PEARLS OF WISDOM by Swami Kesavaiahji

Pearls Of Wisdom

Thus spake sri sai baba of shirdi : If a person surrenders himself completely to Me and always remembers Me, his ego is destroyed and the Avidya, nescience, will vanish. He is freed from all worldly taints and maladies in an instant and is assured everlasting joy (bliss).

The mere utterance of My name as ' Sai Sai ' in good faith will remove sins of speech and also those of hearing.

If My stories are listened to with rapt attention and intense faith, one is cured of all diseases of mind and body.

Whatever you do, wherever you are, I am quite aware of everything you do. Bear this in mind always. I will be with you the instant you think of Me and need My help. Fear not.

If a person places his burden on Me and trusts Me in full faith, I bear his burden and protect him.

If a person considers Me his sole refuge withdrawing his mind from all worldly objects and pleasures, he gains Paramartha. He need not fear anything for body or soul. In the abode of My devotees there will be no dearth of food or clothing.

If a person trusts Me and leaves everything to Me, I will never let him fall. I will give My head to save him. I am Bhakta Paradheena—the bonded slave of My devotees.

Why do you fear  when  I  am everywhere? I have to think of My devotees.    If a devotee is about  to fall, lam bound to protect him.    At every step, I have to take care of you. Else, what will happen to you ! God knows.

Trust in the Guru fully and wholeheartedly. Leave off all doubts. That is the only Sadhana. Guru is God. Guru is everything. He is your mother, father, well wisher, relative and true friend. Seeing all as Guru is the highest state and he who feels Him in every creature verily becomes Myself.

All the maladies arise because man does not shed, his ego, feels that his body is everything. It is ego that creates this world with all its transient joys and sorrows. The world is only a combination of different objects perceived by the sense organs. It is the kaleidoscopic effect of one's own mind and cravings of the senses. By self-introspection, one realises the truth about the all-pervading, secondless and Absolute Self and in that realisa­tion the ego is destroyed, the world vanishes and indescribable eternal Bliss and Peace , Suddha Chaitanya, follows. In truth, this is the natural state of the " Self." All other states created by the mind and the senses are illusory and delude the real nature of the " Self." There is no such thing as realising the " Self." What a Guru does is only removal of the veil of ignorance that regards the ego with all its myriad appearances and feelings created by the mind and the senses as the real self. This done, what remains is the Self Absolute, Real and Eternal. It is the Self that existed, that exists and will exist for ever. The Self has no beginning and no end. The Self is formless and is not limited by shape, time or space.

Mind, body and the world have no existence of their own devoid of the "Self." They are like shadows. When there is self-awareness which is pure consciousness, Suddha Chaitanya, all the hallucinations caused by Avidya , ignorance, with the help of the mind, body and the senses on the imaginary screen called the world vanish automatically. The Self is beyond knowledge and ignorance. Knowledge is only a means and not an end by itself-To get over this illusion which is ever perplexing and bewil­dering, and to cross the miserable and all consuming whirlpool of existence, Samsara, one should get hold of a Guru as a person struggling for life and lost in an unfathomable rough sea catches a raft. Though wave after wave of temptation and delusion may try to upset him, every moment he should steadfastly stick to his Guru as the drowning man hugs the raft without losing his hold on it to save himself. Have firm belief in the Guru.

As long as a mirror is covered with dust and dirt, so long it cannot reflect the Sun. Once the dust and dirt is scrubbed away, the Sun shines forth. Similarly with our mind. As long as it is filled with evil thoughts and insatiable desires, so long it cannot reflect the self within. Once we cleanse our mind of all these ills and keep it pure, calm and serene, wisdom, Gnana, shines forth, exhibiting the real self. He who sees Me in every living creature and with pity feeds every creature, really feeds Me. There is none dearer to Me than he. You should not harm any creature. You should not be harsh to the poor and the forlorn. You should never despise those maimed and suffering from loathsome diseases. See Me in all these. If you do, you have no fear of births and deaths.

Those who are fortunate and whose sins are at an end seek Me and worship Me. No need for any big show or para­phernalia. Let My name —Sai, Sai—be uttered in wholehearted devotion and with a melting heart one-pointed. Your difficulties will vanish in an instant and I shall redeem you from all sins. Believe this.

Anything, however small that is offered to Me with full love and devotion, that I readily accept. Even if the world is offered to Me with pride and sense of ego, that I immediately reject. What I accept is love and not the object offered. Note that I do not accept from all. I have to give back a hundred times more than what I receive.

