Absolute

existence - knowledge - Bliss.   But the ordinary votaries do not know the

metaphysical truth and worship Deities as separate centres of high power.  They

may get their favours, but they do not gain any spiritual elevation by such

adoration.   Spiritual elevation means the attainment of Bhakti, Jnana   and Mukti.   

Only the Supreme   Being, the Parabrahman, can grant these; no Deity as such

can.  But if any Deity is recognized by the worshipper as an expression of Sat-

Chit-Ananda Parabrahman, the Supreme Being, the worship becomes the

adoration of the Supreme Being Himself But then the devotees outlook has to

change from a seeker after petty   worldly fulfillment to the seek after Bhakt-Jnana

and Mukti.   Spiritual excellences like Bhakti-Jnana and Mukti are the only gifts to

be sought of Him, and he is the only one that can grant these.   The incarnation too

is one with the Supreme Being and can bestow the highest spiritual blessings. 

Thus to seek one’s daily bread of parabrahman is too silly for words according to

the devotional system of thought.

All the manifestations etc., as Deities are according to the attitude of   the

devotee.  Tamasika devotees are interested in such achievements as killing one’s

enemies, wrecking vengeance etc.  They adore evil deities or psychic forces like

spirits and goblins.   The Rajasika devotees who seek worldly prosperity,

success etc., adore Deities according to the Agamas   with elaborate rituals

and offering   The Moksa-seekers, who are Sattvika in nature, do their duties as

offerings to him without claiming   the fruits for themselves and adore Him   in   a

philosophical spirit.  Superior to them are Nirgunabhakts, who have transcended

the three Gunas, as they abjure even liberation or Mukti, as a desire, and seek the

Lord for the sake of pure and one word love merely to serve Him with their whole

being without the expectation of any returns. Such devotees are above Gunas and

they apprehend the Sat-Chit-Ananda Parabrahman as such, without association of

the Gunas.  To all the others the Sat-Chit-Ananda Parabrahman presents as

Deities i.e., accounted with the Gunas of Prakrti-Tamas, Rajas and Sattva or their

combinations.

It must be clearly understood that this doctrine of the Deities is not

polytheism.  God is only one and the Deities are only His power manifestations in

subtle dimensions, just as there are many power manifestations in Nature when

there is the recognition of this truth their worship becomes the worship of the

Supreme being Himself.

A man should diligently seek for that supreme state, viz; God,

having attained to which they return no more to this World; and having fully

resolved that he stands dedicated to that Primeval Being  (God Narayana) Himself,

from whom the flow of this beginning less creation has progressed, he should dwell

and meditate on Supreme Being Himself.  Those wise men who are free from pride

and delusion, who have conquered the evil   of attachment, who are in eternal

union with God, whose cravings have altogether ceased and who are completely

immune from all pairs of opposites going by the names of pleasure and pain, reach

that supreme immortal state, which neither the sun nor the moon nor even fire can

illumine.

Those who have attained that supreme self-effulgent state, they never return

to this world and they become one with the Supreme Being himself.

CHAPTER XXII

MIND-HINDRANCE IN SELF REALISATION

Ignorant people identify themselves with the body, mind and the vrittis of

mind.  The mind and the body are instruments only.   The real man is behind the

mind.  If you become one with the mind, body and Vritti, you get various sorts of

miseries and sufferings.

Mind is known as Parinama.  When milk is changed into curd, it is also

Parinama.  Even so the mind gets modified into a Kritti by assuming the form of the

object it perceives.   Knowledge of perception is a kind of transformation

(Parinama) of the mind.

Some people sleep with their eyes open.  The object is there.   The centre of

vision is there and yet they cannot see the object.   Why because the mind is not

there.  Therefore three things are necessary for perception of an object, viz., the

physical instrument, the external flashy eyes which act as windows to the soul; the

centre of the vision in the brain and the mind.  It is the mind that really sees.  It is

the commander of the five indriyas.  The Indriyas carry the vibrations from outside

to the mind.  They are avenues of sense-knowledge. 

It is the Purusha or soul that is the real perceiver of an object.   The sense

transmits the sense-vibrations to the mind, and the mind in its turn presents the

vibrations to the head of the Soul, the Buddhi or intellect, the discriminative faculty,

which is very close to the Soul.  Now, reaction comes in.   With the reaction of the

Buddhi manifests egoism side by side.   Then the whole thing is presented to

Purusha, who really perceives all objects.

The Indriyas cannot do anything by themselves.  They need the help of their

master, the mind at every moment.  It is the mind that sees, hears, tastes, smells

and feels.  Indriyas simply transmit the sense-vibrations from outside to the mind. 

That which exists outside is unknown with unknowable.  Mind reacts to external

vibrations and you see the external universe.  If there is no mind there is no

universe.  Where is the world for you during deep sleep Hence this world is termed

as Manomatra Jagat  (mind only) or ManahKalpita Jagat (mental creation).  This

mind is the universe. There is no world apart from the mind.   What you perceive as

a big mountain outside is only the mental image plus some external unknowable

something.

