Sai Sandesh                                  Volume 10, Issue 1; Jan 2013

Inside

Devotees are requested to e-mail suggestions, articles, experiences, etc. to saisandesh@omsaimandir.org

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Message From The President

A True Devotee Hungers Only For The Lord

Sai Wisdom

Vibhuti Miraculously Refills Itself

Miraculous Manifestations at Om Sai Mandir

Baba Produces Mango From The Sand

The Lord's Stories Offer Peace and Happiness

The Compassionate Lord Cancels Countless Births

Baba Appears On The Plane To Save Everyone

Mahashivaratri will be celebrated at Om Sai Mandir on Sun, Mar 10. Special, bhajans, an all-night vigil, and all-night abhishekam are planned throughout the night. Four phases of abhishekam will be performed throughout the night. For more details and to download the puja sponsorship form, visit:

http://www.omsaimandir.org/shivratri.cfm

2012 went so swiftly. Many had feared the worst in 2012 but I had repeatedly assured devotees that Baba's assurance "Why Fear When I am Here" is always a source of solace and hope during turbulent times. Now, we have left 2012 behind and are optimistically looking forward to a pleasant and Sai-filled 2013.

Indeed, last year was filled with several exciting blessings at Om Sai Mandir. We have managed to sustain and intensify the steady growth with which Baba has blessed us since the inception of the temple in 2003. Over the years, many prayers have been answered, countless individuals have been fed by Baba at the temple, and so many children and elders have found a strong pillar of hope at Om Sai Mandir.

Despite all the incidences of the year, one thing that was constant during the entire year was Baba's invisible hand guiding us through every event.

Rudram continues for world peace

It also gives me great pleasure to inform that the chanting of Ekadasa Rudram which had commenced on June 11, 2007 continues along with ritual abhishekam in the divine presence of Sai Baba. In fact, this is our second round of Athi Maha Rudram. The first round of Athi Maha Rudram was completed (to the accompaniment of 14,641 chants of Rudram) on Swami's 85th birthday. The second round will be completed soon as well.

Our volunteers

I have always said that the youth offer hope for the future of the Sai Mission and the world at large. I am very grateful to Baba for bringing several young Sai-volunteers to participate in His divine mission. My heart swells with great pride to see the tireless work these young souls perform at the mandir.

Swami's blessings find ample expression through the tireless service of our dedicated team of young volunteers, a taskforce that has grown remarkably well during the last year. We are thankful to them.

Sandy and the aftermath

Despite the many blessings in 2012, we indeed had to face several natural and man-made disasters as well. While the temple was mostly spared from the effect of Hurricane Sandy, the subsequent snow storm wreaked havoc on the peripheral boundaries of the temple, primarily the fence. We are in the process of negotiating the installation of a new fence. Due to the highly prohibitive cost of the installation, I am requesting devotees to help out with this endeavor. Those interested in contributing may do so at :

http://www.omsaimandir.org/voluntary_donations.cfm

Social media presence

Devotees have been asking for the mandir's social media presence for a long time. We always endeavor to serve devotees in the best manner possible. To foster e-discussions and deliver regular updates, Om Sai Mandir is now on popular social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. Please be sure to join us at facebook.com/omsaimandir, twitter.com/omsaimandir, and youtube.com/omsaimandir.

In addition to connecting with devotees on social media sites, our temple has launched a blog as well. You can regularly read the mandir's blog at omsaimandir.org/blog.

Despite the steady progress over the past seven years, a lot remains to be accomplished, and I would like to request the continued participation, support, and blessings of devotees. We are very eager to unwrap all the blessings Swami has in store for all of us in 2013. Many exciting initiatives are being planned for the upcoming year.

For regular updates, be sure to check the temple's website (omsaimandir.org) regularly.

I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a Very Happy, Healthy, and Prosperous New Year. May Sai Baba's blessings fill your lives, and the lives of your loved ones, with ever lasting bliss.
Samastha loka sukhino bhavantu. Jai Sai Ram.

