By: Swami Satchidananda (Anandashram Kanhangad)
Sai Baba is eradicating the agony of distressed with his divine powers even after his ‘Mahasamadhi’ in 1918. The aspirants are guided by Sai Baba to meditate on him, to have compassion, and serve mankind as service to Sai Baba. His grace comes through deep devotion and faith.
When he was in the physical body, Baba told selfless renounced life was sufficient for Mhalsapathi. He enjoined ‘Dhyana’ to Nana Saheb Chandorkar. Pure emotion and intense devotion were adequate but fully rewarding to Megha. Dasa Ganu’s capacity as a ‘Kirthankar’ lead him to liberation. Baba’s Kripa was manifold.
Our adorations to beloved Papa, Swami Ramdas who considered holy Mother Krishnabai as the supreme Mother of the universe and in their honor let us chant ‘Om Sri Ram Jai Ram Jai Jai Ram’. Mother Krishnabai quoted that the ‘Gita’ says that it is extremely difficult to cross the river of ‘Maya’ except through surrender to Him and Namasmaran (7-14).
The river of Maya gets filled by the rains in the form of three ‘Gunas’ that cause the flood of delusion. There are many dangers like whirlpools of hatred, big fishes of arrogance, and waves of desires in this river. Someone plunges into the river trusting his intellectual strength but vanishes without a trace. Another one may try to ride a float in the form of the Vedas, but he gets devoured by fish in the form of arrogance. Someone else may try to cross the river trusting his youthful energy, but he gets chewed by a crocodile in the form of sensual pleasures. Some try the float of ‘yajnas’, but they get stuck in the rocks of heavenly pleasures. If a sage can understand an evil mind, or if a fish can swallow the hook, or if a ghost will be afraid of a timid person, only then living beings can cross the river of Maya!
So, what is the way to cross this river of Maya? Only those who have their ‘Sadguru’ Lord Sainath as the boatman in the boat of Self-realization, who have discarded their ego and all the ‘vikalpa’ or doubts, who have given up ‘Moha’ can cross the river of Maya.
Our Anandashram at Kanhangad in Kasaragod district of Kerala vibrates with devotees chanting ‘Om Sri Ram Jai Ram Jai Jai Ram’.
On this ‘Mahasamadhi’ day of Sai Baba let us pray to Him for intense and one-pointed devotion. ‘How can we obtain one-pointed concentration?’ We always remember anything that gives us maximum happiness, anything that gives us maximum sorrow, anything that gives us maximum pain. Without effort, we can remember those things. So, if we understand, at least intellectually, that by communing with Lord Sainath, we will be able to get more peace and happiness than by any other means, we will be able to remember Him always. For this, naturally, we must discard those that do not give happiness and those that distract us from our efforts to attain Him.
The difficulty arises only when we have not tasted even a bit of that peace and bliss that Lord
Sainath can give us. All of us experience this peace in the company of Lord Sainath as the greatest effect of Satsang. The moment you sit before Lord Sainath, you can experience unearthly peace and joy. Our effort must be to maintain that peace and joy and discard everything that stands in the way.
All Sai Devotees accept Lord Sainath as the Supreme Being, all-powerful, all-merciful, omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent. They pray to Him in all humility. They never demand anything from Him. Prayers are answered according to the quality, sincerity, and depth of the prayer. Some are not answered, for reasons known to Him only. Even if the prayers bring a delayed response or are never answered, the devotees do not give Him up. They cling to Him with all love and devotion. If they reject Him, what can they hold on to? Lord Sainath is our only refuge. All are not praying in the same way or for the same thing; so also, the response. Whether the response is there or not, you should continue praying to Him. Such prayer will surely, even if it does not bring the desired result, purify your mind, and will stand you in good stead in your spiritual life. Pray to see Lord Sainath as the entire Manifestation. Never be satisfied with anything less than the highest realization of our oneness with Lord Sainath and seeing Him as the entire manifestation and always contemplate ‘He is in you, and you are in Him’.
Baba’s Mahasamadhi is a reminder for us to only pray to Lord Sainath to give us more and more love and devotion for Him and make our aspirations intense so that our minds may ever dwell on Him. ‘Om Sri Ram Jai Ram Jai Jai Ram’.