If you say ‘there is nothing outside’ why do you run after food and water

when you are hungry and thirsty   If everything is within, you should get satisfaction

from hunger and thirst from within only.   But it is not the case.   There is something

outside, call it a Vivarta (appearance) of Brahman, Vilasa of Maya, Chamatkara of

Avidya, Perinama of Vishnu, electrical waves of scientists, combination of Anus of

Kanada or Tattva Vilasa.   It does not matter much.

The thinking principle includes Manas (mind), Buddhi  (intellect), Chitta

(Subconscious-mind) and Ahankara (Egoism or self-asserting principle).   The

mind assumes the three other forms, Buddhi, Chitta and Ahankara according to the

different functions it performs   (Vrittibheda).   Manas is   a   Sankalpa-

Vikalpatmaka  (willing and doubting).  “It thinks whether to go to a place or not,

whether to do this or not, and whether this is good or bad”.   The mind is of a

doubting nature.

Buddhi    or   intellect   is   Nischayatmaka   (certitude) or

Adhyavasyatmaka.   It is the determining faculty.   It is that light of Buddhi that

determines one way or the other.

Chitta does the function of Anusandhana  (enquiry) and Dharma 

(Concentration).  The function of memory also belongs to Chitta.   According to

Yoga philosophy, Chitta is the mind-stuff or the mental substance, and the mind,

intellect, and egoism are various processes in the mind-stuff.

Ahankara is the self-arrogating principle.  It does the function of Abhimana

(egoism).  It creates ‘Mamata’ (mineness).  This is root cause of all human

sufferings.  All Vrittis hang upon this one  “Aham Vritti”, ‘I’ thought.  It is the root

cause of human ignorance.

It should be distinctly borne in mind that the   thinking principal, mind, is not

the Atman who is the fountain-source of all consciousness or knowledge.  Just as a

mirror borrows its light from the Sun, so also the mind borrows its light from the

Atman, the Supreme Being.

‘Vritti’ means literally a ‘whirlpool’.  It is a thought wave in the Lake of Chitta.   

Chitta is the mind-stuff or   mental substance.   It takes various forms.   These

forms constitute Vrittis.   It gets transformed or modified  (Parinama).   These

transformations   and   modifications are   the   thought-waves.   Whirlpools of Vritti

of an orange is formed in the lake of Chitta.  This will subside and another Vritti will

be formed when it thinks of milk (milk-Vritta) countless Vrittis are rising and

subsiding   in the ocean of Chitta.   These Vritties   cause restlessness of mind.   

Why do Vritties arise from Chitta   Because of Sanskaras (Latent impressions) and

Vasanas  (subtle desires).   If you annihilate all desires, all Vritties will subside by

themselves.   When a Vritti subsides it leaves a definite impression in the

subconscious mind.  It is known as Samskara or latent impression.  The sum total

of all Samskaras is known as “Karmasaya” or receptacle of works.  This is

Sanchita Karma or accumulated work.  When a man leaves the physical body, he

carries with him his astral body of 17 Tattvas (five senses, five organs of action,

five vitalairs, mind and intellect) and the Karmasaya as well to the mental plane. 

This Karmasaya is burnt by highest knowledge obtained through Asamprajnata

Samadhi  (Absolute Super conscious state).

Modification is Vritti in the mind.  When the Vritti subsides it assumes the

subtle state of potency or Samskara in the Chitta or subconscious mind.   This

potency again becomes a Vritti under suitable conditions, when the mind comes in

contact with sensual objects or through memory of objects from stimulus within. 

There are degrees in the Vrittis or modifications that arise from mind.   You can

check or control the lower Vrittis with the help of higher Vritties or transformations. 

You can become a Yagarudha  (one who is established in Yoga) by controlling all

the Vritties of the mind.

Although the mind is one, it passes into many conditions or states, as it is

made up of three qualities or Gunas-Sattva, Rajas and Tamas.  Sattva is purity or

light or knowledge.   Rajas is passion or activity.  Tamas is inertia or darkness.   By

checking Rajas and Tamas you can increase the Sattva.  When the Sattva is

increased the mind becomes steady like the flame of a lamp  in  a  windless

place.   He who is Sattva can do real concentration and meditation and can enter

into Samadhi easily.   A Rajasi man loves power and objects of sense.  A Tamasic

man does vicious actions on account of ignorance.   Sattva cannot stand by itself. 

It is missed with disturbing Rajas and Tamas.   When there is preponderances of

Sattva, Rajas and Tamas get controlled.  They work themselves.

Where   there is increase of Sattva, there is   brightness, lightness, joy,

purity, strength, peace and illumination.   Man’s important duty is to increase Sattva

and control the senses and the mind.  Other duties are secondary (Gunas) only.  A

sensible man only can understand this point.

The mind is wondering  (Kshipta) and unsteady through   the disturbing

energy of Rajas (passion), which makes the mind run towards various sensual

objects.  The mind becomes forgetful  (Mudha) when it is filled with Tamas

(enertia).   Deep sleep supervenes on account of excess of Tamas.