- Gangadhar Rao Chalasani, M.D.
President

After the highly destructive war of Ramayana, Lord Rama, Lakshman, Mother Sita, and the extremely-adorable Hanuman returned to Ayodhya. As Lord Rama was ruling over Ayodhya, once Mother Sita called Hanuman and said, "Child, you have served us so much. It is my strong desire to serve you with a sumptuous meal tomorrow. Will you come to my kitchen? I will personally cook delicious food for you exclusively."

Hanuman, though the wisest amongst all beings, exhibited extreme child-like behavior when it came to Lord Rama and Mother Sita. He jumped from His seat and said, "Mother, how could I pass the opportunity to eat from your divine nectar-like hands. The food you cook is bound to be more delicious than even divine ambrosia offered in the heavens. I will surely come tomorrow."

The following day, Hanuman hurriedly arrived at the palace in a manner that was characteristic of Him. He took his seat and called out to the mother: "Oh, mother I am starving. I have been dreaming about the special food you are cooking for me. Please hurry up and serve me." The loving mother was very eager to serve her child and with utmost love brought all the delicacies to Hanuman. As she was pouring a small quantity, Hanuman, grabbed the tray and gulped it down with great relish. He swallowed a large serving as if it were a small grape. On devouring the initial offering, He called out to Mother Sita and said, "Mother, the food you have cooked is indeed the rarest feast I have ever eaten. Kindly serve me more."

The loving mother offered more food which too Hanuman swallowed as if it were a small grain. He immediately called her out and said, "Kindly serve me more, Mother." The Divine Mother lovingly served Hanuman increasingly larger portions but Hanuman would immediately call out for more. She was perplexed and continued cooking larger and larger portions but no amount of food appeared to appease her divine child, Hanuman.

Goddess Sita could not fathom the divine play of her own child. Indeed a true devotee excels the entire creation. On witnessing Devi Sita's plight, Kaushalya, the mother of Lord Rama, ordered all the food vendors in the region to empty their stores in the service of Hanuman. When the purchased food was offered to Hanuman, He threw it out as if it were waste. He refused to even touch it. Hanuman's devotion was so great, He could easily differentiate between food cooked by Mother Sita and that cooked by outside professionals.

Now, all the stores and granaries in the palace were empty and yet Hanuman was unappeased. In fact, He continued demanding food cooked only by Mother Sita. The palace had transformed into a state of confusion. The Divine Warrior who had single-handedly filled the heart of the inhabitants of Lanka in fear was now testing the patience of His Master's servants. What were they to do? The entire city's food was consumed within a matter of hours. Could they turn away an honorable being like Hanuman unappeased? What would happen to Mother Sita's promise of serving and appeasing her divine child?

Finally, Sita took refuge in Lord Rama. As she approached the Lord, He, too, played a divine joke on her. He said, "Dearest Sita, have you appeased your guest? Can we also get some food now? Me and my brothers are starving. We heard you cooked a very delicious feast today. Can we, too, receive some of the delicacies?" On seeing Sita's confused eyes, the Lord grasped the entire situation. How could the Omniscient One not know what was going on in His own palace?

The Lord's heart melted at the sight of a surrendered devotee in the form of Mother Sita. Though the goddess of the entire creation, she had surrendered her heart to God and awaited his help. The Lord immediately touched a Tulasi leaf and asked her to feed Hanuman with the leaf. The mother pondered, "The entire region's food could not appease Hanuman. Could a small leaf satisfy His insatiable appetite?"

Yet, she knew the power of Lord Rama. His words could never be untrue.

She quickly fed Hanuman who was roaring with hunger.

Hanuman, whose hunger could not be satisfied with hundreds of tons of food, immediately burped with full satisfaction. The one Tulasi leaf touched by His Master managed to satisfy hunger that appeared to burn the entire creation to ashes. He immediately fell at Mother Sita's feet and thanked her from the bottom of His heart. Mother Sita was delighted to see that Hanuman was finally appeased.

Hanuman is the repository of divine humor. He immediately said, "Mother, so could I invite myself to another feat tomorrow morning?"

Before she could say anything, He said, "Mother, only one Tulasi leaf touched by Lord Rama. I will come for that every day from now."'

