Shri Sai Satcharita
Chapter 19
Teachings Regarding Slander and Remuneration for
Labor.
Baba's Advice Regarding our
Behavior
The following words of Baba
are general and invaluable. If they are kept in mind and acted upon, they will
always do you good. "Unless there is some relationship or connection,
nobody goes anywhere. If any men or creature comes to you, do not
discourteously drive them away, but receive them well and treat them with due
respect. Shri Hari (God) will be certainly pleased, if you give water to the
thirsty, bread to the hungry, clothes to the naked, and your verandah to
strangers for sitting and resting. If anybody wants any money from you, and you
are not inclined to give, do not give, but do not bark at him, like a dog. Let anybody
speak hundreds of things against you, do not resent by giving any bitter reply.
If you always tolerate such things, you will certainly be happy. Let the world
go topsy-turvy, you remain where you are. Standing or staying in your own
place, look on calmly at the show of all things passing before you. Demolish
the wall of difference that separates you from Me; and then the road for our
meeting will be clear and open. The sense of differentiation, as I and thou, is
the barrier that keeps away the disciple from his Master, and unless that is
destroyed the state of union or atonement is not possible, "Allah
Malik" i.e. God is the sole Proprietor, nobody else is our Protector. His
method of work is extra-ordinary, invaluable, and inscrutable. His will be done
and He will show us the way, and satisfy our heart's desires. It is on account
of Rinanubandh (former relationship) that we have come together, let us love
and serve each other and be happy. He, who attains the supreme goal of life, is
immortal and happy; all others merely exist, i.e., live so long as they
breathe".
Encouraging Good Thoughts
of Fruition
It is interesting to note
how Sai Baba encouraged good thoughts. You have to surrender yourself
completely to Him with love, and devotion, and they you will see how, He helps
you, off and on, in so many things. Some Saint has said, that when you get a
good thought, immediately after awakening from sleep, and if you develop the
same afterwards during the day, your intellect will be unfolded and your mind
will attain calmness. Hemadpant wanted to try this. On one Wednesday night
before going to bed, be thought - "Tomorrow is Thursday - an auspicious
day. Shirdi is so holy; so let me pass the whole day in remembering and
chanting the Rama-nama, and then he slept. Next morning when he got up he
remembered without any effort the name of Rama and was much pleased. He then,
after finishing his morning duties, went to see Baba with flowers. When he left
Dixit's Wada (rest house), and was just passing Booty's Wada (present Sai
Samadhi Temple) he heard a beautiful song that was being sung nicely by one
Aurangabadkar, in the Masjid before Baba. The song was Guru - kripanjan payo
mere bhai" etc. by Ekanath, in which he says that he got blessings in the
form of Guru's grace which opened his vision and made him see Rama, in and out,
in sleep, dream, and waking state and everywhere. There were so many songs; and
why was this song particularly chosen by Aurangabadkar, a devotee of Baba? Is
this not a curious coincidence arranged by Baba to feed the determination of Hemadpant
to sing unceasingly Rama-nama, during the day? All Saints agree on and lay
stress upon the efficacy of uttering Rama's (God's) name, in fulfilling the
ambitions of the Bhaktas and in protecting and saving them from all calamities.
Variety in Upadesh (Spiritual Instructions); Slanderer Condemned
Sai Baba required no
special place, nor any special time for giving instructions. Whenever any
occasion demanded, He gave them freely. Once it so happened that a Bhakta of
Baba, reviled another behind his back, before other people. On leaving aside
merits, he dwelt on the faults of his brother, and spoke so sarcastically, that
the hearers were disgusted.
Generally, we see that
people have a tendency to scandalize others, unnecessarily; and this brings on
hatred and ill-will. Saints see scandal, in another light. They say that there
are various ways of cleansing or removing dirt, viz. by means of earth, water
and soap etc., but a scandalmonger has got a way of his own. He removes the
dirt (faults) of others by his tongue; so in a way of obliges the person, whom
he reviles and for this he is to be thanked. Sai Baba had his own method of
correcting the scandal-monger. He knew by his omniscience what the slanderer had
done and when He met him at noon near the Lendi, Baba pointed out to him a pig
that was eating filth near the fence and said to him,
"Behold how, with what
relish it is gorging dung. Your conduct is similar. You go on reviling your own
brethren to your heart's content. After performing many deeds of merit, you are
born a man, and if you act like this, will Shirdi help you in any way?"
Needless to say, that the Bhakta took the lesson to his heart, and went away.
In this way Baba went on
giving instructions whenever necessary. If these are borne in our minds and
acted upon, the spiritual goal (realization) is not far off. There is a proverb
which says - "If there be my Hari (Lord), He will feed me on my cot."
This proverb is only true in respect of food and clothing, but if anyone
trusting in this sits quiet and does nothing in spiritual matters, he will be
ruined. One has to exert himself to his utmost for attaining self-realization.
The more he endeavors, the better for him.
Baba said that He was
omnipresent, occupying land, air, country, world, light and heaven, and that He
was not limited. To remove the misunderstanding
of those, who thought that Baba was only His body - three cubits and a half in
length, He incarnated Himself in this form and if any devotee meditated on Him
day and night with complete self-surrender, he experienced complete union
(without any difference) with Him like sweetness and sugar, waves and sea, eye
and its luster. He, who wants to get rid of the cycle of births and deaths,
should lead a righteous life, with his mind calm and composed. He should always
engage himself in good actions, should do his duties and surrender himself,
heart and soul to Him. He need not then be afraid of anything. He who trusts Him
entirely, hears and expounds His Leelas and does not think of anything else, is
sure to attain Self-realization.
Baba asked many to remember
His name and to surrender to Him, but to those, who wanted to know who they
were ('Who am I' enquiry), He advised Shravanam (study) and Mananam
(meditation). To some, He advised remembering God's name, to others hearing His
Leelas, to some worship of His Feet, to others reading and studying Adhyatma
Ramayan, Jnaneshwari and other sacred scriptures. Some He made sit near His Feet,
some He sent to Khandoba's temple, and some He advised the repetition of the
thousands names of Vishnu and some the study of Chhandogya Upanishad and Geeta.
There were no limits, nor restriction to His instructions. To some, He gave instructions
in person and to others by visions in dreams. To one addicted to liquor, Sai
appeared in his dream, sat on his chest, pressed it and left him, after he gave
a promise not to touch liquor anymore. To some, He explained some Mantras like
Gurur Brahma' in dreams. To some devotee, who was practicing Hath-Yoga, He sent
word that he should leave off Hath-Yoga practices, sit quiet and wait (Saburi).
It is impossible to describe all His ways and methods.
In ordinary worldly dealings,
He set examples by His actions, one of which is given below.
Remuneration for Labor
One day at noon, Baba came
near RadhaKrishna-Mai's (One of Sai Baba's ardent devotees), house and said - "Bring Me a ladder." Some
men brought it and set it against a house as directed by Baba. He climbed up on
the roof of Vaman Gondkar's house, passed the roof of RadhaKrishna-Mai's house
and then got down from the other corner. What object Baba had, none could know.
RadhaKrishna-Mai was, at that time, shivering with Malaria. It may be to drive
off that fever that He may have gone there. Immediately after getting down,
Baba paid Rupees two to the persons who brought the ladder. Somebody asked
Baba, why he paid so much for this. He replied that nobody should take the labor
of others, in vain. The worker should be paid, his dues promptly and liberally.
Bow to Shri Sai - Peace be
to all
No comments:
Post a Comment