By destroying the Vritti one by one, you gain more and more mental strength

(Manasic Bala) and spiritual strength  (Atma Bala).  Do the practice and feel the

strength yourself.

Thought is caused by the vibrations of psychic Prana or Sukshma Prana on

the mental substance.  It is a force like gravitations, cohesion or repulsion. 

Thought travels or moves.   Thought has got tremendous power.  Thought can heal

diseases.   Thought can transform the mentality of person.  Thought can do

anything.   It can work wonders.  The velocity of thought is unimaginable.

Thinking is of four kinds, i.e., Symbolic thinking, instinctive thinking,

impulsive thinking and habitual thinking.   Thinking through words is symbolic

thinking.  Fear of death is instinctive thinking.  Lust, greed, anger, are impulsive

thinking.  Instincts are more powerful than impulses.  Thoughts of body, food, drink,

bath, etc., are habitual thinking.  You can stop easily symbolic thinking.  It is difficult

to stop instinctive and impulsive thinking.

Thought is a great force.  Though has tremendous power.  It can be

transmitted from one man to another man.  You can move the world through

thought-force.  The powerful thoughts of great sages and Rishis of yore are still

recorded in the Akasa  (Akasic records).  Yogis who have clairvoyant vision can

perceive those thought-images.   They can read them.  You are surrounded by an

ocean of thought.  You are floating in the ocean of thought.  You are absorbing

certain thoughts and repelling some in the thought- world.

Everyone has his own thought-world.  Through practices of Yama, Niyama,

Pranayama and meditation you can change impure thoughts into suitable pure

thoughts, Meditation fills the mind with cheerful, powerful, Sattvic (Pure) thoughts.

Pleasure that is derived from sensual objects gives pain to one who

discriminates.   Worldly-minded persons, who have lost the faculty of

discrimination, rejoice in sensual objects on account of lack of discrimination.  They

weep in old age.  You weep when you are born. You weep when you die.  You

weep in the interval also.    Where then is pleasure in the world    Learn   to

discriminate.  Because a Yogi, Yoga will put an end to all sort of pain. ‘Pleasure

must be give up as pain’.

Sensual pleasure is momentary, deceptive, illusory and imaginary.   Mustard

of pleasure is mixed with mountain of pain.   Enjoyment cannot bring about

satisfaction of desire.  On the contrary it makes the mind more restless after

enjoyment through intense craving (Trishnas and Vasanas).  Sensual pleasure is

the cause of birth and death.  The body is nothing but a mass of flesh, bone, and

all sorts of filth.

Place before the mind the fruits of self-realisation or life in the Soul or

Brahman or the Eternal such as immortality.   Eternal Bliss, Supreme peace and

infinite knowledge.  If  you  remember  these points always, the mind will be

weaned from the craving for  sensual pleasure.  Vairagya, Viveka and

Manukshatva  (dispassion, discrimination between the real and unreal and keen

longing for liberation from birth and death) will dawn.  You should seriously look

into the defects of the sensual life and into the unreal nature of worldly life.  Whose

mind is rendered pure by the agents of dispassion and repeated practices,

becomes a lustrous person.  If these mental waves or thought waves subside, you

can attain the absolute state.  Just as you can clearly see the bottom of a lake,

when the ripples and waves subside, so also you can cognise your real self where

the Vrittis that agitate your mind subside.

There are five stages of the mind i.e. distracted, forgetfulness,

gathering mind, one pointed and controlled or well restrained.   By gradual and

well-regulated practice of concentration daily, the rays of the wandering mind are

collected.  It becomes one- pointed.  Eventually it is curbed properly.   It comes

under proper control.

Concentration is the only way to get rid of the worldly miseries and

tribulation.  Your only duty is to practise concentration.   You have taken this

physical body to practise concentration and through concentration to realize the

self.   Charity, Rajasuya Yajna  (a sacrifice performed by a monarch) are nothing

when compared with concentrations.  They are playthings only.

One   should live by destroying  “I’ ness”,   “mine’   ness”, selfishness and

“attachment”.  Then alone he can be really happy, even while discharging the

duties of his life by remaining in the world.   The angle of vision must be changed. 

All-embracing and all-inclusive love must be cultivated and developed.  Then only

one can feel the ‘self in all’, the ‘one in all’.  Then only you can have cosmic

consciousness or universal life.

Then the petty life of hurry, worry, excitement, and competition will seem to

you as nothing when compared to the everlasting life of eternal sunshine and bliss

in the Atman within.  It is a great pity that almost all people have totally ignored the

simpler happy inner life of introspection and have caught hold of false toys of

Maya, such as money, women, power, name, fame, position etc., Sooner or later

the experience of the world, the knocks and blows of the mundane life, will force

them to turn their minds inwards to realize the true, lasting happiness.

If you really aspire to unfold the lurking Divinity within, if you really want to

get rid of the miseries of this Samsara, you must know the principles and technique

of thought-control.   You must know the ways of right living, right thinking, right

speaking and right acting.  You must practice the five rules of Yama or right

conduct or Sadachara.  You must know how to withdraw the mind from external

objects and fix it on one point.   You must know the right method of concentration

and meditation.   Then alone you can be really happy.  Then and then alone will

have power, independence and suzerainty.  Then and then alone you will attain

immortality, freedom and perfection.

