Leela:
It was sometime after 1910 that I (G. R. Dhabolkar) went, one fine morning, to the Masjid in Shirdi to obtain darshan (see the divine form) of Sai Baba. I was wonder-struck to see the following phenomenon.
After washing His mouth and face, Sai Baba began preparations to grind wheat. He spread a sack on the floor and placed a hand-mill on it. He took some wheat in a winnowing fan (a device used to separate wheat from chaff) and drew up the sleeves of His kafni (robe). He then took hold of the peg of the hand-mill, started grinding the wheat by adding handfuls of wheat in the upper opening of the mill and turning it.
I wondered what business Baba had with the grinding of wheat, when He possessed nothing and stored nothing, as He lived on alms. Others who had come there thought likewise, but none had the courage to ask Baba what He was doing. Quickly, this news of Baba's grinding wheat spread throughout the village, and men and women flocked to the Masjid to see Baba's act.
Four bold women from the crowd forced their way up and, pushing Baba aside, forcibly took the peg into their hands and, singing Baba's Leelas, started grinding the wheat. At first Baba became angry, but on seeing the women's love and devotion, He was much pleased and began to smile. While they were grinding, the women began to think: Baba had no house, no property, no children, none to look after, and He lived on alms, He did not require any wheat-flour for making bread or roti. What will He do with this big quantity of flour? Perhaps as Baba is very kind, He would distribute the flour amongst us.
Thinking in this way while singing, they finished the grinding and after putting the hand-mill aside, they divided the flour into four portions and began to walk away with it. Baba, who was calm and quiet till then, got angered again, and said, "Ladies, are you gone mad? Whose father's property are you looting away? Have I borrowed any wheat from you, so that you can safely take the flour? Now please do this. Take the flour and throw it on the village border limits." On hearing this, the women felt abashed, and whispering amongst themselves, went away to the outskirts of the village and spread the flour as directed by Baba.
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, 20th Edition 2002), p2
Based on Shri Sai Satcharita, The Life and Teachings of Shirdi Sai Baba, G. R. Dhalbokar, Translated by Indira Kher (Slovenia: Bird Publisher, 2009), p6
Teachings from Leela:
A previous blog covered a leela titled Baba’s Handi, which described a beautiful image of Baba lovingly preparing a large meal to feed dozens of poor, and pointed out that this was also a metaphor for Him doing the same for His devotees’ spiritual needs.
Both leelas describe Baba setting up a quern (a hand-mill used to grind wheat) and with his own labour, using it to grind wheat into flour -- at which point the two leelas diverge. In Baba’s Handi, Baba kneads the wheat to dough, and makes bhakri from it to feed his devotees, while in this leela, Baba has the flour taken to the edge of a brook (a small stream) and spread there.
Knocking the quern's wooden peg firmly into place to prevent it from becoming loose while grinding, is a metaphor for Baba’s planning the teachings for His contemporary and future devotees.
Taking a firm hold of the quern-handle and rotating the quern-stone with his own hands, working hard to turn wheat into flour, is a metaphor for Baba labouring to prepare His teachings so that they are easy to understand and assimilate.
Having the villagers spread the flour at the side of the brook, at the village boundary, is a metaphor for spreading Baba’s teachings not just for His devotees in Shirdi, but for His devotees the world over, present during His lifetime and for the future generations of devotees to come. As brooks go, they feed water to larger streams, which feed larger tributaries, which feed rivers, which ultimately feed the ocean. If something is put into a brook, it will eventually make its way to the whole ocean – this is a metaphor for spreading Baba’s teachings. The word boundary is used in many leelas to mean the crossing from one life to the next – this is a metaphor to mean the spreading of Baba’s teachings beyond his own nirvan (passing).
Note: As per Baba’s instruction, found in the original Marathi pothi, of the Sai Satcharitra, by Govind R. Dhabolkar (Hemadpant), Baba asked the ladies to spread the wheat flour on the side of the brook, which happened to be located near the Shirdi border. He did not ask them to just spread the flour on the border. Below is the English translation from the original Marathi pothi:
As per Indira Kher version, Page 7, verse 134:
he got the coarsely ground flour to be thrown along the side of the brook at the village border.
