Category: Healing

  • Baba grinding the sins, afflictions and miseries of His devotees.

    Baba grinding the sins, afflictions and miseries of His devotees.

    1–2 minutes

    Hemadpant asked the Shirdi people “What was this (ie. Preparing and taking the wheat-flour to the outskirts of Shirdi and throw it on the village borders) that Baba did?” They replied that as the Cholera Epidemic was spreading in the village and this was Baba’s remedy against the same.

    It was not wheat that was ground but the Cholera itself was ground to pieces and pushed out of the village. From this time onward, the Cholera Epidemic subsided and the people of the village were happy.

    Hemadpant began to ask himself – “What earthly connection was there between wheat flour and Cholera? What was the casual relation between the two? And how to reconcile them? The incident seems to be inexplicable. I should write something on this and sing to my heart’s content Baba’s sweet Leelas (play). Thinking in this way about this Leela, my heart was filled with joy and I was thus inspired to write Baba’s Life – The Satcharita.”

    Philosophical Significance of Grinding :
    Apart from the meaning that the people of Shirdi put on this incident of grinding wheat, there is, we think, a philosophical significance too.

    Sai Baba lived in Shirdi for about sixty years and during this long period. HE did the business of grinding almost every day. He ground not, however, the wheat alone. He also ground the sins, the mental and physical afflictions, and the miseries of His innumerable devotees.

    The two stones of His mill consisted of Karma and Bhakti, the former being the lower and the latter the upper one. The handle with which Baba worked the mill consisted of Jnana. It was the firm conviction of Baba that Knowledge or Self-realization is not possible, unless there is the prior act of grinding of all our impulses, desires, sins; and of the three gunas, viz. Sattva, Raja and Tama; and the Ahamkara, which is so subtle and therefore so difficult to be got rid of.

    SSSC -ch1

  • Safest course for us to follow would be to be guided by the dicta of Satpurushas

    Bhimaji, who had serious chest diseases such as asthma and tuberculosis, Baba first told Shama, ‘In bringing this thief to me what a load of responsibility you are placing on me. Baba meant that the tuberculosis and asthma from which Bhimaji suffered were the result of Bhimaji’s karma in a previous janma consisting of theft.

    Bhimaji felt Baba’s declaration a blow. At once he surrendered himself to Baba and said, Helper of the helpless! I am helpless. Pray show pity and grace to me. Then Baba’s tone changed, Baba told him, The Fakir is merciful, and your disease will be cured.

    He was suffering from the results of a karma, but that could be mitigated, and so the man was sent to live and sleep in a wet verandah.

    Bhimaji did so. There, he had two very dreadful dreams: In one dream, he was mercilessly birched by a school master. For, in the dream he fancied he was a boy and the master was birching him. So, he felt the pain in the dream and roared out. In the second dream, it was even worse. He felt that some one was placing a stone roller and rolling it over his breast. He suffered all the horror of instant death approaching him. All the pain of a hanging sentence and whipping sentence were endured by this man in the course of one night.

    Baba thus changed the punishment which he had earned by his previous karma, and told him that he was thus free from karmic effects. He then recovered his health.

    The above instances go to show that most of our conceptions about karma are nebulous and ungrounded, and that the safest course for us to follow would be to be guided by the dicta of Satpurushas like Sai Baba.

  • Why Udhi /Ash is important, even now?

    Why Udhi /Ash is important, even now?

    SSSC Ch 33 says

    It is well-known that Baba took Dakshina from all. Out of the amount thus collected, He spent a lot on charity. He purchased fuel with the balance left with Him.

    This fuel He threw in the Dhuni – the sacred fire, which he kept ever burning. The ash from this fire was called Udi. It was freely distributed to the devotees at the time of their departure from Shirdi.

    What did Baba teach or hint by this Udi? Baba taught by His Udi that all the visible phenomena in the universe are as transient as the ash.

    Our bodies composed of wood or matter of the five elements will fall down. After all their enjoyments are over, they will be reduced to ashes.

    Baba distributed Udi to the devotees. This was to remind them that their bodies will be reduced to ashes.

