Chapter 31, Leela 4: Megha

Leela:

Megha, an elderly brahmin, was a loyal devotee of Sai Baba, who used to travel several miles to get fresh bel leaves to perform traditional Siva puja.  Every day without fail, he performed puja at each shrine in the village, and after this, went to Baba to offer his prayers to Him.  This went on for several years.

 

When Megha died, all the villagers followed the funeral procession. Baba also accompanied them and showered flowers on Megha's body. After the last rites were performed, Baba too had tears in His eyes. He very lovingly covered the body with flowers and expressed sorrow over Megha’s loss.  Baba then returned to the Masjid.

Based on Shri Sai Satcharita, The wonderful life and teachings of Shri Sai Baba, Translated by Nagesh Vasudev Gunaji (Mumbai: Shri Sai Baba Sansthan, Shirdi, 20^th Edition 2002), p167

 

Based on Shri Sai Satcharita, The Life and Teachings of Shirdi Sai Baba, G. R. Dhalbokar, Translated by Indira Kher (Slovenia: Bird Publisher, 2009), p264

 

Teachings from Leela:

1)    Non-attachment does not mean you do not love, nor does it mean that you do not grieve for loss of a loved one

The Bhagavad Gita says:

As a person sheds worn-out garments and wears new ones, likewise, at the time of death, the soul casts off its worn-out body and enters a new one (note 1).

Being enlightened Himself, who else but Baba would know the above verse from Bhagavad Gita better than Him. He taught us that the body is temporary, but the soul is permanent and never dies. Sai Himself taught us about non-attachment, so why did He shed tears for Megha?  

To answer the above question, let us first consider the meanings of attachment and non-attachment.

Attachment is the bonds you form with people or things in this worldly existence.  If you follow the thread for any kind of suffering, you will find its cause to be an attachment to a person or an object. The stronger the bond, the more painful the feeling of loss.

 

Does this mean that, to avoid suffering, you must not love anyone?  Not at all. But it matters what type of love you speak of.  If your love has expectations about what you get in return, or if you feel a possessiveness for your loved one, it is easy to see how this type of love could cause you suffering. 

 

For example, consider two relationships, one with a dear friend you’ve known for a long time, and another with your young child.  Let’s say you are very expressive of your love to both.  Now, let’s say that each of them, at one time, does not respond in the way you expect to a kindness you do for them.  You are very likely to be upset with your friend’s behaviour, but unlikely to be upset with your child.  That means your love for your dear friend is built upon expectations about how they are supposed to behave with you, while your love for your child is free from expectations.

 

In another example, the parents of a young man want him to enter into a certain high-prestige profession, and the young man is naturally talented for and strongly drawn to another profession.  The parents look to furthering their own family’s prestige and are oblivious to the feelings of their son.  A way to understand this relationship is that of possessiveness, where the parents are treating their son as an object they own.

 

Instead, if your love is unconditional, with no expectations from the loved one, and no feeling of possessiveness over the loved one, then at their loss, you will be able to control the suffering instead of having the suffering control you.

 

In our tradition, all spiritual paths speak of non-attachment.  This non-attachment is essentially the same as unconditional love.  It does not require that you wall off your heart from loving others.  In fact, it requires you to open your heart more to love others and wish for their happiness and well-being without any expectation of reciprocation.

 

With non-attachment, when you love someone, for you it is all about them. You care deeply for them, are kind to them, wish the best for them, and help them when they need it. This form of love is not an obstacle to your spiritual development, but a divine emotion. It, in fact, greatly improves your relationships with others.  When the time comes that you lose them, you accept the loss, continue to love them, and move on.

We expect saints like Sai to practice non-attachment and never show any emotion, but they are humans too. They offer unconditional love, and feel the loss of loved ones upon their passing. They are affected by grief and so they express it. They want us to know that grief is a natural response upon loss of a loved one.

Via this leela, Baba is teaching us that it is natural to grieve for the loss of someone you love unconditionally. It is natural and acceptable to express pain and grief by shedding tears, as Baba Himself did at Megha’s passing.

 

Putting into Practice

Here are some suggestions on how we could use this leela in our daily lives.

1)    Non-attachment does not mean you do not love, nor does it mean that you do not grieve for loss of a loved one

 

As described in the ZenThinking website (note 2):

I like to think of non-attachment as being similar to the teflon coating on a frying pan — it certainly doesn’t stop the pan from cooking the food, or from doing a good job, or even from enjoying its work. Once it’s finished, everything just slips off without leaving any trace.

No emotional scrubbing necessary.

The memories aren’t gone—but you’re not attached to, nor defined by them. All is well.

In this leela, Baba is teaching us about non-attachment, unconditional love, and how to deal with the loss of a loved one.

Non-attachment and Unconditional Love 

To progress on your spiritual journey, you have already been taught that you must achieve non-attachment.  When it comes to people dear to you in your worldly life, this means that you must base all your relationships with your loved ones upon unconditional love.  How do you achieve this in your daily life?  

One way to move towards unconditional love is to catch yourself each time you get angry at a loved one, and to try to honestly understand the cause of your anger.  If the anger was triggered because of something your loved one didn’t do, this is a sure sign of an expectation.  You must then consciously remove this expectation.  Each time you do this, it gets easier and easier.

