MEDITATION TIMES

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Beyond Death
A discontinuity with the past
 MEDITATION TIMES
Published by Taoshobuddha Meditations
Trinidad, West indies
EDITORIAL
Truth cannot be indicated by words. Truth is
silence. To know the truth silence is the way.
Meditation Times is merely a finger pointing at
the moon. Don’t bite the finger or think that the
finger is the moon.
We embrace all paths. And I wish to stress all
paths. Some paths seemingly may not lead to
truth. But this is a falsity. All paths lead to truth.
Cause truth is all that exists. There is nothing
else. This very body is the Buddha.
Each will reach to truth by his own way. On our
sojourn we offer wine for all types of travellers.
Many are the flowers in the Zen garden. Roses
are beautiful and so is the marigold, orchids offer
their fragrance and all these make a bouquet.
The rocks also lend beauty to the Zen garden.
In our entire journey thus far we have never
condemned any path or master. We merely
present the path or master and it is up to the
seeker to choose his path. Some masters are
very appealing, some may appear repulsive. But
by no means is a master or path useless. This is a
fully tailor made system. We measure you and
prepare a dress for your use.
In this issue we represent some aspects of Sai
Baba in his previous incarnation of Shirdi Sai and
in his recent manifestation as Sathya Sai. The
said Sai Baba has promised to re-incarnate as
Prema Sai very shortly.
Much controversy surrounds his untimely and
pre predicted death. The Baba indicated his
departure to be when he is in his early 90’s. Have
we thought of the ridiculousness of it? Does the
soul have any birth of death? Can we ascertain
the age of any soul?
In my own insights we are all Avataras. We are
divine beings having a human sojourn. Our
coming and going is based on our in transit visa
to this realm. But by no means are we bound to
that date. We can choose to leave sooner or
later.
In my insights I found that the Baba
encapsulated the tamas (inertia) of the world
and like an oyster he has gone into the nether
realm to metamorphosis the gem of Prema
(Divine Love).
The climatic changes indicate a world changing
catastrophe. This cannot be avoided. The
present situation demands urgent attention.
Great souls are engaged in building a Noah’s Ark.
The ark is Prema. Love alone can save us. Love is
power beyond power.
We also delved into a past incarnation of
Buddha, Dipankar Buddha. It is interesting to
note that although Buddha was enlightened in
his past incarnations he had to reclaim his
enlightenment in all his future incarnations. The
secret of this drama is discussed in the Diamond
Sutra.
The Diamond Sutra continues to be a feature is
this issue as well.
May the moon that shone into the heart of
Buddha shed its light on you also.
This much for now.
Sabka Malik Ek

Sai Baba of Shirdi (September 28, 1838 – October 15, 1918)

Shrine Shirdi Sai
 Shirdi Temple

SABKA MALIK EK
Sai Baba of Shirdi also known as Shirdi
Sai Baba or in Marathi: , activities attracted large crowds.
Urdu: ‫)ﺵﺭﺩی ﺱﺍﺉ یںﺏﺍﺏ ﺍ‬, was an Indian guru,
yogi, and fakir who is regarded by his
Hindu and Muslim devotees alike as a
saint.
Saibaba of Shirdi lived between 1838 and
1918, whose real name, birthplace and
date of birth are not known. An Indian
spiritual guru and a fakir that transcended
the barriers of religions, Saibaba of Shirdi
was regarded with great reverence by both
Hindu and Muslim followers. He lived in a
mosque and after death his body was
cremated in a temple.
His philosophy ingrained ‘Shraddha’
meaning faith and ‘Saburi’ meaning
compassion. According to him Shraddha
and Saburi were the supreme attributes to
reach the state of godliness.
It is believed that at a tender age of 16
years Shri Saibaba arrived at the village of
Shirdi in Ahmednagar district of
Maharashtra and remained their till his
death. He found shelter in Khandoba
temple, where a villager Mahalsapathi in
the temple addressed him as Sai or Saint.
Saibaba of Shirdi lived an extremely
simple and austere life, sleeping on the
floor of temple and later taking a ruined
mosque as his shelter. With his arrival to
Shirdi, in no time he began exhibiting a
hypnotic attraction among people as they
began flocking to him. He is attributed
many miracles doing things that were
beyond a mortal’s power. He never
discouraged these attributes and soon his
fame spread like wild fire. Many pilgrims
came seeking his blessings. Such was his
hypnotism that even the mundane of his
Popular among both Hindus and Muslims,
Saibaba became a great harmonizing force
between the two disparate communities.
He regularly recited Hindu and Muslim
prayers. His Hindu followers considered
him to be an avatar or reincarnation of
Shiva and Dattatreya. Sai Baba did not
leave any written works. All his teachings
were oral and catchy. His sayings were
short, crisp and in layman language with
which the common mass could easily
associate.
Sai Baba of Shirdi was unique in the sense
that he lived his message through the
essence of his being. He lived among the
common people adorning a torn kafni
(long robe), sleeping over a mat while
using brick as his headrest and got his
food by begging. Such was his smile that
radiated a mystical charisma and deep
seated inward look that hypnotized the
people who visited him.
His most concise message for one and all
alike was ‘Why fear when I am here’.
Saibaba said that he was a slave in the
service of those who loved him. He was
ever living to help those who turn to him
and that he has to take care of his children
day and night.
Sai baba’s mission was to restore belief in
god and according to him, ‘I give people
what they want in the hope that they will
begin to want what I want to give them
(knowledge of the Ultimate).’ He then
taught values of total surrender to the
Almighty Master (ALLAH MALIK EK- The
only ONE) and experiences his grace.
His life
There is no clear record of Sai's given
name, nor of his origins. Sai arrived at the
village of Shirdi in Maharashtra state when
he was about sixteen years old. He took
up residence in a Khandoba temple, where
a villager (Mahalsapathi) at worship first
called him Sai (‘saint’).
He fostered an extremely simple and
ascetic life: living in the village as a
mendicant monk, and sleeping on the floor
in the temple, and later in a dilapidated
mosque.
Sai soon began to attract followers who
addressed him by the name Baba
(‘father’). He worshipped both at Hindu
temples and Muslim mosques, and
encouraged tolerance between the faiths.
Numerous miracles were attributed to him.
He did not discourage such attributions,
and his fame spread. Many pilgrims came
for his blessings, and he attracted large
crowds even for the most mundane of his
activities.
Sai remained in Shirdi all his life. Baba
breathed His last with His head resting on
one of His devotees lap.
His last words were, ‘Place my Body in
Buti's wada (mansion), I will get peace
there only. People will serve me only if I
am placed in Buti’s wada.’ Thus as per His
last wish He was buried in the ‘Buty Wada’
also known as Samadhi Mandir.
Hindu devotees consider him an
incarnation of Lord Dattatreya. Many
devotees believe that he was a Sadguru,
an enlightened Sufi Pir, Urdu: ‫پ یﺭ‬, or a
Qutub. He is a well-known figure in many
parts of the world, but especially in India,
where he is much revered.
Sāī is of Sanskrit origin, meaning ‘Sakshat
Eshwar’ sa]at $Zvr or the divine. The
honorific ‘Baba’ means ‘father;
grandfather; old man; sire’ in Indo-Aryan
languages.
Thus Sai Baba denotes ‘holy father’ or
‘saintly father’.
His parentage, birth details, and life before
the age of sixteen are obscure, which has
led to speculation about his origins.
Sai Baba had no love for perishable things
and his sole concern was self-realization.
He remains a very popular saint, and is
worshipped by people around the world.
He taught a moral code of love,
forgiveness, helping others, charity,
contentment, inner peace, and devotion to
God and guru. Sai Baba’s teaching
combined elements of Hinduism and
Islam.
He gave the Hindu name Dwarakamayi
to the mosque he lived in. He practiced
both Hindu and Muslim rituals, and taught
using words and figures that drew from
both traditions. He was buried in a Hindu
temple in Shirdi.
One of his well-known epigrams, ‘Sabka
Malik Ek’ (‘One God governs all’), is
associated with both the Bhagavad-Gita
and Sufism. He always uttered ‘Allah Malik’
(‘God is King’).
Though the debate over his Hindu or
Muslim origins continues, many of his
practices point more to his being a Muslim
believing in the unity of God, reciting Al-
Fatiha and other Qur’anic readings at
Muslim festival times, listening to hamds
and qawwali twice daily, practicing Salah
(Namaz), wearing clothing reminiscent of
a Sufi fakir, eating meat, and abstaining
from alcohol.
A mosque still stands in Shirdi, a place
wherein he once lived and continued to
visit regularly. According to Purdom, when
Kulkarni Maharaj requested Upasni
Maharaj to pay a visit to Sai Baba, Upasni
replied ‘Why should I go to a Muslim?’
Sai Baba is revered by several notable
Hindu and Sufi religious leaders. Some of
his disciples became famous as spiritual
figures and saints, such as Upasni
Maharaj, Saint Bidkar Maharaj, Saint
Gangagir, Saint Jankidas Maharaj, and Sati
Godavari Mataji are few names to
remember.
Early Life
Historians and devotees agree that there is
no reliable evidence for a particular
birthplace or date of birth. Various
communities have claimed that he belongs
to them, but nothing has been
substantiated. Many historians support
this finding. It is known that he spent
considerable time with fakirs, and his
attire resembled that of a Muslim fakir.
Baba reportedly arrived at the village of
Shirdi in the Ahmednagar district of
Maharashtra, India, when he was about 16
years old. It is generally accepted that Sai
Baba stayed in Shirdi for three years,
disappeared for a year, and returned
permanently around 1858. These
calculations suggest a birth year of 1838.
Sai Baba led an ascetic life, sitting
motionless under a neem tree and
meditating while sitting in an asana. The
Sri Sai Satcharita recounts the reaction
of the villagers:
The people of the village were wonder-
struck to see such a young lad practicing
hard penance, not minding heat or cold.
By day he associated with no one, by night
he was afraid of nobody.
His presence attracted the curiosity of the
villagers, and he was regularly visited by
the religiously inclined, including
Mhalsapati, Appa Jogle and Kashinatha.
Some considered him mad and even threw
stones at him. Sai Baba left the village,
and little is known about him after that.
However, there are some indications that
he met with many saints and fakirs, and
worked as a weaver. He claimed to have
fought with the army of Rani Lakshmibai of
Jhansi during the Indian Rebellion of 1857.
Return to Shirdi
In 1858 Sai Baba returned to Shirdi.
Around this time he adopted his famous
style of dress consisting of a knee-length
one-piece robe - popularly known as ‘kafni’
and a cloth cap. Ramgir Bua, a devotee,
testified that Sai Baba was dressed like an
athlete and sported ‘long hair flowing
down to the end of his spine’ when he
arrived in Shirdi, and that he never had his
head shaved.
It was only after Baba forfeited a wrestling
match with one Mohdin Tamboli that he
took up the kafni and cloth cap, articles of
typical Sufi clothing. This attire contributed
to Baba’s identification as a Muslim fakir.
And this was the reason for initial
indifference and hostility against him in a
predominantly Hindu village.
According to B.V. Narasimhaswami, a
posthumous follower who was widely
praised as Sai Baba’s ‘apostle’, this
attitude was prevalent up to 1954 even
among some of his devotees in Shirdi.
For four to five years Baba lived under a
neem tree, and often wandered for long
periods in the jungle around Shirdi. His
manner was said to be withdrawn and
uncommunicative as he undertook long
periods of meditation. He was eventually
persuaded to take up residence in an old
and dilapidated mosque and lived a
solitary life there, surviving by begging for
alms, and receiving itinerant Hindu or
Muslim visitors.
In the mosque he maintained a sacred fire
which is referred to as a dhuni, from which
he gave sacred ashes (‘Udhi’ – fragrant
smoke) to his guests before they left. The
ash was believed to have healing and
apotropaic powers. He performed the
function of a local hakim, and treated the
sick by application of ashes. Sai Baba also
delivered spiritual teachings to his visitors,
recommending the reading of sacred Hindu
texts along with the Qur’an. He insisted on
the indispensability of the unbroken
remembrance of God’s name (dhikr, japa),
and often expressed himself in a cryptic
manner with the use of parables, symbols
and allegories.
Sai Baba participated in religious festivals
and was also in the habit of preparing food
for his visitors, which he distributed to
them as prasad. Sai Baba’s entertainment
was dancing and singing religious songs.
His behavior was sometimes uncouth and
violent.
After 1910 Sai Baba’s fame began to
spread in Mumbai. Numerous people
started visiting him, because they
regarded him as a saint with the power of
performing miracles, or even as an Avatar.
They built his first temple at Bhivpuri,
Karjat.
Teachings and practices
Sai Baba opposed all persecution based on
religion or caste. He was an opponent of
religious orthodoxy - Christain, Hindu and
Muslim. Although Sai Baba himself led the
life of an ascetic, he advised his followers
to lead an ordinary family life.
Sai Baba encouraged his devotees to pray,
chant God’s name, and read Holy
Scriptures. He told Muslims to study the
Qur’an, and Hindus to study texts such as
the Ramayana, Vishnu Sahasranam,
Bhagavad Gita, and Yoga Vasistha. He
advised his devotees and followers to lead
a moral life, help others, love every living
being without any discrimination, and
develop two important features of
character: Faith (Shraddha) and patience
(Saburi).
He criticized atheism. In his teachings, Sai
Baba emphasized the importance of
performing one’s duties without
attachment to earthly matters, and of
being content regardless of the situation.
Sai Baba interpreted the religious texts of
both Islam and Hinduism. He explained
the meaning of the Hindu scriptures in the
spirit of Advaita Vedanta. His philosophy
also had numerous elements of bhakti.
The three main Hindu spiritual paths -
Bhakti Yoga, Jnana Yoga, and Karma Yoga
- influenced his teachings.
Sai Baba said that God penetrates
everything and every being. He
emphasized the complete oneness of God
which was very close to the Islamic
tawhid and the Hindu doctrine of the
Upanishads. Sai Baba said that the world
is transient, and that only God and his
gifts are eternal. He emphasized the
importance of devotion to God - bhakti -
and surrender to his will. He also talked
about the need of faith and devotion to
one’s spiritual guru. He said that everyone
was the soul and not the body. He advised
his followers to develop a virtuous
character, and taught them that all fate
was determined by karma.
Sai Baba left no written works. His
teachings were typically short, pithy
sayings rather than elaborate discourses.
Sai Baba would ask his followers for
money (dakshina), some of which he
would give to the poor and other devotees
the same day, and the rest was used to
buy wood to maintain Dhuni. According to
his followers, this was done to rid them of
greed and material attachment.
Sai Baba encouraged charity, and stressed
the importance of sharing. He said: ‘Unless
there is some relationship or connection,
nobody goes anywhere. He emphasized if
any men or creatures come to you, do not
discourteously drive them away, instead
receive them well and treat them with due
respect. Shri Hari (God) will certainly be
pleased if you give water to the thirsty,
bread to the hungry, clothes to the naked,
and your verandah to strangers for sitting
and resting. If anybody wants any money
from you and you are not inclined to give,
do not give, but do not bark at him like a
dog.
Other favorite sayings of his were: ‘Why
do you fear when I am here’, and ‘He has
no beginning... He has no end.’
Eleven Assurances
Sai Baba made eleven assurances to his
devotees:
1. Whosoever puts their feet on Shirdi
soil, their sufferings will come to an
end.
2. The wretched and miserable will rise
to joy and happiness as soon as they
climb the steps of the mosque
Dwarakamayi.
3. I shall be ever active and vigorous
even after leaving this earthly body.
4. My tomb shall bless and speak to the
needs of my devotees.
5. I shall be active and vigorous even
from my tomb.
6. My mortal remains will speak from
my tomb.
7. I am ever living to help and guide all
who come to me, who surrender to
me, and who seek refuge in me.
8. If you look at me, I look at you.
9. If you cast your burden on me, I
shall surely bear it.
10. If you seek my advice and help, it
shall be given to you at once.
11. There shall be no want in the house
of my devotee.
Shirdi Sai Baba movement
The Shirdi Sai Baba movement began in
the 19th century, while he was living in
Shirdi. A local Khandoba priest -
Mhalsapati Nagre - is believed to have
been his first devotee. In the 19th century
Sai Baba’s followers were only a small
group of Shirdi inhabitants and a few
people from other parts of India. The
movement started developing in the 20th
century, with Sai Baba’s message reaching
the whole of India. During his life, Hindus
worshiped him with Hindu rituals and
Muslims considered him to be a saint. In
the last years of Sai Baba’s life, Christians
and Zoroastrians started joining the Shirdi
Sai Baba movement.
Shirdi is regarded as the major Hindu
places of pilgrimage. The first Sai Baba
temple is situated at Bhivpuri, Karjat. The
Sai Baba Mandir (Hindu temple) in Shirdi
is visited by around twenty thousand
pilgrims a day and during religious
festivals this number can reach up to a
hundred thousand.Shirdi Sai Baba is
especially revered and worshiped in the
states of Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh,
and Gujarat.
The Shirdi Sai movement has spread to
the Caribbean and to countries such as the
United States, Australia, Malaysia, and
Singapore. The Shirdi Sai Baba movement
is one of the main Hindu religious
movements in English-speaking countries.
Sai Baba disciples and devotees
Shirdi Sai had many disciples and
devotees some of these are as follows:
1. Nana Saheb Chandorkar: Deputy
Collector – legend has it that Sai
Baba saved this man’s daughter
from labor complications.
2. Ganapath Rao: police constable
who resigned to become an
ascetic,and also known as DasGanu,
He was an itinerant who spread Sai
Baba’s message.
3. Tatya Patil: had immense faith in
Sai Baba and served him until Sai
Baba took samadhi. He is also
known to be Sai Baba’s younger
brother.
4. Baija Mai Kote Patil: Sai Baba
treated her as his mother. She was
Tatya Patil’s mother.
5. Haji Abdul baba: He served Sai
Baba until Sai Baba died in 1918.
6. Madhav Rao Deshpande: Later
known as Shama, one of the staunch
devotees of Sai Baba.
7. Govindrao Raghunath Dabholkar
(Hemadpant): Sai Baba allowed
him to write the Shri Sai
Satcharita.
8. Mahalsapati Chimanji Nagare: A
priest of Khandoba Temple.
Reported miracles
Sai Baba’s millions of disciples and
devotees believe that he performed many
miracles such as bilocation, levitation,
mindreading, materialization, exorcisms,
making the river Yamuna, entering a state
of Samādhi at will,and lightning lamps with
water, removing his limbs or intestines
and sticking them back to his body
(Khanda Yoga), curing the incurably sick,
appearing beaten when another was
beaten, appearing in the flesh after death,
preventing a mosque from falling down on
people, and helping his devotees in a
miraculous way.
According to his followers he appeared to
them in dreams after his death, and gave
them advice. His devotees have
documented many stories.
Historical sources
Biographers of Sai Baba - Govindrao
Raghunath Dabholkar, Acharya Ekkirala
Bharadwaja, Smriti Srinivas, Antonio
Rigopolous have based their writing on
primary sources. One such source is the
Shirdi Diary by Ganesh Shrikrishna
Khaparde, which describes every day of
the author’s stay at Shirdi.
Speculations about the unknown episodes
of Sai Baba's life are primarily based on
his own words.
The most important source about Sai's life
is the Shri Sai Satcharita, written in
Marathi in 1916 by Govindrao
Raghunath Dabholkar, whom Sai Baba
nicknamed Hemadpant.
It consists of 53 chapters, and describes
Sai Baba’s life, teachings, and miracles.
The book compares Sai Baba’s love to a
mother’s love: caring and loving, but
reprimanding when needed. It describes
Baba’s lifestyle, his selfless attitude, and
his love for his devotees. The book
describes how one should surrender one’s
egoism at God’s feet and trust one’s guru.
It explains how God is supreme and His
devotees should trust Him and love Him. It
teaches that God is omnipresent in all
living things, so that everything on Earth
must be treated with love and respect.
Sri Sai Baba and His Teachings by
Acharya Ekkirala Bharadwaja is an in-
depth study of Sai Baba’s life routine and
activities.
B.V. Narasimhaswamiji has written
important books such as Sri Sai Baba’s
Charters and Sayings and Devotee’s
Experiences of Sai Baba.
Hinduism
During Sai Baba’s life, the Hindu Saint
Anandanath of Yewala declared Sai
Baba a spiritual diamond. Another
Saint, Gangagir, called him a ‘jewel’.Sri
Beedkar Maharaj greatly revered Sai
Baba, and in 1873, when he met him he
bestowed the title Jagadguru upon him.
Sai Baba was also greatly respected by
Vasudevananda Saraswati (known as
Tembye Swami). He was also revered by
a group of Shaivic yogis, to which he
belonged, known as the Nath-Panchayat.
Other religions
In Islam, Sai Baba mainly appears in
Sufism as a Pir. Meher Baba declared Baba
to be a Qutub-e-Irshad - the highest of
the five Qutubs, a ‘Master of the Universe’
in the spiritual hierarchy. Sai Baba is also
worshipped by prominent Zoroastrians
such as Nanabhoy Palkhivala and Homi
Bhabha, and has been cited as the
Zoroastrians’ most popular non-
Zoroastrian religious figure.
Meher Baba met Sai Baba only once in his
lifetime, during World War I, in December
1915. Meher Baba was still a youngster
named Merwan Sheriar Irani when he met
Sai Baba for a few minutes during one of
Sai Baba’s processions in Shirdi. This
event is considered as the most significant
in Meher Baba’s life. Shri Sai Satcharita
(Sai Baba's life story), makes no mention
of Meher Baba. But in Lord Meher, the
life story of Meher Baba, there are
innumerable references to Sai Baba.
Meher Baba credited his Avataric advent to
Upasni, Sai Baba, and three other Perfect
Masters – Hazrat Babajan, Hazrat Tajuddin
Baba, and Narayan Maharaj.
Sai Baba left behind no spiritual heirs and
appointed no disciples, and did not even
provide formal initiation (diksha), despite
requests. Some disciples of Sai Baba
achieved fame as spiritual figures, such as
Upasni Maharaj of Sakori. After Sai Baba
took Mahasamadhi, his devotees offered
the daily Aarti to Upasani Maharaj when
he paid a visit to Shirdi, two times within
10 years.
In India, it is a common sight to find a Sai
Baba temple in any city or town, in every
large city or town there is at least one
temple dedicated to Sai Baba. There are
even some in towns and cities outside
India. In the mosque in Shirdi in which Sai
Baba lived, there is a life-size portrait of
him by Shama Rao Jaykar, an artist from
Mumbai. Numerous monuments and
statues depicting Sai Baba, which serve a
religious function, have also been made.
One of them, made of marble by a sculptor
named Balaji Vasant Talim, is in the
Samadhi Mandir in Shirdi where Sai Baba
was buried. In Sai Baba temples, his
devotees play various kinds of devotional
religious music, such as aarti.
Postage Stamp
Indian Postal Service released a Sai Baba
commemorative stamp in May 2008.
Largest Solar Plant at Shirdi
On July 30, 2009, the New and Renewable
Energy Minister Farooq Abdullah
inaugurated what has been acclaimed as
the largest solar steam system in the
world, at the Shirdi shrine. The Shri Sai
Baba Sansthan Trust paid an estimated
Rs.1.33 crore for the system, Rs.58.4 lakh
of which was paid as a subsidy by the
renewable energy ministry. It is said the
system can cook 20,000 meals per day for
pilgrims visiting the temple.
His religion, philosophy and
practices
By his example, Sai sought to unite the
seemingly disparate religious communities
of Muslim and Hindus. He regularly recited
Hindu and Muslim prayers, such as the
Hindu prayer Vishnu Sahasranama. Many
of his Hindu followers consider him to be
an avatar (incarnation) of Shiva and
Dattatreya.
He left no written records; Sai's teachings
were oral: typically short, pithy sayings
rather than elaborate discourses. Sai often
seemed to lose his temper with those
around him. His followers believe that he
only pretended to get angry, in order to
teach humility and foster right spiritual
action.
Sai encouraged charity. He said: ‘Unless
there is some relationship or connection,
nobody goes anywhere. if any man or
creature come to you, do not
discourteously drive them away, but
receive them well and treat them with due
respect. Shri Hari (God) will be certainly
pleased if you give water to the thirsty,
bread to the hungry, clothes to the naked
and your verandah to strangers for sitting
and resting. If anybody wants any money
from you and you are not inclined to give,
do not give, but do not bark at him like a
dog.’ Other of his favorite sayings were:
‘Why do you fear when I am here’, ‘He has
no beginning... He has no end’, ‘All things
arise from him and into him they return’.
His legacy
Sai Baba is among the most popular of
Indian saints, and continues to have a
large following. His image seems to be
everywhere: it may be seen on shrines,
lockets, billboards and cars of Hindus.
While he is recognizable throughout India,
his devotees are especially numerous in
the state of Maharashtra, the place of his
birth and in Andhra Pradesh. His Samadhi
is a well-known place of pilgrimage.
Many religious teachers, groups and
organizations promote his teachings and
devotion to Sai. Among the most
prominent is the Shri Saibaba Sansthan
Trust, which also takes care of the shrines
and temples in Shirdi.
Some followers of Sai Baba achieved fame
as spiritual figures: these include Upasni
Maharaj of Sakori and Meher Baba of
Ahmednagar.
At least three gurus and two youngsters
have claimed to be the reincarnation of
Shirdi Sai Baba. By far the most famous is
Sathya Sai Baba who lives at Puttaparthi
Andhra Pradesh, India. Another guru who
claims to be Shirdi Sai Baba’s
reincarnation is Bala Sai Baba.
 Dipankar Buddha
Statue of Dipankar Buddha at Swayambhunath Stupa Kathmandu, Nepal
D
ipankara Buddha is the ancient
Buddha who lived many years
before the Shakyamuni Buddha
who lived circa from 563 until 463 BC on
earth. One of the oldest Buddhas is
Dipankara - a real Methuselah or an
ancient one or the predecessor.Dipankara
is said to come from an unknown city with
the name of Deepavati. And when he was
born a strange light was cast from bright
lamps (‘dipa’). Thus he was called
Dipankara. Dipankara Buddha lived
long before the historical Buddha almost
3000 years before Gautama Buddha and
is said to have lived on earth for a mere
100,000 years. There is no record or
scripture or anything relating to
Dipankara is available. The only reference
is found through Gautama Buddha.
Gautama Buddha has related many
stories about his past lives, - as a Master
connects with his Soul which is immortal
and remembers all of the past lifetimes,
so the newly Enlightened Buddha starts to
remember and learn from all his past
lives.
immensely happy? Nothing visible had
happened, but something invisible had
touched his heart, the bells in his heart
had started ringing. A subtle music had
touched him.