What a great lesson Hanuman taught all mankind. Nothing could satisfy Hanuman, but one simple leaf touched by His Master was enough for this humble servant of God.

Lord Hanuman has established the highest standards of devotion for all us to emulate.

Our humble pranams at His lotus feet!

Pure love alone can carry out successfully projects of service and welfare. Love creates sympathy; Love will show the way where hatred creates complexities. When a toddler is learning to walk, love will place no obstacles on the path. On the other hand, it will encourage, welcoming each forward step and overlooking each fall. Unfortunately, many a beneficial ventures are laid barren because of harsh criticism and wanton disparagements. Noble works must be executed with lots of love. True devotion alone can transform people's hearts and lead them in the path of Truth and Right Conduct. Any trace of greed for gain degrades love. That is why a child is all love as it has no attachment to the goods of the world.

Source: Thought For The Day, Prashanti Nilayam, Jan 16, 2013

In the late 90's I was called upon to give healing on a number of occasions. After one session I noticed that my sachet of vibhutti, materialised by Baba, which I used in healings, was empty. I thought that I need some more of that. Three weeks later, I opened the drawer in which the vibhutti was kept, in a used watch box 9x9x3cms.

I observed that one corner of the lid of the box was resting on the now full sachet of vibhutti, which was placed across the corner of the box. I was amazed and on examination noticed that the old sachet was re-sealed.

I still have that sachet containing the remnants of the contents.

A devotee put the vermillion mark on the Shiva Linga during Rudram Prayers. The dot of vermillion turned into the face of Shirdi Sai Baba. Baba's beard, eyes, face, and cap are clearly visbible.

Omkar and Baba's Handprints manifest on the temple's window on the eleventh day of Baba's Mahasamadhi.

This miracle of Baba is not only mind boggling, it is very instructive. During Swami's younger days he once visited the local beach with some of His followers. One among them asked Sai whether He was really Sai Baba and if so, could He prove it by producing a mango (which was not ordinarily available in the area at that time)?

Swami smiled as the devotee asked where he should dig in the sand. Baba responded by saying he could dig wherever he wanted. The man started digging enthusiastically and after a few feet stopped with disappointment. He asked Baba if he should dig in another place because the promised mango was not found. Sai, however, asked him to continue by saying that it is the duty of man to labor. It is up to God to reward results at the appropriate time.

With Swami's assurance, the man continued his work. No luck, though. When he looked at Sai, Baba asked him to chant God's name while continuing to use human effort. The devotee then started chanting Sai Ram, Sai Ram and continued his efforts. Finally, he could feel something cold, as if the object had just come out of a refrigerator. He panicked because the place also housed a burial ground and he feared that he may have uncovered a corpse. Swami assured him, however, that there was no reason to fear. Finally, the man pulled out the fruit and, lo, it was the very mango he was seeking.

Then, he thought they were five. How could one mango suffice everyone? Out of nowhere Swami pulled out a knife and cut the fruit and distributed it to everyone. Needless to say, it was the most luscious and sweet fruit they had ever eaten and despite eating to their fill, half the fruit still remained to be consumed.

Swami brought out beautiful lessons through this episode: a) God always grants the desired object of His devotees at the right time, b) it is the duty of man to do his part and labor for the fruit he desires, and c) by chanting God's name the object is obtained sooner than its normal course.

The human mind is constantly agitated. From one thought to the next, from one idea to the other, from one desire to the next -- the mind constantly moves and wavers leaving us helpless victims to its vagaries and fancies. Though masters of the mind in our ideal state, we are constantly ruffled and uneasy. Happiness appears to be a fleeting stream of water that always slips the cracks of our fingers no matter what we try.