Another way towards unconditional love is to catch yourself each time you try to overly protect your adult child from dangers in the normal world.  You are free to offer advice, but you must consciously step back from interfering. Your over-protective behaviour convinces your own mind of your indispensability in your child’s life.  It also delays your child’s natural development to cope in the real world.

In yet another case, if your adult child strongly resists a demand you are making on them, you must take the opportunity to examine your motives for your demand upon them.  Is it truly for your benefit or for theirs?

These opportunities of self-examination will move you to a more mature perspective of your relationship with your adult child based upon unconditional love.

Dealing with the Loss of a Loved One

If you were fortunate enough to develop unconditional love for the person you lost, coping with their loss is not going to be easy, but it will be manageable. You will feel grief but will see this grief in the context of a larger understanding about the material world.

For most of the rest of us, this is a seriously debilitation loss.  We feel incredulous at loss happening to us, unwilling to accept it, angry at being abandoned, and deeply wounded right down to our soul. At this time, it is best to turn our minds to our Sadguru and towards God.  Surrender to Baba and He will help you in this difficult time. 

Sadly, in some cultures, male members of society are not supposed to show emotions and cry. Instead of expressing their grief, they often hide their emotions and sometimes try to artificially alter their feelings with drugs or alcohol, and make things worse. Remember this leela, as Baba Himself cried out of grief and expressed His love for His beloved devotee, Megha.

 

Mantra:

Om, Sarve bhavantu sukhinaḥ
Sarve santu nirāmayāḥ
Sarve bhadrāṇi paśyantu
Mā kashchit duḥkha bhāgbhavet
Oṁ Shāntiḥ, Shāntiḥ, Shāntiḥ

Meaning:

May all be prosperous and happy
May all be free from illness
May all see what is spiritually uplifting
May no one suffer
Om peace, peace, peace

 

This above mantra is from the Brihadaaranyaka Upanishad

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/seekingshanti/2015/09/hinduprayerforeveryone_globalgoals/

I would encourage all of you to please share your interpretations, learnings and experiences on how you have put this leela into practice.

 

 

Om Sai Ram.

 

Notes:

1.     http://www.holy-bhagavad-gita.org/chapter/2/verse/22

2.     http://www.zenthinking.net/blog/understanding-the-difference-between-non-attachment-vs-detachment

 

 

 

Chapter 24, Leela 1: Chanak Leela

Leela:

In Shirdi, bazaar was held every Sunday. People from the neighbouring villages came, erected booths and stalls on the street, and sold their wares and commodities. Every noon the Masjid was somewhat crowded, but on Sundays it was completely packed. On one such Sunday, Hemadpant sat in front of Baba, massaging His legs while repeating God's name under his breath. Shama was on Baba's left and Vamanrao to His right. Shriman Booty and Kakasaheb Dixit and others were also present.

 

Shama laughed as he reached out and touched Hemadpant’s sleeve, “I see some grains seem to be stuck to the sleeve of your coat”. Hemadpant straightened his left arm to see what the matter was, when to the surprise of all, some grains of channa (roasted chick peas) came rolling down, to be picked up by the people sitting nearby.

 

This incident provided good subject-matter for a joke, and everybody present began to wonder out aloud as to how the grains could have found their way into the sleeve of the coat. Hemadpant himself could neither remember nor guess as to how they got there.

 

When everyone had their say and no satisfactory explanation was offered for this mystery, Baba said, “This fellow (Hemadpant) has the bad habit of eating alone. Today is a bazaar-day and he was there chewing channa. I know his habit and these grains of channa are a proof of it. What is there to wonder in this matter?”

 

Hemadpant responded, “Baba, I have never eaten things alone, then why do you thrust this bad habit on me? I have not even seen the Shirdi bazaar today. I did not go to the bazaar today, then how could I buy channa, and how could I eat them if I had not bought them? I never eat anything unless I share it with others present near me”.

 

Baba said, “It is true that you share with persons present, but if none is nearby, what could you or I do?  The question is, do you remember Me before eating? Am I not always with you? Do you offer Me anything before you eat?”.

 

Based on Shri Sai Satcharita, The wonderful life and teachings of Shri Sai Baba, Translated by Nagesh Vasudev Gunaji (Mumbai: Shri Sai Baba Sansthan, Shirdi, 20^th Edition 2002), p125

Based on Shri Sai Satcharita, The Life and Teachings of Shirdi Sai Baba, G. R. Dhalbokar, Translated by Indira Kher (Slovenia: Bird Publisher, 2009), p203-204

 

 

Teachings from Leela:

1)    Before you enjoy any sensory object, offer it to your Sadguru or God first

In this leela, Baba has, in His unique and humorous way, instructed us to offer food to God before eating ourselves. This teaching can be generalized to apply to all sense enjoyment. 

As you are about to enjoy the experience of a worldly object, such as eating, drinking or watching a movie, begin by first offering the object or experience to your Sadguru or to God.

This has 3 benefits:

1)    Since you think of your Sadguru every time you are about to experience something enjoyable, the number of times you think of your Sadguru over a day is going to grow.

This will gradually strengthen your bond with your Sadguru, weaken your attachment to the material world, and develop viveka (discrimination) within you, so that you can recognize the difference between what is real and unreal, permanent and temporary.  These attachments are amongst your greatest obstacles in achieving your spiritual goal of liberation from samsara (cycle of life and death in the material world) and suffering.