All of these past lives have such beauty And at that very moment, as he stood in
and such significance for all pre- front of Dipankara Buddha, Dipankara
enlightened. Gautama Buddha has related Buddha bowed down and touched the feet
many stories of his past lives, and they of Gautama Buddha - who was not
have such beauty and significance. enlightened in that life. He could not
believe what was happening. Gautama
In one of his past lives he heard about a
asked, ‘What are you doing? If I touch
man who had become enlightened; his
your feet it is perfectly right, I am
name was Dipankara Buddha. The word
ignorant. But you have attained to the
Dipankara means one who can light the
ultimate consciousness - you are not
candle of your being; the word
supposed to touch my feet.’
‘lamplighter’ is the exact meaning of
Dipankara. Deep means lamp, and And Dipankara Buddha said something
Dipankara means lamplighter. Gautam that Gautama Buddha remembered when
Buddha was not he became a buddha.
enlightened in that life.
As the flame jumps from one The first thing that
Thousands of people were he remembered then
candle to another, or as the
going to see Dipankara was the statement of
Buddha, and just out of sacred word resonates in Dipankara Buddha of
curiosity he also went. both he who gives and he many lives before:
who receives the Grace ‘Do not be worried.
When he saw Dipankara
Buddha - he had no
descends as the gentle dew Yesterday I was also
ignorant, today I am
intention... He had come from Heaven, twice blessed.
enlightened; today
there only out of
you are ignorant,
curiosity, but the moment he saw the
tomorrow you will be enlightened. There
man and the beauty of the man - those
is not much difference - it is only a
deep eyes reminding him of the depth of
question of time. When you become
oceans - and the field of a certain energy
enlightened, remember. When you will be
vibrating around the man... not knowing
enlightened I will be no more. This is why
what he was doing, with tears rolling
I am vowing now.’
down from his eyes, he touched the feet
of Dipankara Buddha. The moment somebody becomes
enlightened, to him the whole existence
He himself could not believe what he was
becomes enlightened - at least
doing, and why...? He had not come to
potentially. He cannot see himself in a
touch his feet, and why were these tears
special position.
coming and why was he feeling so
The really awakened man does nothing to
enlighten anybody. His very presence, his
Buddhafield, his enlightened radiance
certainly does miracles, his very being is
magical, but as far as he is concerned, he
himself is no more. Who is there to do
anything? A Buddha or a master is like
the catalyst that does nothing in the
process of the chemical reaction. However
its presence is very significant, because
the presence acts as catalyst and in its
presence things happen. His presence or
radiance is like the sun rays that do
nothing in the opening of the petals of a
flower. However it is the presence of the
sun that the process of the blossoming of
the flower.
On the last day of his life, Gautama
Buddha said - when his disciples were
paying tributes to him because then he
was leaving his body – ‘Do not feel
grateful to me, because I have not done
anything. In fact, since the day
enlightenment happened I have not been
in existence. Things
have been happening A Buddha or a master is like the
around me and that is catalyst that does nothing in the
another thing. But I process of the chemical reaction.
am not the doer. The
doer is dead. The doer
has gone long before enlightenment
entered.’
Things certainly happened, hundreds of
people became enlightened around
Gautama Buddha, but he was not doing
anything to make them enlightened. He
was just available, like a well. If you are
thirsty you carry the water from the well
and drink, but the well is not doing
anything.
The search for this next step in evolution
comes from the enhancement, the
increase, of energy.
As the flame jumps from one candle to
another, or as the sacred word resonates
in both he who gives and he who receives
the Grace descends as the gentle dew
from Heaven, twice blessed.
So a preparation of he who receives, the
student, the candle, by the removal of
Negative Energy, Energy Blockages, a
lack of Energy Blockages allows more
Spiritual Energy to be absorbed and used
to crystalize, complete, finalize, and
create the Spiritual Body of another
Master or another transmitter of the
Truth!
It is said that Master represents infinite
reservoir of energy through a complete
dissolution of ego - When the robe was
touched no credit was claimed by the
wearer, It was your faith which healed
you! Said the Master - and so the truism.
It takes two to Tango; -
the student must be
purified and prepared by
evolution and spiritual
practice to accept the
Force, the Energy
transmitted by the Master.
All energy blockages that obstruct and
eventually stop the flow of energy
through the system by preventing the
buildup of psychic power in the system
must be removed.
Thus the torch is passed on from Master
to Student. Another candle is lighted up!
 Buddha’s Enlightenment
Paying homage to the Buddha
Tradition ascribes to the Buddha himself
for instruction on how to pay him
homage. Just before he died, he saw his
faithful attendant Ananda, weeping. The
Buddha advised him not to weep, but to
understand the universal law that all
compounded things (including even his
own body) must disintegrate.
He advised everyone not to cry over the
disintegration of the physical body but to
regard his teachings (The Dhamma) as
their teacher from then on.Buddha
emphasized only the Dhamma - truth is
eternal and not subject to the law of
change. He also stressed that the way to
pay homage to him was not merely by
offering flowers, incense, and lights, but
by truly and sincerely striving to follow
his teachings. This is how devotees are
expected to celebrate Vesak: to use the
opportunity to reiterate their
determination to lead noble lives, to
develop their minds, to practice loving-
kindness and to bring peace and harmony
to humanity.
Celebrations
Buddha Purnima, which falls on the full
moon night in the month of Vaisakha
either in April or May, is commemorated
as the birth anniversary of Buddha.
Indeed he is not the founder of
Buddhism. Buddhism is the invention of
those who followed Buddha and is of
much later invention.
Notwithstanding the summer heat when
the temperature routinely touches 45
degrees Celcius, pilgrims come from all
over the world to Bodh Gaya to attend
the Buddha Purnima celebrations. The
day is marked with prayer meets,
sermons on the life of Gautama Buddha,
religious discourses, continuous recitation
of Buddhist scriptures, group meditation,
processions, and worship of the statue of
Buddha. The Mahabodhi Temple wears a
festive look and is decorated with colorful
flags and flowers. The Chinese scholar,
Fa-Hien has recorded celebration of this
festival.
It is an important to give a summarized
description on the Buddhist festivals in
India, especially in the main places of
worship. The principal annual ceremony
for the entire Buddhist is the Vaisaka
Purnima known in Sri Lanka as Wesak
Festival and in India as Buddha
Jayanti. Vaisaka Purnima day is fixed by
the full-moon day of the month Vaisaka,
which falls in May. Like all other Buddhist
festivals it falls according to the Lunar
year. It was of this day of the year,
according to the year.
This day Gautama Siddhartha attained
Supreme Enlightenment or Buddha hood,
beneath the Bodhi-tree at Boddha Gaya.
Forty-five years later at the age of eighty,
he finally passed away in Maha-Parinivana
on the same day of the year at
Kushinagar.
Vaisaka Purnima is celebrated especially
in Boddha Gaya, Lumbini and in
Kushinara as they are the holy places
connected with the blessed ones birth,
enlightenment and the Maha-Parinirvana.
Buddhists in Sri Lanka, Burma, Thailand,
Tibet, China, Korea, Laos, Vietnam,
Mongolia, Bhutan, Cambodia, Nepal,
Japan and quite a number of western
Buddhists participate ‗Vaisaka Purnima
Day‘ religious activities in a festive mood.
Sarnath the capital of Buddhism too
celebrates Vaisaka Purnima day in a
grand way.
The great Buddhist festival ‗Vaisaka‘,
although is an occasion for rejoicing
doesn't encourage hectic gaiety and
abandon. The happiness that the
Buddhists feel when they are celebrating
it is a tranquil, peaceful joy. The festival
has its gay side as well. In most of the
Buddhist countries the villages, roads,
streets, temples and houses are brightly
illuminated with color Lanterns, electric
lights and colorful decorations.
Buddha Jayanti or also known as Buddha
Purnima is the most sacred festivals of
Buddhist. Buddha Purnima (Buddha
Birthday) is celebrated in remembrance
Buddha. This day is the birth anniversary
of Lord Buddha. It falls on the full moon
of the fourth lunar month (month of
Vaisakh) i.e. April or May. This day
commemorates three important events of
Buddha‘s life:
i. His birth in 623 BC.
ii. His enlightenment, i.e. attainment
of supreme wisdom in 588 BC.
iii. His attainment of Nirvana, i.e. the
complete extinction of his self at the
age of 80.
This day is a thrice blessed day. Buddha
is considered the ninth avatar
(incarnation) of Vishnu (Preserver in the
Hindu Holy Trinity of Creator-Preserver-
Destroyer). Gautama Buddha ‗lived and
died in about the fifth century before the
Christian era‘.
Buddha means ‗enlightened one‘ -
someone who is completely freefrom all
faults and mental obstructions.Gautama
Buddha was not a god and the philosophy
of Buddhism does not entail any theistic
world-view. The teachings of the Buddha
are solely to liberate human beings from
the misery and sufferings of life.
According to the Buddhism, sorrow and
desire are the main cause of all the evil
and suffering of this world. Buddha
advocated the Eightfold Path consisting of
precepts like right conduct, right motive,
right speech, right effort, right resolve,
right livelihood, right attention and right
meditation to gain mastery over suffering.
It is only after following this path one can
reach the ultimate aim of Nirvana.
Nirvana is the transcendental state of
complete liberation. Gautama Buddha
lived and taught in northern India in the
6th Century B.C.
Buddha travelled far and wide teaching
hundreds of followers. Even after death
Buddha Purnima
Celebration in other countries
B
uddha Purnima is celebrated in
many countries that follow Buddha
in different ways. Here are some
examples.
Nepal
The birth of the Buddha is celebrated by
Buddhists in Nepal for an entire month in
the Buddhist calendar. The actual day is
called Buddha Purnima, also traditionally
his disciples continued to spread his
teachings.
Rich and poor alike were attracted by the
simplicity of Buddha‘s teaching and his
emphasis on complete equality of all, a
notion antithetical to the existing Hindu
caste system. The Mauryan Emperor
Ashoka espoused the Buddhist religion in
the 3rd century B.C. and helped in
spreading it far and wide. Sarnath and
Bodhgaya are two of the most important
pilgrimage centres for the Buddhists.
Though Buddhism originated in India and
the religion has gained tremendous
popularity throughout the Far East in
Asia, there are very few practising
Buddhists in the country. The number of
Buddhists in the world ranges "from less
than two hundred million, to more than
five hundred million, with the lower
number closer to reality."
Buddha Purnima 2011 Date: May 17
known as Vaishakh Purnima. This day
marks not just the birth of Shakyamuni
Gautam Buddha, but also the day of
Enlightenment, and Mahaparinirvana as
well. But as a gentle effect of West, the
event of Birth is given paramount
importance.
The event is celebrated by gentle and
serene fervor, keeping in mind the very
nature of Buddhism. People, especially
women, go to common Viharas to observe Japan
a rather longer-than-usual, full-length
Buddhist sutra, as something like a In Japan, Buddha‘s birth is also
service. The usual dress is pure white. celebrated according to the Buddhist
Non-vegetarian food is normally avoided. calendar but is not a national holiday. On
Kheer, sweet rice porridge is commonly this day, all temples hold Kanbutsu-e
served to recall the story of Sujata, a (Japanese: 灌仏会), 降誕会 (Goutan-e),
maiden who, in Gautama Buddha‘s life, 仏生会 (Busshou-e), 浴仏会
offered the Buddha a bowl of milk (Yokubutsu-e), 龍華会 (Ryuge-e),
porridge after he had given up the path of 花会式 (Hana-eshiki) or 花祭(Hana-
asceticism following six years of extreme matsuri, meaning ‗Flower Festival‘).
austerity. This event was one major link
in his enlightenment.

It is said that the Buddha originally

followed the way of asceticism to attain
enlightenment sooner, as was thought by
many at that time. He sat for a prolonged
time with inadequate food and water,
which caused his body to shrivel so as to
be indistinguishable from the bark of the
tree that he was sitting under. Seeing the
weak Siddhartha Gautama, a girl named
Sujata placed a bowl of milk in front of
him as an offering. Realizing that without
food one can do nothing, the Buddha
refrained from harming his own body.

India

Birth of Buddha or Tathagata is Hanamatsuri

celebrated in India, especially in Sikkim,
Ladakh, Arunachal Pradesh, Bodh Gaya
and Maharashtra (where 6% of total
population are Buddhists) and other parts
of India as per Indian calendar.
Maharashtra has largest number of
Buddha monasteries and caves. Buddhist
People go to common Viharas to observe
a rather longer-than-usual, full-length
Buddhist sutra, as something like a
service. The usual dress is pure white.
Non-vegetarian food is normally avoided.
Kheer, sweet rice porridge is commonly
served to recall the story of Sujata, a
maiden who, in Gautama Buddha's life,
offered the Buddha a bowl of milk
porridge.
The first event was held at Asuka-dera in
606. Japanese people pour ama-cha (a
beverage prepared from a variety of
hydrangea) on small Buddha statues
decorated with flowers, as if bathing a
newborn baby.
Korea
In Korea the birthday of Buddha is
celebrated according to the Luni-solar
calendar. This day is called 석가탄신일
(Seokga tansinil),meaning ‘the day of
Buddha’s birthday’ or 부처님오신날
(Bucheonim osin nal)meaning ‘the
day when Buddha arrived’.
Lotus lanterns cover the entire temple
throughout the month which are often
flooded down the street. On the day of
Buddha‘s birth, many temples provide
free meals and tea to all visitors. The
breakfast and lunch provided are often
sanchae bibimbap.
Sri Lanka
This is one of the major festivals in Sri
Lanka. It is celebrated on the first full
moon day of the month of May. People
engage in religious observances and
decorate houses and streets with candles
and specially made lanterns. Some stores
share out free meals for people. In
specific places, there are buildings made
out of light bulbs but from a distance it
represents pictures from the Buddha‘s
life. They are called vesak thorun.
People sing songs called ‘bhakthi
geetha’.
Other countries
Some places have a public holiday one
week later, on the fifteenth day of the
fourth month in the Chinese Lunar
Calendar, to coincide with the full moon.
The names for this festival vary with each
country, for instance Visakha Puja in
Thailand or Lễ Phật đản in Vietnam. In
some countries it is a public holiday.
Vesākha in Pali; and in Sanskrit: Vaiśākha
is an annual holiday observed
traditionally by Buddhists in the Nepal
and subcontinent, Sri Lanka, and the
South East Asian countries of Singapore,
Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia,
Myanmar, and Indonesia. Sometimes
informally called ‗Buddha‘s Birthday‘, it
actually encompasses the birth,
enlightenment (nirvāṇa), and passing
away (Parinirvāna) of Gautama Buddha.
The exact date of Vesākha varies
according to the various lunar calendars
used in different traditions. In Theravada
countries following the Buddhist calendar,
it falls on the full moon Uposatha day
(typically the 5th or 6th lunar month).
Vesākha Day in China is on the eighth of
the fourth month in the Chinese lunar
calendar. The date varies from year to
year in the Western Gregorian calendar,
but falls in April or May.
Names for Vesākha
In Mahayana Buddhist traditions, the
holiday is known by its Sanskrit name,
Vaiśākha, and derived variants of it.
Vesākha is known as Vesak or Wesak
(衛塞節) in the Sinhalese language.
It is also known as:
1. buÏ pUi[Rma Buddha Purnima or buÏ
jy<tIBuddha Jayanti in India and
Nepal
2. / Bud-dho
Purnyima or Bud-dho Joyonti in
Bangladesh
3. 花祭(Hanamatsuri) in Japan,
4. 석가탄신일 Seokka Tanshin-il
(Hanja: 釋迦誕身日) in Korean,
5. 佛誕(Mandarin:Fódàn,
Cantonese:Fātdàahn)in Chinese-
speaking communities,
6. Phật Đản in Vietnamese,
7. Saga Dawa (sa ga zla
ba) in Tibetan,
8. (Kasone la-pyae Boda nei), lit.
Full Moon Day of Kason, the
second month of the traditional
Burmese calendar
9. Visak Bochéa in
Khmer,
10. Vixakha Bouxa in Laotian,
 11. Visakha Puja (or Visakha the holy triple gem: The Buddha, The
Bucha) in Thai, Dharma (his teachings), and The Sangha
12. Waisak in Indonesia, (his disciples).
13.
Vesak [Wesak] in Sri Lanka and Devotees may bring simple offerings of
Malaysia flowers, candles and joss-sticks to lay at
the feet of their teacher. These symbolic
offerings are to remind followers that just
History
as the beautiful flowers would wither
away after a short while and the candles
The decision to agree to celebrate the
and joss-sticks would soon burn out, so
Vesākha as the Buddha‘s birthday was
too is life subject to decay and
formalized at the first Conference of the
destruction. Devotees are enjoined to
World Fellowship of Buddhists held in Sri
make a special effort to refrain from
Lanka in 1950, although festivals at this
killing of any kind. They are encouraged
time in the Buddhist world are a
to partake of vegetarian food for the day.
centuries-old tradition. The Resolution
that was adopted at the World Conference
In some countries, notably Sri Lanka, two
reads as follows:
days are set aside for the celebration of
Vesākha and all liquor shops and
―That this Conference of the World
slaughter houses are closed by
Fellowship of Buddhists, while recording
government decree during the two days.
its appreciation of the gracious act of His
Also birds, insects and animals are
Majesty, the Maharaja of Nepal in making
released by the thousands in what is
the full-moon day of Vesak a Public
known as a ‗symbolic act to liberation‘; of
Holiday in Nepal, earnestly requests the
giving freedom to those who are in
Heads of Governments of all countries in
captivity, imprisoned, or tortured against
which large or small number of Buddhists
their will. Some devout Buddhists will
are to be found, to take steps to make
wear a simple white dress and spend the
the full-moon day in the month of May a
whole day in temples with renewed
Public Holiday in honor of the Buddha,
determination to observe the eight
who is universally acclaimed as one of the
Precepts.
greatest benefactors of Humanity. ‖
Devout Buddhists undertake to lead a
On Vesākha Day, Buddhists all over the
noble life according to the teaching by
world commemorate events of
making daily affirmations to observe the
significance to Buddhists of all traditions:
Five Precepts. However, on special days,
The birth, enlightenment and the passing
notably new moon and full moon days,
away of Gautama Buddha. As Buddhism
they observe the eight Precepts to train
spread from India it was assimilated into
themselves to practice morality, simplicity
many foreign cultures, and consequently
and humility.
Vesākha is celebrated in many different
ways all over the world.
Some temples also display a small image
of the baby Buddha in front of the altar in
On Vesākha day, devout Buddhists and
a small basin filled with water and
followers alike are expected and
decorated with flowers, allowing devotees
requested to assemble in their various
to pour water over the statue; it is
temples before dawn for the ceremonial,
symbolic of the cleansing of a
and honorable, hoisting of the Buddhist
practitioners bad karma, and to reenact
flag and the singing of hymns in praise of
the events following the Buddha's birth,
when devas and spirits made heavenly
offerings to him.
Devotees are expected to listen to talks
given by monks. On this day monks will
recite verses uttered by the Buddha
twenty-five centuries ago, to invoke
peace and happiness for the Government
and the people. Buddhists are reminded
to live in harmony with people of other
faiths and to respect the beliefs of other
people as the Buddha had taught.
Bringing happiness to others
Celebrating Vesākha also means making
special efforts to bring happiness to the
unfortunate like the aged, the
Buddhism and Hinduism
The Buddha‘s relation with Hinduism is so
close that it is easy to confuse Buddhism
with Hinduism. The two religions have
close connections, and yet they are
distinct in many ways. This was because
of Buddha‘s reform movements and his
refining of Hindu beliefs. It would not be
wrong to state, then, that Buddha
founded a noble religion by distilling
Hinduism, and offering a commonsense
approach to self-betterment to which the
people can relate easily.
Swami Kriyananda (J Donald Walters) in
his book The Hindu Way of
Awakening, perspicaciously notes how
Westerners confuse between these two
closely connected religions, and why
people mistakenly consider Buddhism and
not Hinduism as the religion of India:
‗Hinduism is often omitted from rosters of
the world‘s great religions. Everyone
handicapped and the sick. To this day,
Buddhists will distribute gifts in cash and
kind to various charitable homes
throughout the country. Vesākha is also a
time for great joy and happiness,
expressed not by pandering to one‘s
appetites but by concentrating on useful
activities such as decorating and
illuminating temples, painting and
creating exquisite scenes from the life of
the Buddha for public dissemination.
Devout Buddhists also vie with one
another to provide refreshments and
vegetarian food to followers who visit the
temple to pay homage to the Enlightened
on this day.
knows, of course, that Hinduism exists.
Even so, it is confused in many people‘s
minds with what they think of as
Buddhism. For Buddhism fits into their
concepts of what a religion ought to be...
‗Even if the Westerner holds good
intention towards India… he may see
Hinduism as containing some of the worst
examples of Paganism. Small wonder,
then, that many people look upon
Buddhism as the noblest representative of
India‘s religion, and turn to it when
wanting an Indian religion to place among
the great religions of the world.
‗While Buddhism is relatively simple,
Hinduism is complex….Buddhism seems,
to Westerners especially, to offer a benign
and palatable form of the Indian religious
experience. Most students of religion
know that Buddha tried to reform some of
the ancient practices; they think of him as
having brought order and sophistication
to primitive chaos. When they prepare
lists of the great world religions they
think of themselves as demonstrating
respect for the religion of India by calling
it Buddhism. Most of them are not
conscious of their mistake.‘
Buddha, as we know, began his
meditation as a Hindu. He was awakened
with a new enlightenment only to
denounce Hinduism and emerge as the
founder of a new religion. Therefore, to
understand Buddhism fully, one should
not separate it from Hinduism; while at
the same time view it separately from
Hinduism. Buddha‘s way of life was ‗the
golden mean‘ and a relief from the pagan
stigmas and caste system prevalent in
Hinduism.
The Hindu caste system defined a
person‘s position in society as determined
by their birth. Buddha condemned the
Hindu caste system and said that it is
karma or the good and bad actions of a
person and not birth that should
determine a person's caste. He introduced
the idea of placing morality and equality
on a higher place than genealogy of a
person.
Jesus had the same relationship to
Judaism as Buddha to Hinduism. Both
Hinduism and Judaism are ethnic and
non-missionary traditions, and are
characterized by an element of
segregation between the castes and
races, unlike Buddhism and Christianity.
Swami Kriyananda compares Buddha‘s
position relative to Hinduism with Martin
Luther‘s to the Roman Catholic Church:
‗Both men were reformers, and the
structure reformed by each was not
supplanted by his teachings. The Catholic
Church survives to this day, and has in
many ways been strengthened by
Luther‘s reforms. Hinduism similarly was
purified and strengthened by the
teachings of Buddha, and was in no way
replaced by them. Most Hindus today look
upon Buddha as one of their own Avatars
or Divine Incarnations.‘
Hindus believe that the purpose of the
avatar of Buddha, like all divine avatars,
was to re-establish dharma where
‗adharma‘ (irreligiousness) had become
prevalent. Buddha is regarded by some
sects of Hindus as an incarnation of
Vishnu, or even as a Hindu. This is
because Buddha's theistic beliefs are not
contrary to Hinduism, but only a step
ahead. This is also because the nature of
Hinduism itself is such that all beliefs are
recognized as being facets of the Ultimate
Truth. It is interesting to note that the
word ‗Nirvana‘ — used by Lord Buddha to
describe the state of permanent bliss — is
indeed a Vedic term.
The great unification of Buddhism and
Hinduism is still prevalent in Nepal, the
birthplace of Buddha. Ironically, Nepal is
the world‘s only Hindu nation, where
people don't consider the two religions
distinct from each other.
Title CVR available on Kdp. Amazon.Com
 Pure Land Paradise
Excerpt: The diamond Sutra of Buddha
By
Taoshobuddha

