Baba’s sayings about God
Para Number in the Book ‘BCS”, About God
122. N G Chandorkar to Baba
- Who is God?
- What is He like?
- Where is He?
- How are we see Him?
Baba: I will tell you later on.
Baba: (later)
“Baddhas, (the very worldly) do not know or observe the difference between right and wrong or what God is. They have no moral tendencies.
Ever immersed in the world, (and impure in heart), having no faith in Scriptures or saints, they do not get to God-but go to Hell.
The Mumukshus, disgusted with the baddha state, begin vichara and viveka and thirst for the sight of God. They are devoted to God and observe the Moral Law.
They become sadhakas, by adopting sadhanas e.g., repetition of God’s name (Japa) and (Dhyana) meditation on God, in solitude, withdrawing their minds from objects of senses. They love to move with Saints.
These, when perfect are called Siddhas. At that stage, God becomes the same as man. Praise, the same as blame etc., They have no desires. They are past the notion that the body is their home or their self. They feel their self to be identical with God. “I am Brahman” is their feeling.
To know God, see how God is viewed by each of these, at each stage. Then ultimately, God is seen as manifested in all forms – moveable and immovable. God is everywhere. There is no place from which he is absent. But, behold the power of Maya that does not allow Eswara to be seen and recognised (in all). I, you and All the world are Amsa i.e., parts of the Lord.
Therefore let none hate others, Forget not that God is in every place. Thereby Love (Non-hatred) is there, of itself. When that springs up, everything is achieved.
HOW ARE WE TO SEE GOD?
123. The mind is turbulent. Efforts must be made to make it steady. Just as a fly flies and sits on all objects, but turns back when it approaches fire, so the mind longs after sense objects, rejoice in them and merges in them. When it sees i.e., approaches or try to see Brahman, it turns its face away. When thus the unruly mind does not merge in God (Brahman), samsara, i.e., rebirth is inevitable. Till the mind is conquered, one is reborn. But among births, human birth is most precious.
There fore do Moortipooja – i.e., worship God in Form, in his Images, to make the mind steady and concentrated. Even the image is got (Paramaswara). Do not reject images. When an image is worshipped with deep devotion, the mind attains concentration, without which there is no steadiness of mind.
Next practice Manana and Dhyana i.e., recollection and meditation; and study spiritual works, practice what is mentioned in them. Atma Vidya, the science of the self, is the highest wisdom. If that is mastered, salvation (Mukti) is achieved; and Hari (Personal God) is one’s slave.”
What is God?
[Sakshatkar. Ideas of God and consequently ideas of sakshatkar of God vary widely. To those who believe in God as a person with form and never without form a, darshan or vision of that form is called sakshatkar and is the highest rung of the spiritual ladder. Those who disbelieve in forms which are said to be divine, use the term sakshatkar to denote a mystic merger of their own personality in the impersonal absolute.
Das ganu Maharaj [Had fine metallic voice, popular in kirtans, place Sai Baba’s picture next to him & refer Baba as the living Sant] belonged not to the latter class, but rather to the former. He is a varkhari of Pandharpur and the idea of Pandarinath, standing on bricks with arms akmbo is the idea of God, which is uppermost in his mind.)-Editor
127. Das Ganu to Baba: “I want sakshatkar, Baba. You ask me to read saptha of Bhagavata: but will you grant me sakshatkar as a result of it?”
Baba: Vittal will appear, but there must be intense devotion (Bhava ).
Das Ganu read his saptha of Bhagavata; but failed to get sakshatkar.
D. G. to Baba “you promised me sakshatkar ; but I have not got it.”
Baba: Wait, you will have it.
[Baba was evidently waiting for development of the requisite faith and earnestness in D.G.]
- 128. In 1916, Bhadrapad, D G was keen on going to Pandharpur; but N.G.C took him to Shirdi and made him perform keertans and was for detaining him there even for Asvin, evidently with Baba’s assent. D.G. then taught within himself without saying “How is He, a Guru, who blocks my way to my God at Pandharpur”
- Baba to Nana : Nana do not stop him from going to Pandharpur.
Baba to Ganu : Go to Pandarpur.
So D.G.gladly went to Pandharpur for asvin, as vittal of Pandari alone was God to him and not Baba. Later he returned to Shirdi.
- 129. D.G. :“ “Baba, you have been long putting off request. When will you give me sakshatkar?”
Baba- “You see me, That is Sakshatkar. I am God.”
- DG.:“ “I expected you would say so. But I am not satisfied with that.”
D.G. considered that it was not in his destiny (Prarabdha) to have sakshatkar of God vittal, as that was what he evidently wanted.
Ordinarily # Sakshatkaras are very transient
130. H.S.Dixit, one day had a vision of Vittal [God]. But he was not sure what the God or figure was that appeared to him. He went to Baba.
Baba:– “Did not Vittal Patil come? Have you not seen Him? That Vittal is very elusive. Tie Him fast. If by inadvertence you lose sight of him, he will vanish in a second.”
"I draw to Me, My man from far off or even across the seven Seas to Shirdi, like a sparrow with a string fastened to its feet"-Shirdi Sai Baba, Indian Spiritual Guru-God 