Shirdi Sai Baba on Brahma Jnana (Gyan) and more from Chapters 16 & 17 of Sai Satcharita
Shirdi Sai Baba would accept any small thing offered with love and devotion but reject offerings made with pride and haughtiness
From Chapter 16 & 17 of Shirdi Sai Satcharita, http://www.saibaba.org/satcharitra/sai16_17.html :
The last Chapter described how Mr. Cholkar's vow of small offering was completed and accepted. In that story, Sai Baba showed that He would accept with appreciation any small thing offered with love and devotion, but if the same thing was offered with pride and haughtiness, He would reject it. Being Himself full of Sat-Chit-Anand (Existence, Knowledge and Bliss) He did not care much for mere outward formalities but if an offering was made in meek and humble spirit, the same was welcome and He accepted it with pleasure and avidity. In fact there is no person more liberal and benevolent than a Sadguru, like Sai Baba. He cannot be compared to the Chintamani jewel (the Philosopher's stone which satisfies desires), the Kalpataru (the Celestial Tree which fulfills our desires) or the Kamadhenu (the Celestial Cow which yields what we desire), for they give us only what we desire; but the Sadguru gives us the most precious thing that is inconceivable and inscrutable (The reality).
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Shirdi Sai Baba: Many people come to me asking for wealth, health etc. Rare is the person who asks for Brahma Jnana (Gyan)
From Chapter 16 & 17 of Shirdi Sai Satcharita, http://www.saibaba.org/satcharitra/sai16_17.html :
He [Rich gentleman] went to the Masjid, saw Sai Baba, fell at His Feet and said, "Baba, hearing that You show the Brahman to all who come over here without any delay, I have come here all the way from my distant place. I am much fatigued by the journey and if I get the Brahman from You, my troubles will be well-paid and rewarded."
Baba then replied, "Oh, My dear friend, do not be anxious, I shall immediately show you the Brahman; all My dealings are in cash and never on credit. So many people come to Me, and ask for wealth, health, power, honour, position, cure of diseases and other temporal matters. Rare is the person, who comes here to Me and asks for Brahma-Jnana. There is no dearth of persons asking for worldly things, but as persons interested in spiritual matters are very rare, I think it a lucky and auspicious moment, when persons like you come and press Me for Brahma-Jnana. So I show to you with pleasure, the Brahman with all its accompaniments and complications."
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Shirdi Sai Baba advice to wealthy person who was attached to his wealth but still wanted Brahma Gyan (Knowledge of Brahma/God)
Prior to the extract given below, Shirdi Sai Baba, in the presence of the wealthy person who asks Shirdi Baba for Brahma Gyan, asks a boy to get a loan of Rs. Five from one person after another, all of which is unsuccessful. The point to note is that this wealthy man all the while had fifty times that amount in his pocket which he did not consider to offer to Shirdi Sai Baba even when he saw the failed attempts of the boy to get Rs. five loan for Shirdi Sai Baba. In other words, Shirdi Baba tested the wealthy person and the wealthy person was found wanting in not having offered that money himself to Shirdi Sai Baba from whom he had asked for Brahma Gyan. The wealthy person was too attached to his wealth.
From Chapter 16 & 17 of Shirdi Sai Satcharita, http://www.saibaba.org/satcharitra/sai16_17.html (slightly edited to fix what seems to be typo-kind of errors) (note that the word Brahma given below, in one context means infatuation, and in another context, Divine/God; the Marathi/Sanskrit words for infatuation and Divine/God are different slightly but when its pronunciation is tried to be conveyed in English (Latin) script, the subtle difference is lost) :
After the dissertation was over, Baba turned to the gentleman and said - "Well sir, there is in your pocket the Brahma (or Mammon) in the form of fifty-times five(Rs.250/-) rupees; please take that out." The gentleman took out from his pocket the bundle of currency notes, and to his great surprise found, on counting them, that there were 25 notes of 10 rupees each, Seeing this ominiscience of Baba, he was moved and fell at Baba's Feet and craved for His blessings.