2)    If the object you are going to experience could hinder your spiritual development, you will find yourself a little ashamed when offering it.  Over time, you will become motivated to reduce your experience with it.

3)    If the object does not hinder your spiritual practice, but you are overly attached to its enjoyment, your attachment will gradually diminish over time, as you continue to offer it each time you enjoy it.

This technique can be applied even more broadly, beyond sense enjoyment, to incidents where you find yourself in a frame of mind or emotion which is not compatible with spiritual practice.  Whether it is anger, jealousy, greed, or a feeling of self importance, offer these thoughts and emotions to your Sadguru, and you will find that they too will diminish.

 

Putting into Practice

Here are some suggestions on how we could use this leela in our daily lives.

1)    Before you enjoy any sensory object, offer it to your Sadguru or God first

Whenever you put anything in your mouth (even if you are drinking water), first offer it to Baba mentally and then consume the food or drink. My husband and I have incorporated this message in our lives and we have noticed that in this way we get many opportunities throughout the day to remember Baba and to feel his closeness to us.

You can expand this to any enjoyable activity, whether it is watching a movie, enjoying the company of close friends, or going on a holiday.  You will not enjoy the activity any less, but over time, this will work to loosen the bonds of attachment that hold you to samsara (the cycle of birth and death in the material world).

If you indulge in unhealthy activity, such as smoking, drinking excessively, or eating unhealthy food, this technique will work to weaken the hold this activity has on you, and you will eventually be able to stop it.

Also, if you catch yourself in an emotion which works as an obstacle to your spiritual development, such as anger, jealousy, self pride or greed, offer this emotion to your Sadguru or God in the same way. This will gradually weaken the hold these emotions have on you.

 

Mantra:

Om, Sarve bhavantu sukhinaḥ
Sarve santu nirāmayāḥ
Sarve bhadrāṇi paśyantu
Mā kashchit duḥkha bhāgbhavet
Oṁ Shāntiḥ, Shāntiḥ, Shāntiḥ

Meaning:

May all be prosperous and happy
May all be free from illness
May all see what is spiritually uplifting
May no one suffer
Om peace, peace, peace

 

This above mantra is from the Brihadaaranyaka Upanishad

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/seekingshanti/2015/09/hinduprayerforeveryone_globalgoals/

I would encourage all of you to please share your interpretations, learnings and experiences on how you have put this leela into practice.

 

Om Sai Ram.

 

Chapter 24, Leela 2: Anna Chinchanikar vs. Mavsibai

Leela:

Hemadpant (the author) describes a witty incident in which Baba played the part of a peace-maker. There was a devotee by name Damodar Ghanashyam Babare alias Anna Chinchanikar. He had a fierce temper and spoke bluntly, without regard to the feelings of others. Though he looked outwardly harsh and uncompromising, he was honest, good natured, guileless and had great affection for Baba. Baba loved him in turn.

 

One time, Anna was standing on one side of Baba, massaging His left arm, which rested on the kathada (railing). On the other side, was Venubai Kaujalgi, an old widow who Baba referred to as mother and all others referred to as Mavashibai (maternal aunt), and who was an elderly woman of pure heart, single-mindedly devoted to Baba.

 

Mavashibai was massaging Baba's abdomen so vigorously that her face was moving up and down with her strokes. In doing so once, she swung too far to one side, and it so happened that her face came very close to Anna's. Being of a witty disposition she teased, "Oh, this Anna is a wayward fellow. He wants to kiss me. Even being so old with grey hair he feels no shame in kissing me." These words enraged Anna and he pulled up his sleeves and said, "You say that I am an old man of bad character. Am I a fool? It is you who has picked a quarrel with me".

 

The devotees present were highly entertained by this encounter between them. Baba, who loved both devotees equally, managed the situation skillfully. He said very affectionately, "Oh Anna, why this unnecessary uproar? I do not understand what is improper about kissing the mother?" Upon hearing these words, the two devotees were satisfied and the rest laughed merrily in appreciation of Baba's wit.

 

Based on Shri Sai Satcharita, The wonderful life and teachings of Shri Sai Baba, Translated by Nagesh Vasudev Gunaji (Mumbai: Shri Sai Baba Sansthan, Shirdi, 20^th Edition 2002), p128

Based on Shri Sai Satcharita, The Life and Teachings of Shirdi Sai Baba, G. R. Dhalbokar, Translated by Indira Kher (Slovenia: Bird Publisher, 2009), p206-207

 

Teachings from Leela:

1)    When you catch yourself being provoked into anger, quickly deflect this anger by putting the provocation into a new perspective so that it no longer offends you 

Mavashibai was playfully teasing Anna. Instead of responding with humour of his own, being of stern nature, he took offence and reacted with anger. In this leela, Baba taught Anna (and the rest of us) one way to deal with this type of anger.  Implied in this teaching is that anger is not good for you. So, the question is, why is anger bad?