Available on Amazon.Com; Kdp.Amazon.com

THE LORD ASKED: WHAT DO YOU THINK, SUBHUTI, IS THERE ANY DHAMMA WHICH THE
TATHAGATA HAS LEARNED FROM DIPANKARA?

SUBHUTI REPLIED: NOT SO, O LORD, THERE IS NOT.

THE LORD SAID: IF ANY BODHISATTVA WOULD SAY, ‘I WILL CREATE HARMONIOUS
BUDDHAFIELDS,’ HE WOULD SPEAK FALSELY.

AND WHY?

THE HARMONIES OF BUDDHAFIELDS, SUBHUTI, AS NO-HARMONIES HAVE THEY BEEN TAUGHT

BY THE TATHAGATA. THEREFORE HE SPOKE OF ‘HARMONIOUS BUDDHAFIELDS.’
THE LORD SAID:

‘AND AGAIN, SUBHUTI, SUPPOSE A WOMAN OR A MAN WERE TO RENOUNCE ALL THEIR
BELONGINGS AS MANY TIMES AS THERE ARE GRAINS OF SAND IN THE RIVER GANGES; AND
SUPPOSE THAT SOMEONE ELSE, AFTER TAKING FROM THIS DISCOURSE ON DHAMMA BUT ONE
STANZA OF FOUR LINES, WOULD DEMONSTRATE IT TO OTHERS. THEN THIS LATER ON THE
STRENGTH OF THAT WOULD BEGET A GREATER HEAP OF MERIT, IMMEASURABLE AND
INCALCULABLE.’

THEREUPON THE IMPACT OF DHAMMA MOVED THE VENERABLE SUBHUTI TO TEARS.

HAVING SHED TEARS, HE THUS SPOKE TO THE LORD:

‘IT IS WONDERFUL, O LORD, IT IS EXCEEDINGLY WONDERFUL, O WELL-GONE.’

‘HOW WELL THE TATHAGATA HAS TAUGHT THIS DISCOURSE ON DHAMMA. THROUGH IT
COGNITION HAS BEEN PRODUCED IN ME, AND IT IS INDEED NO PERCEPTION.

AND WHY?
BECAUSE, THE BUDDHAS THE LORDS, HAVE LEFT ALL PERCEPTIONS BEHIND.’

THE LORD SAID:

‘SO IT IS SUBHUTI. MOST WONDERFULLY BLEST WILL BE THOSE BEINGS WHO, ON HEARING
THIS SUTRA, WILL NOT TREMBLE, NOR BE FRIGHTENED, OR TERRIFIED.’ MOREOVER, SUBHUTI,
THE TATHAGATA’S PERFECTION OF PATIENCE IS REALLY NO PERFECTION.

AND WHY?

BECAUSE, SUBHUTI, WHEN THE KING OF KALINGA CUT MY FLESH FROM EVERY LIMB, AT THAT
TIME I HAD NO PERCEPTION OF A SELF, OF A BEING, OF A SOUL, OR A PERSON.

AND WHY?
 IF, SUBHUTI, AT THAT TIME I HAD HAD A PERCEPTION OF SELF, I WOULD ALSO HAVE HAD A
PERCEPTION OF ILL-WILL AT THAT TIME. AND FURTHER, SUBHUTI, IT IS FOR THE WEAL OF
ALL BEINGS THAT A BODHISATTVA SHOULD GIVE GIFTS IN THIS MANNER.

AND WHY?

THIS PERCEPTION OF A BEING SUBHUTI, THAT IS JUST A NON-PERCEPTION. THOSE ALL-

BEINGS OF WHOM THE TATHAGATA HAS SPOKEN, THEY ARE INDEED NO-BEINGS.

AND WHY?

BECAUSE THE TATHAGATA SPEAKS IN ACCORDANCE WITH REALITY, SPEAKS THE TRUTH,
SPEAKS OF WHAT IS, NOT OTHERWISE.

A TATHAGATA DOES NOT SPEAK FALSELY.

TATHAGATA, SUBHUTI, IS SYNONYMOUS WITH TRUE SUCHNESS.

THE LORD ASKED: WHAT DO YOU THINK, SUBHUTI?

IS THERE ANY DHAMMA WHICH THE TATHAGATA HAS LEARNED FROM DIPANKARA?

SUBHUTI REPLIED: NOT SO, O LORD, THERE IS NOT.

D
ipankara is an ancient Buddha.
Gautama Buddha, in his past life
when he was not enlightened, had
gone to Dipankara. He wanted to be
accepted as a disciple, but Dipankara
laughed and he said, ‗There is nothing to
be learned.‘ Truth cannot be learned. Yes,
something has to be understood, but
nothing has to be learned. Truth has to be
recognized. It is already there in your
being, it has to be uncovered. But there is
nothing to learn.
Truth is not new. Truth is your very
being. You have to become aware. Not
that you have to become more
knowledgeable, in fact the more
knowledgeable you are the less aware
you will be. The more you think you know
the more you will be covered with
ignorance. Knowledge is ignorance.
The knowledgeable person is covered with
dark clouds of memory, information,
scripture, and philosophy.
Dipankara said to Gautama, ‗You need
not think in terms of learning. Truth is
already in you. Truth cannot be
transferred.‘
Not only this, but when Gautama touched
the feet of Dipankara, Dipankara bowed
down and touched the feet of Gautama.
Gautama was not enlightened then. He
was very puzzled, and embarrassed too.
There was a great assembly of monks.
Nobody could understand what was
happening. Dipankara had never done
that to anybody else.
And Gautama said, ‗What have you done?
Why have you touched my feet? I am a
sinner, an ignorant person. To touch your
feet is right, but you touching my feet is
absurd. Have you gone mad?‘
And Dipankara laughed again and he
responded, ‗No, Gautama. You are
puzzled because you know not your
future. I am not mad. I can see it
happening - you will be a Buddha soon.
Just to honor that fact I have touched
your feet.
And moreover, for one who is enlightened
all are enlightened. Only the enlightened
one can indeed recognize another
enlightened one even he is in seed form.
It is only a question of time. It does not
matter much. I have become enlightened
today, you will become enlightened
tomorrow, and somebody else will
become enlightened the day after
tomorrow. Indeed it does not matter.
Enlightenment is going to happen to
everybody, to every being. You can go on
delaying it that is up to you. The moment
you stop delaying, the moment you stop
postponing, it is there. It has always been
waiting for you to recognize it.‘
Each seed has to sprout and each bud has
to blossom into flower. This is the
destiny. Neither you nor I can change
this.
Dipankara touching the feet of Gautama
is one of the most beautiful anecdotes.
And Gautama was an unknown man then.
After centuries, nearly three thousand
years later when Gautama was born as
Siddhartha that he became enlightened.
And when this happened, the first thing
that Gautama did was to bowed down to
Dipankara. Dipankara was no more then.
But the word of Dipankara Buddha
remembered and these continued to echo
in his being. Buddha bowed down and he
laughed and he said, ‗Now I understand
why you touched my feet. Now I can
touch everybody‘s feet. Now I know that
the whole existence is going to be
enlightened.‘
Through this Sutras Buddha is paying
gratitude to Dipankara and making
Subhuti aware of this as well. Also
through The Diamond Sutra he is
revealing a great secret for the entire
humanity.
Enlightenment is a natural happening. If
you do not hinder it, it is bound to
happen. It is not that you have to achieve
it all that you have to do is not to hinder
it. You go on hindering it in a thousand
and one ways. You do not allow it to
happen. When it starts to happen you
become frightened. When it takes
possession of you, you cannot give that
much possession. You shrink back, and
withdraw. You come back in your tiny cell
of the ego. There you feel protected,
defended, and secure. And once again
you lose the opportunity of
enlightenment.
Enlightenment is the open sky of
insecurity. It is vastness. It is uncharted
ocean. The journey is from one unknown
to another unknown. There is nothing
that can be known. Knowledge, the very
idea of knowing, is part of human
stupidity and imbecility. Life is such a
mystery it cannot be known. And if it
cannot be known how can it be taught?
And if it cannot be taught, what is the
point of being a master and a disciple?
The master and disciple is a drama. Play
it as beautifully as possible. To you it is a
reality, I know. To a master it is a drama.
From your side it is a great reality, from
the side of the master it is a game. One
day you will also understand that it is a
game. That day will be the day of your
enlightenment.
The day you will become aware you will
know there is no master and no disciple.
The day you will understand, you will
know that it was a dream. However this is
a dream which can help you to come out
of all your other dreams. It is like a thorn
which can help to pull out your thorns
from your flesh.
Dipankara was simply saying to Gautama,
when he touched his feet, that this is just
a game. You touch my feet or I touch
your feet. It makes no difference. We are
all enlightened, we are all gods. Not that I
am god and you are not. ALL is divine.
Trees are gods, so are animals, so is
everything, even rocks!
God is fast asleep in the rocks. He has
become a little alert in the trees. A little
more alert in the animals, a little more
alert in you. In a Buddha he has come
perfectly to absolute alertness.
This difference is not of quality. Instead
the difference is only of quantity. And if
you are this much aware, you can
become that much aware too.
THE LORD ASKED: WHAT DO YOU THINK,
SUBHUTI, IS THERE ANY DHAMMA WHICH
THE TATHAGATA HAS LEARNED FROM
DIPANKARA?
He is asking, ‗Have I learned anything
from Dipankara?‘
There is nothing to learn. Truth is a given
fact. Whatsoever you learn will be lies.
Truth need not be learned. Truth has not
to be invented but only discovered. Better
will it be to say that truth has only to be
rediscovered. Indeed everyone has to
rediscover it.
And the word learning is dangerous.
Learning implies accumulating
information. The more you accumulate
information the deeper your reality goes
into the unconscious. You become
burdened. Your head starts clamoring
with knowledge. It becomes very noisy,
and then you cannot hear the still small
voice of your heart. That silence of the
heart is lost in the noise of knowledge.
That is why even sinners achieve and it is
easier for them but scholars miss. The
sinner can be humble but the scholar
cannot be humble. The sinner can cry and
weep, but the scholar knows. He is
adamant in his knowledge. He is egoistic
in his knowledge. He cannot melt. He is
not open. He is closed and even remains
so. All his windows and doors are blocked
by his knowledge.
To come to truth means unlearning rather
than learning. You have to unlearn all
that you have known. It is not a
becoming but an unbecoming, it is not a
learning but an unlearning. To unlearn is
the way. If you can un-become then you
will be capable of becoming. If you are
capable of unlearning and if you can drop
all knowledge unconditionally, without
any clinging, you will become innocent. It
is only innocence can bring you home.
SUBHUTI REPLIED:
NOT SO, O LORD, THERE IS NOT.
Between a master and a teacher what is
transferred? Neither truth nor knowledge
is transferred - then what is transferred?
In fact, nothing is transferred.
In the presence of the master something
arises in the deepest core of the disciple,
not that it is transferred. Nothing travels
from the master to the disciple, but the
presence of the master, and something
that was deep inside starts surfacing in
the disciple. The presence of the master
calls forth the being of the disciple. It is
not that something is given or
transferred. Just the very presence of the
master becomes a catalytic and the
disciple starts changing. A catalyst does
nothing in a chemical reaction. However
in the presence of the catalyst the
chemical reaction takes place.
Of course, a disciple will think that
something is being done by the master.
Nothing indeed is being done. No real
master ever does anything. All his doing
consists of a presence that surrounds
you. It is being available to you. All his
work consists of one simple thing – a
subtle presence. He surrounds you just
like the sun.
The sun rises in the morning and buds
open and become flowers. Not that the
sun gives them something, not that the
sun comes and opens the buds. Nothing
is done by the sun, just the presence of
the light is enough and the bud starts
opening. The opening comes from the bud
itself. And the flowering and the fragrance
all comes from the bud itself. The sun has
not added anything to it, but the presence
has been catalytic. Without the sun there
the bud would find it almost impossible to
open. It would not know that opening is
possible. It would never become alert of
its possibilities and potential.
A master simply makes you aware of your
potential. If he has achieved, you can
achieve. He is just like you - the blood
and the bones and the body. He is just
like you. If something is possible in his
being, if his bud can become a flower,
then why cannot you become? This very
idea sinks deep into the heart, stirs your
whole being, and energies start surfacing.
In that your bud starts opening.
This is called SATSANGA in the East - to
be in the presence of the master. And the
real disciple is one who has come to know
how to be present to the master. The
master is present, but how to be present
to the master?
Have you seen the sunflower? That is the
symbol for the disciple. Wherever the sun
moves, the sunflower moves that way. It
is always present to the sun. In the
morning it is facing East in the evening it
is facing West. It has moved with the sun.
Wherever the sun is, the sunflower
moves. The sunflower is the metaphor for
the disciple.
Buddha is asking, ‗Do you think, Subhuti,
I have learned anything from Dipankara?‘
Subhuti says, ‗Not so, O Lord‘ - because
there is nothing to learn.
Does it mean Buddha is ungrateful to
Dipankara? No not at all. When he
became enlightened, the first gratitude
was towards Dipankara who had
disappeared into the infinite long ago, not
even a trace was left behind. He exists
only in the memory of Buddha, nowhere
else. The words of Dipankara still linger
deep down Buddha. After being
enlightened the first thing that Buddha
did was to pay his gratitude to Dipankara.
About Dipankara there are no scripture.
Maybe in those days scriptures were not
written. There exists no other reference
about him. Buddha is the only sole
reference. Three thousand years have
passed, nobody knows anything about
Dipankara, but when Buddha became
enlightened, the first gratitude, the first
thankfulness that he paid was towards
Dipankara.
Why because it was in the presence of
Dipankara that the longing became a
passion - to become a Buddha. It was in
his presence that the great desire to
become a Buddha arose. It was in his
presence that the bud of Gautama started
dreaming of becoming a flower. It was in
his presence that the dream unfolded. It
took three thousand years to drop the
hindrances, the obstacles. But what are
three thousand years in the eternity of
time - nothing just a few moments.
Why is Buddha asking Subhuti? So that
Subhuti can understand that there is
nothing to be learned from Buddha.
Buddha himself has not learned anything
from Dipankara, so too ‗There is nothing,
Subhuti, to learn from me. Be with me
but do not think in terms of learning. The
moment you think in terms of learning
you are not with me.‘
There are two types of people - the
disciples and the students. The students
are those who are in search of learning
something. They are here to gather
something so that they can brag and say
that they know this and they know that.
They are just collecting colored stones
while diamonds are available.
The disciple is one who is not interested
in knowledge, who is interested in being,
who is interested just to be here with me,
for no other reason, for no other motive.
His heart has been touched, his dream
has started unfolding, and a great intense
desire is arising in him.
Once, a disciple was saying that he
becomes very afraid of death. I enquired
him, ‗Why have you become so much
afraid?‘ And his reply was immensely
beautiful. He said, ‗My fear is not because
of death. The fear is because I have not
yet known anything, not yet realized
anything about death. I have not yet felt
anything. I am afraid that I might die
without knowing the truth. That is my
fear.‘
A disciple is one who has become
immensely interested in being - in truth
itself, not knowing about it. He is not
afraid of death. He is afraid death may
come in and may disturb the intimacy
that is arising between the master and
him. Death may come and may disrupt
the presence that he is imbibing, the
presence that is going into his being and
changing a thousand and one things in his
soul - that alone is the fear.
A disciple never bothers about
knowing but is interested in being.
Not that he wants to know something
about God, but that he wants to taste
God, to drink out of that reservoir called
God, to become part of that oceanic
energy.
Remember to be a student here is not
very wise. To be a student here is to be
unintelligent. This is not a school. Life is
available here in its pristine beauty for
which you have to be a disciple. To be a
disciple means to be courageous enough
to come close to a master, whatsoever be
the cost. The disciple means the one who
can take the risk of being close to a
master. It is a risk because you will die.
The bud will die, only then the flower can
come. The seed will die only then the
plant can emerge.
You will have to die, only then God can
bloom in you. Die as you are so that God
can blossom through the ashes.
THE LORD SAID: ‘WHAT DO YOU THINK,
SUBHUTI, IS THERE ANY DHAMMA WHICH
THE TATHAGATA HAS LEARNED FROM
DIPANKARA?’
A great seeker has written,
‘I went to the wise for answers. There
were many wise men, each one with his
answer. It was by that I came in time to
see that they all betrayed themselves.
But there were also a few I happened
upon who were otherwise, one or two,
who sat with a serene vitality, who smiled
at my questions, and in face of my
insistence for answers, generously gave
me further questions.
There were moments with them that I
forgot all about wisdom and smiled as
carelessly as fools and children only can. I
got no answers from the truly wise. It
was lack of wisdom that had sent me to
the wise. How then could I have
understood anything wise, even if it was
sayable and even if it was said? The truly
wise were too true to give wise answers.’
The truly wise gives you his being, no
words. The truly wise simply makes him
available to you, and if you are
courageous you can drink and eat out of
his being. That is what Jesus means when
he says to his disciples: ‗Eat me! Drink
me!‘ The master has to be eaten. The
master has to be absorbed, digested, only
then will you stumble upon your own
truth. There is nothing to learn - no
Dhamma to learn, no doctrine to learn, no
philosophy to learn.
THE LORD SAID:
IF ANY BODHISATTVA WOULD SAY, ‘I WILL
CREATE HARMONIOUS BUDDHAFIELDS,’ HE
WOULD SPEAK FALSELY.
AND WHY?
THE HARMONIES OF BUDDHAFIELDS,
SUBHUTI, AS NO-HARMONIES HAVE THEY
BEEN TAUGHT BY THE TATHAGATA.
THEREFORE HE SPOKE OF ‘HARMONIOUS
BUDDHAFIELDS’.
The word Buddha-Field is of tremendous
importance. You have to understand it,
because that is what I am doing through
all these talks and works. All these are
aimed at creating a Buddha-Field. By
creating a Buddha-Field we are moving
away from the world, far away, so that a
totally different kind of energy can be
made available to you and you can live in
the world of such an enlightened
awareness.
Buddha-Field means creating a situation
where the sleeping Buddha in you can be
awakened. Buddha-Field means an
energy field where you can start growing,
maturing, where your sleep can be
broken, where you can be shocked into
awareness. It is an electric field where
you will not be able to fall asleep, where
you will have to be awake, because
shocks will be coming all the time.
A Buddha-Field is an energy field in
which a Buddha matures beings, a pure
land, an unworldly world, a paradise on
earth, which offers ideal conditions for
rapid spiritual growth. It is a matrix.
The word MATRIX is of Latin origin. It
means the womb. From that word we get
the words matter, mother, and so on. The
womb offers three things to a newly
forming life:
1. It is a source of possibility,
2. It provides a source of energy to
explore that possibility,
3. It is a safe place within which that
exploration can take place.
That is what this Buddha-Field is going to
do. Through these talks, meditations,
books and videos energies are being
made available to you. This will bring a
clear understanding of the possibilities. It
is aimed at making you aware of your
potential, by creating a safe environment
to work without being distracted by the
world. It aims at how to become a
Buddha; and everything else simply
disappears from your mind – money,
power and prestige or becomes
insignificant.
In the silence that the Buddha-Field
creates and in the uninhibited atmosphere
the master and the disciple can enact the
drama totally. The ultimate is when the
master can touch the feet of the disciple,
when the master and disciples are lost
into one reality. This is what Dipankara
did to Buddha.
THE LORD SAID:
IF ANY BODHISATTVA WOULD SAY, ‘I WILL
CREATE HARMONIOUS BUDDHAFIELDS,’ HE
WOULD SPEAK FALSELY.
AND WHY?
THE HARMONIES OF BUDDHAFIELDS,
SUBHUTI, AS NO-HARMONIES HAVE THEY
 BEEN TAUGHT BY THE TATHAGATA.
THEREFORE HE SPOKE OF ‘HARMONIOUS
BUDDHAFIELDS’.
Only a person who has no ‗I‘ within him
can create a Buddha-Field. In fact then to
say he creates is not right; language is
inadequate.
The Sanskrit word for creation is far
better. The Sanskrit word
NIRPADAYATI. It means many things. It
can mean to create, to accomplish, to
ripen, to mature or it can simply mean to
trigger into existence. That is exactly the
meaning.
A Buddha does not create, instead he
triggers. Even to say he triggers is not
good. Always in his presence things
happen. Or in his presence things are
triggered, and a process starts. His
presence is a spark of fireand things start
moving and one thing leads to another,
and in the process a great chain is
created.
parts are there but they are no longer
conflicting. Buddha says the real harmony
is when the conflicting parts have
dissolved into one unity. But then you
cannot call it harmony, because harmony
needs many, harmony means that there
are many fragments in a harmonious
whole.
Buddha says the real harmony is when
is
those many – the discordant ones are no
longer there and they have become one.
So a harmony, a real harmony, cannot
even be called harmony. The real
harmony is simple unity. There is no
conflict and no friction, because all the
fragmentary parts have disappeared or
dissolved.
AND WHY?
THE HARMONIES OF BUDDHAFIELDS,
SUBHUTI, AS NO-HARMONIES HAVE THEY
BEEN TAUGHT BY THE TATHAGATA.
THEREFORE HE SPOKE OF ‘HARMONIOUS
BUDDHAFIELDS’.

