You can also listen to the free audiobook version of this Chapter on Youtube: Chapter 10
- Sai Baba’s Mode of Life
- Baba’s Wonderful Bed
- His Stay in Shirdi
- Sai Baba as a Sadguru
- His Teachings
- His Humility
- The Easiest Path
Remember Him (Sai Baba) always with love, for He was engrossed in everyone’s welfare and was always immersed in His Self. To remember Him is to solve the riddle of life and death. This is the best and easiest of Sadhanas, as it involves no expenditure. A little exertion here brings great rewards. So as long as our senses are sound, we should, every minute of our lives, practice this Sadhana. Everything else is illusory and the Guru is God. If we believe in the Sadguru’s holy feet, he can change our fortune for the better. If we serve Him well, we get rid of our Samsar. We need not study any philosophy like the Nyaya and the Mimansa; If we make Him our helmsman, He can easily help us cross the sea of all our pain and sorrows. Just as we trust the helmsman in crossing rivers and seas, we have to trust our Sadguru in getting over the ocean of worldly existence. The Sadguru looks at the intense feelings and devotion of his devotees and endows them with knowledge and eternal bliss.
In the last chapter, Baba’s mendicancy, devotees’ experiences and other subjects were dealt with. Let the readers now hear where and how Baba lived, how He slept, and what He taught.
Baba’s Wonderful Bed
Let us first see where and how Baba slept. Mr. Nanasaheb Dengale brought Sai Baba a wooden plank, 6 feet in length and only three quarters of a foot in breadth. Instead of putting the plank on the floor and sleeping on it, Baba tied it like a swing to the rafters of the Masjid with old rags and commenced to sleep upon it. The rags were so thin and worn out that it was a miracle that they could bear even the weight of the plank itself, let alone the weight of Baba. But somehow or the other, it was Baba’s sheer Leela that the worn out rags sustained the plank with the weight of Baba on it. At each of the four corners of this plank, Baba lighted panatis (small earthen lamps), and kept them burning the whole night. It was a sight for the Gods, to see Baba sitting or sleeping on this plank! It was a wonder to all, how Baba got on and off the plank. Out of curiosity, many careful observers kept watching the process of mounting and dismounting, but none succeeded in figuring it out. As crowds began to gather to watch this wonderful feat, Baba one day broke the plank into pieces and threw it away. Baba had all the eight Siddhis (powers) at His command. He never practiced or craved for them. They came to Him naturally, as a result of His perfection.
Sagun Manifestation of Brahman
Though Sai Baba looked like a man, 5 feet 3 inches in height, He dwelt in everyone’s hearts. Inwardly, he was unattached and indifferent, but outwardly He longed for public welfare. While inwardly very disinterested, He looked full of desires on the outside. While inwardly an abode of peace, he looked restless on the outside. On the inside, He had the state of Brahman, while outwardly He acted like the devil. Inwardly He loved Adwaita (union or monism) while outwardly He got entangled with the world. Sometimes He looked upon everyone with affection and at times He threw stones at them. Sometimes He scolded them, while at times He embraced them and was calm, composed, tolerant and well-balanced. He was always engrossed in the Self and was well-disposed towards His devotees. He always sat on one Asan and never traveled. His satka was a small stick and He always carried this in His hand. He was calm and thought-free; He never cared for wealth or fame and lived by begging. This was the life He lead; He always said the words, “Allah Malik” (God is the real owner). Entire and unbroken was His love for His devotees. He was the mine or warehouse of knowledge of the self and was full of Divine Bliss. Such was the Divine Form of Sai Baba: boundless, endless and undifferentiated. The principle which envelopes the whole universe, (from a stone pillar to Brahma) incarnated in Sai Baba. People who were very fortunate, got this treasure-trove in their hands, while those people who did not know the real worth of Sai Baba, took Him to be a mere human being and continue to remain miserable.
