Shirdi Saibaba Prayer Center Inc., Twin Cities
Minnesota, USA
Volume 1 Issue 5
May 2003


Contents
Dasganu's plight!

Aanandame Sai

Baba's Equal Treatment of All Beings

Devotee Experiences

Sai Sandesh

Quotation of the month

Did You know?

About Shirdi Saibaba Prayer Center

Sai Sandesh

Sai 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.  Please write to hamaresai@yahoo.com for more details.

Activities

Guru Poornima Celebrations

 Om Sai!
Shirdi Saibaba Prayer Center under the blessings & guidance of Sadguru Sainath, with the devotees' help will be celebrating Guru Poornima on July 12 at Geeta Ashram. Please visit our website for more details or send email to hamaresai@yahoo.com if you want to volunteer for event.
 

Meals on Wheels
Shirdi Sai devotees are volunteering for the Meals -On-Wheels, in various locations in the TwinCities. Volunteers pick up packed meals and deliver them to the needy as per the list given by the organizers. The volunteers have given a very positive feedback about the good feeling one gets for having done something to reach out to the elderly and needy. If you would like to join in this program please send us email

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 May 10 & 24.


SHIRDI SAIBABA PRAYER CENTER WILL CELEBRATE GURUPOORNIMA 2003 ON SATURDAY JULY 12, 2003 AT GEETA ASHRAM, BROOKLYN PARK, MN. PLEASE WATCH FOR MORE DETAILS.

Monthly Feature
Dasganu's plight!!

By Ravin Gnanasambandam, Coon Rapids, MN

It is our nature to enthusiastically share our convictions about Sai devotion with others and expect them to follow the same. Those who have seen the miracles of Lord Sai tend to wish that the grace that they have received should also be bestowed upon others. Thus, every Sai devotee is a Sai servant involving in spreading the love and message of Sai. While some indulge in Sai activities with voluntary willingness, others accomplish the same indirectly by sharing their experiences with Sai. It is natural that the good results of everyone's such actions depend on their capabilities and the extent of their involvement. However, what God wants is the true love and devotion but not the magnitude of their gross efforts! In the great epic Ramayana, the efforts put forth by the squirrel on the sand is considered equal to that of mighty Hanuman. Lord Rama looked at the specks of sands that squirrel contributed to the bridge with the same love and appreciation as that of the boulders moved effortlessly by the monkey God.


Occasionally, an intense participation in spreading God's words and involvement in such service leads some to believe that their service to Sai is superior and not those of others. This leads to feelings of jealousy and hatred amongst Sai children eventually leading to their spiritual downfall. Only Lord Sai, the merciful Sadguru can save those from such eventuality.


Once, Dasganu Maharaj had to face a similar situation. The one that inspired thousands of listeners through his spellbinding Sai gospel, Dasganu was averse to one particular female devotee in Shirdi Village. He used to criticize her in others' presence, some times in his characteristic acrid tone. Once, as Dasganu was indulging himself in such a deplorable act, Sainath Maharaj summoned Dasganu and chided him for his behavior. Baba scolded Dasganu that people involved with God's work must not possess arrogance and that Dasganu should seek forgiveness at the feet of the woman devotee who was the subject of Dasganu's contempt. It was not easy for Dasganu, the most revered kirtankar of his times who commanded respect from his followers, to scoop down and fall at the feet of a woman. However, he had to obey the Great Master and in the process he was reformed to a humble servant of God and not an arrogant apostle who thought himself to be superior to others!

(Source: "Sri Sai Gurucharithra" in Telugu with Explanatory Preface by Sri Sainathuni Sarathbabuji, based on Santkavi Dasganu Maharaj's works on Saibaba of Shirdi in Marathi)