It is not ordinary humans alone, even divine saints struggle to find release from the grasps of the "monkey mind". Most readers may be aware of Sage Vyasa. The Divine Saint who was chosen to pen great epics like Mahabharata and eighteen Puranas (detailed stories of the exploits of various manifestations of God). After compiling and categorizing the four Vedas and penning various Upanishads and Puranas, Sage Vyasa was as restless as ever. Despite accomplishing such a marvelous super-human feat in the service of humanity, Vyasa felt as restless as ever. It was as if something bigger remained to be achieved. The sage was perplexed. Perfect that he was, he was free from all desires, attachments, and emotions. The six inner enemies (lust, hatred, anger, jealousy, pride, and greed) could not even touch him. Indeed the sage was a repository of love, compassion, and service. Why would peace and bliss allude such a great one?

Extremely dejected at the state of his mind, Vyasa, sat in a state of gloom near a river bed and meditated on the condition of his mind. Suddenly, the divine sage Narada appeared at that place and blessed Sage Vyasa.
Narada is an enlightened sage and is considered the saint that even devas (divine beings and angels) pay homage to. Narada ever contemplates on the form of Lord Narayana and constantly repeats "Narayana, Narayana, Narayana …" to the accompaniment of celestial music that ever flows from his musical instrument, Veena. Vyasa was extremely delighted to see the divine sage and humbly narrated his problems. Narada smiled as if he had come for the very purpose of conveying the solution.

Narada said, "Oh Holy One. You are revered in all the three worlds. For the sake of humanity you dedicated your entire life for the purpose of composing all the divine works that you have so painstakingly done over the past so many years. Yet, you do not feel at ease. There is a simple reason for this. You have not yet undertaken the task of narrating the divine exploits of God. True peace and happiness can only be acquired by reading, listening, reflecting, and following the stories of God. Unless you reflect on the divine deeds of God you will never find true happiness."

Vyasa immediately understood the purport of Narada's message and thanked him profusely. Without wasting any time, Vyasa meditated deeply and witnessed the divine exploits of God, in the form of Lord Krishna. Through a divine vision, the entire life of Lord Krishna was laid bare in front of the divine sage who penned down everything he witnessed in the form of the holy scripture Bhagavatam. No sooner did Vyasa accomplish this task, he became extremely peaceful. His heart was filled with divine bliss and he rested as if he was the happiest person in the entire universe.
In the Satcharita, Lord Shirdi Sainath has said:

"If a man utters My name with love, I shall fulfill all his wishes, increase his devotion. And if he sings earnestly My life and My deeds, him I shall beset in front and back and on all sides. Those devotees, who are attached to Me, heart and soul, will naturally feel happiness, when they hear these stories. Believe Me that if anybody sings My Leelas, I will give him infinite joy and everlasting contentment. It is My special characteristic to free any person, who surrenders completely to Me, and who does worship Me faithfully, and who remembers Me, and meditates on Me constantly. How can they be conscious of worldly objects and sensations, who utter My name, who worship Me, who think of My stories and My life and who thus always remember Me? I shall draw out My devotees from the jaws of Death. If My stories are listened to, all the diseases will be got rid of. So, hear My stories with respect; and think and meditate on them, assimilate them. This is the way of happiness and contentment. The pride and egoism of My devotees will vanish, the mind of the hearers will be set at rest; and if it has wholehearted and complete faith, it will be one with Supreme Consciousness. The simple remembrance of My name as 'Sai, Sai' will do away with sins of speech and hearing".

It is for this reason that devotees regularly read holy works like Sai Satcharita, Bhagwatam, Ramayana, Bible, Quran, and the various holy scriptures given to us by God. One can find true happiness by reading the divine stories of God.

Jnaana Dev and Naama Dev were walking through a forest. They felt thirsty but could not catch sight of a well or a lake anywhere. At last, they saw a well and ran towards it. They eagerly looked into it. There was water in the well, but how could they drink? There was neither a rope nor a vessel to draw water. There was no question of going into the well. Jnaana Dev simply closed his eyes. Soon he was transformed into a bird. He flew into the well and drank water to his fill. Naama Dev began chanting the name of Lord with intense devotion. The water level began to rise slowly until at last it was within reach. He just put his hands into the well and drank water. Such is the power of the Name.