Then Baba said to him, "Roll up your bundle of Brahma viz. Currency notes. Unless you get rid completely of your avarice or greed, you will not get the real Brahma. How can he, whose mind is engrossed in wealth, progeny and prosperity, expect to know the Brahma, without removing away his attachment for them? The illusion of attachment or the love for money is a deep eddy (whirlpool) of pain full of crocodiles in the form of conceit and jealousy. He, who is desireless, can alone cross this whirlpool. Greed and Brahma are as poles asunder, they are eternally opposed to each other. Where there is greed, there is no room for thought or meditation of the Brahma. Then how can a greedy man get dispassion and salvation? For a greedy man there is no peace, neither contentment, nor certainty (steadiness). If there be even a little trace of greed in mind, all the Sadhanas (spiritual endeavors) are of no avail. Even the knowledge of a well-read man, who is not free from the desire of the fruit or reward of his actions, and who has got no disgust for the same, is useless and can't help him in getting self-realization.
The teachings of a Guru are of no use to a man, who is full of egoism, and who always thinks about the sense-objects. Purification of mind is absolutely necessary; without it, all our spiritual endeavors are nothing, but useless show and pomp. It is, therefore, better for one to take only what he can digest and assimilate. My treasury is full, and I can give anyone, what he wants, but I have to see whether he is qualified to receive what I give. If you listen to Me carefully, you will be certainly benefited. Sitting in this Masjid, I never speak any untruth."
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Shirdi Sai Baba, a holy man who strove for welfare of the people and was not aloof from people
From Chapter 16 & 17 of Shirdi Sai Satcharita, http://www.saibaba.org/satcharitra/sai16_17.html :
There are many Saints, who leaving their houses, stay in forest, caves or hermitages and remaining in solitude, try to get liberation or salvation for themselves. They do not care for other people, and are always self-absorbed. Sai Baba was not of such a type. He had no home, no wife, no progency, nor any relations, near or distant. Still, He lived in the world (society). He begged His bread from four or five houses, always lived at the foot of the (Neem) tree, carried on wordly dealings, and taught all the people how to act. and behave in this world. Rare are the Sadhus and Saints who, after attaining God-vision, strive for the welfare of the people. Sai Baba was the foremost of these and, therefore, says Hemadpant.
"Blessed is the country, blessed is the family, and blessed are the chaste parents where This extraordinary, transcendent, precious and pure jewel (Sai Baba) was born."
===============================================
[I thank saibaba.org, and have presumed that they will not have any objections to me sharing the above extracts from their website on this post which is freely viewable by all, and does not have any financial profit motive whatsoever.]
From Chapter 16 & 17 of Shirdi Sai Satcharita, http://www.saibaba.org/satcharitra/sai16_17.html :
The last Chapter described how Mr. Cholkar's vow of small offering was completed and accepted. In that story, Sai Baba showed that He would accept with appreciation any small thing offered with love and devotion, but if the same thing was offered with pride and haughtiness, He would reject it. Being Himself full of Sat-Chit-Anand (Existence, Knowledge and Bliss) He did not care much for mere outward formalities but if an offering was made in meek and humble spirit, the same was welcome and He accepted it with pleasure and avidity. In fact there is no person more liberal and benevolent than a Sadguru, like Sai Baba. He cannot be compared to the Chintamani jewel (the Philosopher's stone which satisfies desires), the Kalpataru (the Celestial Tree which fulfills our desires) or the Kamadhenu (the Celestial Cow which yields what we desire), for they give us only what we desire; but the Sadguru gives us the most precious thing that is inconceivable and inscrutable (The reality).
===============================================
Shirdi Sai Baba: Many people come to me asking for wealth, health etc. Rare is the person who asks for Brahma Jnana (Gyan)
From Chapter 16 & 17 of Shirdi Sai Satcharita, http://www.saibaba.org/satcharitra/sai16_17.html :
He [Rich gentleman] went to the Masjid, saw Sai Baba, fell at His Feet and said, "Baba, hearing that You show the Brahman to all who come over here without any delay, I have come here all the way from my distant place. I am much fatigued by the journey and if I get the Brahman from You, my troubles will be well-paid and rewarded."
Baba then replied, "Oh, My dear friend, do not be anxious, I shall immediately show you the Brahman; all My dealings are in cash and never on credit. So many people come to Me, and ask for wealth, health, power, honour, position, cure of diseases and other temporal matters. Rare is the person, who comes here to Me and asks for Brahma-Jnana. There is no dearth of persons asking for worldly things, but as persons interested in spiritual matters are very rare, I think it a lucky and auspicious moment, when persons like you come and press Me for Brahma-Jnana. So I show to you with pleasure, the Brahman with all its accompaniments and complications."