Man has lived a long time the way he has
lived. A time has come for a critical
quantum leap. Either man will die in war
or man will take the jump and will
become a new man. Before that happens,
a great Buddha-Field is needed - a field
where we can create the new man.
But a bodhisattva cannot say, ‗I will
create the harmonious buddhafields.‘ If
the emphasis is on ‗I‘ then the person is
not yet a Bodhisattva. Even Buddhas use
the word ‗I‘ but they insistently
emphasize that it corresponds to no
reality, that it is just a language use, that
it is utilitarian.
And Buddha says, ‗Those harmonious
Buddha-Fields are not even harmonious.‘
Why because harmony means conflict is
still alive. Harmony means the conflicting
Remember again and again; it is a
question of the inadequate language.
That's why Buddha goes on insisting
again and again to remind you so that
you don't become a victim of inadequate
language expressions.
THE LORD SAID:
AND AGAIN, SUBHUTI, SUPPOSE A WOMAN
OR A MAN WERE TO RENOUNCE ALL THEIR
BELONGINGS AS MANY TIMES AS THERE ARE
GRAINS OF SAND IN THE RIVER GANGES;
AND SUPPOSE THAT SOMEONE ELSE, AFTER
TAKING FROM THIS DISCOURSE ON DHAMMA
BUT ONE STANZA OF FOUR LINES, WOULD
DEMONSTRATE IT TO OTHERS. THEN THIS
MATTER ON THE STRENGTH OF THAT WOULD
BEGET A GREATER HEAP OF MERIT
IMMEASURABLE AND INCALCULABLE.
It is said that Hui Neng, one of the greatest
Zen masters, the sixth patriarch in the Zen
tradition, became enlightened by hearing
four lines of The Diamond Sutra. And he was
just passing by in a marketplace. He had
gone to purchase something, he was not
even thinking of enlightenment, and
somebody by the side of the road was
reading The Diamond Sutra.
That man had been reading The Diamond
Sutra for his whole life. He must have been a
kind of scholar, or a parrot and it was his
usual ritual, to read the sutra every morning,
and every evening.
It was evening and the market was just
closing and people were going home and Hui
Neng was passing. He heard just four lines.
He was struck dumb. He stood there and it is
said, for the whole night. The Diamond Sutra
finished, the market closed, the man who
was chanting it went, and Hui Neng was
standing there. By the morning he was a
totally different man. He never went home
instead he went to the mountains. The world
became irrelevant fir him. Just hearing? Yes,
it is possible if you know how to hear. This
Hui Neng must have been of a very innocent
mind. He was a wonderful man.
Buddha says that even if somebody
demonstrates one stanza of four lines
from The Diamond Sutra, his merit is
more - indeed his merit is immeasurable
and incalculable, more than the merit of a
man or a woman who were to renounce
their belongings as many times as there
are grains of sand in the river Ganges.
Renunciation does not help. Instead it is
the understanding helps. Renouncing the
world is not going to take you anywhere,
you have to understand. Renunciation is a
stupid effort. Only stupid people
renounce. The wise person tries to
understand each situation. The wise is
never an escapist. Only the stupid people
are escapists, because they cannot face
life, or take its challenge.
They move to the mountains, or escape
to monasteries or somewhere else. They
run away from the world. These are the
cowards. And religion is possible only if
you have immense courage.
Buddha says these sutras are so valuable
that if you can listen totally, with an open
heart, if you are vulnerable to them,
these can transform your life. Even
sometimes a single word can be such a
transforming force.
I have heard about a man, who must
have been like Hui Neng. He was very old
nearly sixty-five or seventy. He had gone
for a morning walk, and some woman
must have been waking her son, or
somebody else, inside a hut. The old man
was on the road and the woman was
saying, ‗It is time to get up. It is morning!
It is no longer night!‘
The old man heard these words. And it
was not even The Diamond Sutra, it was
just a woman telling somebody, ‘Get up!
It is enough! You have slept long. It
is no longer night. The sun has risen,
it is morning,’ and the old man heard.
He must have been in some receptive
state of mind - the early morning, the
birds singing and the sun and the cool
breeze - and those words struck hard, like
arrows in the heart: ‗It is morning and
you have slept too long and it is no longer
night.‘
He never went home. He went outside the
town, sat in a temple meditating. People
came to know about him, and the family
came rushing and they said, ‗What are
you doing here?‘
He said, ‗It is morning. It is no longer
night, and I have already slept enough.
Enough is enough! Excuse me. Leave me
alone. I have to wake up. Death is
coming - I have to wake up.‘
And whenever he would pass the door of
that woman he would bow down at the
door but he had never seen that woman
again. That was his temple and that
woman his master. He had never seen
the woman, and the woman was an
ordinary woman.
Sometimes a few words, even uttered by
ordinary people, can fall in the right soil
of the heart and can bring great
transformation. What to say about words
of a Buddha?
THEREUPON THE IMPACT OF DHAMMA
MOVED THE VENERABLE SUBHUTI TO TEARS.
HAVING SHED TEARS, HE THUS SPOKE TO
THE LORD: ‘IT IS WONDERFUL, O LORD, IT IS
EXCEEDINGLY WONDERFUL, O WELL-GONE,
HOW WELL THE TATHAGATA HAS TAUGHT
THIS DISCOURSE ON DHAMMA. THROUGH IT
COGNITION HAS BEEN PRODUCED IN ME,
AND IT IS INDEED NO PERCEPTION.
AND WHY?
BECAUSE THE BUDDHAS, THE LORDS, HAVE
LEFT ALL PERCEPTIONS BEHIND.
It is very rare that a man of the qualities
of Subhuti will cry with tears flowing
profusely. But when such compassion,
and love from Buddha is showering on
him, when such diamond words are falling
on him like rain... he was overwhelmed.
THEREUPON THE IMPACT OF DHAMMA
MOVED THE VENERABLE SUBHUTI TO TEARS.
Remember, there is no deeper way to
relate your gratitude than tears, there is
no higher way to pray than tears.
Never be afraid of tears. The so-called
civilization has made you very afraid of
tears. It has created a kind of guilt in you.
When tears come you start feeling
embarrassed. You start feeling, ‗What will
others think? And I am a man and I am
crying! It looks so feminine and childish.
It should not be so.‘
Tears are far more beautiful than
anything that you have with you. Tears
come from the overflow of your being.
And tears are not necessarily of sadness;
sometimes they spring out of great joy
and sometimes they come out of great
peace and still sometimes they are the
expression of ecstasy and love. In fact
tears have nothing to do with sadness or
happiness. Anything that stirs your heart
too much, or takes possession of you,
anything that is too much, that you
cannot contain and is expressed through
tears that start overflowing.
Accept them with great joy, nourish
them, and welcome them. It is through
tears you will know how to pray. Through
tears you will know how to see. Tear-filled
eyes are capable of seeing truth. Tear-
filled eyes are capable of seeing the
beauty of life and the benediction of it.
THEREUPON THE IMPACT OF DHAMMA
MOVED THE VENERABLE SUBHUTI TO TEARS.
HAVING SHED TEARS, HE THUS SPOKE TO
THE LORD:
‘IT IS WONDERFUL, O LORD, IT IS
EXCEEDINGLY WONDERFUL, O WELL-GONE,
HOW WELL THE TATHAGATA HAS TAUGHT
THIS DISCOURSE ON DHAMMA. THROUGH IT
COGNITION HAS BEEN PRODUCED IN ME....
Subhuti says, Your presence,
compassionate words, love, and your
grace, all has produced cognition in me. It
has given me an insight, a vision, of
truth,
AND IT IS INDEED NO PERCEPTION.
Still Subhuti still repeats the same words,
‗But let me remind you, it is no perception
because there is nobody to perceive it. It
is pure cognition.‘
Indeed knowing has arisen but there is
nobody who knows and there is nothing
that is known, only knowing has arisen. It
is pure knowing. The division is not there
of the knower and the known and the
knowing. It is just knowing.
 AND WHY?
BECAUSE THE BUDDHAS, THE LORDS, HAVE
LEFT ALL PERCEPTIONS BEHIND.
‗And now I know why it is said that the
Buddhas have left all perception behind,
because perception needs the perceiver
and the perceived, observation needs the
observer and the observed. All these
dualities have been dropped. There is
only oneness.‘
It is very difficult to say it.
Michael Adam has put it beautifully.
Maybe these words will be helpful:
‗It has taken all these words to tell, but
what is there to tell? Here and now, what
is there? A wind in the trees; it blows and
they bend. I have spoken in many words.
It is cause for smiling now, for truth is
only a word. Life is a word, death is a
word, happiness is a word, and God is a
word. The wind and the tree, the robin
and the seal, the child and the sun are
real. The rest is only words.‘ Words about
the sun lack even the reality of shadows
and are colder by far. What the sun is,
the clamoring mind and the seeking heart
cannot know, for the sun is of another
kind, makes no sound and does not
strive. But this still and silent earth would
seem to understand, all without effort the
earth would seem to know what the sun
is. Beneath this semblance of death,
under the shroud of snow, in the very
midst of the winter, the open quiet earth
well knows what the sun is.‘
The disciple has to become like thirsty
earth. Because the thirsty earth knows
what the cloud is. The disciple has to
become like open, vulnerable earth. The
vulnerable earth knows what the sun is. It
cannot say it, it cannot express it, but it
knows. That is what Subhuti means when
he says:
‗Cognition has arisen in me. I cannot say,
I am not there to capture it, I am not
there to seize it, I am just emptiness but
perception has arisen, cognition has
arisen, and darshan has arisen. I have
seen, and there is no seer.‘
THE LORD SAID:
SO IT IS, SUBHUTI. MOST WONDERFULLY
BLEST WILL BE THOSE BEINGS WHO, ON
HEARING THIS SUTRA, WILL NOT TREMBLE,
NOR BE FRIGHTENED, OR TERRIFIED.
These sutras are deathlike, they are
crucifixion - you will have to die. Only
through death will you know what life is.
Resurrection is possible but only through
crucifixion. That is why Buddha said these
sutras are dangerous and
MOST WONDERFUL BLEST WILL BE THOSE
BEINGS WHO, ON HEARING THIS SUTRA,
WILL NOT TREMBLE, NOR BE FRIGHTENED,
OR TERRIFIED.
MOREOVER, SUBHUTI, THE TATHAGATA’S
PERFECTION OF PATIENCE IS REALLY NO
PERFECTION.
AND WHY?
BECAUSE, SUBHUTI, WHEN THE KING OF
KALINGA CUT MY FLESH FROM EVERY LIMB,
AT THAT TIME I HAD NO PERCEPTION OF A
SELF, OF A BEING, OF A SOUL, OR A PERSON.
AND WHY?
IF, SUBHUTI, AT THAT TIME I HAD HAD A
PERCEPTION OF SELF, I WOULD ALSO HAVE
HAD A PERCEPTION OF ILL-WILL AT THAT
TIME.'
He reminds Subhuti of his old experience
of a past life, when the king of Kalinga
had cut his limbs. He says, ‗At that time
when my limbs were cut, my hands were
cut, my legs were cut, and my tongue
and my eyes were taken away, I was
watching and I could not see any ‗I‘
arising in me. There was nobody who was
seeing it and there was nobody who was
hurt by it.‘
‗If any perception of ‗I‘ had arisen at that
time, then it would have been followed by
ill-will. Then I would have been angry
with the king who was killing me and
destroying me, but I was not angry.
There was no anger.‘
The ego brings anger. Anger is the
shadow of the ego. The ego brings
aggression, and violence. Once the ego
disappears all violence disappears. A man
becomes LOVE only when the EGO has
completely disappeared.
AND FURTHER, SUBHUTI, IT IS FOR THE
WEAL OF ALL BEINGS THAT A BODHISATTVA
SHOULD GIVE GIFTS IN THIS MANNER.
AND WHY?
THIS PERCEPTION OF A BEING, SUBHUTI
THAT IS JUST A NON-PERCEPTION. THOSE
ALL-BEINGS OF WHOM THE TATHAGATA HAS
SPOKEN, THEY ARE INDEED NO-BEINGS.
AND WHY?
BECAUSE THE TATHAGATA SPEAKS IN
ACCORDANCE WITH REALITY, SPEAKS THE
TRUTH, SPEAKS OF WHAT IS, NOT
OTHERWISE. A TATHAGATA DOES NOT
SPEAK FALSELY.
‘TATHAGATA, SUBHUTI, IS SYNONYMOUS
WITH TRUE SUCHNESS.‘
Buddha says, ‗I have said only that which
YATHA BHUTAM is. I have not said
anything else. That is why my statements
are so paradoxical, and so illogical,
because truth is illogical. To understand
truth, you will have to drop logic.‘
 Chronology of the life of Shirdi Sai Baba
Chronological list of events (episodes) concerning Sai Baba
1835:
Sai Baba was born in very early hours of
September 27 or 28, 1835 to a poor
Hindu couple, Gangabhavadya and
Devagiriamma. The newborn infant is left
in the woods, abandoned. The infant is
immediately discovered and adopted by a
childless Muslim fakir and his wife.
1838:
Sai Baba lives with the Muslim couple for
4 years. Meanwhile the fakir dies. The
wife is left to tend the child alone. Even
as a small child Baba stirs up sentiments
between the Hindu and Muslim
community by worshiping Allah in Hindu
temples, and Hindu gods in the mosque.
In fear of increased problems by a sole
widow, Baba is handed over for care with
a local mendicant and story-teller,
Venkusa.
1839-51:
Sai Baba spent 12 years with his Guru.
The name of his Guru was Gopal Rao
Deshmukh (Venkusa, also known as
Venkavadhuta) of Selu. Some say, ‘Baba
practiced penance at the tomb of His
Guru in the cellar under the Neem Tree at
Shirdi’. Arrival of Devidas at Shirdi (Aged
10-11 years) took place in 1846. When he
enquired, BABA mentioned the name of
his GURU as Venkusa implying VISHNU
(Parvardigar – refers to God).
1851:
Sai Baba first appeared at Shirdi and
stays in the village for two months. He is
noted to reside day and night under a
Neem Tree at about the age of 16 Years
which he claims is growing over the tomb
of his old guru. After two months Baba
disappeared to an unknown place.
1855-1857:
Sai Baba travels about from place to
place and finally ends up in Dhoopkheda
(or Dhoop) in Aurangabad District. There
he ends up attending the marriage of
Chandu Patel’s son in 1858.
1858:
Sai Baba returns to Shirdi along with the
marriage-party of Chand Patil and
remained at Shirdi for ever till His
Samadhi. A widowed Deputy Collector
and Settlement Officer by name H.V.
Sathe (Hari Vinayaka Sathe) comes to
Shirdi on the death of his wife. Baba
takes great fondness to Sathe. Sathe was
the first to set up apartments at Shirdi for
temporary visitors. Baba regarded Sathe
as his right hand in regard to all matters.
Because Baba was keeping Sathe close to
him and relying on him for everything,
the residents of Shirdi grew jealous
towards him.
1865:
Saint Manik Prabhu of Homanabad in
Bidar District of Karnataka passed away
in 1878, Chaitra Vadya 14. H. H.
Akkalkot Swami left His mortal coil at
Akkalkot in Solapur District of
Maharashtra. He first appeared in 1835.
It is reported that three of them (Manik
Prabhu, Swami Samartha and SAI BABA)
met at Humanabad.
1885:
Saint Anandnath aged 95 years of Yewala
Math and a disciple of Akkalkot Swami
visited Shirdi and seeing Sai Baba
exclaimed, ‘This is a precious real
diamond.’
1886, April 16:
Mahasamadhi of Shri Ramkrishna
Paramahansa of Bengal 1886,
Margashirsh 15 Sai Baba got rid of an
attack of asthma, by going into Samadhi
for 72 Hrs.
1887:
Manthrapragada Ramalaksmhi Devi, and
my father, Venkata Narasimha Rao who
were childless in spite of effortsvisited
their Guru, Shirdi Sai Baba, in 1887 and
prayed to him for a child. As the fruit of
Shirdi Sai Baba’s grace, I was born to
them on August 8, 1888. Shirdi Sai Baba
himself gave me my name, Shringeri
Sharada Devi. As I am of fair complexion,
he used to lovingly call me Gori.
1889:
Abdullah arrived at Shirdi from Nanded
(in West Khandesh near Jalgaon and
Amalner).
1892 (approx)
Nanasaheb Chandorkar arrived at Shirdi
for the first time after being invited by
BABA many a time showing his intimate
relations with NANA since his many
previous births.
1894 (approx)
Das Ganu (Ganesh Dattatreya
Sahasrabuddhe) accompanied Nanasaheb
Chandorkar to Shirdi for the first time.
1896
Celebration of ‘Urus’ – spiritual gathering
started at Shirdi owing to the efforts of
Gopalrao Gund, a Circle Inspector of
Kopargaon.
1898
Sai Baba was seen sleeping on a narrow
plank suspended with old rags about 7 or
8 feet above ground with lighted lamps
placed on the plank.
(Uknown year) About this time, the
parents of Shyam came to Shirdi with the
two-year old child named Mohan Shyam.
A small school for children started
adjoining Baba’s room. Shyam used to
watch Baba at nights through the
ventilator. Baba used to sleep on an
eighteen-inch wide plank suspended with
old rags about 7 or 8 feet above ground
with lighted lamps placed on the plank.
Shyam was apprehensive that Baba might
fall from his lofty but narrow perch during
sleep. Shyam prayed to stay near Baba
and serve him for his remaining days.
1899-1900
Nanasaheb Chandorkar visited Shirdi with
his sister-in-law’s husband, Shri Biniwale.
Baba scolded Nanasaheb for dissuading
Biniwale, a devotee of Shri Dattatmya
from visiting Datta Temple on the bank of
Godavari River to avoid delay in reaching
Shirdi.
1900-1902
Sai Baba like a learned Pandit explained
Geeta to Nanasaheb Chandorkar, who
believed that BABA was not well versed
with Sanskrit language of Pandits.
1903
Das Ganu left Govt. service and as per
Baba’s instructions settled at Nanded and
started performing kirtans and writing life
histories of recent saints.
1903
Das Ganu’s book ‘Sant Kathamrit’ was
published. (Ch. 57 is about Sai Baba’s
advice to Nanasaheb Chandorkar).
1904, April
Rao Bahadur H. V. Sathe first arrived at
Shirdi at the age 49 years).
1904-1905
Nanasaheb Chandorkar’s pregnant
daughter Mainatai at Jamner in Jalgaon
District had severe pains of delivery. Sai
baba sent Udi and Arati with Ramgir
Gosavi from Shirdi and she had a safe
delivery. Sai Baba even took the form of
tonga’s Rajput driver to make Ramgir
reach Jamner safe and on time.
1906
Das Ganu’s book ‘Bhakta-Leelamrit’ was
published. (Chs.31, 32 and 33 about Sai
Baba).
1906
Nanasaheb Chandorkar was transferred
as Mamlatdar from Nandurbar to
Pandharpur. On the way, he stopped at
Shirdi with his family and started
requesting Baba to accompany them to
Pandharpur and stay there permanently
with them. The devotees then told
Nanasaheb about the singing of bhajan
just finished in which Baba’s mood of
going to Pandharpur and staying there
forever was expressed. The text of the
song was, ‘I want to go and stay at
Pandharpur.’
1906
Shivamma Thayee’s uncle meets Baba for
the first time, while Baba is visiting
Vellakinaru in Coimbatore. Baba told
Shivamma’s uncle, ‘She is the only girl in
the whole lot who will be a highly
elevated soul.’ Baba then slowly chanted
the Gayatri Mantra to Shivamma.
1907
Radhakrishna Mai (Sunderabai
Kshirsagar) arrived at Shirdi. She was
young good-looking widow aged 25 years.
She was blessed by BABA who used to
send a part of food collected as (Bhiksha)
to her.
1908
Sathe Wada was constructed.
1908 Ekadashi
Kashirarn Shimpi died on Chaitra
Shuddha 11. BABA saved his life in a
mysterious way when he was assaulted
by thieves in a jungle.
1908
PundalikRao of Nanded met Shri
Vasudevananda Saraswati of Tembe
Swami at Rajahmundry on banks of
Godavari River in Andhra Pradesh and
Swami gave a coconut to be presented to
Sai Baba. BABA showed cognizance of
Swamiji’s gilt and showed his oneness
with Swami by describing him as his
brother (Bhau).
1908
Shri Tatyasaheb Noolkar, then Aged 45
years - the Sub-judge of Pandharpur first
arrived at Shirdi in 1908. Gurupournima
festival was prompted by Baba for Dada
Kelkar, Tatyasaheb Noolkar, Madhavrao
Deshpande and others.
1909
Saibaba threw an ochre garment on
Balasaheb Bhate, Mamlatdar of
Kopargaon, and an atheist, on his very
first visit and Balasaheb lost complete
interest in worldly matters. He retired
prematurely from service and settled
down at Shirdi permanently.
1909
Bapu Saheb (Sakharam Hari) Jog on
retirement from Govt. service came to
stay at Shirdi permanently accompanied
by his wife.
1909
Bhimaji Patil ofNarayangaon in Pune
District came to Shirdi for getting his
chronic tuberculosis at the last stage and
was cured by Baba’s blessings.
1909, Nov 2
Hari Sitaram alias Kakasaheb Dixit then
Aged 45 years, a prominent solicitor and
M.L.C. first arrived at Shirdi. Baba used
to call him affectionately Langda Kaka
and removed fear complex from his mind.
Kaka Dixit was known for his obedience to
Baba’s orders.
1909, Dec 10
Devotees began to offer regular worship
to Baba in the Chavadi, where He slept on
alternate days.
1909, Dec 25
Baba gave darshan in the form of Sri
Rama to a doctor, devotee of Sri Rama
who came with a Mamlatdar.
1910
Baba’s ‘Handi’ritual, implied occasionally
cooking food Himself in a big copper pot
and distributing it to devotees and poor
people without discrimination. This
practice continued till this year. After
wards owing to Das Ganu’s kirtans
(musical recitals praising Baba), Baba’s
fame spread far and wide and devotees
started flocking together in large numbers
offering large quantities of food as
‘naivedya’ and thus there was no need of
Handi.
1910
Ramachandra Atmaram alias Babasaheb
Tarkhad from Bandra, Bombay first
visited Shirdi.
1910
Rao Bahadur Moreshwar W. Pradhan of
Santacruz, Bombay first visited Shirdi.
1910 1910

