Shri Sai Satcharitra - Chapter 10 - Part II ...Contd

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Sometimes He looked on all with affection, and at times He threw stones at them; sometimes He scolded them, while at times He embraced them and was calm, composed, tolerant and well-balanced. He always abided and was engrossed in the Self and was well-disposed towards His Bhaktas. He always sat on one Asan and never travelled. His 'band' was a small stick, which He always carried in His hand. He was calm, being thought-free. He never cared for wealth and fame and lived on begging. Such a life He led. He always uttered 'Allah Malik' (God the real owner).

Sai Ram. Not surprisingly, this is the same message that is also given in the first Upanishad, Isa Upansihad, about which we have a beautiful story in one of the later chapters. Since the whole world or Universe is pervaded by Isa, Lord, there is nothing that is not owned by Him. Allah Malik is the cryptic remark of Sai to remind us that the Lord owns everything. Sai Ram.

Entire and unbroken was His love for the Bhaktas. He was the mine or store-house for self-knowledge and full of Divine Bliss. Such was the Divine Form of Sai Baba, boundless, endless and undifferentiated. One principle which envelopes the whole universe, (from a stone pillar to Brahma) incarnated in Sai Baba. The really meritorious and fortunate people got this treasure-trove in their hands, while those people who not knowing the real worth of Sai Baba took or take Him to be a man, a mere human being, were and are indeed miserable.

Sai Ram. This is the most important recurring theme. SAI is not limited to a specific form, shape or location. All the stories, miracles etc., that He showed, had just one purpose, viz., to inculcate the sense of unity in diversity in the devotees, whose thinking is so conditioned by duality that only extraordinary events, which could not be explained by known laws of science, could shock them into breaking out of those thought patterns, which have a great grip on them and thus bind them. It is the mind which binds and it is the same mind that is exposed to radically new concepts that breaks out of the previous thought patterns and is now free. And when it is bound by those concepts, yet newer concepts or the same concept explained in a new way breaks that hold of habit on the thinking mind. Whether we worship Rama, Krishna, Sai or Siva, if we worship a Deity with the idea that this Deity is different from the other Deity and is more powerful, etc., and is thus to be preferred to be worshipped, we are exhibiting a form of ignorance difficult to beat. All Gods are One and all pujas, worship reach the same. In fact, the worshipper, the God worshipped and the act of worship, all are same (Pl. see Sri Vishnu Sahasranama Stotra)! Whether it is the conflict between Hindus and Muslims , or between Vaishnavites and Saivites earlier, society always suffered from these artificial divisions due to the ingrained duality, the sense of separation which is so ancient that it keeps clouding our vision again and again. Sai came to Shirdi with the sole aim of uniting these divisive fragments and to show us our real nature. To show us that the forest is built of the trees. To show us the unity in the diversity. To show us the unifying principle behind the duality or plurality. Sai Ram.