CHAPTER XXIII

GOD REALISATION(Ignorance or Reality)

IGNORANCEIt is our daily experience to see people stretching their hands towards the

sky while offering prayer or referring to God.   A question arises.  If Gos is all -

pervading as we all profess, why do we point upwards, as if God abides high up in

the skies   Does it not mean that we suffer from the illusion that God is a finite

corporeal being who abides in some celestial region   Is it not really surprising that,

on the one hand, we profess God to be all pervading and omnipresent and, on the

other, confine him to a particular place

Evidently, this contradiction is the result of our ignorance.  It is natural law

that anything which in physical, viz., man, animal, plant, mountain, water or fire, is

subject to change- birth, bloom, decay and distruction.  God being eternal is

however, beyond any change.   God must not be thought as a physical being, or as

having any kind of body.  He is pure mind.   He moves and acts without needing

any corporal space, or size, or form, or colour, or any other property of matter.

As already, stated, the pervasive confusion and illusion about God to be a

finite corporeal entity.  However, the scriptures and the teachings of the Great

Masters, Like Shirdi Sai Baba and others like him, affirm in inequivocal terms that

God is a spirit, formless, infinite, all pervading, omnipresent, omnipotent and

omniscient, as illustrated by the following scriptural quotations.

“God is a spirit”, and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in

truth.  (Bible - John 4:24)

Only a spirit can be almighty, eternal, all-pervading, absolute, constant one

without a peer.  Yet, it is a human weakness to fancy God as a human being

(though supreme), endowed with human trait, or improvise God/gods out of fear

and ignorance as humans.   Who can be pleased or propitiated as such.   Of

course, the pattern of God/gods so conceived changes with the development of

human wisdom and knowledge.

The issue being of Paramount importance, it merits deeper pondering over,

what the holy and wise have said in this regard: -

The inferior devotee says.  ‘God exists, but he is very far off, up there in

heaven’.  The medicare devotee says, ‘God exists in all beings as life and

consciousness’.   The superior devotee says,  ‘It is God himself who has become

everything; whatever I  see  is only a form of God.  It is He.  He alone who has

become Maya, the universe and all living beings.  Nothing exists but God’.  (Sri

Rama Krishna).

If we go back to the beginning we shall find that ignorance and fear created the Gods:  that fancy, enthusiasm or deceit adorned or disfigured them:  that credulity preserves them: and that custom, respects and tyranny support them in order to make the blindness of men servcits own interests.

The different pictures of God that man can give must flow out of his own

range of vision and imaginations.   Man is a self- conscious being that eminated

from one without blemish.  But due to his own imperfections, he cannot conceive of

the real as it actually is.  He gives God a conscious personality like himself in as

good a farm as could be conceived by him.  He is expressing his own frame of

mind, related to his own notions and needs and in accordance with the stage of his

development.  The origin and the progress of religion provide interesting material of

study. The primitive man was ignorant of the workings of nature and its laws.   On

the one hand, he was without resources necessary for his comforts needs and, on

the other, he was beset with thousand dangers.   Violence and disease visited him

unaware and carried him off before he became old naturally.  When he could

neither understand   the   natural phenomenon nor control   them, he personified

their causes and from the analogy of his own being supposed that a spirit dwelt in

every natural object.   Fire provided warmth and enabled him to cook his food, and

was therefore accepted as a kind of God to be loved and worshipped. 

The inclemency and the fury of the elements, however, was supposed to

hide a malignant God behind,  that  needed  to  be appeased  to  avert  their wrath

and to  win  their  favour.   As civilization progressed and gifts of nature in the form

of crops, etc., through rains multiplied his Gods changed and evolved.  Deities

always arise in terms of human needs and get all the homage and adoration that

poetic fancy can imagine.  Worship of stars, mountains, woods, spirits, giants,

dwarfs, and fairies, has gone on.  It was, infact, always feat that had made gods for

man and it was to enlist them to his old that he propitiated them and   offered

them flattery to  ---- them listen   to   his supplications.  The God must have been

born out of fear.   Lingam and Yoni and even soil were worshipped as procreative

spirits.  Then born the magic.  To bring rain in a drought, or a child to a barren

woman or to find cure for diseases or to win victories over enemies, magic was

freely employed.  Many prayers are up to this day, of the nature of magic formulas

mumbled over and over again with faith in repetition for their efficiency and effect. 

Then the appearance of the dead in dreams and the fright they caused produced

first ancestoral worship and then of the defenet kings and strong men.  But later

these human gods were further humanized so that not strong man but good man

began to be adored.  As the horizon of man’s vision further extended, a more

exalted concept of divinity was adopted.  He could not then be given a human, for,

that would put a limit to His omnipotence and omnipresence; nor could he be

supposed to be subject to human passion of jeolousy, wrath, revenge, praise or

adoration.  So the new god was supposed to be diffused through all matter.  This

was pantheism, but this also could not satisfy the needs of human soul, as it was

too abstract and cold to provide-solace and comfort which personal God could. 