Devotee Contributions
Aanandame Sai Naamame

By Meena Kappagantula, Eden Praire, MN

Baba's Equal Treatment of All Beings

Bhuva Valluri, Eagan, MN

Once when Baba was eating his food in the mosque along with the other devotees, a dog entered and ate some of the curd. Bade Baba, the fakir of Malegaon saw this, and considering the curd to have been polluted by the dog, told a boy nearby to drive the dog away. The boy left his food and stood up to do it. Noticing this Baba noticed asked, "What is the matter?"
Bade Baba told him that the curd was polluted by the dog. Baba said, "Oh brother, that curd was very tasty (showing that he had tasted the curd in the form of the dog, and his identification with the dog). Take the curd home, make kadi and bring it for the next meal. I'll eat it." Bade Baba took the curd away and prepared kadi and brought it to the mosque. Baba ate it with relish.
                                                                                     _From the Dixit Diaries

Devotees Experiences

 Prakruti Chelluri, Woodbury, MN

Om Sai! I had a desire to give a new dress to Baba for this Ugadi. 95% of the work on the dress was over, just the evening before Ugadi. My husband was telling that next day being Ugadi we will go to the prayer center. But it so happened that early morning on the day of Ugadi, our 9 month old daughter developed very bad cold & fever. It was so worse that she was suffering a lot & for which I was upset. Even prasad for Baba could not be prepared by me. Silently in my mind A question arose "Why Baba on every festival day my daughter has to suffer. Ugadi is supposed to be the starting of the year & I couldn't even offer prasad to him. Where as last year Ugadi was a memorable day. As that day we could spend in Sai Satsangh at Ravin bhai's (a Sai devotee we had just then acquainted with) place. All this made me cry."

That very weekend there was a heated argument between me & my husband as I was not wanting to go to prayer Center. After some time I don't know How I changed my mind & I found me at Prayer center. After offering my pranam to baba I found Baba is wearing a new dress. Immediately I asked Vidya (another devotee} how come baba is wearing a new dress as in between there is no Satsang. She says on Ugadi day Ravin Bhai said "let's change Baba's cloth as the earlier dress was spoiled". The miracle is it was that dress which I had offered to him in an earlier occasion. Then I realised who pulled me that day to Prayer Center. It was Baba who wanted to show me he read what I had in my mind and satisfied it Baba please bless me like this for ever.

Bow to Sri Sai, Peace be to ALL.

Kiran Buddi, Shakopee, MN

Shri Sachitananda Sadguru Sainath Maharaj Ki Jai!!!

Om Sairam! One day during a regular meeting at work, one of my colleague was very reckless and I did not anticipate this behavior in spite of me being very helpful and cooperative. I kept thinking about this while driving home and was very disappointed until I got back to work next day. Next day the same person turns up at my cube and speaks with great appreciation. But for some time I decided to avoid this person and be on my own. I usually keep the news letter from Saibaba.org and at leisure time I go over these news letter and delete them after I read. I read news letters dated 5/1/03, 04/24/03 and was about to delete the news letter dates 04/17/03. I do not know what stopped me from deleting this news letter and came across these sentences from Guru ji C.B. Satpathi Ji, "do not ponder over negative traits in other, for then they will take root in you".This is a fact. When we think only of negative in people we respond to them in the similar manner, hence we are no better than those that we condemned. We are conditioning our mind and behavior to match those of the people who cause us displeasure and provoke our anger. In such situations, it is better to walk away rather than indulge in arguments and exchange of words. BABA said the same in chapter 22 of Satcharita where BABA said all the actions of the person are ordained by God and not to involve in arguments.

BABA manifests in different forms and I was so moved after reading the above sentences.

Bow to shri SAI, Peace be to all!


Quotation of the Month

"The fate of the soul is determined in accordance with its parabdha  karma (destiny for this lifetime). What is not meant to happen will not happen, however much you wish it. What is meant to happen will happen, no matter what you do to prevent it. This is certain. Therefore, the best path is to remain silent." 
                                                          - Bhagavan Ramana          

Did you know?

Long before 1908 when Shirdi was quiet and humble village, Baba told one of his devotees, 'mansions will rise in this village, big people will come here, guns will be fired, grand processions will be held and people would make a bee-line here!'

At the time of Baba, on an average about 20 to 125 people used to visit Him every day. But today, the average crowd visiting Shirdi is about 30 to 35 thousand persons a day and the number is ever on the increase.


Om Sai! Please send your comments, suggestions, contributions in the form of features, quotations and experiences to hamaresai@yahoo.com. Please forward this to all who will be interested.