Baba’s sayings about His indifference to Wealth
Para Number in the Book ‘BCS”, About indifference to Wealth
250. Baba, to Balakrishna G. “Upasani sastri: Will you give me dakshina?”
BGU: I have no money.
Baba: What is that in your pocket? Give it.
BGU: This is a silver watch. Take it, Baba.?
Baba: Do you think you are losing by giving this.
BGU: Nothing given to you is a loss.
Then Baba received the watch and at once gave it away to some one present. BGU went on to Poona and there a rich friend, learning that he had given away his watch to Baba, compelled him to accept a gold watch (without knowing the above words of Baba). So, BGU was a gainer and not a loser by giving away his silver watch.
- H S Dixit once came with a trunkful of silver rupees, which he had earned by working for a Native State, and placed it before Baba.
HDS: All this is yours.
Baba: Is that so?
Then Baba opened the lid and with both hands drew out all the contents and poured the same to all and sundry. In a few minutes, the trunk was empty.
Mr. Garde, Sub-Judge of Nagpur and a friend of HSD., watched the latter’s face. HSD had not the slightest regret or sorrow or concern at the disappearance of his hard earned fees. it was evidently to test and strengthen his vairagya that Baba scattered his money thus.
- When a silver palanquin was brought and presented to Baba Boba: “Take it away, I do not want it.”
But the devotees insisted that it was needed for processions, when Baba’s portrait would be placed in it. The Palki was left in the open and on the first night some silver appurtenances were stolen,
Devotee: “Baba, the silver trappings are stolen”
Baba: Why was not the whole palki stolen?
- Damodar Rasane wanted to start a business and wrote for Baba’s approval. Baba disapproved of it. Then Damia came and proposed to give Baba a share in the profits.
Baba: Hallo, Damia, I am not to be entangled in anything i.e., in pecuniary concerns.
(Baba declined to form a mutt or Ashram or to be the head or proprietor of any institution, estate or property, or even recognise any one as his disciple, chela-to succeed to his position. He left no estate to succeed to.)
- Baba- “Once I was at Puntamba. There was a struggle there between two parties. I wondered why they fought. I found near them a potful of coins. That was the bone of contention between them. Then I quietly moved up and carried it away. They found their wealth was gone and began to mourn and lament- I was saying to myself: “Who am I? What is this wealth? Whose is it? What confusion and struggle for this? The pot is mine and I am the pot’s.”
- Two (Deccani) Brahmins came to Baba,
Baba- “Syama, ask Rs.15/- of that man (pointing to one).
That man gave the Rs.15/- readily and Baba received it and kept it. The other unasked paid Rs.35/- Baba counted it and returned it to the donor.
Syama: Deva, what is this discrimination? I have never seen anything like this. You ask for a smaller sum and receive it. The larger sum is voluntarily paid and you return it.
(What follows is already mentioned in 103)
B: Syama, you a child and you understand nothing. I do nothing. I receive nothing. Datta called for his own. He has called for Rs.15, his due and given it to Masudi Ayi? So the money has been received (by me). But this Rs.35 is not ours and so it has been returned.
At first he was poor and he made a vow that he would pay his first month’s salary which proved to be Rs.15/-. But he forgot that vow, as time went on. His salary went on increasing from Rs.15/- to Rs.30/-, Rs.60/-, Rs.100/-, Rs.200/, Rs.400/- and ultimately Rs.700. Then his Karma drove him here and so I asked him to give me my Rs.15/- under the name Dakshina.
Then there is another incident. I wandered by the sea-shore and came to a huge and beautiful house owned by a rich Brahmin of good family. I was welcomed there heartily. The Brahmin fed me sumptuously and showed me a clean and nice place near a cup-board to sleep. When I was sound asleep there, the man pulled off a stone slab from the wall and scissored off an entire packet of currency notes from my pocket. They were 30 notes of Rs. 1,000 each.
When I woke, I found they were gone. I was quite upset and was weeping and moaning. I thought the Brahmin had stolen it. I lost all interest in food and drink and stayed there 15 days on his verandah. On the 15th day a passing fakir saw me crying and made kind enquiries. I told him everything. He said, “you will get relief, if you act as I bid you. I will tell you of a fakir and give his address. Seek refuge at his feet. He will restore the property to you. You had better also take a vow. Give up eating what you like best, until you recover your money. That vow will help you to attain success”.
Following the fakir’s advice, I abstained from eating my best beloved dish and sought refuge at the fakir’s feet. Then I got my money. I left that house there after. Again I went by the sea-shore. There was a steamer by which I should go, but I could not get in. Then a peon interceded and got me into it, luckily. That brought me to the train. Thus I came to Masudi Mayi. While Baba was narrating this, the visitors were greatly moved but Syama could make nothing out of Baba’s words.
