Volume 1 Issue 2
February 2003
Contents
Who is SAIBABA?
Children's Saibaba
Baba Will Take Care of It
Sai Sandesh
Did You know?
About Shirdi Saibaba Prayer Center
Sai SandeshSai Sandesh is a Monthly Newsletter dedicated to the Life and message of Saibaba of Shirdi. Please send your contributions to hamaresai@yahoo.com. If you want to receive this newsletter please click here. Shirdi Saibaba Prayer Center, Twin Cities, MN is not responsible for the opinions expressed by the individual contributors.
About Shirdi Saibaba Prayer Center.
Shirdi Saibaba Prayer Center, Inc., Twin Cities, MN is registered as a Non-profit corporation in the state of Minnesota. The organization is funded by the voluntary contributions of Sai devotees. The Prayer Center is currently located at 725 NE Lake St. Apt. 139, Hopkins, MN, where regular Sai Satsangs are conducted and occasions of importance to Saibaba of Shirdi are celebrated. In addition to the Prayer Center activities, the organization is also involved with community service including "Meals on Wheels" and "Adapt a Family" programs. Please visit the Prayer Center and participate in its activities. The Prayer Center invites you to the next fortnightly Satsang on Saturday February 15, 2003 from 5.00 PM. The planning meeting for Sri Rama Navami / Baba's Urs celebrations on April 12 will be part of the program and is open to all. Please write to hamaresai@yahoo.com for more details.
Sri Ramanavami / Baba's Urs Celebrations
By the grace of Sadguru Sainath and devotees wish, Shirdi Saibaba Prayer Center, TwinCities,MN is planning for Sri Ramanavami / Babas Ur's celebrations on April 12,2003 from 2pm at Geeta Ashram, Brooklyn Park,MN. In this regard, we request devotees interested in volunteering to contact prayer center. At the next fortnightly satsangh on Feb 15th, we will discuss on the preparations from 5pm and you are invited to join the same.
Fortnightly Satsanghs
Shirdi Saibaba Prayer center conducts fortnightly satsanghs from 5pm onwards and the program includes Abhishek to Baba, Dhoop Arti, Bhajan/Kirtans, Naam Jap, Shej Arti and Maha Prasad. The next 2 satsanghs are scheduled on February 15th and March 1st.
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Monthly Feature
Who is SAIBABA? - A Brief Introduction
- Bhuva Valluri, Eagan, MN
Sri Sai Baba of Shirdi is considered to be one of the greatest saints of the modern age. No one knows exactly when he was born and when he came for the first time to Shirdi, his early life is shrouded in mystery. It is believed, however, that he may have arrived at the age of thirty and then stayed for the rest of his life.
He lived for a time under a neem tree in the village of Shirdi until he moved into a dilapidated mosque, which remained his abode until he passed away in 1918.
He is known for the power of his presence, the purity and integrity of his life and above all his ability to fulfill the heartfelt needs, both spiritual and temporal, of those who come to him with humility and love.
He made no distinction between class or religion, treating all as a mother would her children. He often taught in parables, which were difficult to interpret except for those for whom the teaching was meant and promised that he would be active 'even from the tomb'.
Countless people have been benefited by his power and compassion and millions still flock in ever increasing numbers to his tomb to pay their respects, to offer their love and devotion and to plead for the boons that he so freely dispenses.
For complete article please visit http://saipatham.com/pages/SaiBaba.html and click on “Who is Saibaba”?.
Devotee Contributions
Children's Saibaba- RamaKrishna Sakamuri
One day, Baba was sitting near the dhuni in the mosque, talking to the devotees. Suddenly he thrust his hand into the fiercely burning fire as if he were catching someone to prevent him from falling in. Baba's hand was badly burnt by the fire of the dhuni. The devotees were aghast and said, "Baba, what are you doing?" They pulled Baba's hand out of the fire. It was badly blistered. All the devotees were in tears that Baba's hand was burnt. Baba, however, said lovingly, "It doesn't matter that my hand is burnt, the tender life of a child has been saved." The devotees at the mosque did not know what to make of this and kept silent.
The next day a couple from the blacksmith caste came to the mosque for Baba's darshan along with their small child. They thanked Baba with tears in their eyes for saving their child who fell into the burning furnace. Baba smiled and blessed the child. The other devotees pressed the blacksmith for details.
The blacksmith told the story of Baba's leela.
The previous day the blacksmith was unwell and was lying in bed. His wife was working at the furnace with the baby in her lap. Meanwhile the husband called her for something. The wife forgot that her baby was lying in her lap and suddenly stood. The baby slipped out of her lap and was about to fall in the burning furnace. The mother not knowing what to do, screamed, "Baba!" The baby fell into the furnace, but miraculously nothing happened to the child and she came out without any injury. So Baba, who was sitting far away in the mosque, could save his devotee by stretching out his hands from there. See how kind Baba is, and how he cares for those in distress!
In another instance, Baba, who was sitting in the mosque, suddenly screamed as if in pain. His clothes, which had been dry till then, were suddenly sopping wet. The devotees present did not know why Baba screamed like that or why his clothes became wet as if he was in water. No one could muster the courage to ask Baba the meaning behind this leela.
A letter was received a week later from a devotee called Jahangir, thanking Baba. Jahangir was the captain of a ship. The enemy forces were sinking the ships under his command and had suddenly surrounded his ship. Jahangir did not know what to do and cried out to Baba to save him. Instantaneously, he felt that Baba had reached there and was guiding his ship safely to shore. Shortly after, his ship reached safe harbour.
He wrote to Baba conveying his gratitude for saving him, the moment he appealed for help, and promised to come soon for Baba's darshan. The devotees now realized, after seeing that letter, why Baba exclaimed in pain that day and how his clothes got wet. Land locked Shirdi was two hundred miles from the sea, and Jahangir's ship was in mid-ocean. The intervening distance meant nothing to Baba who promised to save his devotees no matter where they were in the world.
Children, we can see from these two leelas of Baba that he will save his devotees from harm wherever they may be in the world. Let us pray to Baba to save us also and keep him constantly in our minds.
Source : Saipatham Magazine : April 2001 -- http://www.saipatham.com/pages/saimag.html
Baba Will Take Care of It- Bhuva Valluri, Eagan, MN
Once, Sri Sankarrao Kshirasagar, a mamlatdar, came to Shirdi for the darshan of Sri Sai Baba. When Baba asked him for dakshina, he gave all the money he had with him. When he came back to the wada after darshan someone asked him, "Where are you going to find the money for your travel back from Shirdi?"
Sankarrao firmly replied, "Baba will take care of it".
In the evening of the same day, the postmaster of Rahata, accompanied by his guest, came to Shirdi for Baba's darshan. Sankarrao had given a loan of twenty rupees to this guest many years ago, and he then returned Sankarrao's money to him without even being asked for it. Thus, the money, which came to Sankarrao unasked, fully took care of his expenses.
_ From "Dixit's Diary"
Did you know? |
| One of the Sai temples of Pune, the Sai temple at Shivaji Nagar, has a great history behind it. This temple is located along the banks of the picturesque Mutha River in the Rasne Chawl (Rasne tenement) on the outskirts of Shivaji Nagar in Pune. Baba's tooth lies under the padukas at the feet of the marble statue.
_ Sri Sai Leela Magazine April 1977
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