In our tradition, there are 5 main obstacles to spiritual development:

1.    Kama (sensory pleasure)

2.    Krodha (anger)

3.    Moha (attachment to people)

4.    Lobha (greed for material things)

5.    Ahamkara (ego)

Let’s look at Krodha (anger) in more detail.  Anger is almost always triggered due to one of the following reasons:

a.    People or worldly objects to which you have strong attachment are threatened or attacked.

b.    Your Ahamkara (ego) is threatened or attacked.

Some of the most basic advice in our tradition offers is that, in order to make spiritual progress, you must free yourself of (1) your attachments, and (2) your ego. 

The Bhagavad Gita says:

But one who controls the mind, and is free from attachment and aversion, even while using the objects of the senses, attains the Grace of God (note 1).

Anger is a particularly dangerous obstacle in your spiritual journey as it has the potential to completely derail you from it.  When you get angry, you act unwisely, either with harsh words or with violence, generating bad karma as you do so. Usually the target of your anger reciprocates, also with violence or harsh words, making you even more angry.  You react to this anger, acting unwisely yet again.  Each time you do so, you accumulate more bad karma, and drift further away from your spiritual goals.  You are caught in a vicious circle and may not be able to escape it for a long time.

Baba is offering you a technique here to completely avoid this trap.  Pay close attention to it and apply it to your everyday life.

 

2)    If you can intervene to diffuse a potential conflict you must

If there is tension growing between two people in front of you, and you realise that it is likely going to break out into open conflict, you must intervene. Via this leela, Baba is teaching us that we must not remain as bystanders, simply enjoying the ‘entertainment’ at others’ expense.

 

Putting into Practice

Here are some suggestions on how we could use this leela in our daily lives.

1)    When you catch yourself being provoked into anger, quickly deflect this anger by putting the provocation into a new perspective so that it no longer offends you 

The actions we do out of anger have long term consequences, as explained beautifully in the following story:

Once upon a time there was a little boy who was talented, creative, handsome, and extremely bright. A natural leader. The kind of person everyone would normally have wanted on their team or project. But he was also self-centered and had a very bad temper. When he got angry, he usually said, and often did, some very hurtful things. In fact, he seemed to have little regard for those around him. Even friends. So, naturally, he had few. “But,” he told himself, “that just shows how stupid most people are!”

As he grew, his parents became concerned about this personality flaw, and pondered long and hard about what they should do. Finally, the father had an idea. And he struck a bargain with his son. He gave him a bag of nails, and a BIG hammer. “Whenever you lose your temper,” he told the boy, “I want you to really let it out. Just take a nail and drive it into the oak boards of that old fence out back. Hit that nail as hard as you can!”

Of course, those weathered oak boards in that old fence were almost as tough as iron, and the hammer was mighty heavy, so it wasn’t nearly as easy as it first sounded. Nevertheless, by the end of the first day, the boy had driven 37 nails into the fence (That was one angry young man!). Gradually, over a period of weeks, the number dwindled down. Holding his temper proved to be easier than driving nails into the fence! Finally the day came when the boy didn’t lose his temper at all. He felt mighty proud as he told his parents about that accomplishment.

“As a sign of your success,” his father responded, “you get to PULL OUT one nail. In fact, you can do that each day that you don’t lose your temper even once.”

Well, many weeks passed. Finally, one day the young boy was able to report proudly that all the nails were gone.

At that point, the father asked his son to walk out back with him and take one more good look at the fence. “You have done well, my son,” he said. “But I want you to notice the holes that are left. No matter what happens from now on, this fence will never be the same. Saying or doing hurtful things in anger produces the same kind of result. There will always be a scar. It won’t matter how many times you say you’re sorry, or how many years pass, the scar will still be there. And a verbal wound is as bad as a physical one. People are much more valuable than an old fence. They make us smile. They help us succeed. Some will even become friends who share our joys, and support us through bad times. And, if they trust us, they will also open their hearts to us. That means we need to treat everyone with love and respect. We need to prevent as many of those scars as we can.”

A most valuable lesson, don’t you think? And a reminder most of us need from time to time. Everyone gets angry occasionally. The real test is what we DO with it.

If we are wise, we will spend our time building bridges rather than barriers in our relationships
(Note 2).

To diminish and eventually remove anger, you must work to loosen your bondage to worldly attachments and to diminish your ego. 

Each path of spirituality helps you with these tasks.  If you are new to the path, the Karma Marg (Path of Selfless Service) is the best place to start.  As you perform selfless service, you get more and more comfortable with the idea that not everything in this world is about you.  As you serve others in need, you begin to realize that you have much more to give of yourself to people in addition to the ones you hold near and dear, eventually widening your affection to all living beings, and thus to God.  As a result, you have a diminished ego, and your attachments to worldly objects decrease, and your attachment to God increases.

For times when you do lose control, use this leela as an example and think of the situation from a different perspective to diffuse your anger. Just as Baba suggested to Anna, that he see Mavashibai as his mother, so can you re-frame the situation provoking your anger to one more acceptable.

 

2)    If you can intervene to diffuse a potential conflict you must

In a situation where you could intervene and help avoid a conflict from breaking out between two people, do not just stand by and enjoy the entertainment at their expense. You must try to diffuse the situation to the best of your ability. In some situations, persuasion is needed, while in another situation, humor could be used, as was used by Baba in this leela.

The benefit of humor is that it deflects tension and helps resolve conflicts by letting both parties involved see the situation from a different perspective, and allows them to climb down from their anger without losing face.