To attain the highest end, —goal— Dhyana is very important. By deep meditation the Vrittjs—thoughts—are calmed and made one-pointed. Quite desireless and with firm determination, you should meditate on the Lord who is in all creatures. If you cannot meditate on the formless, meditate keeping the Guru before your mind. The mother tortoise by mere glance feeds her young ones. The Guru's glance is nectar supreme for your sustenance, happiness, peace, redemption from Samsara, and everlasting bliss. May you taste this ambrosia sweet and divine waiting for you !

Give water to the thirsty, food to the hungry and clothes to the naked and whatever help you can offer to the sick and the desolate. Never bark like a dog whenever any person approaches you for help. Treat him courteously and with love. See Hari in him. " Allah Malik " i.e. God is our sole refuge. The Divine plan is mysterious, inscrutable and marvellous. Submit to His will. His will be done and if we seek Him in every creature surely He will bless us.

This  Dwaraka  Mayi  (the  mosque in   Shirdi   where   Baba lived)  is your Mother.    Once you enter and sit  on Her   lap all your  anxieties  and  worries  cease  and dangers are warded off.

This Mother is all-merciful and extremely kind to her children. That fortunate child who takes delight in resting on Her lap attains bliss.

You should give up the bad habit of eating alone without offering it to others. You should remember the Lord and offer things to Him first before partaking of anything. He who satisfies his senses without offering the object to the Source is asinner.

I am not the five feet body you have been seeing. Though My body may vanish, My bones in the Tomb will ever remain active. Not only Myself but also my Tomb will talk and give solace, hope and cheer to those who seek Me as their sole refuge. This I speak in truth. Believe Me ! I am always with you, though I may not be in the physical body. Grieve not.

I want only two things, Nishta (intense faith) and Saburi (patience). Hari (The Lord) will protect him who has faith and patience.

Oh Shama! take this book—Vishnu Sahasranama—I present it to you. When I suffered intensely once I kept this book close to My heart and I cannot describe how it relieved Me of My pain and suffering. It is a wonderful medicine for all our afflictions and ailments and is very efficacious. So read this with devotion and love, and it will do you good.

What is the use of merely reading sacred works without shedding ‘I’ ness and 'My' ness and without keeping the mind pure and spotless and passions under complete check ? A true devotee should have no Mamata—attachment—but should have Samata —equal vision—towards all beings.

I would never be untrue to  My promises. My word and even sacrifice My life to keep it.

Surrender does not mean mere prostration and service to the Guru. It means complete surrender of everything, including the body and mind, with the conviction that the body belongs to the Guru and exists merely to serve Him. Such total surrender, Saranagati, completely devoid of the' ego seme—and overflowing with sincere love and devotion, quickly leads one to attain Brahma Gnana, the key to Kaivalya, Immortality and Bliss. By the Guru's grace, the Timira, ignorance, in the spiritual eye of the devotee is removed and he perceives Divine Light. The Sadguru is Nirguna, Sat, Chit, Ananda in reality. The disciple in essence is of the same nature. But owing to Avidya, ignorance, the disciple is deluded birth after birth. When the Guru's grace at last descends on him, the dark clouds melt away into nothing­ness and the Radiant Sun, Suddha Chaitanya, shines forth in all its glory and pristine purity. The paths of Gnana and Bhakti lead to the same goal.

Gnana Marga is Ram Phal. Bhakti Marga is Sita Phal. The pulp of the Sita Phal is almost on the surface and can be assimilated quickly, whereas the pulp of Ram Phal is deeper within and is hard to get at.

He who indulges in criticism and slander really injures Me, but he who bears all this with patience and fortitude is extremely dear to Me. If you want My blessing, never injure others even in thought.

There is no need to go far to find Me. I am always in you. Forget your name and form. What remains ? That supreme consciousness is Myself. You see Me in yourself and in all beings. He who loves Me thus and meditates on Me surely comes to Me. This is the truth supreme. In fact, he is really Myself. The whole world without Me is a desert to him who always loves Me. So for your own benefit, leave off Ahamkara and Mamakara, which is the root cause of Ranga and Dwesha see Me who am seated in your heart and in the heart of every being. Blessed be thou !

It is my special characteristic to free any person who surrenders himself completely to Me, who worships Me faithfully and who remembers Me and meditates on Me constantly. I shall draw out My devotees from the jaws of death. If My stories are listened to, all the diseases will be got rid of. So, hear My stories with respect and think and meditate on them, assimilate them. This is the way of happiness and contentment.

If I take one rupee as Dakshina from anybody, I have to return it ten-fold to him. I never take anything gratis. I never ask anyone indiscriminately. I only ask and take from him whom the Fakir (my Guru) points out. If any one is indebted formerly to the Fakir, money is received from him. The donor gives, i.e., sows his seeds, only to reap a rich harvest in future.

