Shirdi Saibaba Prayer Center Inc., Twin Cities
Minnesota, USA
Volume 1 Issue 7
July 2003


Contents
The Bridge Not Far

Hamaresai

Futility of thinking

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


Fund Raiser IMAX Movie Screening

Om Sai!
Shirdi Saibaba Prayer Center is arranging for a Fund Raiser Movie screening on July 26, noon at the Minnesota Zoo IMAX Theatre. The Movie "S.O.S. Planet 3D" is an educational movie on our planet and will be very good for all of the Children. Please make this program a success with your participation. For tickets contact hamaresai@yahoo.com / Ravin -763 862 3910 - Siva Rama -763-694-0663

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 July 19 and August 2.


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

Monthly Feature
The Bridge Not Far


Asleep or while awake
In silence and conversations
In crowds and in solitude
Sai, you are the goal, the object, and the purpose

What you really are is what you are while not asleep or awake. The metaphysical aspect of Brahman is probably understood through such logic and analysis. Or through the simple way of remembering Sai's name before every thought or deed. This is precisely what Baba said to the simple folks of Shirdi who flocked him during the Golden days. Insisting on one's views and refuting the other will not help one, remember discussion as one function of ego. Baba said, "Let there be no insistence on establishing one's own view, no attempt to refute other's opinion, no discussions of pros and cons of any subject. Hearing my stories and teachings will create faith in devotees' hearts and they will easily get self-realization and Bliss".

Baba's fold is a fortune. It is considered as the result of the merits of several births. Once such a fortune is in sight, who would let it go but the imprudent? Simple saadhana is to remember him while awake and during every action. This will surely cross anyone through the perils of everyday life of action and consequence. Remembering Sai during every difficulty and every celebration will surely lead one to remembering Him everywhere and ever. Blessed is such life for them the bridge is not far.

(Source: Sai Vichaar Vol 4, Issue 47)

Devotee Contributions
Hamaresai

Satya/Prakruti Chelluri, Woodbury, MN

Futility of Thinking

Meena Kappagantula, Eden Praire, MN

What is God? God is Truth!
What is Truth? Truth is end of Investigation!
What is Investigation? Investigation is Thought!
What is Thought? Thought is product of Intellect!
What is Intellect? Intellect is bulk of Knowledge!
What is Knowledge? Knowledge is extent of Perception!
What is Perception? Perception is from physical Sensation!
What is Sensation? Sensation is the offspring of Desire!
What is Desire? Desire arises from Image!
What is Image? Image is generated from Belief!
What is Belief? Belief is the effect of Experience!
What is Experience? Experience is outcome of Life!
What is Life? Life is the Gift of God!

Think a lot more and drop thinking when you realize the futility of thinking.

Devotees Experiences

 -Kiran Buddi, Shakopee, MN

Submitting myself at the lotus feet of sadguru shri sainath maharaj, I would like to share my experience with SAI devotees. It was in Hastings-Minnesota where Gurubhandhus from other parts of USA have gathered on the banks of Mississippi river at a shelter in the Spring park reserve. Devotees were given an opportunity to introduce themselves to the rest of the group and share their experience. This is my first experience sharing with other SAI devotees after I became a devotee of Baba. I was not believer in Baba until the Year 2002 unlike my wife who has been a humble devotee of Baba for long time. She used to perform regular abhishek to Baba on every Thursday and read satcharitra. I was at loss to understand why she spends so much time reading satcharitra and performing abhishek to Baba and it did not simply mean anything to me until I experienced myself the divine bliss of sadguru. I was searching for a stable job as the start up company where I was working has limited financial resources. I kept searching for job for more than 4 months but nothing has worked for me. One day while traveling with my wife she told me to pray Baba for blessing me with job and then I shall visit Shirdi, I said Yes, I will visit Shirdi if Baba helps me find a job. I got a full time job with a good company and this was my first experience with Baba.

Does one miracle from Baba make be a believer of Baba? Does this make me surrender my ego at the lotus feet of sadguru sainath maharaj? Does the statement "No matter how far is my devotee .. s/he shall be drawn to Shirdi like a thread tied to the feet of a sparrow" hold true to me? How many more miracles Baba has to show me to make me believe in him?

While sharing this experience in front my SAI devotees I literally broke down, my voice is choked and tears in my eyes along with my wife. How stupid and foolish I must be to judge the power of old man who has given me life but still trying to test his supreme power to believe myself in him. I cried in front of Baba's picture because I tested the power of old man more than once to believe in him and I resolved never and ever underestimate the power of old man. Please be with us - O Lord Sainath and shower your grace on us as always!!


Quotation of the Month

When you meet a Guru or go to the temple think of the three following points;
Concentrate fully on your meeting with your Guru/God,
Think on how you can make this experience so beautiful that the energy you gain now lasts till the next meeting, and
Ask the Guru what can you do for Him? How can your body, mind and soul work for Him?

– Guru ji C.B. Satpathy ji

Did you know?

Once Sri Marthand, the son of Mahlsapathy, was seated at the threshold of Khandoba’s temple. Baba came there and Marthand reverently stood up. But quite astonishingly, even before his very eyes, Baba appeared smiling and walked towards the idol of Khandoba and merged in it. In amazement Marthand peeped behind the idol, but there was none there. While he looked in panic Baba again walked out of the idol and left the temple, smiling at him. Henceforth, Marthand took it that Baba wanted him to worship the idol as Baba’s form and so he did till the last.
Source: Pujya Acharya E. Bharadwaja in Sai Baba the Master)


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.