Young Raamadas (a well-known Saint) was once challenged to prove his archery skills. He was asked to shoot down a flying bird; intent on proving his abilities, he immediately shot a flying bird with an arrow. Killing of life, however, is a great sin and a few priests asked him to repent for this deed. Raamadas promptly closed his eyes and prayed to God wholeheartedly, repenting for his sin and asking for His forgiveness. Then he opened his eyes and pointed out to the priests that the dead bird had not regained life, in spite of his repentance. The priests, not knowing God's power, said reprovingly, "How crazy you are! Repentance cannot undo what is done; but its purpose is to enable you to make up your mind not to repeat such misdeeds." "That is no repentance in my humble view;" countered Raamadas, "God and His name are so powerful that if we pray sincerely, His grace will bring the bird back to life." So saying, he picked up the dead bird, hugged it to his bosom, and with tears flowing down his cheeks, he wholeheartedly prayed, "O Raama, if I have been chanting your name with all my mind, heart and soul and if it is a fact that I have killed this bird out of ignorance, may your grace either revive this dead bird, or take away my life also along with that of the bird."

As he concluded his prayer, the bird fluttered in his hands. Astonished at this miracle, the priests exclaimed in one voice, "Revered sir, forgive us for not recognizing your greatness. Since you have the capacity to kill a flying bird with a single arrow, and also the capacity to revive the dead bird, you will hereafter be known by the worthy name of 'Samartha Raamadhas.'"

One can chant any Divine Name of any form. It must be chanted with devotion and in an uninterrupted manner.

Nothing can hold the Lord's response when the devotee calls out to Him with true love. Can the mother ever resist the call of a hungry child? No matter how busy she may be, she will run to offer nourishment to her babes. How, then, can the Lord who holds the love of a thousand mothers resist the calls of her children.

There was once a sage who was contemplating on the Lord with utmost devotion. He would meditate day and night with no thought except the Lord's. His heart was set on but one goal: to please and reach the Lord and thus transcend the material plane and perpetually bathe in the Divine Light of God's love.
As the devotee was thus meditating, Lord Vishnu sent His emissary Narada to the sage. Narada asked the sage, "Oh Holy One! You are very different from other human beings. While ordinary mortals pray for worldly boons you don't display the slightest liking for any of earth's pleasures. What is the purpose of your austerity?"

At this the sage responded, "Holy Saint, my only goal is to attain liberation and reach the abode of Lord Narayana. I do not seek anything else. Could you do me a favor? Since you have such close access to the Lord, could you ask Him when I will be liberated?" Narada was touched at the sight of such loving devotion and agreed to seek the Lord's counsel. He visited Narayana and asked, "Swami, when will the sage be liberated? He is performing intense austerity. Please bless Him." The Lord smiled calmly and said, "Narada tell my devotee that he still has countless births and deaths before he can be ready for liberation. He has to wait for many thousands of years."
Narada was shocked beyond belief. How could he convey such harsh news to a devotee who was performing such sincere penance? Yet, he could not disobey the will of God and very reluctantly approached the yogi to convey the harsh message. Narada nervously fumbled as he whispered, "Holy Sir, Lord Narayana conveys His blessings to you. He has said that it will take you countless births and several thousand years to achieve liberation." Narada stood silent
as he expected the sage to faint with fear.

Much to the contrary, the saint was delighted and overjoyed. He jumped in divine ecstasy and started

dancing with intense jubilation. Narada was perplexed. At first, the Lord's message confused him and now the devotee-sage's behavior had confused him even more. Despite the surprise, he was much relieved that the sage took the message in a joyful spirit. Narada couldn't hold his curiosity though and asked the saint, "Why do you dance despite the news being so bad?" The sage calmed down and explained, "Oh, divine saint. At least the Lord has assured me that I WILL attain liberation one day. At least, he did not deny my request. To attain my goal I am willing to wait for even double the time the Lord has promised. I am just so happy that some time in the future I will achieve success. I have full faith in the Lord's wisdom. His timing is always perfect."

Narada, who was proud of his own devotion, was filled with tears at the child-like faith of the sage. He prostrated in front of the sage and returned to Vaikuntha, the abode of the Lord. The Lord who was witnessing this interaction asked Narada why he was in tears. When Narada recounted his conversation with the sage, God said, "Narada, go and tell him that all his future births are CANCELLED!