===============================================
Shirdi Sai Baba advice to wealthy person who was attached to his wealth but still wanted Brahma Gyan (Knowledge of Brahma/God)
Prior to the extract given below, Shirdi Sai Baba, in the presence of the wealthy person who asks Shirdi Baba for Brahma Gyan, asks a boy to get a loan of Rs. Five from one person after another, all of which is unsuccessful. The point to note is that this wealthy man all the while had fifty times that amount in his pocket which he did not consider to offer to Shirdi Sai Baba even when he saw the failed attempts of the boy to get Rs. five loan for Shirdi Sai Baba. In other words, Shirdi Baba tested the wealthy person and the wealthy person was found wanting in not having offered that money himself to Shirdi Sai Baba from whom he had asked for Brahma Gyan. The wealthy person was too attached to his wealth.
From Chapter 16 & 17 of Shirdi Sai Satcharita, http://www.saibaba.org/satcharitra/sai16_17.html (slightly edited to fix what seems to be typo-kind of errors) (note that the word Brahma given below, in one context means infatuation, and in another context, Divine/God; the Marathi/Sanskrit words for infatuation and Divine/God are different slightly but when its pronunciation is tried to be conveyed in English (Latin) script, the subtle difference is lost) :
After the dissertation was over, Baba turned to the gentleman and said - "Well sir, there is in your pocket the Brahma (or Mammon) in the form of fifty-times five(Rs.250/-) rupees; please take that out." The gentleman took out from his pocket the bundle of currency notes, and to his great surprise found, on counting them, that there were 25 notes of 10 rupees each, Seeing this ominiscience of Baba, he was moved and fell at Baba's Feet and craved for His blessings.
Then Baba said to him, "Roll up your bundle of Brahma viz. Currency notes. Unless you get rid completely of your avarice or greed, you will not get the real Brahma. How can he, whose mind is engrossed in wealth, progeny and prosperity, expect to know the Brahma, without removing away his attachment for them? The illusion of attachment or the love for money is a deep eddy (whirlpool) of pain full of crocodiles in the form of conceit and jealousy. He, who is desireless, can alone cross this whirlpool. Greed and Brahma are as poles asunder, they are eternally opposed to each other. Where there is greed, there is no room for thought or meditation of the Brahma. Then how can a greedy man get dispassion and salvation? For a greedy man there is no peace, neither contentment, nor certainty (steadiness). If there be even a little trace of greed in mind, all the Sadhanas (spiritual endeavors) are of no avail. Even the knowledge of a well-read man, who is not free from the desire of the fruit or reward of his actions, and who has got no disgust for the same, is useless and can't help him in getting self-realization.
The teachings of a Guru are of no use to a man, who is full of egoism, and who always thinks about the sense-objects. Purification of mind is absolutely necessary; without it, all our spiritual endeavors are nothing, but useless show and pomp. It is, therefore, better for one to take only what he can digest and assimilate. My treasury is full, and I can give anyone, what he wants, but I have to see whether he is qualified to receive what I give. If you listen to Me carefully, you will be certainly benefited. Sitting in this Masjid, I never speak any untruth."
===============================================
Shirdi Sai Baba, a holy man who strove for welfare of the people and was not aloof from people
From Chapter 16 & 17 of Shirdi Sai Satcharita, http://www.saibaba.org/satcharitra/sai16_17.html :
There are many Saints, who leaving their houses, stay in forest, caves or hermitages and remaining in solitude, try to get liberation or salvation for themselves. They do not care for other people, and are always self-absorbed. Sai Baba was not of such a type. He had no home, no wife, no progency, nor any relations, near or distant. Still, He lived in the world (society). He begged His bread from four or five houses, always lived at the foot of the (Neem) tree, carried on wordly dealings, and taught all the people how to act. and behave in this world. Rare are the Sadhus and Saints who, after attaining God-vision, strive for the welfare of the people. Sai Baba was the foremost of these and, therefore, says Hemadpant.
"Blessed is the country, blessed is the family, and blessed are the chaste parents where This extraordinary, transcendent, precious and pure jewel (Sai Baba) was born."
===============================================
[I thank saibaba.org, and have presumed that they will not have any objections to me sharing the above extracts from their website on this post which is freely viewable by all, and does not have any financial profit motive whatsoever.]
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