The Gunaji translation of this leela describes the destination of the flour to be the border of the village That there was brook near the border of Shirdi as confirmed by Ramgeerbua Gosavi, a param bhakta (a pre-eminent devotee) of Sai Baba, who was one of those fortunate souls blessed to live in the times of Sai Baba and experience His sagun (manifest) avatar.
Those of us who were not fortunate to see Baba in his sagun form, before his nirvan, must take heart from this message, as it is specifically for us, his bhaktas in future generations. The treasure of His teachings, which are embodied in His leelas, have been prepared with His labour, and it is through His plan and design, that we are able to experience them.
This message takes even more significance, as it is because of this leela, that Dhabolkar was inspired to seek Baba’s permission to capture and record His leelas during His lifetime, and to write the Sai Satcharitra.
2) When intending to help others, do not push your way in, but be respectful and considerate
In the leela, four bold women, from the crowd forced their way up and, pushing Baba aside, snatched the quern handle away from Him and started grinding. Baba got angry with them.
Of course, it was mock anger, as He loved all His devotees and confessed to it, as mentioned in the Indira Kher version, chapter 11, page 88, verse 74 and 75:
74. "Even if I seem to be angry with someone, my heart knows no anger."
75. "Should a mother push her child away with a kick, or the ocean send the river back, only then is it possible that I will repulse you or harm you in any way".
From the above instances, what Baba is conveying is that it is impossible for Him to get angry. He said that, just as an ocean will never send the river back, He too can never be angry with His devotees.
Via this leela, Baba wants to teach us that we must be respectful and considerate of other people. Even if we want to help them, we must ask politely and offer our help to them, instead of pushing our way in.
Even though Baba Himself was capable of spreading His teachings, via this leela, He shows us that it is at His behest that we, his bhaktas, are invited to participate and contribute.
As mentioned above, by having the village women spread the flour at the side of the brook, Baba enlisted their help in the spreading of His teachings. While they had the privilege to contribute, the action was performed through His guidance. Always keep this in mind as you perform any such actions.
The women had thought to themselves that, since Baba had no use for the flour, they could keep it to themselves. Baba pointed out and challenged these selfish thoughts. Our minds are tricky, and very adept at rationalizing wrong behaviour. Be aware of your thoughts and be ruthless in challenging clever but untrue rationalizations.
Remember that He is the doer, not you. Offer all your actions at His feet, and if things don’t go the way you expect, consider that too is His plan. Do not worry about the outcome and leave all that to Him.
Putting into Practice
Here are some suggestions on how we could use this leela in our daily lives.
1) Your Sadguru works hard to prepare and spread His teachings, not just for his devotees during his lifetime, but for generations of devotees to come
This leela provides a very beautiful and vivid image of Baba grinding wheat for his devotees. As this leela shows, you who were born after His nirvan, were also in His thoughts in those times, as you are in His thoughts even now. Baba toiled to prepare materials for your spiritual progress too and remembering this can be immensely powerful.
When you’re struggling to meet your commitments towards your spiritual progress, when you’re feeling alone and unhappy, when you’re undergoing difficulties in life, bring this image to mind. It will do wonders for you.
2) When intending to help others, do not push your way in, but be respectful and considerate
It is possible, with all good intentions, to barge into people’s lives and circumstances, without invitation, and cause them pain and distress. If your intent is pure, offer your help with kindness and consideration. Do not proceed unless invited to do so.
3) If you are involved in organized activities to spread your Sadguru’s teachings, you must protect yourself from the ego of doership, act without any selfish motives, and maintain a sense of gratitude.
If you become involved in organized activities, you may find that your success in these activities get entangled with your ego. This is a natural trap for the human mind, and you will have to learn to get beyond it. You need to remind yourself, over and over again, that you are not the doer, and therefore any success in these activities is not yours, and in the same vein, any failure in these activities isn’t yours either.
This is a common obstacle that seekers on the spiritual path face, and we must all learn to get beyond it. It is a great lesson and central to karma yoga – to do the actions on God’s behalf and to take no ownership of the results. Once you move beyond this obstacle, there is great peace of mind to be had on the other side.
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Listen
to the stories with reverence; Reflect upon them deeply. Shirdi Sai Baba Shri Sai Satcharita, The Life and Teachings of Shirdi Sai Baba, Chapter 3, verse 18 |
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.