Govind Raghunath alias Annasaheb Harishchandra Pitale’s son suffering from

Dabholkar then Aged 51 years, the author epilepsy, was cured by Baba’s mere
of Shri Sai Satcharita (Marathi), had his glance at him. Baba gave Pitale three
first darshan of Sai Baba and received rupees and reminded him of two rupees
significant and prophetic title of earlier received by him from Swami
‘Hemadpant. Baba gave him his blessings Samarth of Akkalkot and thus showed his
and inspired him to write SAI oneness with all the other SAINTS
SATCHARITA - a religious scripture (Vibhutis).
describing BABA’s life story and his divine
1910, Ashwin Vady13
play (leela) as monumental as GURU
CHARITRA- the old monumental POTHI - Sai Baba pushed his arm into the brightly
a poetic religious scripture inspiring burning Dhuni to save a blacksmith’s
worship to GURU, NARASINHA child. The arm was scorched and burnt.
SARASWATI. Nanasaheb came from Bombay with Dr.
Parmananda but Baba did not allow the
1910
doctor to treat him. Bhagoji Shinde’s
Balkrishna Vishwanath alias Balasaheb service of massaging the arm with ghee
Deo (Dahanu Mamlatdar) first visited and bandaging it continued till Baba’s
Shirdi prompted by Nanasaheb Samadhi. This episode is in testimony to
Chandorkar. Deo used to describe him as BABA’s cosmic existence- HIS super
Baba's child - with a full sense of consciousness.
surrender.
1910 Dec 5
1910
Hon’ble Mr Ganesh Shrikrishna, alias
Bhadrapad Shuddha, H. Gajanan Maharaj Dadasaheb Khaparde of Amraoti
of Shegaon (Buldhana District of (Maharashtra) first visited Shirdi.
Maharashtra) left His mortal coil. He first Mr.Babasaheb Khaprde was an ardent
appeared in 1878. At that very time at devotee of BABA and his efforts were
Shirdi, Sai Baba grieved profusely and instrumental in bringing Loka Manya
said, ‘Hallo! My Gajanan is gone. I must Tilak- (a great national leader –
take bath again in reverence to the Great Khapurde’s contemparary) to Shirdi for
Soul.’ Baba’s darshan and blessings in his
movement for India’s freedom from the
1910
British Rule.
Shrimant Gopalrao Mukund alias Bapu
1910, Dec10
saheb Butty of Nagpur, (a rich statesman)
started staying permanently at Shirdi. Foundation-stone of Dixit Wada was laid
with Baba’s permission.
1910, Christmas Shyama Deshpande to perform Guru
Worship (Pooja).
Lala Lakhamichand of Santacruz in
Bombay came to Shirdi. Baba loved him 1911
very much and affectionately accepted his
Ram-Navami Festival was started at
petty gifts given with love.
Shirdi owing to the efforts of Shri
1910 Bhishma and Kaka Mahajani.

Megha returns to Shirdi and stays till his 1911, Ram-Navami

death. In Baba’s company he underwent
Construction of Dixit Wada was completed
mysterious experiences which
and was inhabited with due rites.
transformed Megha from an atheist to an
ardent devotee of Baba and spent his life 1911
in the service of Sai -Shiva. He regarded
Baba as Shiva-Shankar (Lord Shiva- Extension and roofing of the open space
Shankar -the welfare Doer). in front of the Dwarakamai was carried
out by Kakasaheb Dixit. Baba got enraged
1911 and tried to shake and uproot a pole.
Then removing Tatya Patil’s pugree,
Madrasi Sanyasi Vijayanand, while on a
struck a match, set the pugree on fire and
pilgrimage to Manas Sarovar, halted at
threw it in a pit along with one rupee as if
Shirdi and breathed his last while reading
an auspicious offering to avert evil. Baba
‘Bhagawat’ (a religious script written by
never liked renovation of his dwelling
Saint Eknath) for 3 days on Baba’s
place viz. Dwarkamai (the masjid) and
advice.
opposed any such effort by the devotees.
1911, March
1911
Tatyasaheb Nulkar then Aged 48, the
Somdav Swami alias Haridwar Swami
Sub-judge of Pandharpur breathed his
visited Shirdi.
last at Shirdi. Baba showed HIS oneness
with Tatya Nulkar and described him as a 1911, June 27
pure soul and expressed HIS grief at
Nulkars demise. Kashinath Govind Upaswii then aged 41
years first visited Shirdi and returned
After Tatyasaheb Nulkar passed away, again on 6 July. Baba ordered him to stay
Megha took over the regular daily worship for 4 years in the Khandoba Temple.
of Baba in the Dwarakamai. He used to
stand on one leg while performing the 1911, Dec
Arati. Tatyasaheb Nulkar relinquished
Kashinath Upasani composed the famous
everything and stayed at Shirdi in Baba’s
‘Shri Sainath Mahimna Stotra (hymn) in
company till his demise Baba bestowed
Sanskrit. These are now being recited
him with the unique experiences in self-
daily during Arati at Shirdi).
realization. Baba advised him and Mr
1911, Dec
Bubonic plague raged at Shirdi (Lasted
upto March 15 next year) Baba however
saved lives of plague inflicted devotees by
taking upon himself i.e. on his body the
malody.
1911, Dec
Baba’s grinding of wheat in the hand-mill.
It was not wheat that was ground but
plague or cholera itself was ground to
pieces and cast out of village. Seeing this
Annasaheb Dabholkar (Hemadpant) was
inspired to write ‘Shri Sai Satcharita.’
1911, Dec5
Dadasaheb Khaparde of Amraoti arrived
at Shirdi again with family and stayed for
3 months. Shri Krishna Bhishma the
author of Arati book ‘Sagunopasana’
accompanied him. Dadasaheb Khaparde
wrote diary of daily record of his stay at
Shirdi in Baba’s company.
1911, Dec 11
Waman Rao Patel then Aged 22 years,
Later Swami Sai Sharanananda first
arrived at Shirdi.
1911, Dec 13
Chandrabhan Shet Marwadi, uncle of
Khushalchand of Rahata expired.
1911, Dec 16
Dr. Capt. Hate first visited Shirdi (who
had just appeared at LCPS examination.)
Baba sent him a message in the dream
saying, ‘have you forgotten me?’.
1911, Dec 19
Sai Baba’s great devotee and a great
saint of Nath-panth order, Shri Rama
Maruti visited Shirdi and stayed for 34
days. Ram Maruti offered ‘Naivedya’ to
Baba and Baba very affectionately took a
part of it (SWEET SANJA).
1911-12
Sagun Meru Naik arrived at Shirdi at the
age of 23 and on Baba’s advice settled
permanently running a small restaurant
for the devotees visiting Shirdi.
1912, Jan
Dadasaheb Khaparde’s youngest son
Balwant was cured of bubonic plague by
Baba by taking the disease on himself.
1912, Jan 3
Megha fed some Brahmins on completion
of his Gayatri Punascharana (a religious
ritual). Dadasaheb Khaparde attended it
at Sathe Wada.
1912, Jan 19
Megha died at Shirdi at about 4 A.M.
Baba lamented loudly and followed the
funeral procession for some distance.
Baba showered flowers on Megha’s body.
1912, Jan 20
Bapusaheb Jog started performing Baba’s
Pooja and Arati after Megha’s death. He
continued this till Baba’s Samadhi and
even some years afterwards until he
shifted to Sakuri and joined Upasani
Maharaj there.
1912
Transformation of Dwarakamai (the
masjid) started. Pits were patched up and
the stone slabs fixed on the floor. Baba
gave up sack-cloth seat and started using
cushion scat and bolster in deference to
devotees’ wishes.
1912 Jan
Ganapatrao, father of Tatya Kote Patil
passed away. Tatya Patil stopped sleeping
in the Dwarakamai with Baba.
devotees that seeing His picture was
equivalent to seeing Him in person.
1912, April
Balaram Dhurandhar along with his
brothers visited Shirdi for the first time.
Before they arrived Baba had expressed,
‘Today many of my Durbar people are
coming’. Baba offered Balaram Chillim to
smoke and since then his 6 year old
asthma was cured forever.
1912, Shravan 15

1912, Feb 25th Guru-sthan padukas were installed under

the Neem Tree at Shirdi.
Madhavrao Deshpande (Shama) left
Shirdi to attend Kakasaheb Dixit’s son’s 1913.
thread-ceremony at Nagpur and
This was the first visit of Mahadev Rao
Nanasaheb Chandorkar’s son’s wedding at
Sapatnekar of Akkalkot accompanied by
Gwalior. From there accompanied by
his younger brother Pandit Rao. When
Appa Kote, he went on a pilgrimage to
Mahadev Rao prostrated before Baba,
Mathura, Prayag, Ayodhya, Kashi and
Baba shouted ‘Chal hat’ (Get away) in the
Gaya. At Gaya Madhavrao saw Baba’s
protest of absence of faith in Saptnekar’s
picture at the priest’s house and was
mind and his prejudice for Baba.
reminded of Baba’s words, ‘After visiting
Kashi and Prayag I would be reaching the 1913
religious place ahead of Shama.’
Baba gave at Dwarakamai darshan of
1912, Mar 15 himself as Vitthal and Rakhumai of
Pandharpur to the wife and mother of R.
Dadasaheb Khaparde returned to
B. Purandare of Bandra.
Amraoti. Mrs. Laxmibai Khaparde stayed
behind. 1913, Ram-Navami
1912, Ram-navami Bala Buva Satarkar performed Ram-
Navami Kirtan at Shirdi and Baba gave
Dada Maharaj Satarkar, known as
him a gift of Rs.150/- for the Kirtan.
‘Modern Tukaram’, was invited to perform
These coins were collected in a dish
Ram-navami Kirtan.When he bowed down
(Thali) after Baba’s prayer (Aarti). Baba
in obeisance, Baba said, ‘I know this man
poured the whole dish in Satarkars bag
since last 4 years’. Bala Buva had never
(zoli)
met Sai Baba before but 4 years ago at
Bombay, he had prostrated before Baba’s
picture. Thus Baba proved to His
1913, May
Wamanrao Patel then Aged 24 - 25 Years
who later came to be known as Swami
Sai Sharanananda ji visited Shirdi again
and this time stayed for 11 months.
1913
Rao Bahadur Sathe got a son by Baba’s
Grace at the age of 57 years.
1914
Sapatnekar of Akkalkot arrived at Shirdi
again with wife and returned being
blessed for begetting a son.
1914, Feb 14
Mr.B.V. Deo (Memlatdar of Dahanu in
Thane Distict) was charged and
reprimanded by Baba for stealing His rag
and after lot of abusing and scolding was
favored with instruction to read
Dnyaneshawari regularly every day as per
Deo’s desire. This episode is an example
of how Baba sometimes displayed his
transcendental powers to read devotees
mental inclinations even without formal
oral communication.
1914, Feb 22
A Sadhak of Yoga - Swami Ram Baba
visited Shirdi and seeing Baba eating
bread with onion got suspicious and
disappointed. However Baba proved His
power of omniscience by reading his mind
and the Sadhak returned highly satisfied
and blessed.
1914, April 2
Before the year was over, Baba appeared
to Deo in a dream and inquired if he
understood Dnyaneshwari properly. Deo
said ‘No’ and added that without Baba’s
Grace it will not be understood. Then
Baba explained to Deo how to read it
slowly (and without making haste) with
full concentration for knowing the subtle
meaning between the linesThis is known
as Bodha – Knowledge.
1914, Ram-Navami
Das Ganu was ordained by Baba to
perform Ram-Navami Kirtan at Shirdi
every year.
1914, Shravan
H. H. Shri Vasudevananda Saraswati the
Aged 80 years - Tembe Swami left His
mundane body at Garudeshwar on the
banks of River Nannada in Gujarat.
1914 July 15th
Kashinath Upasani left Shirdi after the
total stay 3 years, 19 days and proceeded
towards Nagpur, Khadakpur etc.
1915, Dec
Sai Baba suffered from asthma and was
very weak. Yet He climbed over
Radhakrishna Mai’s roof with a ladder.
Paid Rs. 2/- to the person bringing and
placing the ladder. Honoring a worker for
his work, Baba showed how Dignity of
labor should be maintained.
1915, Dec
Balakram Mankar passed away at Shirdi.
1915, Dec
Mrs Tarkhad the wife of Babasaheb
Tarkhad of Bandra sent a pedha (made of
milk and sugar) which was already
offered as naivedya and that too with
Balakram’s son Govindji who was in
mourning. Baba swallowed it with great
eagerness and love.
1915, Dec 30
Construction work of Butty’s Wada was in
progress. Baba occasionally used to go at
this place to see the progress of this work
and gave instructions.
1916
Sai Baba made Das Ganu to do ‘Nam-
saptah and Kirtan’ at Shirdi for a week.
1916
Radhakrishna Mai at the age 35 years
passed away. Baba used to bless her by
sending a portion of food collected by him
by way of Bhiksha.
1916.
A Madrasi Bhajani Mela - Party of the
Ramdasi Order arrived at Shirdi. Baba
gave darshan to the chief’s wife in the
form of her beloved deity Shri Rama. The
chief also got a dream and his attitude
towards Baba was completely changed.
1916
Nephew of Dr. Mulky from Malegaon
(District Nasik), suffering from tubercular
bone-abcess, was fully cured by Sai
Baba’s Udi and his loving glance. The
doctor himself visited Shirdi afterwards
and became a staunch devotee of Shri Sai
Baba realising that Baba’s service is to be
performed not only for the sake of money
or other mundane things but for the
welfare of the disabled, helpless and
downtrodden.
1916
Annasaheb Dabholkar (Hemadpant)
retired from Govt. service. On Guru
Purnima Day while at Shirdi, Anna
Chinchanikar pleaded before Baba for
getting some other appointment for
Hemadpant as his pension was quite
insufficient and his family was growing.
Baba assured him about his source of
income for livelihood after retirement.
1916, Vijaya Dashami
When in the evening Shirdi residents were
returning from ‘Simollanghan’ ceremony
(crossing of the border or limits of the
kingdom village), Baba suddenly got into
wild rage and taking off His head-dress,
kafni and langota (loin cloth) etc., tore
them into pieces and threw them in the
burning Dhuni before Him. The fire in the
Dhuni became brighter and Baba stood
there stark naked. Later when cooled
down and dressed again Baba said, ‘This
is My Simollanghan’ and thus hinted at
His departure from this world soon on
Dassehra Day. This Darshan provided
enlightenment that Baba’s body cannot
be described as Hindu or Muslim or of any
cast or belonging to any religion in vogue.
1916
Ramchandra Dada Patil became seriously
ill. One night appearing before him, Baba
told him that he would recover soon but
Tatya Patil will die on Vijaya Dashami Day
in 1918. Thus by substituting Tatya’s
name for HIS, Baba foretold Tatya’s
passing away. However, Baba sacrificed
his body to save devotees life by saying
‘instead of him another person will go?’.
1916 when he was away on tour. When
Appasaheb returned Baba not only
Baba averted Gopal Narayan Ambadekar’s
fulfilled his desire of offering Rs.10 as
effort of suicide by prompting him to read
Dakshina but also favored him by
an appropriate incident from Akkalkot
returning nine rupees consecrated by His
Swami’s Chaiitra (religious scripture) and
touch. These nine rupees are the symbol
avoided greatest sin in his devotees life.
of nine bhakti services done to HIM.
1917
1917
Shyam, the faithful servant of Baba falls
Upasani Maharaj then Aged 47 years
at Baba's feet and dies, merging in Baba.
made Sakuri (near Rahata) his permanent
1917 - Baba foretelling of his birth again residence.
as Sathya Sai
1918
Baba tells Shringeri Sharada Devi, ‘Gori, I
Rao Bahadur Moreshwar Pradhan
will appear in Andhra Pradesh with the
purchased Lendi Baug and later presented
same name of Sai Baba but in another
it to Shirdi Sansthan'. Baba himself
Avatar. Then again, you will come to me.
planted some trees at the Lendi Baug.
I will keep you with me and give you joy.
1918, April 1
1917
At Vile Parle (East) (now suburb of
Baba names a young girl Shivamma
Bombay) on Hanuman Road, Narayan
Thayee and proclaims that she will be a
Mahadev Thosar’s residence (later known
saint.
as Narayan Ashram) was built a Hanuman
1917 Temple. On the day it was consecrated,
Baba paid Rs. 25 to a Brahmin named
Haribhau Karnik of Dahanu (District Waze and made him perform Shri Satya-
Thane) wished to offer one more rupee to narayan Pooja.
Baba while leaving Shirdi, but could not
do so. On the way at Nasik, in the Kala 1918
Rama Temple another saint Narasing
Prof. G. G. Narke, son-in-law of Butty got
Maharaj demanded one rupee from him.
a permanent job by Baba’s Grace as
Karnik gave it willingly thinking that Baba
Professor in the Engineering College at
was demanding the rupee he wanted to
Pune. Baba always remembered him by
offer at Shirdi. Baba fulfilled in HIS many
saying ‘where has he (Narke) gone? Baba
mysterious ways devotees’ desire to offer
gave him a begging bag (zoli) for
dakshina through all the media.
collecting food -an exercise in cultivating
1917 humility and eliminating ego.