He has touched my heart with his pure devotion and faith. I have liberated him this very instant and have cancelled all his accumulated karma. I have burnt his deeds to ashes. He can come with you to my abode."

Now Narada was completely dumbfounded. What a whirlwind tour God had made him undertake. One surprise after another. One lesson followed another. Such is the compassion of God. He cannot witness our suffering for even an instant. If we display even the slightest faith and devotion, he will cancel all our suffering in a trice. Nothing is impossible for God.

Baba has cured innumerable cancer patients by using a very simple mantra: "Your cancer is cancelled!"

Na Sainath Sama Avatar, Na Sainath Sama Guru, Na Bhooto, Bhavishyati

Infinite universes have never witnessed an avatar or guru as benevolent, compassionate, and powerful as Lord Sainath of Shirdi. Neither in the past, nor in the future will there be one like Him.

Sai Baba of Shirdi is a mysterious phenomenon, one who continues to uplift billions, nay countless, followers worldwide. Truly speaking, it is impossible to write about Baba, for writing about Him can be likened to a child's attempt to capture the entire ocean in a small play tumbler—impossible! Can one capture air in a container? Can the Sun's power and glory be measured by humans? When the Sun itself derives energy from Lord Sai, how can one even think about writing anything at all about Sai Baba. Even if the world's population and entire world's paper production were devoted for the exclusive purpose of printing Sai Baba's glory and divine sports, it would be impossible to capture even a miniscule fraction of His actions.

Baba can only be experienced, not understood. If at all there were a way to enshrine Him, that would be in the loving heart of a true devotee.

"Love on two feet" is how many of Baba's followers describe Him. Sai Baba's love is so all-encompassing, every Sai devotee could easily produce her or his own book of experiences and each page would be replete with countless mind-boggling acts of benevolence, protection, and grace. In fact, Baba is so kind, one need not even be a devotee to call upon Him. One heartfelt call to the Higher Power in any name or form is sufficient to evoke a response.

His magnificence transcends all human limitations and His fathomless glories melt even the hardest of hearts. Many devotees call him the "living God" for he responds instantaneously and unconditionally to our prayers.

Around 1998, I heard of a story where a catholic priest (who had never heard about Sai Baba) was on a flight when suddenly the skies unleashed their fury and the plane shuddered under the impact of heavy turbulence. Frantic flight personnel did their best to

allay the fears of passengers, but to no avail. The priest, a true man of God as he was, surrendered himself entirely to the care of God and recited a heartfelt prayer to the Supreme Benefactor of mankind. Almost instantaneously, a bearded man in white robes appeared on the scene and handed to the priest a picture of Himself and a packet of holy ash. The priest was perplexed as he had never seen this strange-looking man before. Yet, he was enamored of the pleasing saintly appearance of this angelic person who appeared almost out of nowhere in the stormy skies. The priest reverentially accepted the blessings and within seconds the storm subsided and plane resumed its normal course.

When he reached his destination, he was still wondering as to who the saintly manifestation was. When he returned to his church, he enlarged the picture and kept it by his personal altar. One day, an Indian woman visited the priest and thinking she would know something about the bearded man he showed her the picture that the holy man had given him. She immediately cried – "Sai Baba!" In fact, she was an ardent devotee of Baba and was thrilled to hear as to how Baba had appeared and blessed a holy man in grave danger. She subsequently gave the priest a copy of Sai Satcharita.

Baba had chronologically left his physical form in 1918 and yet almost seven decades after His apparent transition, He appeared in His physical form and rescued a holy person who had not even heard about Baba. Such is the love that Sai bears in His heart. Countless such miracles are documented every single day and yet not many in the West have heard about the wondrous glories of Sai Baba.

The number of miracles performed by Baba and the magnitude of experiences shared by countless devotees is so expansive that even if the entire population in the human race were to collectively keep count of His miracles, we would fall short of labor. Every second millions of devotees experience His benevolence and mercy. Mind boggling indeed.

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