Wealth should be the means to work out Dharma. If it is used for personal enjoyment, it is wasted. Unless you have given it before, you do not get now. So the best way to receive is to give. The giving of Dakshina advances Vairagya — non-attachment and thereby Bhakti and Gnana. Give one and receive ten-fold.

He who loves Me most always sees Me. The whole world is desolate to him without Me, he tells no stories but Mine. He ceaselessly meditates upon Me and always chants My name. I feel indebted to him who surrenders himself completely to Me and ever remembers Me. I shall repay his debt by giving him salvation, self-realisation. I am dependent on him who thinks and hungers after Me and who does not eat anything without first offering it to Me. He who thus comes to Me thinks as one with Me, just as the river gets to the sea and becomes merged with it. So leaving out pride and egoism and with no trace of them, you should surrender yourself to Me who am seated in your heart.

If a man utters My name with love, I shall fulfil all his wishes, increase his devotion. It is My special characteristic to free any person who surrenders himself completely to Me and who worships Me faithfully and who remembers Me and meditates on Me constantly. The simple remembrance of My name as Sai, Sai will do away with sins of speech and hearing.

I pledge that I would cross even the seven seas to help those who seek My protection. God runs to help  devotees in times of danger.

One has to reap what one sows, and there is no escape unless one suffers and squares up one's old debts and dealings with others. Greed for money drags the greedy man to the lowest level and ultimately brings destruction on him and others.

First give bread to the hungry and then eat yourself. I am roaming in their forms. He who sees Me in all is My beloved.

I have to suffer for My devotees, their difficulties are  Mine.

To     get     self-realization,     Dhyana    is  necessary.     Quite desireless, you should meditate on the Lord who is present in all the creatures, and when the mind is thus concentrated and  made singularly devoted the goal will be easily reached.

Look at Me wholeheartedly, and I in turn look at you sincerely. He who loves Me most always sees Me. I am dependent on him who thinks and hungers after Me and who does not eat anything without first offering it to Me. I feel indebted to him who surrenders himself completely to Me and ever remembers Me. I shall repay his debt by giving him salvation, self-realisation.

Sai knows fully the desires of His devotees and fulfils them. They get what they want and are grateful. So we invoke Him and prostrate ourselves before Him. Forgetting all our faults, let Him free us from all anxieties. He who, being overcome with all calamities, remembers and prays to Sai thus, will get his mind calmed and purified through His grace.

This ocean of mundane existence is very hard to cross. Waves of infatuation beat high there against the bank of bad thoughts and break down the trees of fortitude. The breeze of egoism blows forcibly and makes the ocean rough and agitated. Crocodiles in the form of anger and hatred move there fear­lessly. Eddies in the form of the idea " I and mine " and other doubts whirl there incessantly and innumerable fish in the form of censure, hate and jealousy play there. Though this ocean is so fierce and terrible, Sadguru Sai is its Agasti, destroyer, and the devotees of Sai have not the least fear of it. Our Sadguru is the boat which will safely take us across the ocean.

Hearing the stories of saints is not so difficult as the other Sadhanas. The stories remove all fear of this Samsara and take you on to the spiritual path. So listen to these stories, meditate on them and assimilate them. If this is done, you will become pure and holy. You may attend to your worldly duties, but give your mind to Sai and His stories and then He is sure to bless you. Hearing the stories of the saints is, in a way, keeping their company. The importance of the company of the saints is very great. If you take refuge in the saints wholeheartedly, they will carry you safely across the ocean of worldly existence. It is for this reason that the saints manifest themselves in this world.

Sri Sai Baba of Shirdi is not finite or limited. He dwells even today in all beings. He pervades all and everything. He was well versed in the knowledge of the Vedas, as well as in the science of self-realisation. He came into this world for a speci­fic purpose. He often said : " Let His man (devotee) be at any distance, a thousand koss away from Hjm, he will be drawn to Shirdi like a sparrow with a thread tied to its feet." His assur­ance is : Where ever you are, whenever you call me, I shall be with you instantly, whenever you need me, fear not. You shall be protected. Though the devotee loses sight of Sai, Sai never loses sight of him. Sai is ever present in everyone of His devotees watching over him and follows him everywhere."

The best course is to surrender our body, speech and mind to the Guru's feet and always chant His name for destroying our sins. This is called complete surrender to the Guru. The only sure sign of this is that our mind gets calm and peaceful. The greatness of this surrender, devotion and knowledge will come in its train. This is axiomatic truth.