Category: Company of saints

A) Shirdi Sai Baba:–

Baba’s training, teachings and achievements were of widely different sorts. They were suited to the conditions of each person who approached him. They are also suited to the conditions of those who approach him now.

Baba is still a Guru, a Divine Personality. He is not a mere abstraction. He can be seized by those who are in dead earnest.

Unfortunately for mankind, very few are so earnest. Most stop with raising preliminary questions, as to the impossibility of such an experience or its undesirability and the various objections, from the standpoint of the learning that they have already acquired.

If the highest is not possible at the present moment, Baba suitably develops them. This development occurs either in this life or in the life beyond. Baba has repeatedly undertaken to guide his devotees. He promises to guide them life after life, and to be born with them for that purpose.

–By H.H. Narasimha Swamiji, Author of this Book, in his Preface

B) Parts of this Book-LoSB on Sai Baba.

The object of this book, is to help people to realise more and more the great work, that is being done by Shirdi Sai Baba and his essential greatness. This Book consists of four Volumes /Parts.

Part I- History, Personality, Nature, Functions of Sai Baba

The early history and accounts of Baba and the materials are necessary to understand Baba as a Samartha Sadguru. He will help one to attain the highest in life. At the same time, He enables one to get the other incidental benefits of contact with such a saint.

Part  II -Sai’s Apostles and Mission

This second part mainly consist of Baba’s dealings with various prominent persons. It shows how they were drawn to him and influenced by him. It also illustrates what progress they made. Additionally, it details how they were helped to make it by reason of their contact with him.

Most of the Bhaktas were drawn for specific temporal gains, but they stuck on and became very good Adherents of Baba.

Part III. -Baba’s Lovers

Baba’s prominent devotees, not in Part II, must come into here. They like something unintelligible, “just like Love at first sight of a pure Girl with a pure bachelor”.

Part IV- Life and Teachings of Sai Baba

Which as the residuals and final part must include general matter not covered by the previous parts. The spiritual and mystical personalities, such as Saints like Sai, embody an adventurous and worthy life. They think intellectually in the pursuit of their lives.

The life of Sai Baba especially gives a very tough treat for the spiritual seekers. Only a few writings present so vivid a picture of the life and teachings of Sai Baba. They do so in such a descriptive form. For this reason, this volume stands out.

C) Baba provided Ankita children for this Book Project

Sri Krishna says, ‘Those who rescue my entirely devoted bhakta from his troubles, I shall rescue and help them. I will save them from all troubles and calamities. A boat rescues one in the ocean in the same way’. Baba somehow gives the feeling to the author’s helpers, that they are being looked after by him.

• Baba provided his Ankita child with a stenographer who, out of modesty, wishes to conceal his light under a nom-de-plume R.R. Without the help of a stenographer, turning out any work would be impossible. This applies to work for the book, for the Sai Sudha, or for the numerous pamphlets constantly requisitioned by others from this author.
• Since October 1953, the author’s health has been extremely unreliable. The work would have been impossible without the due provision of medical help. Here again Baba’s help to his Ankita child is remarkable. Baba designated a doctor in a very good position. The doctor had excellent knowledge. Baba made him repeatedly attend without receiving any recompense at all.
• Baba’s grace alone made the work see the light of day. It also aided in getting the means for publication. The royal present of Rs.5,000 by His Highness The Maharaja of Mysore, enabled the All India Sai Samaj  to purchase a Press and Types.
• There may be numerous others (Sri Dewan Bahadur R.V. Krishna Ayyar and Miss Indira, Professor of English, etc) who have helped this author in the course of getting up this book.

Stage after stage, idea after idea, and reference after reference, the remarkable help that was suddenly forthcoming was the clearest evidence to the Author that, Baba is giving unstinted support for this publication. Fact it is not mere modesty, but love of truth that makes the author say that, “the real producer of this book is Baba himself“.

– By B.V. NARASIMHA SWAMI, Author in Preface to Part I in 1955

D) After studying “Life of Sai Baba”

A properly written life of Sai (like all saintly biography, cf. “Jo Sant, Toch Dev” i.e. Saint is himself God) would be a scripture in itself.

One should rise from that study with the feeling that they have been through scripture. They should mentally keep in touch with God. This allows them to derive all benefit necessarily flowing from such contact.

The benefits are temporal, intellectual, moral, spiritual, etc. There is no limit to the benefit one can derive from such contact.

A saint’s life is like the milk of the ocean. From it, one might extract, a few interesting bits of saintly biography. It also offers a collection of apothegms, counsels, reflections and other miscellaneous items. But the main interest is still the milk of ocean. It will yield an infinite and inexhaustible supply of divine nectar.

The essentials of the Bhagavad Gita, for instance, have always been regarded as a valuable religious mine. They have been found to embody what is contained in Sri Sai’s life. Sri Krishna and Jesus Christ are better understood, after studying Sai Baba’s life than without such study.

PS: The collection of data was made for this book project, by the great author, after 36 years of Sai Baba’s Mahasamadhi. (LoSB-Ch 1)

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