His Stay in Shirdi and Probable Date of Birth
No one knew of Baba’s parents and His date of birth, but it can be determined approximately by His stay in Shirdi. Baba first came to Shirdi when he was about sixteen years old and stayed there for three years. Then all of a sudden He disappeared for some time. He reappeared after some time in the Nizam state near Aurangabad and again came to Shirdi with the marriage-party of Chand Patil, when He was about twenty years old. Since then, He lived in Shirdi for a period of sixty years, after which Baba took His Maha-Samadhi in the year 1918. From this, we can say that the year of Baba’s birth is approximately 1838 A.D.
Baba’s Mission and Advice
Saint Ramadas (1608-1681) flourished in the 17th century and fulfilled to a great extent his mission of unity and harmony between religions; but within two centuries after him, the split between the two communities – the Hindus and Muslims− widened again and Sai Baba came to bridge the gulf. His constant advice to everyone was to this effect, “Rama (the God of the Hindus) and Rahim (the God of the Muslims) were one and the same, and there was not the slightest difference between them. Then why should their devotees quarrel? You ignorant folk should join hands and bring both communities together. Act sanely and thus you will gain your object of unity. It is not good to dispute and argue; So don’t argue and don’t emulate others. The Lord will protect you. Yoga, sacrifice, penance and knowledge are the means to attain God. If you do not succeed in this by any means, vain is your birth. If anyone does any evil unto you, do not retaliate. If you can do anything, do some good unto others.” This, in short, was Sai Baba’s advice to everyone. And this will stand you in good stead both in material and spiritual matters.
Sai Baba as a Sadguru
There are different types of Gurus on Earth. There are many so-called Gurus, who go about from house to house with musical instruments in their hands, and make a show of their spirituality. They blow mantras into the ears of their disciples and extract money from them. They profess to teach piety and religion to their disciples, but are themselves impious and irreligious. Sai Baba never thought of making the least show of His worth (piety). He had no body-consciousness, but He had great love for His disciples. There are two kinds of Gurus: Niyat (appointed) and Aniyat (un-appointed). The latter, by their advice, develop the good qualities in us, purify our hearts and set us on the path of salvation. But contact with the former, dispels the sense of difference between us and the divine. There are various Gurus imparting to us various kinds of worldly knowledge, but he who fixes us in our Nature (Self) and carries us beyond the ocean of worldly existence, is the Sadguru. Sai Baba was such a Sadguru. His greatness is indescribable. If anybody went to receive His darshana, Baba, without being asked, would give every detail of the seeker’s past, present and future life. He saw Divinity in all beings; Friends and foes were alike to Him. Disinterested and equally-balanced, He obliged evil-doers. He was the same in prosperity and adversity. Doubts never affected Him. Though He possessed a human body, He was not in the least attached to His body or house. Though He looked embodied, He was really disembodied.
Blessed are the people of Shirdi, who worshipped Sai as their God. While eating, drinking, working in their backyards and fields and doing various household chores, they always remembered Sai and sang His glory. They knew no other God except Sai. How can one describe the love and sweetness of the women of Shirdi? They were quite ignorant, but their pure love inspired them to compose poems or songs in their simple rural language. Letters or learning they had none; yet one can still discern real poetry in their simple songs. It is not intelligence but love that inspires real poetry. Real poetry is the manifestation of true love and this can be seen and appreciated by intelligent listeners. A collection of these folk songs is desirable, and Baba willing, some fortunate devotee may undertake the task of collecting and publishing these folk-songs, either in the Sai Leela magazine or separately as a book.
Baba’s Humility
The Lord is said to have six qualities: Fame, Wealth, Non-attachment, Knowledge, Grandeur and Generosity. Baba had all these in Him; He incarnated in the flesh for the sake of His devotees. Wonderful was His grace and kindness. He drew His devotees to Him from afar; For the sake of His devotees, Baba spoke such words, that for the goodness of speech one dare not utter. Here is a specimen; Baba spoke the following humble words, “Slave of slaves, I am your debtor; I am satisfied at your darshan. It is a great favor that I saw your feet. I am an insect in your excreta. I consider Myself blessed thereby”. What humility is this? If anybody thinks that by publishing this, any disrespect is shown to Sai, we beg His pardon and to atone for this, we sing and chant Baba’s name.