    Baba also taught by the Udi that the Brahman is the only Reality. He taught that the universe is ephemeral. No one in this world, be he a son, father or wife, is really ours. We come here (in this world) alone and we have to go out alone.

    It was found and is even now found out, that the Udi cured many physical and mental maladies. However, Baba wanted to din into the devotee’s ears the principles of discrimination between the Unreal and the Real. He emphasized non-attachment for the Unreal, by His Udi and Dakshina.

    The former (Udi) taught us discrimination and the latter (Dakshina) taught us non-attachment. Unless we have these two things, it is not possible for us to cross over the sea of the mundane existence. So Baba asked for and took Dakshina.

    While the devotees took leave, He gave Udi as Prasad. He besmeared some of it on the Bhaktas’ foreheads. He placed His boon-conferring hand on their heads.

    So much about the spiritual implication of Udi. It had also its material significance.

    It conferred health, prosperity, freedom from anxiety, and many other worldly gains. So the Udi has helped us to gain both our ends – material as well as spiritual.

  • Worker should be paid, promptly and liberally

    One day at noon, Baba came near Radha-Krishna-Mai’s 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 Radha-Krishna-Mai’s house and then got down from the other corner.

    What object Baba had, none could know. Radha-Krishna-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 labour of others, in vain. The worker should be paid, his dues promptly and liberally.

  • Vishnu Sahasranama- Importance

    Vishnu Sahasranama- Importance

    Shama was a very intimate devotee of Baba and Baba wanted to favour him in a particular way by giving him a copy of Vishnu-Sahasra-Nam as Prasad. This was done in the following way.

    Once a Ramadasi (follower of Saint Ramadas) came to Shirdi and stayed for some time. The routine he followed daily was as follows : He got up early in the morning, washed his face, bathed and then after wearing saffron-coloured clothes and besmearing himself with sacred ashes, read Vishnu-Sahasra-Nam (a book giving a thousand names in praise of Vishnu, and held second in importance to Bhagwad Geeta) and Adhyatma-Ramayana (Esoteric version of Rama’s story) with faith. He read these books often and often and then after some days Baba thought of favouring and initiating Shama with Vishnu-Sahasra-Nam.

    Baba, therefore, called the Ramadasi to Him and said to him that, He was suffering from intense stomach-pain, and unless He took Senna-pods (Sona-mukhi, a mild purgative drug) the pain would not stop; so he should please go to the bazar and bring the drug. The Ramadasi closed his reading and went to the bazar.

    Then Baba descended from His seat, came to the Ramadasi’s place of reading, took out the copy of Vishnu-Sahasra-Nam, and coming to His seat said to Shama- “Oh Shama,  this book is very valuable and efficacious, so I present it to you, you read it.

    Once I suffered intensely and My heart began to palpitate and My life was in danger. At that critical time, I hugged this book to My heart and then, Shama, what a relief it gave me! I thought that Allah Himself came down and saved Me. So I give this to you, read it slowly, little by little, read daily one name at least and it will do you good.”

    The efficacy of God’s Name is well-known. It saves us from all sins and bad tendencies, frees us from the cycle of births and deaths. There is no easier sadhana than this.

    It is the best purifier of our mind. It requires no paraphernalia and no restrictions. It is so easy and so effective. This sadhana, Baba wanted Shama to practise, though he did not crave for it. So Baba forced this on him.

    It is also reported that long ago, Eknath Maharaj, similarly, forced this Vishnu-Sahasra-Nam on a poor Brahmin neighbour, and thus saved him. The reading and study of this Vishnu-Sahasra-Nam is a broad open way of purifying the mind, and hence Baba thrust this on His Shama.

    Ramadasi on return scold and abuse Shama and remarked that if the book be not returned, he would dash his head before him. Shama calmly remonstrated with him, but in vain.