For the parties involved in conflict, this strategy may be hard to remember and apply in the heat of the moment. You, on the other hand, being a bystander could remember this leela, and use humor as a solution.

Use humor, not humiliation. Using humor does not mean making fun of either party involved, or belittling them. This could take away any opportunity for face-saving and make the situation worse. Handle the situation wisely.

 

Mantra:

Om, Sarve bhavantu sukhinaḥ
Sarve santu nirāmayāḥ
Sarve bhadrāṇi paśyantu
Mā kashchit duḥkha bhāgbhavet
Oṁ Shāntiḥ, Shāntiḥ, Shāntiḥ

Meaning:

May all be prosperous and happy
May all be free from illness
May all see what is spiritually uplifting
May no one suffer
Om peace, peace, peace

 

This above mantra is from the Brihadaaranyaka Upanishad

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/seekingshanti/2015/09/hinduprayerforeveryone_globalgoals/

I would encourage all of you to please share your interpretations, learnings and experiences on how you have put this leela into practice.

 

 

Om Sai Ram.

Notes:

1)     http://www.holy-bhagavad-gita.org/chapter/2/verse/64

2)        https://leadingpersonality.wordpress.com/2013/05/17/anger-management-nails-in-the-fence-story/

 

 

Chapter 38, Leela 2: Nanasaheb's Disrespect of a Shrine

Leela:

Once Nanasaheb Chandorkar came to Shirdi with Biniwale, his brother-in-law (wife's sister's husband). When they went to the Masjid, they made obeisance to Baba and sat before Him, exchanging greetings with other devotees. Baba spoke to Nanasaheb angrily, "Nana, how could you forget this? Is this all you have learnt after spending days with me? You, who have been in my company, is this all that it has come to, in the end? Oh, how could your mind be so deluded? Tell me everything carefully".

 

Nanasaheb was quite shaken.  He searched his mind for reasons which might cause Baba to be upset, but could not think of any. After trying for a while, Nanasaheb humbly asked Baba why He was angry with him.

 

Baba said, “when you have been in my company for many years, why is the state of your mind still this way? What has happened to you?” He continued, “When did you reach Kopergaon, and what happened on the way?  Did you stop over anywhere, or did you drive the tonga (horse carriage) straight here? Did anything unusual happen along the way? I wish to hear everything in detail. Tell me what happened, and where, whether it is trivial or otherwise”.

 

When Nanasaheb heard this, he realized his mistake at once. He narrated to Baba how, at first, when they had hired the tonga, it was to come straight to Shirdi, but his brother-in-law, being a Datta devotee, wanted to stop off for darshan at Shri Datta’s shrine, which was on the way, at the banks of the Godavari. Nana, being in a hurry, convinced his brother-in-law to not stop at Shri Datta’s shrine, promising him that they would stop there on their way back from Shirdi. Later, when Nana stopped to bathe in the Godavari, a large thorn got embedded in his foot, causing him pain and distress until he was, with great difficulty, able to pull it out.

 

Baba warned him, “Such haste is not good. This time you have been let off lightly, with only a thorn-prick, for skipping the darshan. When a holy tutelar deity like Datta was waiting on the way to give darshan, with hardly any effort on your part, will I ever be pleased with the unfortunate one who skips that darshan?”.

 

Based on Shri Sai Satcharita, The wonderful life and teachings of Shri Sai Baba, G. R Dhabolkar, Translated by Nagesh Vasudev Gunaji (Mumbai: Shri Sai Baba Sansthan, Shirdi, 20^th Edition 2002), p204

Based on Shri Sai Satcharita, The Life and Teachings of Shirdi Sai Baba, G. R. Dhalbokar, Translated by Indira Kher (Slovenia: Bird Publisher, 2009), p329-330

 

Teachings from Leela:

1)    Don’t prioritize your own spiritual practice over the spiritual practice of someone else, thereby becoming an obstacle in their way

Nanasaheb was himself not interested in obtaining Shri Datta’s darshan, but clearly interested in bathing in the Godavari, which he considered a holy river.  His brother-in-law, being a devotee of Shri Datta, very much wished to obtain this darshan. Nanasaheb claimed that he was in a hurry, and convinced his brother-in-law that they did not have enough time for the darshan this time.  However, he did have the time to bathe in the holy river, a practice he deeply wished.

Nanasaheb acted in a very selfish way, by ensuring that all of his desired spiritual practices were fulfilled, at the cost of blocking his brother-in-law’s spiritual practice.

Baba spoke to him quite sternly on this, making it clear to Nanasaheb that this action was not acceptable. Baba also let him know that the thorn was a modest punishment for this behaviour, and that he was being let off easy this time.

2)    Always give priority to spiritual activities even at the cost of delay

Here is a great explanation of darshan:

In Sanskrit, the word “Darshan” means the sight, or the vision, or the apparition, or the glimpse. It is used for the vision of the divine mainly of a god or a very holy person or artifact. Darshan is the way to see with reverence and devotion in order to receive the grace and blessings.

The Supreme Being comes to dwell in the temple to accept worship and attract the eyes to concentrate and meditate on the Deity.

In time, the body, the mind and the senses of the devotee become spiritualized through darshans. So, the darshan of the god is important for spiritual enlightenment.