Sai Baba appeared at Thane (North of 1918 August

Bombay) to inquire the well-being of
Baba offered Hemadpant a glass of
Appasaheb Kulkarni’s wife and children
butter-milk and said, ‘Drink it all, you
won’t get such opportunity again
suggesting that time for his Samadhi has
arrived.
1918 Sep 9th
Das Ganu wrote ‘Shri Sai Stavan Manjaril
at Maheshwar (Madhya Pradesh) on the
banks of River Narmada.
1918 Sept 28th
Nath Panthi saint Rama-Maruti of Kalyan
passed away.
1918 Sept 28th
Sai Baba had a slight attack of fever
which lasted for 3-4 days. Since then
Baba abstained from food and day by day
His weakness increased.
1918 Oct 1st
Baba asked a Brahmin devotee by the
name Waze to read ‘Raum- Vijay’ (by
Sridhar Swami) and listened to it for 14
days.
1918 Oct 8th
A tiger met its death at the feet and
presence of Sai Baba and was
emancipated.
1918 Oct 15th Tuesday
On Vijaya Dashmi, Sai Baba left his
mortal coil at about 2-30 p.m. Few
minutes before He gave Rs. 9/- as prasad
to Laxmi Shinde. These nine coins
represent ‘Nine - dimensional devotion to
GOD’.
1918 Oct 16th
WednesdayEarly morning Baba appeared
to Das Ganu at Pandharpur, in dream and
said, ‘The Dwaraka mai has collapsed and
all the oilmen and grocers have troubled
Me a lot. So I am leaving the place. Go
there quickly and cover my body
copiously with flowers’.
1918 Oct 16th
Wednesday in the evening Baba’s body
was taken in procession through the
Shirdi village and then interred in Butty
Wada with due formalities.
1918 Oct 27th
On the 13th day Baba’s devotees from all
over gathered and funeral rites were
performed by Balasaheb Bhate with a
feast (Bhandara) to Brahmins and poor.
Later Upasani accompanied by Bapusaheb
Jog went to Prayag (Allahabad) and
performed all the remaining obsequies on
the banks of River Ganges.
On one occasion, he stayed in the Maruti
temple, behind the Chavadi, in company
of a saint Devidas. Later, saint Jankidas
also came to Shirdi and the three of them
often discussed spiritual matters sitting in
the Hanuman or Maruti temple. After this,
Baba mostly made the masjid his home.
He called it mother (mai) and christened
it ‘Dwarka’, after Lord Krishna’s kingdom.
Dwarkamai thus came to life.
According to Sansthan’s communication
handler, Dilip Kote, Sai Baba, as an
incarnation of Shiva, naturally chose a
shamshon (burial ground) for his abode.
In keeping with the traditions prevalent in
the region, Hindus, (as well as Muslims)
are also buried, if cremation (as per
Hindu custom) is not preferred. Thus,
Baba’s own ‘Samadhi’ and those of his
close associates, lies in the complex.
Sai Baba and famous Udi
Once there was a cyclonic storm and it
was wet and cold. A leper by the name of
Bhagoji Shinde lived in a small hut that
got swept away in the running waters. No
one came to his help for fear of
contracting leprosy. Baba rescued him
and brought him indoors. He hit his
stick on the ground and in that rainy
season a fire sprang from nowhere,
providing warmth. Soon Bhagoji’s
leprosy disappeared and this was taken
as Sai’s miracle.
The same fire continues to burn till
today and provides udi or vibhuti
(holy ash) to millions of devotees. By
giving udi, Baba wished to convey that
ultimately our bodies will become ash. All
our desires, wants and worldly ambitions
will be reduced to ash, so why
concentrate on such a life? However, the
udi also became a symbol of cure and
hope to many because when Baba
distributed it, many were helped.
Although Baba had all the eight major
siddhis (celestial powers) at his
command, he rarely used them.
The various miracles and curative powers
of the udi are several and many have
benefited from it. At a philosophical level,
Sai encouraged oblation of ego, desires
and wants to the dhuni (burning fire) and
it made ash of all these, thus cleansing a
human being. Till date, udi is used by
devotees to all ends. There are instances
where it helped in safe birth during a
difficult delivery, as in case of Maina Tai.
It helped another devotee Narayan Rao’s
friend recover from a scorpion bite. On
yet another occasion, Shama’s brother’s
wife suffered from plague and the udi
helped her. Even doctors like Pillai who
suffered from guinea-worms used udi.
Sai chose a dilapidated mosque to be his
abode and started living in it. His contact
in the early days of stay was with a few
chosen people only, like Bayajabai (who
brought him food), Mhalsapati (who, as
priest had first welcomed him), Appa Bhil
(who collected firewood for the fire, later
to become holy dhuni), and Kashiram
Shimpi (the Kumhar who made unbaked
earthen pots for Baba to water his patch
of garden).
Enlightened masters who came to Shirdi,
like Gangagir and Anandnath Maharaj, a
disciple of Akkalkot Swami, noted that Sai
was no ordinary gardener and stated
Shirdi was indeed blessed to have a gem,
a kohinoor, like Sai stay there.
This garden today is Lendi Bagh. In his
early days at Shirdi, Baba never shaved
his head. There was a wrestler in Shirdi
called Mohiddin Tamboli. Baba agreed to
enter a mock fight with him, in which
Baba allowed himself to be defeated.
After this fight Baba changed his dress
and mode of living. He wore a kafni (a
loose robe), under which he wore a langot
(undergarment) and covered his head
with a piece of cloth, which was blood-
stained. By one account, it was the same
cloth with which his Guru Venkusa had
saved him after being hit on the head
with a brick by those who were jealous
that Baba got favored treatment from the
guru. Baba kept the brick and the
bloodied cloth and these two were his
constant companions.
By another account, Baba went for some
time to Rahata to assuage the ego of a
pretender Jowahar Ali, who desired to Till today, servitor T. Govindan holds
construct an Idgah adjacent to a that tantric and other tamasic powers
Virabhadra temple. Due to a quarrel cannot enter Shirdi.
between the Hindus and Muslims, Ali left
This incensed the village vaid, Kulkarni
Rahata and went to Shirdi. He knew the
and he looked for a chance to humiliate
Quran by heart and wanted Baba to be
Sai. This opportunity arose when Sai
his disciple, in order to impress the
requested oil merchants to give him some
people of Shirdi that Baba was under him.
oil as alms for his lamps. After some
Baba played the part for six months after
months of indulging Sai, a few oil
which the fraudulent guru himself left
merchants decided to stop giving him free
Shirdi forever, when he realized Baba’s
oil to light the lamps in Dwarkamai under
greatness and when he was tested by
the growing jealousy of the village vaid
Devidas.
Kulkarni.
Sai’s reputation was initially established
Sai did not react and filled his earthen
as a medicine man because he helped
lamps with water and lit them. They
various people who were afflicted with
burned brighter! Such is the power of
diseases. He cured leprosy, eye-
saints. The village vaid who had
infections, cholera and other illnesses that
instigated the oil-merchants was reduced
troubled the folks of Shirdi. It was held
to poverty, and till today (the year 2004)
that due to Sai’s presence, no ill could
his house lies in ruins in Shirdi.
visit Shirdi.

[23 November 1926– 24 April 2011]

 hrI muoe< Mh[a hrI muoe< Mh[a,

pu{yacI g[na kae[ krI.

jIvn sumn cFa kr terI hm AcRna kre<ge<

jnm jnm terI hm v<dna kre<ge<.

vahunI jIvn pu:p tv cr[I ,

kIitR ga^ tuHI jNmaejNmI .

EMBELLISHING LIFE TO BE A FLOWER FOR THY ALTER

I SHALL ERELONG SING THY GLORIES!!!

Sathya Sai – the legend - the miracle of the existence – heart throb of millions
is no more to be seen or heard alive. Yet still he lives on in the millions of
hearts and shall continue to work through millions of hands. His words and
messages shall continue to linger like the dissolving notes in millions of ears.