    Then Baba spoke kindly to him as follows – “Oh Ramadasi, what is the matter with you? Why are you so turbulent? Is not Shama our boy? Why do you scold him unnecessarily. How is it that you are so quarrelsome? Can you not speak soft and sweet words? You read daily these sacred books and still your mind is impure and your passions uncontrolled. What sort of a Ramadasi you are! You ought to be indifferent to all things. Is it not strange that you should covet this book so strongly? A true Ramadasi should have no ‘mamata’ (attachment) but have ‘samata’ (equality) towards all. You are now quarrelling with the boy Shama for a mere book. Go, take your seat, books can be had in plenty for money, but not men; think well and be considerate. What worth is your book?

    Shama had no concern with it. I took it up Myself and gave it to him. You know it by heart. I thought Shama might read it and profit thereby, and so I gave to it him.”

    How sweet were these words of Baba, soft, tender and nectar-like! Their effect was wonderful. The Ramadasi calmed down and said to Shama that he would take ‘Panch- ratni’ Geeta in return.the matter was ultimately compromised.

    We only say that, had this procedure been not gone through, the importance of the subject, the efficacy of God’s name and the study of Vishnu-Sahasra- Nam would not have been brought home to Shama.

    So we see that Baba’s method, of teaching and initiating was unique. In this cases Shama did gradually study the book and mastered its contents to such an extent, that he was able to explain it to Professor G.G. Narke, M.A. of the College of Engineering, Poona, the son-in-law of Shriman Booty and a devotee of Baba.

    SSSC-Ch27

  • BABA and JESUS

    BABA and JESUS

    One common feature of both Sai’s and Jesus’ lives is the reliance on miracles. People needed miracles to be convinced of their divine nature.

    They could only demonstrate their divinity by performing these miracles. Miracles are a concession that divinity allows for human blindness.

    *When Jesus said to Nilko … ‘I saw you under the fig tree before Thomas talked to you there.’; The addressee immediately concluded, ‘Surely, thou art the Son of God.’

    Jesus said that he would see more wonderful things indicative of divine power . Again when and unable to rise from his bed, saying ‘ Arise , take up thy bed and walk ‘; and the man with palsy rose up and walked. The conclusion was drawn that the miracle was a token of Jesus’s divinity as also

    *when Jesus cured a man of leprosy

    Some reader might desire to know whether similar incidents happened in Sai’s history .

    *First about palsy , a Marwadi had a young daughter of eight years or so with paralyzed legs . She could not walk to Baba, and therefore had to be carried in a chair, palki or stretcher.

    She remained with Baba for three days. Suddenly her legs, which she could not bend at all till then, were stretched out and the second day she could stand. Thereafter, before she left Shirdi on the third day, she could walk back.

    No application, medical or surgical, was made to her. This cure was purely by Baba’s power with his blessings, offered with udhi applied to her.

    *There was once a patient. He had been suffering for years from inflammation of an ulcer in his stomach or bowels. Because of this, he could not eat any food. He was brought to Baba.

    Baba ordered sweetmeats to be purchased; and brought and placed before the patient. Strange to say, the man was able to eat them. This cure also was purely by Baba’s power blessings.

  • How differently Baba cured

    Baba anger was merely a device to enable a diarrhoea patient to get groundnuts . Kaka Mahajani had diarrhoea , and he carried a ( chombu ) vessel of water with him , and was in front of the Dwarakamayee . Baba was inside , and there were plenty of persons outside . Suddenly Baba burst out into violent rage and people fled in all directions . See B. C. & S. 392. People took to their heels and cleared the premises .

    Kaka Mahajani also was slowly moving towards his ” chombu ” and wanted to go out. Baba suddenly came and stopped him and sat next to him . There was a packet of groundnuts left by some one who was eating them, and who in his hurry to escape safe , left the groundnuts behind .

    Baba took up the groundnuts and shared it with Kaka Mahajani saying , ‘ Let us eat groundnuts’. They both ate the groundnuts and Baba asked Kaka Mahajani to drink water on top of it . This is not exactly the treatment for diarrhoea which any doctor would dare to give, for that would aggravate it . But Baba said , ‘ Your anal sphincter is now tightly closed ” . This cured Kaka Mahajani of his diarrhoea