Jai Maata di!Om Nama Shivaya!
If for some reason you are not able to see , or download the below pictures or click to the below links and pictures- Plz go to http://debu7370.blogspot.com/You can also have access to all the previous Shirdi Sai speaks mails at the above link.And if any of you would like to receive these messages directly to your mailbox everyday--
Click Here to Subscribe to Sai Picture Gallery via Email
For everything else related to Shri Shirdi Saibaba - Click Here
Short Stories with Great Morals:::EIGHTY THREE PROBLEMS
Once a farmer went to tell the Buddha about his problems. He described his difficulties farming – how either droughts or monsoons complicated his work. He told the Buddha about his wife – how even though he loved her, there were certain things about her he wished to change. Likewise with his children – yes, he loved them, but they weren’t turning out quite the way he wanted. When he was finished, he asked how the Buddha could help him with his problems.
The Buddha replied, “I’m sorry but I can’t help you.”
“What do you mean?” railed the farmer. “You’re supposed to be a great teacher!”
The Buddha replied, “Sir, it’s like this. All human beings have eighty-three problems. It’s a fact of life. Sure, a few problems will go away now and then, but soon enough others will arise. So we’ll always have eighty-three problems.”
The farmer responded indignantly, “Then what’s the good of all your teaching?”
The Buddha said, “My teaching can’t help with the eighty-three problems, but it can help with the eighty-fourth problem.”
What’s that?” asked the farmer.
“The eighty-fourth problem is that we don’t want to have any problems.”
Although we may not realise it, we all have a deep-seated belief that if we practice long and hard enough, our problems will go away. And beneath that belief lies an even deeper one: that our life should be free from pain.
Although these beliefs are what bring us to practice, a life free of difficulties is not what practice is about. Practice is about becoming awake to the truth of who we are. As we practice, our relationship to our problems may, in fact, become less burdened. But as conditioned beings, living in a messy world, we will always have difficulties. We will always have eighty-three problems.
The below wonderful pictures of Shri Shirdi Saibaba were designed by a Sai bhakt, whom I normally refer as the True Sai Devotee. Click on any of the below pictures to see the larger view or to save them to your computer.
Thought for the day::“If truth and honesty come easy to me, then love from God also comes easily.”
Short Stories with Great Morals:::
Short Stories with Great Morals:::A Huge Lump of Gold
Once upon a time there was a rich village. The wealthiest of the villagers decided to hide a huge lump of gold to protect it from bandits and robbers. So he buried it in a nearby rice field.
Many years later, the village was no longer rich, and the rice field was abandoned and unused. A poor farmer decided to plow the field. After some time plowing, it just so happened that his plow struck the long forgotten buried treasure.
At first he thought it must be a very hard tree root. But when he uncovered it, he saw that it was beautiful shining gold. Since it was daytime he was afraid to try and take it with him. So he covered it up again and waited for nightfall.
The poor farmer returned in the middle of the night. Again he uncovered the golden treasure. He tried to lift it, but it was far too heavy. He tied ropes around it and tried to drag it. But it was so huge he couldn't budge it an inch. He became frustrated, thinking he was lucky to find a treasure, and unlucky to not be able to take it with him. He even tried kicking the huge lump of gold. But again it wouldn't budge an inch!
Then he sat down and began to consider the situation. He decided the only thing to do was to break the lump of gold into four smaller lumps. Then he could carry home one piece at a time.
He thought, "One lump I will use for ordinary day-to-day living. The second lump I will save for a rainy day. The third lump I will invest in my farming business. And I will gain merit with the fourth lump by giving it to the poor and needy and for other good works."
With a calm mind he divided the huge lump of gold into these four smaller lumps. Then it was easy to carry them home on four separate trips.
Afterwards he lived happily.
The moral is: "Don't bite off more than you can chew."
Short stories with Great Morals
Once upon a time there was a rich village. The wealthiest of the villagers decided to hide a huge lump of gold to protect it from bandits and robbers. So he buried it in a nearby rice field.
Many years later, the village was no longer rich, and the rice field was abandoned and unused. A poor farmer decided to plow the field. After some time plowing, it just so happened that his plow struck the long forgotten buried treasure.
At first he thought it must be a very hard tree root. But when he uncovered it, he saw that it was beautiful shining gold. Since it was daytime he was afraid to try and take it with him. So he covered it up again and waited for nightfall.
The poor farmer returned in the middle of the night. Again he uncovered the golden treasure. He tried to lift it, but it was far too heavy. He tied ropes around it and tried to drag it. But it was so huge he couldn't budge it an inch. He became frustrated, thinking he was lucky to find a treasure, and unlucky to not be able to take it with him. He even tried kicking the huge lump of gold. But again it wouldn't budge an inch!
Then he sat down and began to consider the situation. He decided the only thing to do was to break the lump of gold into four smaller lumps. Then he could carry home one piece at a time.
He thought, "One lump I will use for ordinary day-to-day living. The second lump I will save for a rainy day. The third lump I will invest in my farming business. And I will gain merit with the fourth lump by giving it to the poor and needy and for other good works."
With a calm mind he divided the huge lump of gold into these four smaller lumps. Then it was easy to carry them home on four separate trips.
Afterwards he lived happily.