D
r. A.N. Safaya says Sathya Sai
Baba died Sunday morning, after
more than a week on breathing
support and dialysis at the Sri Sathya Sai
Institute of Higher Medical Sciences.
Sathya Sai Baba, the once living guru and
heart throb considered by millions of
followers worldwide, left this physical
realm or attained to Samadhi or will-full
exit from the bodily realm on Sunday in a
hospital near his southern Indian ashram,
a doctor said. He was 86.
Sai Baba had spent more than three
weeks on breathing support and dialysis
while struggling with multiple-organ
failure at the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of
Higher Medical Sciences, near his ashram
in Puttaparti village in southern Andhra
Pradesh state. He died Sunday morning,
hospital director Dr. A.N. Safaya said.
Women selling marigold garlands broke
down in tears outside ashram when the
news was announced.
The saffron-robed Sathya Sai Baba had a
huge following with ashrams in more than
126 countries. He was said to perform
miracles - conjuring rings and watches
and ‘vibhuti,’ a sacred ash that his
followers applied on their foreheads -
from his overgrown and unkempt Afro-
style hair.
Followers gathered to mourn in small
groups in alleys and streets surrounding
the ashram, while some began trickling
into the temple complex where the baba’s
body will be brought to lie in state until
Tuesday.
Hundreds of thousands of devotees are
expected in Puttaparthi for Sathya Sai
Baba's funeral.
Sayings of Sathya Sai
A human body is associated with six
stages of transformation: birth,
growth, change, evolution, death and
destruction. Death accepts no excuse.
Tears do not move its heart. Death
gives advance notice of his arrival to
take you — notice in the form of grey
hair, falling teeth, failing vision,
folding of the skin etc. Death may call
any moment. Every moment,
everyone is nearing death. Death is
not a deplorable event. It is the
journey‘s end.
— From the discourses of Sathya Sai
Baba
Death involves certain developments
that weaken and extinguish life. It
does not affect the Atma; the Atma
has no death. It cannot be destroyed.
Therefore, one should not fear death.
Death is but another stage of life.
However long one suffers from illness
or however severe the injury, death
can happen only when Time signals
the right moment. When the yearning
for living ends, there can be no more
birth.
— Sathya Sai Baba, Vidya Vahini
It is a living death if one is obsessed
by pride, ego and anger.
— From the discourses of Sathya Sai
Baba
Swami‘s thoughts on Death
The baby weeps as soon as it is born
because the individual being has no
desire to get entangled in the
objective world once again. Science
describes it as the process of
breathing for the first time and
clearing of the air passages. But why
should it weep? The process can be
started by some other way, say,
shaking or shivering, is it not?
This life which begins with a wail
must end with a smile. When you
were a little baby, all around you
smiled though you kept on wailing.
But when you die round you weep at
the loss, you should smile in peace
and quiet resignation.
Reduce your wants. Minimize your
desires. When death deprives you of
resistance, your kith & kin take off
the nose stud and in their haste, they
may even cut the nose to retrieve it.
If you go on heaping desire upon
desire, it will be impossible to depart
gladly when the call comes.
Do not attach yourself too much to
the body or to the things that bring
comfort to it. You earn three friends
in this life:
The first: the riches you accumulate,
which refuse to come with you when
you move out of this life.
The Second: the kith & kin who
accompany your body only up to the
burial ground or cremation ghat.
The Third: the merit and demerit you
have earned, which accompany you
to the last.
When once Brahma asked sage Narad
what was the most amazing thing he
noticed on earth, Narad replied, ‗the
most amazing thing I saw was this: even before he realizes his mission in
The dying are weeping over the life.
dead.‘ Those who are themselves
When we want to go to a cinema, or
nearing death every moment are
for an evening walk, we get ready by
weeping over those who have died,
putting on our shoes. When we want
as if their weeping has an effect,
to visit a nearby town, we pack our
either to revive the dead or prevent
clothes in a bag. But what
their own death!
preparations do you make for the
Grief sends you to God. When a child ultimate journey, the voyage of
dies, ask yourself the question, ‗Is it death?
for my sake that he was born?‘ He
All are beggars at the gate of God.
had his own destiny to fulfill, his own
The hero is he who does not beg or
history to work out. Gautama
cringe or flatter or fawn. He knows
Buddha‘s father was so overcome
that the Lord knows best.
with grief when he saw his son with a
begging bowl in the street that he Birth and Life
told him thus: ‗Every one of my
ancestors was a King. What Sathya Sai Baba Telugu:
misfortune is this that a beggar was
[sʌθjə sɑːɪ bɑːbɑː] born as
born in this line?‘ Buddha replied
Sathyanarayana Raju on 23 November
‗every one of my ancestors had a
1926 and left this realm on 24 April 2011.
beggar‘s bowl, I know of no king in
He was a well-known popular Indian guru,
my line.‘
spiritual figure and educator.
Feel that you are born with the dawn
He is described by his devotees as an
of every day; that you nestle in the
Avatar, spiritual teacher and miracle
lap of death when your eyes close in
worker. The apparent materializing of
sleep. For, what happens in deep
vibhuti (holy ash) and other small objects
sleep? The body, the senses, the
such as rings, necklaces and watches by
mind, the intelligence – all is negated
Baba has been a source of both fame and
and there is no trace of awareness of
controversy. While the skeptics consider
the world. Know that waking from
these simple conjuring as tricks, devotees
sleep is but birth and going into sleep
on the other hand consider them evidence
is death.
of divinity, baba’s grace and love for
Forgetting the primary goal of life, humanity. Sathya Sai Baba claimed to be
man wastes his time. Time is the reincarnation of the spiritual guru, Sai
precious. Death is dangling its sword Baba of Shirdi, whose teachings were an
over every head. Our life span is fast eclectic blend of Hindu and Muslim
diminishing, like water leaking beliefs. In 1940, he declared himself an
through a broken pot or a melting ‘avatar,’ or reincarnation, of another
block of ice. Death overtakes man Hindu holy man called the Sai Baba of
Shirdi, a town in the Western Indian
state of Maharashtra who had passed
away in 1918.
The Sathya Sai Baba was also mired in
several controversies, with several news
reports about allegations of sexual abuse
and fake miracles.
Sathya Sai Baba and his organizations
support a variety of free educational
institutions, hospitals, and other
charitable works in India and abroad. The
number of active Sathya Sai Baba
adherents was estimated in 1999 to be
around 6 million, although followers’
estimations are far higher. Since there
are no formal ties of membership, the
actual figure may never be known.
The Sathya Sai Organization reports that
there are an estimated 1,200 Sathya Sai
Baba Centers in 114 countries worldwide.
In India itself, Sai Baba draws followers
from predominantly upper-middle-class,
urban sections of society who have the
‘most wealth, education and exposure to
Western ideas.’
Throughout his life Sathya Sai was a
cultural icon in India and drew an
audience with presidents and prime
ministers from India and beyond who
have become his devotees; in 2002, he
claimed to have followers in 178
countries.
He was born to Eswaramma and
Peddavenkama Raju Ratnakaram in the
village of Puttaparthi, Andhra Pradesh,
India. Almost everything known about his
life stems from the hagiography that has
grown around him, the presentation of
narratives that hold special meaning to
his devotees and are considered evidence
of his divine nature.
Eswaramma, his mother asserted that his
birth was by miraculous conception.
Furthermore it was also said to be
heralded by miracles. As a child, he was
described as ‘unusually intelligent’ and
charitable. He was exceptionally talented
in drama, music, dance and writing. Also
he was an avid composer of poems and
plays. He was said to be capable of
materializing objects such as food and
sweets out of thin air even from his
childhood.
On 8 March 1940, while living with his
elder brother Seshama Raju in
Uravakonda, Sathya was apparently
stung by a scorpion. He lost
consciousness for several hours. Within
the next few days there was a noticeable
change in Sathya’s behavior. There were
‘symptoms of laughing and weeping,
eloquence and silence.’
‘He began to sing Sanskrit verses, a
language of which he had no prior
knowledge.’ Doctors believed his behavior
to be hysteria. His parents brought
Sathya home to Puttaparthi. Concerned,
they took him to many priests, ‘doctors’
and exorcists.
On 23 May 1940, Sathya called household
members and materialized prasad and
flowers for his family members. His father
became furious upon seeing this, thinking
his son was bewitched. He took a stick
and asked him who he was. To this
Sathya announced calmly and firmly ‘I am
Sai Baba,’ a reference to Sai Baba of
Shirdi. He proclaimed himself to be a
reincarnation of Sai Baba of Shirdi—a
saint who became famous in the late
nineteenth and early twentieth centuries
in Maharashtra, and who had died eight
years before Sathya was born.
Later that year, Sathya Sai Baba
declared that he had no worldly
relationship with anyone, and around
this time, devotees began to gather
to him. In 1940, Sathya Sai Baba
began to travel to Madras and
elsewhere in South India and soon
had a large regional following.
In 1944, a mandir (temple) for Sathya Sai
Baba’s devotees was built near the
village. It is now referred to as the old
mandir. The construction of Prashanthi
Nilayam, the current ashram, began in
1948 and after 2 years, it was completed
in 1950. In 1957 Sathya Sai Baba went
on a North Indian temple tour. In 1954,
Sathya Sai Baba established a small free
General Hospital in the village of
Puttaparthi.
Sri Sathya Sai University,
Puttaparthi, A.P., India
In 1963, Sathya Sai Baba suffered a
stroke and four severe heart attacks. It is
believed by some that he healed himself
of these, and on recovering announced
that he would be reborn as Prema Sai
Baba in the state of Karnataka.
He stated, ‗I am Siva-Sakthi, born in
the gothra (lineage) of Bharadwaja,
according to a boon won by that sage
from Siva and Sakthi. Siva was born
in the gothra of that sage as Sai Baba
of Shirdi; Siva and Sakthi have
incarnated as Myself in his gothra
now; Sakthi alone will incarnate as
the third Sai (Prema Sai Baba) in the
same gothra in Mandya district of
Karnataka State.‘
On 29 June 1968, Sathya Sai Baba made
his first and only trip overseas, to
Uganda. During a discourse in Nairobi,
Sathya Sai Baba stated, ‘I have come to
light the lamp of Love in your hearts, to
see that it shines day by day with added
luster. I have not come on behalf of any
exclusive religion. I have not come on a
mission of publicity for a sect or creed or
cause, nor have I come to collect
followers for a doctrine. I have no plan to
attract disciples or devotees into my fold
or any fold. I have come to tell you of this
unitary faith, this spiritual principle, this
path of Love, this virtue of Love, this duty
of Love, this obligation of Love.’
In 1968, he established Dharmakshetra
or Sathyam Mandir in Mumbai.
In 1973, he established Shivam Mandir
in Hyderabad. On 19 January 1981, in
Chennai he inaugurated the Sundaram
Mandir. In March 1995 he started the
water project to provide drinking water to
1.2 million people in the drought-prone
Rayalaseema region in Anantapur. In
2001 Sathya Sai Baba established
another free Super Specialty hospital
in Bangalore to benefit the poor. In April
1999 he inaugurated the Ananda
Nilayam Mandir in Madurai, Tamil Nadu.
After 2005 Sathya Sai Baba used a
wheelchair, and his failing health forced
him to make fewer public appearances. In
2006 he suffered a fractured hip when a
student standing on an iron stool slipped,
and both boy and stool fell on Sathya Sai
Baba. After that, he gave darshan from a
car or his portable Chair.
Sathya Sai Baba's assertion of divine
status was expressed in the first person;
he stated it boldly and repeatedly.
‘I am beyond the reach of the most
intensive enquiry and the most
meticulous measurement. Only those who
have recognized my love and experienced
that love can assert that they have
glimpsed my reality. Do not attempt to
know me through the external eyes.’
He was also known as a singer, having
released several CDs of bhajans.
Illness and death
Sathya Sai Baba was admitted to a
hospital at Prashantigram at Puttaparthi
on 28 March, 2011 following respiration-
related problems. After many days of
hospitalization, during which his condition
progressively deteriorated, he died on 24
April at 7:40 IST. His funeral was held on
27 April. Many of his devotees, some of
whom had held vigil outside the hospital
for many days, gathered around the
hospital causing police to be concerned
about a breakdown in law and order. His
body remained in state for two days for
the darshan by the devotees.
Reactions
Karnataka declared 25 and 26 April as
days of mourning and Andhra Pradesh
declared 25, 26 and 27 April as days of
mourning. The government of Karnataka
organized charter buses to go to
Puttaparthi transporting the devotees.
Political reactions were swift with Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh and opposition
leader Lal Krishna Advani offering their
condolences. Lalu Prasad Yadav and
southern politicians such as the
Karnataka Chief Minister B. S.
Yeddyurappa, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister
Karunanidhi, Jayalalitha and Andhra
Pradesh Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar
Reddy also offered their condolences.
Beliefs and practices of
devotees
Sathya Sai Baba said that his followers do
not need to give up their original religion,
saying ‘my objective is the establishment
of sanatana dharma, which believes in
one God as propitiated by the founders of
all religions. So there is no need to give
up his religion or deity.’
Internationally, Sathya Sai Baba devotees
gather daily or weekly on Sundays and or
Thursdays to sing group devotional songs,
prayer, spiritual meditation, service to the
community (Seva), and to participate in
‘Education in Human Values’ (SSEHV)
known as ‘Bal Vikas’ - Blossoming of the
Child, that can also be described as Sai
Sunday School.
A primary aspect of Baba’s teachings is
the spiritual benefit of darshan for his
students. At that time, Sai Baba may
interact with people, accept letters
materialize and distribute vibhuti (sacred
ash) or call groups or individuals for
interviews. Devotees consider it a great
privilege to have an interview and
sometimes a single person, group or
family will be invited for a private
interview.
There is no published formal doctrine or
set of rules for the Sai Baba movement.
Prasanthi Nilayam
Puttaparthi, where Sathya Sai Baba was
born and lived, was originally a small
remote South Indian village in Andhra
Pradesh. Now there is an extensive
university complex, a specialty hospital,
Chaitanya Jyoti (a world-religions
museum that has won several
international awards for design, a
Planetarium, a railway station, a hill-view
stadium, an administrative building, an
airport, an indoor sports stadium and
more.
High ranking Indian politicians, like the
former President Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam,
former Prime Minister Atal Bihari
Vajpayee, Andhra Pradesh former Chief
Minister Konijeti Rosaiah and Karnataka
Chief Minister B. S. Yeddyurappa have
been official guests at the ashram in
Puttaparthi. On Sathya Sai Baba’s 80th
birthday celebration, it was reported that
well over a million people attended,
including 13,000 delegates from India
and 180 other countries.
Sathya Sai Baba resided much of the time
in his main ashram called Prashanthi
Nilayam (Abode of Highest Peace) at
Puttaparthi. In the hot summer he used
to leave for his other ashram, called
Brindavan, in Kadugodi, Whitefield a town
on the outskirts of Bangalore.
Occasionally he visited his Sai Shruti
ashram in Kodaikanal.
Sathya Sai Baba established three
primary mandirs (spiritual centres) in
India. The first mandir, founded in
Mumbai in 1968, is referred to as either
Dharmakshetra‘ or ‗Sathyam‘. The
second center established in Hyderabad in
1973, is referred to as ‗Shivam‘. The
third center, inaugurated on 19 January
1981 in Chennai, is referred to as
‗Sundaram‘thus signifying the three
aspects Satyam-Shivam-Sundaram or
Truth-Consciousness-Beauty.
Institutions, organizations and
projects
Sathya Sai Baba supported a variety of
free educational institutions, hospitals,
and other charitable works in over 166
countries.
a) The Sri Sathya Sai Institute of
Higher Learning (now changed
to Sri Sathya Sai University) in
Prashanthi Nilayam is the only
college in India to have received an
‘A++’ rating by the National
Assessment and Accreditation
Council (an autonomous body
established by the University Grants
Commission). Sri Sathya Sai
University for which Baba is the
Chancellor, has three campuses,
one at Puttaparthi for men, one at
Whitefield, Bangalore for men, and
one at Anantapur for women.
b) His charity supports an institute for
Indian Classical Music called the Sri
Sathya Sai Mirpuri College of
Music. Baba’s educational
institutions aim to impart Character
Education along with Excellence in
academics with emphasis on Human
Values and Ethics.
Sathya Sai Baba chaired the
Muddenahalli-Sathya Sai Loka Seva
School and Sri Sathya Sai Loka Seva
Trust Educational Institutions in
Muddenahalli-Kanivenarayanapura
regions.
c) In addition, a Sathya Sai Baba
University and Medical School as
well as a world class hospital and
research institute are being
constructed on over 200 acres
(0.81 km2) to serve the destitute
population. Baba said that the
campus will be modeled after
Puttaparthi and will infuse
spirituality with academics.
d) Sri Sathya Sai Super Specialty
Hospital, Whitefield (suburb of
Bangalore), Karnataka, India
The Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher
Medical Sciences in Puttaparthi is a 220
bed facility that provides free surgical and
medical care and was inaugurated by the
then Prime Minister Narasimha Rao on 22
November 1991.
The Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher
Medical Sciences in Puttaparthi
The Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher
Medical Sciences in Bangalore is a 333
bed hospital meant to benefit the poor.
The hospital was inaugurated on 19
January 2001 by the then Prime Minister
Atal Behari Vajpayee. The hospital has
provided free medical care to over
250,000 patients since then.
e) The Sri Sathya Sai General
Hospital was opened in Whitefield,
Bangalore, in 1977 and provides
complex surgeries, food and
medicines free of cost. The hospital
has treated over 2 million patients.
f) The Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust
runs several general hospitals, two
specialty hospitals, eye hospitals
and mobile dispensaries and
conducts medical camps in rural
and slum areas in India. The Trust
has also funded several major
drinking water projects.
g) One project completed in 1996
supplies water to 1.2 million people
in about 750 villages in the
drought-prone Anantapur district in
Andhra Pradesh.
h) The second drinking water project,
completed in 2004, supplies water
to Chennai through a rebuilt
waterway named ‗Sathya Sai
Ganga Canal‘.Tamil Nadu Chief
Minister M. Karunanidhi praised the
Chennai water project and Sai
Baba's involvement.
i) Other completed water projects
include the Medak District Project
benefiting 450,000 people in 179
villages and the Mahbubnagar
District Project benefitting 350,000
people in 141 villages.
j) In January 2007, the Sri Sathya Sai
Central Trust said it would start a
drinking water project in Latur,
Maharashtra.
 k) In 2008, 2 million people in the
state of Orissa, India were affected
by floods. As a relief measure, Sri
Sathya Sai Seva Organization has
built 699 houses as a part of their
first phase in 16 villages by March
2009.
Sathya Sai Baba‘s Educare program
seeks to fund schools throughout the
world with the goal of educating children
in the five human values. According to
the Sai Educare site, schools have been
founded in 33 countries, including
Australia, Mexico, the United
Kingdom and Peru.
The Times of Zambia states:
‘The positive influence of Sathya Sai is
unprecedented in the annals of education
in Zambia. Sai Baba’s education ideals as
embodied in his human values-based
approach in education are an eye opener
to educationists in Zambia.’
In Canada, the Fraser Institute, an
independent Canadian research and
educational organization, ranked the
Sathya Sai School of Canada as one of
the top 37 elementary schools in Ontario.
The Sathya Sai School scored a perfect 10
out of 10 in the Institute’s overall rating
for academic performance.
On 23 November 1999, the Department
of Posts, Government of India, released a
postage stamp and a postal cover in
recognition of the service rendered by
Sathya Sai Baba in addressing the
problem of providing safe drinking water
to the rural masses.
On 23 November 2001, the digital radio
network Radio Sai Global Harmony was
launched through the World Space
Organization, United States. Dr. Michael
Oleinik of Nobel a distant relative to
Alfred Nobel and one of the patrons for
the radio network said that the radio
network would spread Sathya Sai Baba’s
message of global harmony and peace.
In January 2007, an event was held in
Chennai Nehru stadium organized by the
Chennai Citizens Conclave to thank
Sathya Sai Baba for the 200 crore water
project which brought water from the
River Krishna in Andhra Pradesh to
Chennai city. Four chief ministers
attended the function then.
Miracles and clairvoyance
Devotees say they have observed Sathya
Sai Baba manifesting vibhuti (holy ash),
and sometimes food and ‘small objects’
such as rings, necklaces and watches. In
some books, magazines, filmed interviews
and articles, Sathya Sai Baba’s followers
report miracles of various kinds that they
attribute to him. The first ever record of
Baba's miracles by a foreigner was made
by Howard Murphet in his book, Sai Baba
- Man of Miracles. Devotees have said
that objects have appeared
spontaneously in connection with pictures
and altars of Sathya Sai Baba. Sathya Sai
Baba’s devotees believe that he relieves
his devotees by transferring their pain to
himself.
Internationally, devotees report that
vibhuti, kumkum, turmeric powder, holy
water, Shiva lingams, statues of deities
(brass and gold), sugar candy, fruits,
herbs, amrita (a fragrant, nectar-like
honey), gems, colored string, writings in
ash and various other substances
spontaneously manifest and materialize
on the walls, furniture, pictures and altars
of Sathya Sai Baba.
The retired Icelandic psychology professor
Erlendur Haraldsson wrote that he did not
get Sathya Sai Baba’s permission to study
him under controlled circumstances, but
that he investigated the guru’s alleged
miracles and manifestations through
interviews with devotees and ex-
devotees. Some of the reported miracles
included levitation (both indoors and
outdoors), bilocation, physical
disappearances, changing granite into
sugar candy, changing water into another
drink, changing water into gasoline,
producing objects on demand, changing
the color of his gown while wearing it,
multiplying food, healing acute and
chronic diseases, appearing in visions and
dreams, making different fruits appear on
any tree hanging from actual stems,
controlling the weather, physically
transforming into various deities and
physically emitting brilliant light.
Haraldsson wrote that the largest
allegedly materialized object that he saw
was a mangalsutra necklace, 32 inches
long, 16 inches long on each side.
Haraldsson wrote that some miracles
attributed to Sathya Sai Baba resemble
the ones described in the New Testament,
but that although healings certainly figure
in Sai Baba’s reputation, his impression is
that healings do not play as prominent a
role in Sathya Sai Baba’s activities as in
those of Jesus.
Sathya Sai Baba has explained the
phenomenon of manifestation as being an
act of divine creation, but refused to have
his materializations investigated under
experimental conditions. In a 1974
discourse, he stated, ‘The optical sense
cannot visualize the truth. It gives only
false and fogged information. For
example, there are many who observe
my actions and start declaring that my
nature is such and such.’
In April 1976, Dr. H. Narasimhaiah, a
physicist, rationalist and then vice
chancellor of Bangalore University,
founded and chaired a committee ‘to
rationally and scientifically investigate
miracles and other verifiable
superstitions’. Narasimhaiah wrote Sathya
Sai Baba three letters that were widely
publicized, in which he publicly challenged
Baba to perform his miracles under
controlled conditions. Sathya Sai Baba
said that he ignored Narasimhaiah’s
challenge because he felt his approach
was improper.
Sathya Sai Baba further said about the
Narasimhaiah committee, ‘Science must
confine its inquiry only to things
belonging to the human senses, while
spiritualism transcends the senses. If you
want to understand the nature of spiritual
power you can do so only through the
path of spirituality and not science. What
science has been able to unravel is
merely a fraction of the cosmic
phenomena ...’ Narasimhaiah’s committee
was dissolved in August 1977.
According to Erlendur Haraldsson, the
formal challenge from the committee
came to a dead end because of the
negative attitude of the committee, and
perhaps because of all the fanfare
surrounding it. Narasimhaiah held the fact
that Sathya Sai Baba ignored his letters
to be one of several indications that his
miracles are fraudulent. As a result of this
episode, a public debate raged for several
months in Indian newspapers.
Sathya Sai Baba says of ‘miracles’, ‘those
who profess to have understood me, the
scholars, the yogis, the pundits, the
jnanis, all of them are aware only of the
least important, the casual external
manifestation of an infinitesimal part of
that power, namely, the ‘miracles’! This
has been the case in all ages. People may
be very near (physically) to the Avatar,
but they live out their lives unaware of
their fortune; they exaggerate the role of
miracles, which are as trivial, when
compared to my glory and majesty, as a
mosquito is in size and strength to the
elephant upon which it squats. Therefore,
when you speak about these ‘miracles,’ I
laugh within myself out of pity that you
allow yourself so easily to lose the
precious awareness of my reality.’
Controversies and Criticisms
In a BBC documentary, Basava
Premanand stated that he had been
investigating Sathya Sai Baba since 1968
and that, in his opinion, Sai Baba has
faked materialisations. He sued Sathya
Sai Baba in 1986 for violations of the Gold
Control Act, citing Sathya Sai Baba’s
purported ‘materializations’ of gold
objects. When the case was dismissed,
Premanand unsuccessfully appealed on
the ground that claimed spiritual power is
not a defense recognized in law.
In the 1995 TV documentary Guru
Busters, produced by filmmaker Robert
Eagle for UK’s Channel 4, Sathya Sai
Baba was accused of faking his
materializations. A videotape suggested
that magician’s tricks were involved. The
same videotape was mentioned in the
Deccan Chronicle, on 23 November 1992,
on a front page headline ‘DD Tape Unveils
Baba Magic’. However, Erlendur
Haraldsson, a professor of psychology, in
his book Modern Miracles stated that,
on investigating the DD video researchers
did not find evidence of fake
materialization as claimed by Deccan
chronicle. Wiseman took the video to a
company which investigates corporate
fraud. In spite of improving the graininess
of the low quality video with enhanced
filters and running it through advanced
image processing systems, the DD video
did not provide firm evidence of sleight of
hand.
In 1998, British journalist Mick Brown
stated in his book The Spiritual Tourist
that Sathya Sai Baba’s claim of
‘resurrecting’ the American devotee
Walter Cowan in 1971 was probably
untrue. His opinion was based on letters
from the attending doctors presented in
the magazine Indian Skeptic, published
by Basava Premanand, a skeptic and
amateur magician. Brown also related, in
the same book, his experiences with
manifestations of vibuthi from Sathya Sai
Baba’s pictures in houses in London,
which he felt were not fraudulent or the
result of trickery. Brown wrote with
regards to Sathya Sai Baba’s claims of
omniscience, that ‘skeptics have produced
documentation clearly showing
discrepancies between Baba’s reading of
historical events and biblical prophecies,
and the established accounts.’
In December 2000, the magazine India
Today published a cover story about Sai
Baba with allegations of fakery made by
the magician P. C. Sorcar, Jr.
The Vancouver Sun in 2001 reported that
Sathya Sai Baba told his adherents not to
browse the World Wide Web due to the
allegations rapidly circulating on various
Internet websites and in a few
newspapers. In a 2000 public discourse,
Sathya Sai Baba said, ‘These teachings
(the Vedas) are highly sacred. Today
people are ready to believe all that they
see on television and internet but do not
repose their faith in the Vedic
declarations. Internet is like a waste
paper basket. Follow the ‘innernet,’ not
the internet.’
In 2004, in the UK and internationally,
the BBC aired a documentary titled The
Secret Swami, in its series ‘The World
Uncovered’. One central theme of the BBC
documentary was Alaya Rahm’s sexual
abuse allegations against Sathya Sai
Baba. The documentary interviewed him
together with Mark Roche, who had
devoted 25 years of his life since 1969 to
the movement and alleged abuse by him.
A spokesman for the BBC told Asian Voice
that the documentary had gone to great
lengths to be balanced and fair, and that
the story was one of a crisis and
ultimately a betrayal of faith. Another
documentary, Seduced By Sai Baba,
carried interviews of abuse allegations. It
was produced by Denmark’s national
television and radio broadcast company,
Denmarks Radio (DR).
Documentaries produced by the BBC and
the Danish Broadcasting Corporation,
analyzing videos of the supposed
miracles, suggest that they can be
explained as sleight of hand.
Responses to criticism
Neither Sathya Sai Baba nor any
organizations associated with him have
been charged or convicted for sexual
abuse or any other crime in a court of
law. Alaya Rahm filed a lawsuit against
the Sathya Sai Baba Society in the
Superior Court of California on January 6,
2005. On April 7, 2006 Alaya Rahm
withdrew his lawsuit after indications that
his challenge lacked merit. The case was
dismissed ‘with prejudice’ meaning it
cannot be filed for the same claims again.
The Pioneer also noted that no offers of
monetary settlement were paid to Alaya
Rahm.
During an interview with Asian Voice
magazine Ashok Bhagani, a trustee of the
Sai Organization in the UK, said that the
allegations in the Secret Swami BBC
documentary were baseless. Bhagani said
that devotees never meet Sai Baba alone.
Lawrence A. Babb states that ‘he is
certainly more than the mere parlor trick
magician many of his critics claim that he
is.’
Devotee Bill Aitken (traveller) was quoted
by The Week as saying that Sathya Sai
Baba’s reputation has not been harmed
by the negative stories published about
the guru. He said that the more
detractors rail against Sathya Sai Baba,
the more new devotees went to see him.
In the article Divine Downfall, published
in the Daily Telegraph, Anil Kumar, the
ex-principal of the Sathya Sai Educational
Institute said that he believed that the
controversy is part of Baba’s divine plan
and that all great religious teachers had
to face criticism during their lives. Anil
Kumar also said that allegations have
been leveled at Sathya Sai Baba since
childhood, but with every criticism he
becomes more and more triumphant.
In an official letter made public in
December 2001, A.B. Vajpayee (then
Prime Minister of India), P.N. Bhagawati
(Former Chief Justice of the Supreme
Court of India), Ranganath Misra (Chair
Person, National Human Rights
Commissioner of India and Former Chief
Justice of the Supreme Court of India),
Najma Heptulla (President of the Inter-
Parliamentary Union; UNDP Distinguished
Human Development Ambassador) and
Shivraj Patil (Member of Parliament,
India; Formerly of the Lok Sabha & Union
Minister) all signed a letter which stated
as follows:
‘We are deeply pained and anguished by
the wild, reckless and concocted
allegations made by certain vested
interests and people against Bhagawan
Sri Sathya Sai Baba. We would normally
expect that responsible media would
ascertain the true facts before printing
such calumny - especially when the
person is revered globally as an
embodiment of love and selfless service
to humanity. Since this professional ethic
has not been observed by a section of the
media, we have elected to go public with
this signed statement.’
The Times of India on 26 December
2000 said that Sathya Sai Baba ‘lashed
out at his detractors in a rare display of
anger’ while referring to criticism
published in a magazine. The Times
quoted him as saying:
‘Jesus Christ underwent many hardships,
and was put to the cross because of
jealousy. Many around him could not bear
the good work he did and the large
number of followers he gathered. One of
his disciples, Judas, betrayed him. In
those days there was one Judas, but
today there are thousands. Just as that
Judas was tempted to betray Jesus, the
Judases of today, too, are bought out to
lie. Jealousy was the motive behind the
allegations levelled at him’.
Sathya Sai Baba publicly responded to the
allegations on 25 December 2000: ‘Some
people out of their mean-mindedness are
trying to tarnish the image of Sai Baba. I
am not after name and fame. So, I do not
lose anything by their false allegations.
My glory will go on increasing day by day.
It will never diminish even a bit if they
were to publicize their false allegations in
the whole world in bold letters. Some
devotees seem to be perturbed over
these false statements. They are not true
devotees at all. Having known the mighty
power of Sai, why should they be afraid of
the ‘cawing of crows’? One should not get
carried away by all that is written on
walls, said in political meetings or the
vulgar tales carried by the press.
HOW LONG WILL THE AGED
AVATAR OF THE AGE -SAI BABA-
LAST?
Of Sathya Narayana Raju (later Sathya
Sai Baba) it is reported by several
devotee writers that he will die at the age
95 and or 96 (Some places in India a
person who is 95, yet is in-the 96th year,
is said to be 96 years old.) On various
occasions Baba has reportedly said in
private that his life would last 96 years
which age he finally confirmed in a public
discourse in 2000. Yet, contradictorily,
in two early discourses in 1960 and
1961 respectively, he gave the length
of his remaining life as 58 and 59
years. This adds up to a life-span of
only either 92 or 93 years!
Will Sathya Sai Baba die on his own
birthday? The Norwegian journalist,
Thorbjørn Færøvik, who visited Prashanthi
Nilayam in 1998, reported the following
statement from the organizer of the
World Conference on the Future of
Humanity:-
‗He‘s going to die on his 95-year
anniversary,‘ said Dr. A. Murthi, who
sitting in the organizing committee
for the World Conference and is a
sworn devotee of Sai Baba.
Note particularly Sai Baba's
assertion: ‗My Word will never
fail...‘
Which age will it be? Ninety-two, Ninety-
three, Ninety-six? Or whenever he sees
fit? It is interesting too that no Indian
astrologer who has made predictions
about Sathya Sai Baba has given the date
of his death... though most of them do
this with great confidence for anyone who
wants! So what about when Sai Baba’s
prophecies are so self-contradictory?
Some of his words on that are certain to
fail. Many of his words have already
failed, as documented profusely.
We can confidently await the further fall
of the highly questionable Sathya Sai
Baba, whose adharmic (i.e. ‘unrighteous)
activities have already been exposed to
the world. His claims will not hold, he will
not lift mountain ranges or fly through the
air. He will not live to be 96 (he has
himself said in published discourses that
he would live until, age 93, but some fool
devotee author got it wrong and wrote 96
and this figure was the one that stuck!).
At whatever age he departs this earth,
the believers, having been deluded by his
many deceptions, including his psychic
powers (none of which are not found
elsewhere, even today), will find a
rationalization for it, as they do for
everything else.
The state of his health is a closely-
guarded secret, though his debilities can
be seen in that he cannot walk without
support and then only a few yards. Were
it to be known, for example, that he
suffers from osteoarthritis, the
consequences for many followers would
be further to doubt his claims of perfect
health as a concomitant of his alleged
divinity, purity, patience and
perseverance (which he holds are a
guarantee of perfect health!). The large
and protective social environment built up
around him and his ashrams - which are
dependent on the flow of donations - has
already suffered consequences as his
reputation has sunk. For the poor
believers, it will be another of his
‘lessons’, another ‘test of faith’ doubtless.
Probably only completely credulous ‘blind
faith true believers’ or badly misinformed
and deluded followers are now active in
supporting him and covering up his many
misdeeds, bogus claims, fraudulent
‘materializations’ and ignorant
proclamations and unworldly and
misinforming ‘teachings’.
Sathya Sai Baba‘s death – no
miracles as his life!
The death of Sathya Sai Baba was
wrongly predicted by him, he did not
live into his 90s as he prophesies on
numerous occasions! This is yet
another false boast and one which
confounds all the devotees who
blindly believed his words and in his
divinity. He died a sick man, in more
sense than one! The BBC has
announced his death, but adds that
he has been accused of fraudulent
miracle tricks and sexual abuses. This
is an epitaph that will always follow
him and, as researchers and
historians collect and study the
evidence, the accusations and the
reason Sai Baba avoided prosecution
will become evident and a permanent
part of his otherwise largely bogus
‗story‘.
How did he actually die? This is difficult to
answer. The medical report states Cardio-
respiratory failure. Now that is very
neutral medical terminology, but what
caused this breathing and heart failure?
This happens if one is taken off vital life
support. So did he jump or was he
pushed?
Your guess is as good as mine… those
who really know will be tighter than clams
if it was a deliberate act by those in
charge. If he jumped, then it fitted in
extremely well with all the massive
planning of the authorities for a big
screen send-off, new helicopter pads for
VIPs all preparing to descend just today!
Indeed it seems a miracle of timing from
Vishnu, reclining on his serpent bed in
milky ocean? If there is any body one
cannot trust in India (rhetorical) then it is
certainly the Sathya Sai Central Trust and
their minions!
His death is announced on the day that it
is widely believed that Jesus was
resurrected – Easter Sunday – suspecting
those in power around him to have kept
him on support so they could disconnect
him on just this day.
It seems to make a bigger splash
than the crashing fact that he has
died and ‗prematurely‘ (according to
him). However, he has died and no
resurrection is reported! Still, one
should not be surprised if some
fantasists claim to have seen him
raised and in the flesh… there are
plenty of lunatics among the
indoctrinated and deluded believers
in his self-proclaimed divinity and
even his most bizarre and beyond-all-
credibility miracles!
Take the story that The Times of India
put out yesterday as example of ‘fringe
lunacy’! How a major newspaper could
spread such preposterous rumors (under
the cover of ‘reporting’) as
―Baba said he would return
stronger‖?
Answer: because it pulls in a mass of
desperately hoping devotee readers and
sells the paper very well. It may be also
partly due to the shadow of Justice
Bhagwati – a corrupt Supreme Court ex-
judge who is involved with the Times of
India and has for decades been a Sai
Baba official too. Here is the Times of One of my correspondents just mailed me
India’s report:- this perceptive comment:

PUTTAPARTHI: Did Sathya Sai Baba have ―Now after his death the inner circle
premonition 10 years ago that he would will do all their best to protect his
fall seriously ill? Yes, claim his followers. image of an avatar or at least a saint
According to them, Sai Baba had as it is a vital factor for the future
predicted in 2000 that he would be donations and pilgrim‘s attraction. On
indisposed for 40 days but would come the other hand, it is a good point for
back strong to give darshan to his journalists and historians to focus on
devotees. SSB as he was with all his stuff. This
is an opportunity for critical voices to
This was revealed in a book
be heard. But a real breakthrough in
‗Tapovanam — Bhagawan Sri Sathya
our knowledge of what happened in
Saibaba Satcharitra Nityaparaya-
SSB‘s kitchen is possible only if
nam‘ in which the author Jandhyala
someone from the inner circle is
Venkateswara Sastry has written an
deprived of its share in multi-billion
essay on Baba‘s ill-health. Sai Baba
dollar empire. Then we will have
had told his students at his Sai Shruti
someone who is ready to speak out
ashram in Kodaikanal in 2000:
before he is killed.
‗Though most of my disciples fall at
my feet, they do not know my real
value. A time would come when I
would vanish and take a walk across
the skies. During that phase, my body
would face serious health problems
and devotees would be desperately
praying for my recovery.‘

This Indian sastri lives in cloud-cuckoo

land, which is well-populated with Sathya
Sai worshippers, including a large number
of Indian gurus and swamis. Only one or
two have bravely spoken out against
Sathya Sai Baba, for they mostly wanted
to believe in India’s top dog avatar, while
others dared not stand forth due to the
extreme harassment that prominent
critics have faced in India – especially the
world-famous sceptic, Basava
Premanand.
Oct 1934-May 20th 2008
 Naqshbandi Sheikh Sufi
Onkar Nath-Bhaiyya Ji RA

gujre hE< lMhe< ijNdgI ke terI saehvt me< jae

bn gye hE< vae Aaj lMhye nUr ijNdgI ke merI

bn ke inSbte nKzbNdI Daye hE< ijNdgI me< merI

)Ulae< kae hE r<ijz mhkate hE< Aaizyane kae jb

gujr rhI hE ijNdgI %NhI< lMhae< ke sdke me< Ab

gujrtI jay ijNdgI yU< hI duAa hE bs yhI rb se

-taoshobuddha
Solemn are the moments of life spent in thy company
Verily have these become the moments of Light Divine
As the moments of Nisbet-E-Naqshbandi
Now adorn my Life, My Living and my Being too
Flowers get verily jealous as these moments
Fill each congregation with Light – Divine
And life moves on as the blossoming of such moments
May thus the sojourn continue erelong
Such is my humble prayer each finite moment!!!
-Taoshobuddha
 Shrine Naqshbandi Sheikh Sufi Onkar Nath – Bhaiyya ji RA

Naqshbandi Sufi Brij Mohan Lal RA and Sufi Shakuntala Devi RA

(Parents Naqshbandi Sheikh Sufi Onkar Nath – BhaiyyaJi RA)