But the personal aspect of God too, in whatever form one may consider,  has

always  gone  on evolving depending on the level of the human race, its prejudices

and  prepossessions.   Man does not know God as He is but as he imagines Him

to be.  It can be said with good deal of truth that man creates God in his own

image, which sometimes may be more hallucination or The figment of his own

imagination.  Persons, in tune with the infinite could alone give the most correct

picture of the Personal aspect.

Religion is regarded as the creation of man that has arisen, by whatever

psychological process, from man’s experiences of daily life and serves for him

various functions.  It constitutes an attempt to formulate symbolic answers to

questions and problems that confront man.  Gods, demons, evil spirits, witches,

souls, taboos and other supernatural sanctions governing behaviours, rites at

critical times during the life time, mythology, and other religious beliefs and acts are

seen as the casting into concrete and comprehensible form of fear, hopes, wishes,

dreams and animosities of man.  Once man has put his problems in these forms,

he can deal with them by acts analogous with those of his ordinary   experience

with objects of nature and with   his fellowman.   Man has then created gods and

religion is his own image and in the image of the world of his experience, and his

religious   beliefs   and acts are functional   responses   to circumstances   of life.   

Religion is regarded not as   the mainspring of culture or social life but rather as a

derivation of more fundamental factors, especially ways of gaining a livelihood and

the closely associated manner of ordering society.

Dr. Radhakrishna has said, “It is an irony that, in actual practice, God has

been reduced to Gods and goddesses, so much so that God’s creation  - the sun,

the moon, the mountains, the rivers, the trees, the fire, even the animals - are

worshipped as the very creator.  The said creations, which are actually, meant to

serve the man, have thus become the master of men, the crown of creation, their

slave!  He, accordingly becomes a smart minded, self-centred and begot:”

“The greatest of the temptation we must overcome is to think that our own

religion is the only true religion.  Our own vision of reality is the only authentic

vision, that we alone have received a revelation and we are the chosen people, the

children of light, and the rest of the human race live in darkness.  The saints do not

believe that God is the exclusive property of any human being or a group of human

beings”.

Under   strict   regimentation, man is completely   given   to fanaticism.  This,

in turn, generates in him intolerance, hatred and animosity, towards those who

profess different faiths and beliefs or follow different paths or whose diet, dress or

culture is at variance with his own.  At times, passions are so worked up that even

for a slight deviation from or non-performance of a religious practice, such people

do not hesitate to shed blood, apparently to appease their God or to prove their

devotion.

Ironically, at times, such acts of fanaticism are committed even in the very

places of worship.  It may sound strange, but it is a stark fact that the largest

number of human lives have been sacrificed at the alter of religion:

It will not be exaggeration to say that the concept of God being a finite or

corporal being is as old as the human history.   It was repudiated, from time to

time, by the Great Masters, who enlightened the people that God is all pervading

and formless.   The Gos is one.  But with the departure of Great Master from the

scene, the foresaid delusion about God reasserts itself.   All this is so ironical and

even amazing.  Such a situation has always provided a hay-day to the self-styled

redeemers and take religious preachers to confound the people again.

SCRIPTURESMan, by nature, relishes an easy and comfortable living.  But, to keep his

body and soul together, he has to toil hard, day and night.   He suffers from a real

or imaginary fear of want and insecurity and is thus driven to seek refuge in the

(unknown) supreme power i.e. God, the great giver and the source of strength to

weak and solace to distressed, disturbed   and distracted.

The self-styled redeemers are ever ready to prescribe for the seekers short

cuts to the coveted haven.  They know well that people may have a belief in the

(unknown) God, but they have firm faith in and unbounded reverence for the

(known) scripture.   To strengthen their strong hold over the devout, they resort to

dilatory and divisionary tactics, making the scriptures the starting   point.    

Exploiting the devotee’s faith   in   the scriptures, they assert that the scripture

which the latter follow is the only true one, ignoring the fundamental fact that

essence of all the scripture is one and the same.  And this is the only rational

attitude and approach.

The basic reason for such an illogical attitude is that, contrary to the

scriptural teaching, people tend to regard the scripture describe God, but it is

equally true that they cannot reveal God.   Certainly, they enshrine the experience

and teachings of the Great Masters and are therefore worthy of respect and

regard.   But self-sublimation and self-redemption is possible by living up to tenets

of the scripture and not by their adoration.  No doubt, the devout read and recite

the scriptures, but they do not comprehend the spirit behind, the key to which lies

with the True Master.   A True Master is, therefore, indispensible to provide clue.