One more important thing to note here is that darshan is not simply a matter of viewing the Deity in the temple, but to one who is spiritually realized it is a matter of experiencing the Deity and entering into a personal, reciprocal exchange with the Supreme Personality in the form of the Deity.

When the devotee views the deity with all pure feelings and adoration, the deity is also believed to gaze at the devotee. Then there will be a spiritual exchange wherein the god begins to reveal his personality to his devotee.

For those who have experienced this spiritual exchange with god, the worship of the Supreme Being in the form of deity moves up to a different level with no limit for the spiritual love shared between the deity and the devotee (Note 1)

Baba made the point to Nanasaheb that Shri Datta was waiting to give darshan, Nanasaheb could easily obtain it, as it was not out of the way in his journey.  By skipping this opportunity, Nanasaheb made a great mistake, and missed out on an important event towards his spiritual progress.

 

 

Putting into Practice

Here are some suggestions on how we could use this leela in our daily lives.

1)    Don’t prioritize your own spiritual practice over the spiritual practice of someone else, thereby becoming an obstacle in their way

This leela will help you become more conscious of how you must behave when your spiritual practices are at odds with the spiritual practices of others around you.  You must avoid any selfish thoughts that put your spiritual practices above others. This would be a very serious transgression in your spiritual journey. If you find yourself having such selfish thoughts, remember Baba’s rebuke of Nanasaheb in this leela.

2)    Always give priority to spiritual activities even at the cost of delay

If a new opportunity for a spiritual experience comes your way with very little effort on your part, seize the opportunity.  Your Sadguru is constantly working to help propel you forward in your spiritual path, and the experience offered is likely important to you in your journey.

 

Mantra:

Om, Sarve bhavantu sukhinaḥ
Sarve santu nirāmayāḥ
Sarve bhadrāṇi paśyantu
Mā kashchit duḥkha bhāgbhavet
Oṁ Shāntiḥ, Shāntiḥ, Shāntiḥ

Meaning:

May all be prosperous and happy
May all be free from illness
May all see what is spiritually uplifting
May no one suffer
Om peace, peace, peace

 

This above mantra is from the Brihadaaranyaka Upanishad

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/seekingshanti/2015/09/hinduprayerforeveryone_globalgoals/

I would encourage all of you to please share your interpretations, learnings and experiences on how you have put this leela into practice.

 

 

Om Sai Ram.

Notes:

1)     http://temples.newkerala.com/Temples-of-India/Darshan.html

 

 

 

Chapter 21, Leela 2: Anantrao Patankar

Leela:

Anantrao Patankar, a gentleman from Pune, wished to see Baba. When he came to Shirdi and took Baba's darshan, his eyes were appeased and he was very pleased. He fell at Baba's feet, and after performing proper worship, said to Baba, “I have read a lot, studied the Vedas, Vedanta and Upanishads, and heard all the Puranas, but still have not attained any peace of mind. I have come to believe that all my reading was useless. Simple, ignorant, devout persons are better off than me. Unless the mind becomes calm, all book-learning is of no avail. I have heard from many sources that you have easily given peace of mind to so many people by your mere glance and playful words. This is why I have come to you. Please take pity on me and bless me”.

 

Then Baba told him a parable, which was as follows:

 

Parable of Nine Balls of Stool (Nava-vidha Bhakti)

“Once a soudagar (merchant) came here. Before him, a mare passed her stool, which was in nine separate balls. The merchant, intent on his quest, spread the end of his dhotar and gathered all the nine balls in it, and thus attained peace of mind”.

 

Mr. Patankar had trouble understanding the meaning of this story, so he asked Ganesh Damodar, alias Dada Kelkar, “What does Baba mean by this?”  

 

Dada Kelkar replied, “I too do not know all that Baba says and means, but with His inspiration, I say what I come to know. The mare represents God's grace and the nine balls represent the nine forms of Bhakti. (1) Shravana (listening about God), (2) Kirtana (singing God’s praise), (3) Smarana (remembering God at all times), (4) Padasevana (serving at the feet of God), (5) Archana (worship); (6) Vandana (prostration before God); (7) Dasya (dedicating yourself to service of God); (8) Sakhyatva (friendship with God); (9) Atmanivedana (surrender of the self to God). These are the nine types of Bhakti. If any of these is faithfully followed, Lord Hari will be pleased, and manifest Himself in the home of the devotee”.

 

Next day, when Mr. Patankar went to Baba, he was asked whether he collected the 'nine balls of stool'. He responded that he, being a poor fellow, must first be graced by Baba, and then they will be easily collected. Then Baba blessed and comforted him, saying that he would attain peace and welfare. After hearing this, Mr. Patankar became overjoyed.

 

Based on Shri Sai Satcharita, The wonderful life and teachings of Shri Sai Baba, Translated by Nagesh Vasudev Gunaji (Mumbai: Shri Sai Baba Sansthan, Shirdi, 20^th Edition 2002), p112

 

Teachings from Leela:

1)    There are four paths to moksha. If the path you choose is not suited for you, your Sadguru will guide you to the right one

According to Hinduism, there are four paths to moksha:

·         Karma Marg (Path of Selfless Action)

·         Bhakti Marg (Path of Devotion)

·         Raja Marg (Path of Meditation)

·         Jnana Marg (Path of Knowledge)

 

We will limit ourselves to discussing only Bhakti Marg and Jnana Marg here, as these two have the most significance for this leela.