Naqshbandi Sufi Sheikh Onkar Nath was according to Gregorian calendar is not
born in October 1934 to the parentage of certain.
NaqshbandiSufi Brij Mohan Lal RA and
According to Hindu Lunar calendar he was
Sufi Shakuntala Devi RA. Unlike many
born on the fifth day of Hindu period of
other masters whose birth date is not
Pitra Paksh or Kanahgat. This is the
clear Sufi Onkar Nath‟s date of birth
period when Hindus pay oblation to their
departed ancestors for their salvation.
And it is not considered as auspicious for
celebrations. As a result all celebrations
are postponed until after the end of this
period of fifteen days. Under these
circumstances Sufi Jai Devi who is the
consort of Sufi Naqshbandi Raghuber
Dayal or Chacha Ji RA and the
grandmother of the Sheikh Onkar Nath
suggested that the birthday be celebrated
on the fifth day of the following period of
Navratri. This is considered as the
auspicious period between Pitra Paksh
and Deepavali. Since then the birthday
was celebrated on the second day of the
spiritual gathering as this gave the
opportunity to the other devotees as well
to participate in the birth celebration of
their beloved master.
Later in 1960‟s the fourth son of the
sheikh – Prakash Mohan and more
popularly known by his nick name –
„Ootte‟ was born on the second day of the
function and the also the son of sheikh‟s
younger brother – Rakesh Mohan was
born around the same time. Therefore the
celebration became triple fold.
I recall it was during the spiritual
gathering at the shrine of his master-
father during the month of Dashahra or
Vijay-Dashmi festival that my
grandmother – Shakuntala Devi along
with other family members and the
congregation of other devotees will
celebrate the birth day of Sheikh.
Therefore, the second day of the festival
according to lunar calendar is dedicated
to the birth of the sheikh.
He was born in Fatehpur where his father
Sufi Brij Mohan Lal was posted in his
government job after two brothers and a
sister. From the early childhood he was
under the benign care of his parents and
thus the traits of the masterhood were
inculcated in him.
Onkar Nath and his elder sister were
entrusted with the responsibility of taking
care of the basic needs of the Sheikh
from arranging his bed to other things.
Every night both brother and sister will
arrange and fix the bed of the father. And
each time when the sheikh will sit on the
bed his usual complaint was that the bed
is not fixed correct. So he would get up
from the bed and consciously in his usual
gesture of indrawn-ness into his being will
move the bed from side to side and then
when satisfied that the bed is fixed good
he would sit in preparation for other
prayers and tawwazojh to the disciples far
and wide. Both my mother – Gyatri and
Sheikh Onkar Nath found his father to be
really fussy for such small things like bed.
So one day both of them decided to test if
the sheikh really knew what he meant by
saying that the bed is not fixed good or
he was simply fussy and complaining.
They planned a way out. They put a mark
around the posts or legs of the bed and
the next day they kept the bed slightly
away from these marks where the bed
was shifted by the sheikh. Both continued
to watch next day what happens. As usual
when the sheikh came inside after the
meditation session was over and sat on
the bed complained saying these people
do not know how to fix the bed correctly.
Saying this he got up from the bed and in
his usual manner shift the bed until his
consciousness was satisfied that the bed
is now in order sat.
Now it was the turn of the both brother
and sister to watch if the father really
knew what he was saying or he was
simply complaining in his usual manner.
To their surprise they found the posts of
the bed were on the exact marks where
the sheikh fixed the previous night. Such
is the delicacy or the fine or precise
tuning of the consciousness of the sheikh.
Thus Onkar Nath grew in such an
environment that instilled the fine seeds
of mindfulness according to Buddha of
small things. Remember human
consciousness is the aggregate of such
moments of mindfulness. And also such is
the way of master for his disciples.
Sufi Brij Mohan Lal – the father on the
sheikh was the master of such fine things.
Through these alone one indeed learns
the art of meditativeness moment to
moment. Meditation is not something to
be done once or twice for the day. Indeed
it is inculcating the habit of moment to
moment awareness and being conscious
of both inside and outside.
Initiation of the Sheikh
Initiation is the ultimate in the process of
transformation. Why is initiation into
meditation or initiation to a master
essential?
As such as man exists, he is asleep. Even
in his waking he is asleep. His sleep is
neurotic. He cannot wake up from this
sleep. On his own, he may wake up but
still remain in slumber. A Master is
needed to wake him up from such
neurosis. Initiation is the process for him
to remain in contact with the one who is
awakened. Without this it is almost
impossible for you to be awake. You are
capable of dreaming even when you are
awake.
When it is said that man is asleep, this
has to be understood. Man dreams
twenty-four hours a day. In the night
when we are closed to the outer world,
we continue to dream. During the day our
senses are open. Our senses open in the
outer world of duality. It is through the
senses that we continue to experience the
outer world, but the dreams continue
within. Just close your eyes and you start
dreaming again. Dreams are continuity
inside. You are aware of the outer world
but that awareness is imposed on the
dreaming mind. Thus, continues the
dream. In such a case we cannot envision
reality although we are awake. This is
how dreams are imposed on reality. What
we actually see is our projections on
reality.
Everyone is plagued with dreams. A
father is full of his unfulfilled dreams. You
become an object of projection for your
father. Your father will project his dreams
on you. Then, whatever he understands
about you gets mixed up with his own
dreams. So projecting one‟s dreams on
someone else is different than loving.
When you love someone, you do not
impose your dreams on them. He will
appear quite different than when you do
not love him. The other becomes quite
different when you use the other as a
screen to project your dreams.
When someone loves you, the dream is
different. Also, that person appears
different. On the contrary, when you do
not love someone, the person is the
same, the screen is also the same, but
the projection differs. In that case you
are not using the other as the screen to
project your dreams. Things can change
again. Once again you can love the other
and then he will appear different.
Normally, we do not see what this is. We
go on seeing our own dreams projected
on reality.
A master is not the same to each one of
you. Each one projects something
different on the master. In reality, he is
one as far as he is concerned. If the
master himself is dreaming, then he will
differ in each moment. It is so because,
each moment his interpretation will differ.
But when the master is awakened, then
he will remain the same in all situations
and circumstances. Buddha said the real
test of an enlightened one is that he is
always the same. It is just like sea water.
Its taste never changes wherever you
taste it from.
As a person you are a projection of ideas,
notions, conceptions, and interpretations.
Like a projector you go on projecting
things that are nowhere but inside you.
The whole becomes a screen. Then you
cannot be aware by yourself. This is deep
sleep.
I have heard, there was a Sufi master,
Hijira. One day an angel appeared to him
in a dream and told him to save as much
water as possible, because the next day
the devil would poison all the water and
whoever drank that water would turn
mad. So that night, the Sufi collected as
much water as he could. The
phenomenon really happened. The next
day everyone became mad after drinking
the poisoned water. The whole city
became mad. No one knew what had
happened. It was only the Sufi who was
not mad. But everyone thought that the
Sufi had become mad. But he knew what
had happened. No one believed him. He
went on drinking his water and remained
sane by himself. However, he could not
continue for long in this way. The entire
city was living in an altogether different
world. And one day the rumor came that
he would be caught and put into prison. It
was believed that he had gone mad.
Finally, one morning they got hold of him.
He had two options, either accept the
treatment for his madness or be prepared
to go to prison. He was not allowed
freedom. He was condemned as mad. It
was based on the conclusion that he
spoke a different language that could not
be understood by the masses.
The Sufi was at a loss. He tried to remind
people of their past through every
possible means. But the people had
forgotten everything. He was
incomprehensible to them. So they
surrounded his house and caught him. At
this, the Sufi asked to be given some time
to cure himself. He went to the well and
drank some water. As he drank the water,
he became one like them. The whole city
was happy that the Sufi was cured now.
Now his madness was no more you are
asleep. But you are never aware of this
sleep. When everyone is mad and you are
also mad, you can never be aware of this.
Initiation is, therefore, the way to awaken
you from this sleep.
By initiation is meant that now you have
surrendered to someone who is awake.
You are a part of the world; a part of its
duality and its madness. Living in this
world you are always plagued by dreams.
Such feelings can also come from
someone who is in a sleeping state. Sleep
is not always deep. In the beginning sleep
wavers. Sometimes it is deep at other
times it gets shallow. There is a similarity
between ordinary sleep and the
metaphysical sleep. Ordinary sleep
fluctuates between various planes and
levels; metaphysical sleep also fluctuates.
At times you are on the borderline. You
are very close to being a Buddha. You can
then understand something that Buddha
is saying. However, whatever is heard or
understood is not exactly the same. But
you do get a glimpse of the truth. It is
like looking at the sunrise from a room
through a window. You are not as yet in
openness under the vast sky.
The master observes this. A person who
is on the borderline of this metaphysical
sleep needs initiation. He needs to be
within the energy field of an awakened or
enlightened master. He can hear
something. He can understand
something. He can see something as well.
Everything around him is like the mist,
yet still he feels something. Thus, he
approaches an Enlightened One, not
really knowing the essence of
enlightenment. He is ready to surrender.
This is the only way to wake up from this
metaphysical sleep. Sleep of lives! Only
this much this person can do.
Surrendering brings the understanding
that something other than sleep is now
happening. Somehow he feels this. But he
cannot exactly know what this is.
Whenever an enlightened one passes,
those who are on the borderline of this
metaphysical sleep can recognize that
there is something different about this
person. A different breeze, a different
energy field surrounds this person. He
behaves differently. He speaks differently.
He lives differently. He walks differently.
Something different has happened to him.
He looks like one of us, but in reality he is
much more. Much more than total human
intellect can comprehend! He is the pulse
of the unknown. So those who are on the
borderline can feel this. But they are
asleep. Also, the borderline sleep is
transient. They can fall back into sleep at
any time.
Before they fall back to sleep or deeper
unconsciousness, it is essential for them
to surrender to an awakened one. This is
initiation. But this is from the side of the
one who is to be initiated. He is incapable
of doing anything for himself. He knows
that if he does not surrender now, it will
be impossible later on. This moment
cannot be lost. Such moments come only
once in our lives. It is not in anyone‟s
hand to be on the borderline once again.
It happens for so many reasons, that they
are beyond human control.
This is the beginning of the process of
initiation. On the part of the initiated, this
refers to total let go – a state of total
surrender. It can never be partial. A
partial surrender is never surrender. This
is like deceiving yourself. In partial
surrender you hold something within. And
that which is withheld may push you
again into deep sleep. And then you have
lost the opportunity for many lives!
Remember that the non-surrendered part
will prove fatal. Any moment it can go
back to sleep!
Surrender is always total. For surrender
total trust is an essential precondition.
The moment you surrender totally,
change begins to happen. Then you
cannot fall back in into dreams. When you
surrender, the entire projecting mind gets
shattered. This projecting mind is born
out of ego. Also it remains connected to
the ego. So it cannot exist without the
ego. Ego is the base of this projecting
mind. When you surrender, you have
surrendered the cause of your existence
up to now. You have given up completely.
Initiation means that the person who was
sleepy till now is seeking help to be
awakened. He surrenders to one who is
awake. Though it seems simple, it is not
so. When you go to an Enlightened One
to surrender yourself, what you are
surrendering is your sleep, your dreams,
and your neurosis. Nothing else needs to
be surrendered because you are nothing
more than your sleep, your dream, and
your neurosis! In fact, you surrender your
sleep, your dreams, your neurosis, and
the whole nonsense of the past. From the
side of the initiated, this is surrender.
Surrender of the past! But from the side
of the one who initiates you, it is a
responsibility for the future. It is a
responsibility for transcendence and for
the birth of a new man. One who is
asleep can never be responsible.
Responsibility comes with awakening.
This is the fundamental law of life. One
who is asleep cannot be responsible even
for himself. And the awakened one is
responsible even for others. So when you
come to an awakened one, he becomes
responsible for you. That is why an
awakened Krishna could tell Arjuna,
“Leave everything. And come to me.
Surrender at my feet.” Or as Jesus says,
“I am the truth. I am the door. I am the
gate. Come and pass through me. I will
certainly be a witness on the last day of
your judgment. I will answer for you.”
This is analogy. Every day is the Day of
Judgment. Not only every day, instead
every moment is the Day of Judgment.
There is nothing like the last day. These
were the words of Jesus that he spoke to
his disciples, who could understand Him.
They were within the energy field of
Jesus. And this had brought to them an
understanding of the message of Jesus.
However, the present day followers of
Jesus cannot understand the message.
They are only interested in the business
not the transformation. Jesus was, in fact,
saying, “I will be responsible for you. And
I will answer for you in front of the father.
I will be there as a witness. Surrender to
me, I will be your witness.”
This is the responsibility of the master.
When he initiates you, he undertakes to
transform you, so that a new being is
born out of you. No one, who is asleep
himself, can take the responsibility for
you. One can be responsible for others
only when he need not be responsible for
himself. He is unburdened. He is no more.
He is just the pulse of the unknown. An
emptiness that simply echoes the
whispers of the unknown! He is the
manifestation of the unknown in finite
form. So only such a person can really
initiate you! Not otherwise! No particular
person can initiate anyone. And if that
happens, (and this is happening
everyday) it is like a blind trying to lead
the blind. However, in reality, both
perish.
One who is asleep cannot initiate. But the
ego cannot help. This attitude is
dangerous. The whole initiation, the
whole mystery of it, the whole beauty of
it, has now become so ugly because of
those who were not entitled to initiate.
Only one who is not plagued by ego, who
has no dreams within, can initiate.
Otherwise, initiation is a great sin.
In the olden days initiation was not so
easy. One had to wait for a long time to
be initiated. Sometimes this waiting was
for the entire life. This was discipline. And
now there is a competition among the
pseudo masters to initiate as many as
possible! It has become an ego game.
I belong to a Sufi family of Enlightened
Masters. Sufis would initiate you only
when you had waited for a long time.
When you stayed with a master within his
energy field, you were being prepared.
You had to wait, without questioning. And
when the times came, the master himself
would say that the time had come. Sufi
masters remained in whatever vocation
was theirs. If the master was a
shoemaker then one would continue
helping him in the trade for years. And
you could not even question the
relevance of shoemaking. So you went on
helping the master and waiting for years.
There was no talk of prayer or meditation.
He would not talk of anything but
shoemaking. Your waiting was prayer.
Your waiting was meditation. Helping the
master in shoemaking would cleanse you.
I was never taught any prayer or any
technique of meditation. I was a witness
to all those who were initiated. My job
was to fix the meditation room, take care
of the personal needs of the master, take
care of the visitors, and answer their
queries when the message of the master
was not understood. One day, when I
complained to another master about this,
I was told that the elder master had given
me everything. “All that is, had been
bestowed on you earlier, and this now
needs to grow.”
When you are around the master, a
simple waiting, this unquestionable
waiting, prepares the ground for complete
surrender. So it was only after a long wait
initiation was possible. My uncle, the
present Sufi master, my mother and my
father were initiated on the night of
Phagwa – the Hindu festival of color.
My uncle was a young boy who was
collecting the firewood and donation that
night for the Phagwa fire. My mother was
asleep, and was not interested in
anything like initiation. She had asked her
father many times before but the sheikh
refused saying that not yet. Therefore
she, being the eyeball of her father
decided not to ask again for being
initiated.
And my father Naqshbandi Lakshmi Sahai
knew nothing of initiation, just one month
ago he had been married. They all
resented the idea of initiation. But they
were on the border of metaphysical sleep
and they had to be brought by force, so
that my Grandfather, the Sufi master
could initiate. Such is the way of the
masters.
Now everything is different. No one wants
to wait. We are time conscious. Because
of this, initiation has become difficult. You
cannot be initiated. The whole running of
the present day mind is because of the
fear of death. We are only conscious of
death – our body. There is no
consciousness of the deathless. In the
past the aspirants were conscious of the
deathlessness. There was no hurry and
initiation was easy. In fact, everything
was easy.
If you are in a hurry and the master
initiates you, your running or your dream
state, it is a devise. A devise so that you
can wait! Masters have used this devise
to persuade you into the process. On the
contrary, when the master asks you to
wait then your process of transformation
cannot begin. In such a case the master
will allow you to wait afterwards. The
master creates devises and techniques to
play with. While you are playing with such
techniques you can wait as long as the
master wants. And when the master finds
you are ready, and then the second
initiation happens. This second initiation
was the first one in olden days. Now this
is the formal initiation and the second will
be the informal one. For the second, you
need not ask the master. This he gives on
his own.
Surrender on the part of the disciple and
the responsibility on the part of the
master is the bridge. And as soon as you
are ready to surrender, the master
appears. Masters have always been in
existence. No master can begin the
process without surrender. You only
surrender that which you think you have
and in reality you do not have. And what
is that which you think being in
possession of? Indeed, it is your false
entity or ego or nafs and the clatter of the
mind that you consider as your
possession master takes away and in
place of this fill you with his awareness,
understanding, and lovingness. Thus
continues the inward journey for fruition.
When you can find someone, to whom
you have to surrender, that is good. But if
you do not find, then the master appears.
He comes whenever you are ready, when
you are empty within. Then the spiritual Then 1962 he along with his brother – in
force rushes towards you and fills you. So – law‟s younger brother began the
when you feel you are ready to surrender, graduation process as a part time student
don‟t delay. When the moment comes,
and passed with honours and the First
just surrender!
Class.
When you are ready, do not hesitate;
And on the tenth day ceremony under the
surrender! It is not important to whom
care of his mother Sufi Shakuntala Devi
you surrender. You can even surrender to
Sheikh Onkar Nath was bestowed upon
a tree. Because the real thing is
with the status of the sheikh as the 39
surrendering! Surrender to a tree. It will
Sheikh of the Golden Chain of Naqshbandi
become your master. And whenever there
– Mujaddadi-Mazaharia-Ramchandria
is surrendering, one always appears, who
order of Sufism.
becomes responsible for you. This is what
initiation is. Thereafter he continued to grow to his full
potential as the sheikh guided by his
Thus when Sheikh Onkar Nath was
mother. She took care of the eternal
initiated he was only 16 years. It was the
garden of the sheikh Brij Mohan Lal for
beginning of a new chapter in the life of
nineteen years. And when she found the
the sheikh. His father no more remained
tree has grown to its full potential and is
his father alone instead he became the
capable to giving shelter to many
master as well. He always hesitated in
aspirants Shakuntala Devi too entered
coming forward in front of the sheikh for
Samadhi on April 12th 1974. And on
anything so he had to push forward his
March 25th 1985 his first wife Shyamwati
elder sister Gyatri. He knew very well that
Devi too entered samadhi. There after he
the father will never refuse her. This was
got remarried to Mamta Devi who is the
more so when they want to go to movies.
daughter of his devotee – Ishwari Sahai.
Amidst all this floating within the energy-
From the job when he was retired he
field of the sheikh and long chain of sufi
moved from Kanpur to the city of
masters sheikh Onkar Nath continued to
Lucknow where the shrine complex exists.
blossom for the future works. In 1955
He established the trust. And also the
when Sheikh was still a student of B. Sc.
combined professional kitchen service
in Lucknow University, that during the
started at the complex where the seekers
satsang congregation Naqshbandi Sheikh
can get full meals for a very nominal cost.
Sufi Brij Mohan Lal RA entered into
samadhi. Because of financial constraints His health continued to fail but not the
he had to discontinue the studies and inner spirit. In January 2008 I visited
seek work to maintain the family India and during our meeting which was a
including the mother and a younger silent communion he was indrawn for
brother. First he worked in Canal Office certain reasons that I cannot explain as
on Temporary basis and then he got the yet.
job in the Reserve Bank of India – the
On May 20th 2008 Sheikh Onkar Nath
central bank of the country as a clerk.
entered Maha Samadhi. On the tenth day
after the funeral rites the mortal remains
were enshrined. And the shrine of the
sheikh stands in the same shrine complex
of his master sheikh Brij Mohan Lal And
mother Shakuntala devi RA.
Unlike after the enshrinement of Sufi Brij
Mohan Lal the master hood was not
conferred on any one as each lacked
Nisbet, trust in the sheikh and inner
preparation. There are several factions
and each carries the work separately.
There is apparent faction for various
reasons. Under these circumstances the
sheikh manages the affairs in his un-
embodied form. After Samadhi the sheikh
can continue like this even for ten years.
I must end here knowing the purpose and
the place where this is being published.
However the entire life of the sheikh in
details will appear soon in the volume 3 of
the Leaves from a Sufi Heart.
I must end the homage with a prayer and
commitment that let our lives be the
flower at the altar of the sheikh.

jIvn sumn cFa kr terI hm AcRna kre<ge<

jnm jnm terI hm v<dna kre<ge<.

vahunI jIvn pu:p tv cr[I ,

kIitR ga^ tuHI jNmaejNmI .

EMBELLISHING LIFE TO BE A FLOWER FOR THY ALTER

I SHALL ERELONG SING THY GLORIES!!!
Naqshbandi Sheikh Sufi Onkar Nath – Bhayyia ji RA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3emb21AJU4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RETdQ81YH8o

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIydbfNbWL4
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BISAC: Cooking / Regional & Ethnic / Asian
COOKING TAOSHOBUDDHA WAY VOL 2
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Cooking Lovingly! Cooking Meditatively! Cooking for

Buddhas!

Cooking for the transformation of human

consciousness is Cooking Taoshobuddha Way or
cooking for Buddhas!

The uniqueness of Indian Cuisine lies in its special

blend of spices that release fragrant aroma in the
atmosphere. The aroma and the finishing look
become more attractive than a beautifully dressed
beauty. This creates an enticing ambiance in the
surroundings.

Cooking lovingly! Cooking meditatively! Cooking for

Buddhas is the central theme of Cooking
Taoshobuddha Way! Cooking for the transformation
of human consciousness is what Taoshobuddha means by cooking. And this is the
central theme of „Cooking Taoshobuddha way or Buddha Way!‟

It is indeed cooking for Buddhas. A strange, yet still a meaningful title for a cook Book!

Cooking lovingly! Cooking meditatively! Cooking for Buddhas!

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The Diamond Sutra of Buddha:

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BISAC: Religion / Buddhism / Sacred Writings

The Diamond Sutra of Buddha

I love Gautama the Buddha because he represents to me the essential core of religion. He is not the
founder of Buddhism Buddhism is a byproduct - but he is the beginner of a totally different kind of
religion in the world. He’s the founder of a ‘Religionless Religion’. He has propounded no religion
instead religiousness. And this is a great radical change in the history of human consciousness.

Before Buddha there were religions but never a pure religiousness. Man was not yet mature. With
Buddha, humanity enters into a mature age. All human beings have not yet entered into that, that is
indeed true, but Buddha has heralded the path. Buddha has opened the gateless gate. It takes time
for human beings to understand such a deep message. Buddha’s message is the deepest ever.
Nobody has done the work that Buddha has done, the way he has done. Nobody else represents
pure fragrance.

Other founders of religions, other enlightened people, have compromised with their audience. Buddha
remains uncompromised, hence his purity. He does not care what you can understand he cares only
what the truth is. And he says it without being worried whether you understand it or not. In a way this
looks hard; in another way this is great compassion.

Truth has to be said as it is. The moment you compromise or the moment you bring truth to the
ordinary level of human consciousness, it loses its soul. It becomes superficial, it becomes a dead
thing. You cannot bring truth to the level of human beings. Instead human beings have to be led to
the level of truth. That is Buddha’s great work. This is the essence of the Diamond Sutra of Buddha.

The Diamond Sutra

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