RITES AND RITUALSFor the self-styled redeemers, recitation and adoration of the holy books,

worship of idols, signs and symbols and performance of rites and rituals in the

prescribed manner, is an end in them.  To strengthen their hold over the innocent

devotees and also to suit their designs, they even give a distorted inter- pretation of

the scriptures.  Their directions are designed to be accepted as a divine

commandment and adhered to rigidly as a matter of faith by the devotees in their

own interest.  Any query by devotee in this regard is not explained but explained

away.   Yet they would ask the devotees to close and gently press their eyes to see

the divine light (Rabi Jot) or plug their eyes to hear the cosmic Sound (Anhad

Shabad) though the above verse is a clear warning that any object of touch, tests,

smell, form, or light seen or sound heard, internally or externally, is not God.

Preying upon the innocence and faith of the namin God-seekers, the so-

called redeemers succeed in keeping them confused and yoked to rites and rituals,

which cast their own spell.   They, therefore, lay the whole emphasis on the

observance of rites and rituals of religious practices as the very and without

explaining their real significance.

Rites and rituals may inspire one to imbibe moral and ethical values or to be

pious, upright and compassionate, or inculcate an attitude of detachment, though

these virtues are not   the exclusive privilege and possession of the religious and

the ritualiste Rarely, rites and rituals may arouse an urge in the devotee to know

and realize God, the prime purpose of human life.   At the most, rites and rituals

may be treated as aids, helpful only upto a certain stage.

When once a devout has understood the fundamental truth that God-

realisation is the prime purpose of human life, he realizes that he no longer needs

the aid of rites and rituals.   Now the question surging uppermost in his mind

should be:  How can I know and realize God to be truly a Man of God and not of

gods

It is not a fact that God - knowledge transformed Vivekananda, an ordinary

monk into a spiritual stalwart In case the devout is still not seized of the most vital

question (of God-realisation), we may rightly conclude that either he is yet to be

convinced of the prime purpose of human life or that he is a simpleton and has

been misguided to stay content with the mechanical performance of rites and

rituals - Let the ritualist pause and founder over the scriptural injunction: without the

Lord, all  pious   deeds  (enjoyed  by  religion) are illusion.   Recitation, austerities,

discipline, action all are robbed away here (and are not carried beyond).  Fasting,

rules of conduct, and observance of religious discipline are not worth half a penny. 

Here after the valuation of things is different and therefore these things are

different and therefore these things do not count there.  Bathing at holy places and

wondering about on earth can ensure no   place hereafter. This way avails not

there and at best may satisfy man on this earth.  Reciting from memory the four

Vedas will not secure Gods presence in the next world.  If a man did not know the

one Nectar-word, all the rest he knows is nonsensical prattle.  Nanak expresses

the view that the Guru should be served.   The Name dwelt upon and ego of the

mind shed off.   Whoever practices this view will cross the sea of life.

In sum, the significance, if any, of the rites and rituals is that these may help

to keep the body fit and the mind disciplined and calm.   But certainly, in

themselves, these cannot lead to God-realisation, of which they are supposed to

be the means.  And yet, rites and rituals and other such practices are propagated

as the very end in themselves - sacred, holy and sacrosanct.  Even a little

departure from or negligence in the observance and performance of the rites and

rituals strictly in the prescribed manner or questioning their real significance, is

regarded as a sacrilegious act, a sin.  Threatened with dire consequences, if no

doubt, this is done with sole motive that in the name of God- realisation, the seeker

should be kept entangled into the cab web of rites and rituals.  In the

circumstances, the seeker is driven to fear and superstitions, so much so that even

certain days are considered by him as ominous, He, thus remains bound down to

such futile routines all his life in the false hope of   God- realisation, what a pity!

In this situation, a question, naturally arises:  why are people given to rites

and rituals It is our daily experience that repetition or routine performance of an act,

physical or mental, requires minimum effort and is, therefore, comparatively, more

satisfying and easy to perform.  So also is the ease with the observance of rites

and rituals.   In the religious realm, however, such a satisfaction is deemed as an

attainment.   The God-seekers or devotee remains tied down to and content with

such routine rituals.   In course of time, he begins to nurse an illusion that he has

actually attained God-realisations.

TRUE MASTERThere prevails a great deal of misconception about True Master or Sadguru,

especially His hallmark and His manifestation.   The priest class and religious

leaders have managed to delude the masses, in every age, in believing that the

outfit such as a particular attire or forehead - mark, or rosary, or matter hair, is

hallmark of a True Master and that, unlike the multitude, he manifests rarely, not in

every age.  Let us examine this stand objectively.

An illiterate may be better dressed than a doctor.  Also a person does not

become a doctor merely by doctor apparel.   Medical knowledge and not the attire

is the hallmark of a doctor.   In other   words, one, who heals patients, is a   healer

not withstanding the nomenclature - Hakim, Vaid, Tabeeb or doctor.   Further,

death of a doctor does not mean the end of medical knowledge.    What dies is

the physical body and not   the transcendental knowledge.   Knowledge  (ever)

abides.   Another person equipped with medical knowledge takes his place.   This

holds good also in the case of a True Master.

