Sunday, September 2, 2007

How To Read Sai SatCharitra A Sacred Book

sai baba orginal photo(taken around 1914)

How To Read Sai SatCharitraSai SatCharitra A Sacred Book
An invaluable Gift of Sai Baba



Link to Sai SatCharitra Audio mp3 format And for Cd request

Link to online Sri Sai SatCharitra in English by Shri N. V. Gunaji which was adopted from the original Marathi Book by Shri Hepadpant


Sai SatCharitra when it was first given me to read, I had not gone into it deeply. Matter of fact is that I did not read more than two chapters at that time. It pains me even as I write this. During those times I was much into philosophy, and wanted clear explanations, to the mind, or rather looking for what appealed to the mind. After reading a couple of chapters, the intellectual mind did not find it appealing, thought to be mere stories with hyped up miracles.

Most of the intellectual minded people might find it same today. But the book has much more than mere intellect, which can be found in millions of books in libraries and even in the weekly magazines and daily newspapers. Sai Satcharitra is a wealth given by Shirdi Sai Baba, blessed by Baba. It has the most amazing thing that only few like Sai Baba can give. It has the grace, which is beyond any level of intelligence. The grace that can clean and purify our minds, the grace that attracts us to the highest.

Every time I read it, it gives different meaning. Each chapter read different times brings about the calmness, with the meaning relevant for that time. Though the book is most of the time pointing to the timelessness, it seems to guide me, with utmost love, care that only rare book can render. In emotionally and mental disturbance of a greater intensities, even hugging to the book have helped a lot. Only hugging the book as in those intense moments one does not even feels like reading, the grace from the book gives solace and soothing effects on heart and head.

At the time of reading though it has been read again and again, there is a sense of newness every time. One does not feel anything repetitive. And it always gives a feeling of togetherness, with Sai Baba. The sacred book is not read with the aim to learn something, but only for the feeling of grace and love felt through it, yet it never ceases to give appropriate directions. And one feels it is all with Sai Baba’s direction and grace one is drawn to write this. One feels it is Sai Baba’s work and Sai Baba will guide whoever needs to read it. Even the word I seem to be heavy so the word one is used, because the I is not there. Only the grace is there. If I is there would be much thinking over what is written, what will the readers say, what will the intellectual people say. I is always surrounded with fears, and ifs. Even while reading the great blessed book Sai SatCharitra, it is better that the I is absent. The I with the wants, the I looking for directions, the I looking for the learning.

It’s best when the I is absent and only the grace of Sai Baba is felt, the grace is allowed to work on mind rather than mind working to find the meanings. The mind or I can never fathom the grace, the grace has to be allowed to work on mind. As Sai Baba has indicated it require a calm mind to grasp the grace. And only the grace can calm the mind. When the mind or I is trying to get calm it can never be. We have to leave it to the grace of Sai Baba and allow the grace to work. It is very difficult for the mind or I to leave everything to Sai Baba. It might say so, and immediately after saying it starts all it’s effort for securing its identity, gathered from society.

Link to online Sai SatCharitra Telugu Language pdf file
Link to Sai SatCharitra in Telugu online

Available languages of Sai SatCharitra from Shri Sai Baba Sansthan Shirdi are Marathi, Gujarati, Sindhi, Kannad, Hindi, English, Telugu, Urdu, Tamil

Order Sai SatCharitra in Various languages and more books by Shirdi Sai Baba Sansthan


Other nice links for downloads found on SaiLeelas.org


OM Sai Ram
source: content collected from all available internet sources

Posted by forteller at 11:13 AM 1 comments  

ABOUT SRI SAI BABA


Shri Sai Baba's life and teachings are well documented in Sai Satcharitra by Shri Hemadpant in Marathi which was personally blessed by Shri Sai Baba.

Shri Hemadpant got Shri Sai Baba's blessings in 1910 to write this work. Said Shri Sai Baba "Let him make a collection of stories and experiences, keep notes and memos; I will help him. He is only an outward instrument." Subsequently SaiSatcharitra has been translated into a number of different languages. The one in English is called Shri Sai Satcharitra by Shri Nagesh Vasudev Gunaji.

The following is a very short summary on the life of Shri Sai Baba to serve as an introduction. We recommend that you read one of the more authoritative books to really understand the life and teachings of Shri Sai Baba.

Chandbhai, the headman of a village called Dhoopkhede (in Aurangabad, India), once lost his horse and was looking for it. Suddenly he heard a voice say "You look tired. Come here and rest a while". He turned around and saw a young Fakir (Baba). The fakir smiled at him and said "What are you looking for in this jungle, Chandbhai". This surprised Chandbhai and he wondered how the fakir knew his name.

Slowly, he said "I have lost my horse. I have looked for it everywhere, but cannot seem to find it". The fakir told him to look behind a clump of trees. Chandbhai was pleasently surprised to find his horse grazing peacefully behind those trees. He thanked the fakir and asked his name. The fakir said "some people call me Sai Baba."

Sai Baba then invited Chandbhai to have a smoke with him. He got the pipe ready, but there was no fire to light it with. Sai Baba thrust a pair of tongs into the ground and brought out a burning coal. Chandbhai was wonderstruck. He thought "this is no ordinary person" and invited Baba to come to his house and be his guest for a few days.

Next day Baba went to Chandbhai's house and found everybody in a very joyful mood and festivities going on all around. He found that Chanbhai's wife's nephew was getting married. The bride was from Shirdi and the marriage party was going to Shirdi. Chandbhai invited Baba to accompany the marriage party to Shirdi. At Shirdi they camped in a field next to Khandoba's temple.

After the wedding, Saibaba stayed on at Shirdi. At first he lived under a neem tree and begged for food whenever he needed it. He then went to Khandoba's temple, intending to stay there, but the temple priest met him at the entrance and told him to go to the mosque. That is how Baba, started staying at the Mosque which was later called Dwarkamayi.

Baba preached at Shirdi all his life and performed numerous miracles to convince people that God exists. He healed people's diseases, provided moral and material comfort to his Devotees. Baba helped bring Unity and Harmony between all communities. He said that God is one, but called by different names. He said follow your own religion and seek the truth.

One day a rich millionaire named Booty came to Sai Baba and said he was going to construct a stone building for Shri Krishna. Baba helped him plan the building. Before the building was completed Baba fell very ill. On the 15th of October 1918, he breathed his last. His last wish was to be buried in Booty's building.

Booty's stone building came to be known as Samadhi Mandir. Shri Sai Baba was buried here and a beautiful shrine was built over it. To this day, people flock to Shirdi to pay homage to Shri Sai Baba.

Posted by forteller at 11:02 AM 0 comments  

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