By: Paras Mal Jain
A group of Jain monks from Ahmednagar on their way to Kopergaon visited Shirdi. They did not enter the mosque but offered their salutations to Sai Maharaj from outside. The monks were surprised when Sai Maharaj reciprocated their salutation with a line from Jain Agams /scared 
books, stating, ‘Je egam janai, se savvam janai’ – the one who knows his soul, knows everyone. This Self-realization is the biggest achievement of life. Kaka Dixit was sent by Baba to attend to these monks. They rested for a while at Hanuman Mandir and then left for Kopergaon.
At the mosque, Baba posed a question as to who can attain realization. Baba said that Self-realization is possible for the person whose mind, which is like water, does not have any ripples due to the mental waves of his likes and dislikes. Man wants to realize the Self, but until the emotions of attachment and aversion are overcome, this cannot happen.
Baba went on to say – ‘Self-realization can be easy as well as tough. It is easy because it happens as soon as the feelings of attachment and aversion are relinquished. It is difficult because it is not so simple to separate oneself from attachment and aversion.
He exemplified the Jain monks. Self-realization calls for hard work, practicing austerity, and purifying of the mind to attain a state of thoughtless mind.
A curious disciple once asked his Guru, ‘Master! How can I become free from attachment and aversion?’ The Guru replied, ‘You need to practice living in the natural state of consciousness.’ Here being in the natural state of consciousness Sai Maharaj means to know and to observe only.
Kaka Dixit quoted a Jain scripture that says: ‘There is one home in which one can stay forever, but difficult to stay. That home is our soul.’ Sai Maharaj underscored this by saying, ‘Stay inside, live outside.’ Jain Agam states: ‘Sampikkhae appagamappaenam’ – see your ‘self’ through your ‘self’. The natural function of the eyes is to perceive the physical world, but we need to practice seeing inside the self, meaning, perceive our Self, and move towards Self-realization.
Based on Jain philosophy, Das Ganu Maharaj in his ‘Pravachans on Sai Baba’ has propounded a technique of meditation for Self-realization known as Preksha Meditation. Meditation brings a paradigm shift from instability to stability, from the external to the internal, from activity to non-activity. The person moves from unrestraint to self-control and from darkness to light. It is well known that many people overcome their problems through the practice of meditation and evolve spiritually.
There are two types of people: One who lives in the world outside of himself and uses material objects to achieve a false sense of personal fulfillment, and the second kind, who lives within oneself and consumes material objects only to fulfill basic needs.
Sai Baba begged for food from five houses, mixed and shared with dogs, pigs sparrows, etc. Sai Maharaj also has said it right, intoxicants make the mind or psyche delusional. People engrossed in sensory pleasures like taste, touch, sight, sound, and smell are constantly on the lookout for ways to fulfill these desires. They crave different foods, fragrances, and vistas. It is natural for people to be delighted when their sensual desires are realized, but such joy is temporary since the next craving may already be sprouting. Such pleasures cannot bring true happiness; they come only from the satisfaction of giving up or resisting things one typically yearns for. Curbing desires also imparts the strength needed to gain control over the mind and body.
In summing up the Jain monks’ visit to Shirdi, Baba gave a blueprint for Self-realization. This slow yet steady process can lead to a state where one recognizes the true Self, despite the usual worldly distractions. We need to use worldly things with detachment, develop the state of an observer, purify the mind, and try to live a life free from attachment and aversion. If this is achieved, Self-realization becomes possible. Let’s make the best use of our time – for, Self-realization is possible in human life only.
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