There is yet another cogent reason why a True Master should be there in

every age.  Times without number it is asserted and propagated that God-

realisation is the foremost aim of human life.  In other words, to realize God is an

obligation as also a birthright, nay a divine right of every human, in whichever age

he or she is born.  And, as a doctor is indispensable to dispense medicine, so is a

True Master for dispensing God-knowledge.   In other words, God can be realized

by the grace of True Master alone.  In the circumstances, is it logical that there

should not be a True Master in any age those who contend or propagate that

manifestation of a True Master in rare phenomenon, should honestly search their

hearts and ponder over the gravity of the consequence of their approach? Are not

they depriving the teeming million’s of an opportunity to discharge their most

sacred obligation and exercise their divine right to realize God and thereby fulfill

the chief aim of human life to be redeemed   Are not they, wittingly or unwittingly,

‘violating’ their divine right

The truth is that since the Divine is eternal, so is the Divine Messenger or True

Master to bless the aspirants with the Divine Message   or God-knowledge, in

every age, whatever be   the nomenclature of the whatever (of God-knowledge). 

Again, let us not forget that a Divine Messenger or True Master is not a person but

an institution and God-knowledge his sole hallmark.

Word (Divine) is the Master, Guru and the Lord,

Disciple is the conscious inner accord.

REALITY

By now it is clear that the belief that God is corporeal and finite being is,

infact, no more than an imaginary fabrication and therefore differently presented by

different people, even though every religion teaches that God is formless and one. 

In order to promote their rested interest, the so called redeemers or   religious

guides feel totally unconcerned   that   their irrational approach negates and

undermines the most sacred and fundamental truth of oneness of God.  It also

sows seeds of polytheism, sectarianism superstitions and blind faith, and thereby

leads the naove devotees away from the cherished goal if God-realisation.  It is no

surprise, therefore, that the humanity is being consumed by fire of strife,

intolerance, hatred, fanaticism and factionalism.  The present generation especially

the youth, carries a conviction that they are unfortunate to have been born in an

age bereft of Great Masters of the past, competent to reveal God, instead of falling

a prey to taboos, dogmas, complexities and even absurdities woven by self-styled

redeemers to yoke the innocent God-seekers to the wheel of mere routines, they

prefer to be known or even dubbed as atheists, though   in the heart of their hearts

they too nurse   an irrepressible urge to realize God, the Supreme power.

However, mere belief in the existence of God is not sufficient, as already

discussed.  The prime aim of human life is to realize the all-pervading formless

God.  This is so because, of all the creations, man is not only conscious but also

super-conscious, God-realisation is, therefore, possible only in the human life, the

span of which, in turn, is not only short but also unpredictable.

The seekers need not be dismayed however, provided they have an

earnest, nay a burning yearning to know and realize God.   Since Gos is all

pervading and omni present, there is no need to retire to a forest or mountain or

undergo torturous practices to realize God. (Shri Sai Baba).  The seeker must not

accept anything short of God-realisation like Swami Vivekananda who used to put

the straight and significant question to everyone:  “Sir”, do you know God Can you

show God to me” He repeated this question till, atlast, he met Sri Ramakrishna,

who was himself a God- realised being and unveiled God to Vivekananda.

Similarly, to satiate their longing for an abiding perception to God form less, the

aspirants should also, in all humility, approach and ---- the grace of someone who

himself is God-realised.

Here we must not forget the God being all pervading   and omnipresent. 

God-revelation takes no time; just a mere hint is sufficient to introduce one person

to another.

“Ask and it shall be given to you; seek, and He shall find; know, and it shall

be opened unto you” (Bible, Matthew 7:7)

“Sit in faith  (before the Master) for a moment and you will realize the All-

pervading” (Raj Talang Benikabirji p. 727)

“Say the Lord, if you come to me walking, I shall run to  (receive) you

(Muslim Bukhari and also Sai Baba)

The knower alone can make us known and realize God.   Certainly Shirdi

Sai Baba was such a knower, who revealed the all-pervading formless God by a

mere hint saned rites and rituals, taboos and dogmas.  This hint illumines and

transforms is one’s out look and vision; the ignorance is dispelled and one realizes

the reality busy and perceives the real, i.e., God is most proximate, here, there and

everywhere and at all times.

DHARAM SAI.

CHAPTER XXIV

PARAMAHAMSA YOGISThe Yogis are those who have controlled all the out going faculties of the

mind and attained concentration by the practice of the eight fold means of Yoga,

i.e., Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana, and

Samadhi.    The Paramahamsas are those who have attained the super conscious

state in which all illusion of the world has vanished in the direct realization of Truth,

the oneness of existence.   They belong to the highest order of Sanyasis.  The

world is put here to qualify Yogis because they are sometimes seen to apply their

powers of Siddhis to worldly ends, which brings on their downfall.   The

Paramahamsas, however, having   realized   the hollowness of all earthly vanities

through knowledge renounces them.