B: Syama. take these visitors, and give them dinner.
At dinner, Syama asked them if they understood what Baba said. Baba is always staying here and has not seen sea or sea-shore and had never Rs.30,000/- of wealth for anyone to steal.
One of the guests begin to narrate with great feeling the following:
My birth place is a ghat hillside facing the sea. I went out to Goa to earn my living. I vowed to Datta -that if I earn anything, my first month’s salary should be His. By Datta’s grace I first got employed on Rs.15/-and it increased steadily just as Baba described it. I forgot all about paying Rs.15/- to Datta till Baba spoke of it here. Baba’s kindly taking Rs.15/- has enabled me to fulfil the vow at last.
The second guest began his tale. For 35 years my Brahmin cook was faithfully serving me. By a stroke of misfortune, his mind turned and robbed me of my accumulated wealth. There is a slab in my house in the wall of the cupboard. The cook removed the slab, came through the hole and carried away my entire store. There was a roll of notes amounting to Rs.30,000/- which were my savings after a life of long effort and toil. I do not know how Baba knew the exact amount. Day and night I bewailed my loss. “How to recover the property”, that question staggered my mind. I gave a complaint to the Police, but it was no good. I spent 15 days in great anxiety. As I sat on the verandah with a long face, a passing fakir noted my affliction and inquired for the cause and I told him the whole story.
Said he: “An Avalia there is named ‘Sai’ at Shirdi in Kopergaon Taluq. Make a vow to him (i.e. to go to him in case you get back your wealth). Give up what you like best to eat, with the vow that you will not eat it, till you see Sai”. I made such vows and I gave up eating boiled rice in any shape, saying, “I will take it only when I get back my money and I come to you”.
Fifteen days more passed after that. I do not know what occurred to the Brahmin. But he then came of his own accord, returned my money, and apologised saying, “My brain was spoiled and I acted thus. Now I fall at your feet. Pray excuse me”.
I gave him Rs.2000/- out of the Rs.30,000/. One night I was at Colaba and saw Sai in my dream. That was evidently to remind me of my promised visit to Shirdi.
I went to Goa and from there wanted to start for Shirdi by taking steamer to Bombay; but when I came to the harbour, the ship was full and there was no space. So said the Captain. But, on board, there was a peon, who though a total stranger to me, said to the Captain that I was his man, i.e., belonged to his group. Then I was allowed to get into the steamer, which brought me to Bombay, whence by train, I came here. Surely Sai is all pervasive. What are we? Where is our home? How great is our good fortune that Baba has drawn us to himself? How wonderful was the recovery of the stolen money (cf 230)
Marwadis stack
- Baba: “This Marwadi Bagchand whose stack caught fire begged for help to avoid loss. Gain and loss, birth and death are in the hands of God. But how blindly do these people forget God! If profit comes, they rejoice. If loss comes, they weep. Why? Why say? “This is mine”? what does it mean?
The stack is not the Marwadi. It is only hay and not his body. It grew from seeds on the earth, and was fed by rains from the clouds and by sun light. Earth, Clouds and the Sun are its owners. This fellow’s claim is ungrounded. Fire is in all these three and it consumed the stack. We are not the owners. God gives with one hand and takes away with the other. Sait, go home. You will make up for this loss in some other transaction.”
- Baba- ” This cow of (H.S.Dikshit) Kaka, belonged to the Jalna man, and earlier to the Aurangabad man and before that to Mahlsapathy. God knows whose it is.”
None who has firm faith in God is left in want for anything.
- Baba- ” What God gives is never exhausted. What man gives never lasts. “
- Baba (to NGC): “Nana, the only things that can be called mine are a rag, a langoti (rag), a kupni (toga), a potsherd and a (tin) tumbler. See, how inexcusably people trouble me, pester me and coerce me. What should be said of this?“
ILL – fated Property
260. S.R.V Jayakar lent Rs.4,000/- to a Moslem purdah lady without issue.
The money was not returned. S.R.V. Jayakar to
“Shall I go for the money, Baba?
Baba: “Let us have nothing to do with such ill-fated wealth.”
She lost all her wealth in 2 or 3 years and Jayakar recovered nothing.
Poverty
261. Baba: Poverty is highest riches and is a thousand times superior to a lord’s position. God is the brother of the poor. Fakir is the real emperor. Fakirship does not perish, but empire is soon lost.
Providence
262. Baba- ” People must put full faith in the Lord’s Providence. They should not worry about food and clothing. Do not waste your life on these.
In the abode of my devotees, there will be no dearth of food and clothing. “
Gospel, St. Mathews, ch.VI25. “Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?”
"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 