In Jnana Marg, Brahma Vidya (Knowledge of Brahman), the highest knowledge, is found in the Vedas, the Upanishads, the Shastras and the Puranas. (Please note: Brahman (the Supreme Consciousness) is different from Brahma (the deity who represents Creation).

Brahman is the Absolute, Supreme Reality. It is all pervasive, permanent, infinite, eternal, immutable (does not change), yet it is the cause of all changes. All deities, including Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh, are caused by Brahman.

When Mr. Patankar was on the Jnana Marg (Path of Knowledge), it is this Brahma Jnana that he read extensively, but was never able to make progress with. The Jnana Marg takes place through three important and mandatory steps. Only after the successful completion of all these steps, can one attain moksha:

·        Shravanam (listening, reading, taking in the knowledge)

·        Mananam (reflecting upon the knowledge, clarifying all doubts)

·     Nidhidhyasanam (contemplation upon the knowledge until you completely internalize it) 

Mr. Patankar explained that he had read and heard the various source books of Brahma Jnana, which tells us that he successfully completed the first step of “Shravanam”.  

Since he was not able to achieve peace of mind, we can conclude that he was not able to make much progress in the next steps, as through the “Mananam” step, he would have fully understood the true nature of Reality, of Maya, and of suffering. He would not have identified himself with the body, but with his true nature, Sat-chit-ananda (Truth-Consciousness-Bliss), and his mind would be at peace. Perhaps the path he had chosen, the Jnana Path, was not suitable for him.

Even though, Baba himself was well-versed in the Vedas, he did not prescribe the Jnana Marg for Mr. Patankar’s spiritual progress.  Instead, He prescribed Bhakti Marg, as He felt this was the most suitable. A true Sadguru correctly diagnoses the root causes of His sishya’s (student’s) difficulties, identifies obstacles His sishya (student) faces, and prescribes solutions to guide him to success.

 

2)    You need God’s or your Sadguru’s blessings to sincerely advance in the Bhakti Marg. Once you’re on this Path, you will need to progress through each step, eventually completing all nine steps.

The parable mentioned by Baba tells us two things:

·         We need God’s or Sadguru’s grace to begin on Bhakti Marg (Path of Devotion) and to progress within it.  In the parable, God’s or Sadguru’s blessings are represented by the mare, who delivered the nine forms of Bhakti to the saudagar, who represents the spiritual aspirant.

·         There are nine types of Bhakti, and we need all nine of them in order to reach our goal.  The saudagar only attained peace of mind after he had captured all nine pieces in his uparna (piece of cloth), and tied them up. 

 

God’s or Sadguru’s Grace

In order to understand God’s (or Sadguru’s) grace, let us consider some questions:

·         Is God’s grace freely available to all?

·         What kind of effort is required to attain it?

·         Does God favour only His devotees in granting grace?

These three questions are addressed in Bhagvad Gita, chapter 9, verse 29, where Krishna says (note 1):

“I am equally disposed to all living beings; I am neither inimical nor partial to anyone. But the devotees who worship me with love reside in me and I reside in them.”

The rainwater falls equally upon the earth. Yet, the drop that falls on the cornfields gets converted into grain; the drop that falls on the desert bush gets converted into a thorn; the drop that falls in the gutter becomes dirty water; and the drop that falls in the oyster becomes a pearl. There is no partiality on the part of the rain, since it is equitable in bestowing its grace upon the land. The raindrops cannot be held responsible for this variation in results, which are a consequence of the nature of the recipient. Similarly, God states here that he is equally disposed toward all living beings, and yet, those who do not love him are bereft of the benefits of his grace because their hearts are unsuitable vessels for receiving it.

 

Nine Forms of Bhakti

Now let us explore Nava-vidha Bhakti (Nine Forms of Bhakti).

In Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 12, verses 6-7, Krishna clearly says that Bhakti provides a direct path to moksha (note 2):

G 12.6-7: But those who dedicate all their actions to me, regarding me as the Supreme goal, worshiping me and meditating on me with exclusive devotion, O Parth, I swiftly deliver them from the ocean of birth and death, for their consciousness is united with me.

Shree Krishna reiterates that his devotees reach him quickly. Firstly, with the personal form of God as the object of their devotion, they easily focus their mind and senses upon him. They engage their tongue and ears in chanting and hearing the divine names of God, their eyes in seeing the image of his divine form, their body in performing actions for his pleasure, their mind in thinking of his wonderful pastimes and virtues, and their intellect in contemplating upon his glories. In this way, they quickly unite their consciousness with God.

Secondly, since such devotees continuously offer their hearts in uninterrupted bhakti, God quickly bestows his grace upon them and removes the obstacles on their path. For those who are in communion with him, he dispels their ignorance with the lamp of knowledge. In this way, God himself becomes the savior of his devotees and delivers them from mṛityu saṁsāra sāgarāt (the cycle of life and death).

So, how can one develop Bhakti and love for God? When we carefully consider each of the nine forms of bhakti, and compare them with each other, we can see a clear progression from each step to the next.  As we progress in the current step, it prepares us to attain the next.