The Paramahamsa path called Turiyashrama (the fourth order) is accessible

with great difficulty through the merits acquired by the strenuous exertions of many

previous births.  They have not many exponents, and it is enough if there be one at

any time in any   country.   Such a one is firmly established   in   the consciousness

of “I am the Brahman”.  This is what the knower of truth hold, he is not conditional

by anything, though living in the   body, for he rests his whole mind always   in

Lord Brahman (Pramatman); and Lord Brahma (Pramatman), too, for that -- reside

in him.  Having renounced his sons, friends, wife and relations etc; with a view to

attaining the perfect and un- disturbed peace of mind, without having anything to

identify his self with all things which is useful only so long as Truth is not realized

and all desire which binds the soul and charms it by its endless deceitful sports of

Maya.

He being a Yogi rests absorbed in the Paramatman and has no

consciousness of heat and cold, and because of his seeing no other self but his

own in all, does not feel elated by honour paid to him, nor grieved by being

disrespectfully treated.   He neither feels happiness nor misery.  He is beyond the

reach of hunger, thirst, grief, delusion, decay (by body disease) and death  (of

these first two belongs to the prans, the next two to the mind and last two to body). 

Having given up all thoughts of calumny, conceit, jealousy, ostentations,

arrogance, attachment or   antipathy   to objects, joy and sorrow, lust, anger,

covetousness, self-delusion, elation, envoy, elation, egoism, and the mine-ness in

objects of enjoyment, he regards his body as a corpse, as he has thoroughly

destroyed the body-idea.   Being eternally free from the cause of doubt, and of

misconceived and false knowledge, realizing the Eternal Brahman, he lives in that

himself, with the consciousness “I myself am He (Paramatman), I am that which is

ever calm, immutable, undivided, of the essence of knowledge-bliss, That alone is

my real nature”.  That  (Jnana) alone is his Shikha.  That (Jnana) alone is his holy

thread.   Through the knowledge of the unity of the Jivatman with the Paramatman,

the distinction between them is wholly gone too.   This (unification) is the

Sandhya’s ceremony.

For Paramahamsa Yogi the quarters are his clothing, he prostrates himself

before none (Davas or the like), he is not required to perform the Shradha

ceremony, blames none, praises none-the Sanyasis is ever of independent will. 

For him there is no invocation to God (in any image), no valedictory ceremony

(Prayers offered to chosen deity at the end of worship, to retone to His supreme

Abode) to him; no mantra, no meditation, no worship; to him is neither phenomenal

world nor that which is unknowable, he sees neither duality nor does he perceive

unity.  He sees neither “I” nor “thou”, nor all this.  Such Sanyasi has no home. 

This not allowed to accept anything made of gold or the like, he should not have a

body of disciples, or accept wealth.

All desires of mind cease to exist, (and consequently) he is not agitated   by

grief, and has no   longing   for   happiness; renunciation of attachment to sense-

pleasures comes, and he is everywhere unattached in good or evil, he neither

hates nor is elated.  The outgoing tendency of all the sense-organs subside in him

whose Smriti thus extols the bliss such as one possesses, the happiness enjoyed

by the King of Gods or by the sovereign ruler of all men is nothing compared with

that which belongs to the Yogi who is devoid of attachment and is One word in the

knowledge of Self rests in the Atman alone.  Realising “I am that Brahman who is

the one infinite knowledge - Bliss” he reaches the end of his desires. He has

nothing more to desire, no want to satisfy, no duty unperformed.

The Paramhamsa Yogi, the fourth order of Turiyashrama   is classified much

higher than the God as he is firmly established in the consciousness of  “I am the

Brahman”.   In the above paragraphs I have explained the path of the

Paramahamsa Yogis and their duties and I leave it to you to decide whether Shirdi

Sai Baba was God-reincarnation or Paramahamsa Yogi or some one other than

them.

Om Sai - Om Sai - Om Sai

A BRIEF ABOUT THE AUTHOR

In this book, the author’s revelations clearly state the nature of God and miracle.

Miracles made their appearance from the very day when the world was created. He

who cannot behold them is deprived of the greatest gift of life. In this book author

has tried to explain the inner depth of the miracles of God and His creation i.e how

and why they happen. He has tried to explain the very reason of these myteries or

miracles and had shown a true path for everyone’s spiritual quest to reach the

“Ultimate Truth”.

Major. D.V. Tangri (Retd.) also known as ‘DHARAM SAI’ graduated as

Commissioned Officer from IMA Dehradun in 1950.

In the year 1953, he received a sweet cosmic invitation in the form of a bright light

to come to Shirdi. He followed the bright light and directly reached Shirdi Sai

Baba’s Samadhi. Only after reaching the sacred holy samadhi he realised that the

light was from none other than Baba to guide him to the spiritual path to reach the

“Ultimate Truth”. And since then he became an ardent devotee of Baba.

In the year 1965 during Indo-Pak war Baba saved him from death by turning his

face from direct bullet hit on his head.

In 1970 he had to proceed on a posting with promotion from Poona but Baba

ordered him to leave the service. He dare not defy the order of his Great master,

the Sai and took premature retirement and refused his promotion.

He also took to writing articles on Baba’s life and teachings. His book in Hindi Sai

Baba Ki Dan-Atma Gyan” is already published. Since 1953 he has followed the

spiritual path shown by Baba to attain the “Ultimate Truth” and self-realization.