Though Baba seemed outwardly to enjoy sense-objects, he had no taste for them or even the consciousness of enjoying them. Though He ate, he had no sense of taste and though He saw, He never felt any interest in what He saw. Regarding passion, He was as perfect a celibate as Hanuman. He was not attached to anything; He was pure consciousness, the resting place of desire, anger and other feelings. In short, He was disinterested, free and perfect. A striking instance may be cited in illustration of this statement.
Nanavalli
There was in Shirdi, a very quaint and queer fellow named Nanavalli. He used to look after some of Baba’s chores; He once approached Baba, who was seated, and asked Him to get up, as he wanted to occupy the seat. Baba at once got up and left the seat, which Nanavalli occupied. After sitting there awhile, Nanavalli got up and asked Baba to take His seat. Then Baba sat on the seat and Nanavalli fell at His feet and went away. Baba did not show the slightest displeasure in being dictated to and ousted.
Nanavalli loved Baba so much that he breathed his last on the thirteenth day of Baba’s Maha-Samadhi (the abandonment of His mortal form).
The Easiest Path
Hearing the stories of the Saints and Being in their Company:
Though Sai Baba acted like an ordinary man, His actions showed extraordinary intelligence and skill. Whatever He did, was done for the good of His devotees. He never prescribed any yogic postures, regulation of breathing or any rites to His devotees, and nor did He blow any mantra into their ears. He told them to forget all cleverness and always remember the words, “Sai”, “Sai”. “If you do that,” He said, “all your shackles will be removed and you will be free”. Sitting between five fires, sacrifices, chanting and eight-fold Yoga are only for some people. They are of no use to the others. The function of the mind is to think; it cannot remain for a minute without thinking. If you give it a Sense-object, it will think about it; If you give it to a Guru, it will think about the Guru. You have heard, attentively, the greatness and grandeur of Sai. This is the natural remembrance, worship and Kirtan of Sai. Hearing the stories of the Saints is not as difficult as the other Sadhanas mentioned above. They (the stories) dispel all fear of this Samsar (worldly existence) and take you on to the spiritual path. So listen to these stories, meditate on them and assimilate them. You may do or attend to your worldly duties, but give your mind to Sai and His stories. And then, He is sure to bless you. This is the easiest path, but why doesn’t everyone take to it? The reason is that without God’s grace, we do not get the desire to listen to the stories of Saints. With God’s grace, everything is smooth and easy. Hearing the stories of the Saints is, in a way, keeping their company. The importance of the company of Saints is great; It removes our body-consciousness and egoism, destroys completely the chain of our birth and death, cuts asunder all the knots of the heart and takes us to God, Who is pure Consciousness. It increases our detachment from sense-objects, makes us quite indifferent to pleasures and pains, and leads us on the spiritual path. If you know no other Sadhana, such as saying God’s name, worship or devotion, but if you take refuge in Saints wholeheartedly, they will carry you safely across the ocean of worldly existence. It is for this reason that Saints manifest themselves in this world. Even sacred rivers such as the Ganges, Godavari, Krishna and Kaveri, which wash away the sins of the world, desire that Saints should come to them for a bath and purify them. Such is the grandeur of the Saints. It is on account of our store of merits in past births that we have attained the feet of Sai Baba.
We conclude this chapter with meditation on Sai’s Form. The handsome Sai stands on the edge of the Masjid and distributes Udi to each and every devotee, while deeply engrossed in his devotees’ welfare. Baba knew the world was an illusion and was always engrossed in Supreme Bliss− before Him we humbly prostrate ourselves.
Bow to Shri Sai — Peace be to all