By following these nine steps of bhakti, we develop an ever-deeper devotion towards God. Let us understand each form in detail (note 2):

1. SRAVANA

Sravana is the hearing of God’s leelas and praises. The seeker is overwhelmed with worldly suffering, or is no longer drawn by the attractions of the world.  With this first step, the seeker has just entered the path of devotion and does not need to act, but only to passively listen.

2. KIRTANA

Kirtana is the singing of God’s leelas and praises. In this step, the seeker is no longer passive, but is actively participating. To do so, the seeker has accepted God as a possible source of support in his spiritual journey.

3. SMARANA

Smarana is the flooding of the mind by the continual repeating of God’s name. While the previous step of Kirtana can be achieved even while the mind wanders, this step requires the seeker to apply focus and concentration.  By doing so, he spends much more “quality time” with God. 

The more occupied his mind with this spiritual activity, there less time his mind has to think of negative and unconstructive thoughts, and the more he identifies himself with his higher self.

4. PADASEVANA

Padasevana is serving at the feet of God. By this step, the seeker’s compassion for others increases, and he begins to offer selfless service to the needy, while mentally offering this service to God. The more of this selfless service he offers, the more he begins to see God in those he offers the service to.

5. ARCHANA

Archana is worship of God. In this step, the seeker’s focus widens beyond the one form of God, to include all creatures. He offers his worship to God by offering it to all beings, and begins to see God in all beings.

6. VANDANA

Vandana is prostration and humility before God. As the seeker begins to identify God in all beings, he is faced with the realization that the limited form of God he has been holding within his mind, whatever deity it may be, is false.  God is much larger than that; He is all around him, in all creatures, and in fact, everywhere in this Universe.

The seeker becomes humble and prostrates, not just before the limited form of God he has known until now, but to all beings and all things, knowing that God is the whole Universe around him.

7. DASYA

Dasya-Bhakti is the act of dedicating oneself to the service of God. In this step, the seeker becomes fully committed to the service of God, and all his thoughts and actions.

8. SAKHYA

Sakhya-Bhava is friendship with God. Having spent all his time with God in the previous step, the seeker begins to see God as his most near and dear friend.

9. ATMA-NIVEDANA

Atma-Nivedana is a complete surrender to God. This is the ultimate step in Bhakti. The seeker offers everything to God. He is completely merged in God all the time. He has lost all ego. He accepts grief, sorrow, pleasure or pain as prasad (gift) from God. He is detached from these feelings, and from all worldly objects. He only feels love for God and everyone around him.

Following the above steps of Bhakti, you will continue to develop “Shraddha” in God. As your Shraddha grows, you will become more humble and more accepting of everything in life, pleasant or unpleasant. With this, your mind will attain peace, and you will achieve moksha.

 

Putting into Practice

Here are some suggestions on how we could use this leela in our daily lives.

1)    There are four paths to moksha. If the path you choose is not suited for you, your Sadguru will guide you to the right one

Once you are on a spiritual path, it is your important duty to continually apply effort towards your practice. If there are obstacles in your way, your Sadguru will either find you a way around them, or will put you on another path that he judges to be more appropriate for your temperament. 

As you continue to work on your chosen path, there is nothing wrong with exploring other paths. Do not frivolously jump back and forth between paths, and make sure that you are putting all required effort towards your chosen path. Your Sadguru will guide you in your decision to switch, if this is what is best for you.

2)    You need God’s or your Sadguru’s blessings to sincerely advance in the Bhakti Marg. Once you’re on this Path, you will need to progress through each step, eventually completing all nine steps.

God’s grace falls on everyone equally. He is not partial to anyone. In order for his grace to bear fruit, you must put in effort and you will surely see the results for yourself.

As described above, the Path of Bhakti is much more than performing aarti and pooja rituals. It is a continuous development of your inner being, working to increase selflessness and detachment within you, nurturing your empathy and then broadening the scope of that empathy until it encompasses the whole universe.

Determine the form of Bhakti that is most natural and appealing to you. Then perform your practice of this form with all sincerity, while being aware of the spiritual quality that is being nurtured you with the form of Bhakti you are following. 

Occasionally, try out the next form of Bhakti in the above sequence, to see for your self if that form is now a fit for you.  If so, switch to that next form in your practice.  In this way, you will continue to make progress, until you have practiced all nine forms of Bhakti.

 

Mantra:

Om, Sarve bhavantu sukhinaḥ
Sarve santu nirāmayāḥ
Sarve bhadrāṇi paśyantu
Mā kashchit duḥkha bhāgbhavet
Oṁ Shāntiḥ, Shāntiḥ, Shāntiḥ

Meaning:

May all be prosperous and happy
May all be free from illness
May all see what is spiritually uplifting
May no one suffer
Om peace, peace, peace

 

This above mantra is from the Brihadaaranyaka Upanishad

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/seekingshanti/2015/09/hinduprayerforeveryone_globalgoals/

I would encourage all of you to please share your interpretations, learnings and experiences on how you have put this leela into practice.

 

Om Sai Ram.

Notes:

1)     http://www.holy-bhagavad-gita.org/chapter/9/verse/29

2)     http://www.holy-bhagavad-gita.org/chapter/12/verse/6-7