The moral is: "Don't bite off more than you can chew."
Short stories with Great MoralsA Man Named Bad (Self Acceptance)
Once upon a time there was a world famous teacher in Takkasila, in north-western India. He had 500 high class students who learned sacred teachings from him.
It just so happened that one of these high class students had been named 'Bad' by his parents. One day he thought, "When I am told, 'Come Bad', 'Go Bad', 'Do this Bad'. it is not nice for me or others. It even sounds disgraceful and unlucky."
So he went to the teacher and asked him to give him a more pleasant name, one that would bring good fortune rather than bad. The teacher said, "Go. my son, go wherever you like and find a more fortunate name. When you return, I will officially give you your new name."
The young man named Bad left the city, and traveled from village to village until he came to a big city. A man had just died and Bad asked what his name was. People said. "His name was Alive." "Alive also died?" asked Bad. The people answered, "Whether his name be Alive or whether it be Dead, in either case he must die. A name is merely a word used to recognize a person. Only a fool would not know this!" After hearing this, Bad no longer felt badly about his own name - but he didn't feel good about it either.
As he continued on his way into the city, a debt-slave girl was being beaten by her masters in the street. He asked, "Why is she being beaten?" He was told, "Because she is a slave until she pays a loan debt to her masters. She has come home from working, with no wages to pay as interest on her debt." "And what is her name?" he asked. "Her name is Rich." they said. "By her name she is Rich. but she has no money even to pay interest?" asked Bad. They said, 'Whether her name be Rich or whether it be Poor, in either case she has no money. A name is merely a word used to recognize a person. Only a fool would not know this!" After hearing this, Bad became even less interested in changing his name.
After leaving the city, along the roadside he met a man who had lost his way. He asked him, "What is your name? " He replied, 'My name is Tourguide." "You mean to say that even a Tourguide has gotten lost?" asked Bad. Then the man said, "Whether my name be Tourguide or whether it be Tourist, in either case I have lost my way. A name is merely a word used to recognize a person. Only a fool would not know this!"
Now completely satisfied with his own name, Bad returned to his teacher.
The world famous teacher of Takkasila asked him, "How are you, my son? Have you found a good name?" He answered, "Sir, those named Alive and Dead both die, Rich and Poor may be penniless, Tourguide and Tourist can get lost. Now I know that a name is merely a word used to recognize a person. The name does not make things happen, only deeds do. So I'm satisfied with my name. There's no point in changing it."
The teacher summarized the lesson his pupil had learned this way - "By seeing Alive as dead, Rich as poor, Tourguide as lost, Bad has accepted himself.''
The moral is: "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet."
Shri Shirdi Sai baba said :::
Once upon a time there was a world famous teacher in Takkasila, in north-western India. He had 500 high class students who learned sacred teachings from him.
It just so happened that one of these high class students had been named 'Bad' by his parents. One day he thought, "When I am told, 'Come Bad', 'Go Bad', 'Do this Bad'. it is not nice for me or others. It even sounds disgraceful and unlucky."
So he went to the teacher and asked him to give him a more pleasant name, one that would bring good fortune rather than bad. The teacher said, "Go. my son, go wherever you like and find a more fortunate name. When you return, I will officially give you your new name."
The young man named Bad left the city, and traveled from village to village until he came to a big city. A man had just died and Bad asked what his name was. People said. "His name was Alive." "Alive also died?" asked Bad. The people answered, "Whether his name be Alive or whether it be Dead, in either case he must die. A name is merely a word used to recognize a person. Only a fool would not know this!" After hearing this, Bad no longer felt badly about his own name - but he didn't feel good about it either.
As he continued on his way into the city, a debt-slave girl was being beaten by her masters in the street. He asked, "Why is she being beaten?" He was told, "Because she is a slave until she pays a loan debt to her masters. She has come home from working, with no wages to pay as interest on her debt." "And what is her name?" he asked. "Her name is Rich." they said. "By her name she is Rich. but she has no money even to pay interest?" asked Bad. They said, 'Whether her name be Rich or whether it be Poor, in either case she has no money. A name is merely a word used to recognize a person. Only a fool would not know this!" After hearing this, Bad became even less interested in changing his name.
After leaving the city, along the roadside he met a man who had lost his way. He asked him, "What is your name? " He replied, 'My name is Tourguide." "You mean to say that even a Tourguide has gotten lost?" asked Bad. Then the man said, "Whether my name be Tourguide or whether it be Tourist, in either case I have lost my way. A name is merely a word used to recognize a person. Only a fool would not know this!"
Now completely satisfied with his own name, Bad returned to his teacher.
The world famous teacher of Takkasila asked him, "How are you, my son? Have you found a good name?" He answered, "Sir, those named Alive and Dead both die, Rich and Poor may be penniless, Tourguide and Tourist can get lost. Now I know that a name is merely a word used to recognize a person. The name does not make things happen, only deeds do. So I'm satisfied with my name. There's no point in changing it."
The teacher summarized the lesson his pupil had learned this way - "By seeing Alive as dead, Rich as poor, Tourguide as lost, Bad has accepted himself.''
The moral is: "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet."
Shri Shirdi Sai baba said :::"My method is quite unique. Remember well, this one story, and it will be very useful. To get the knowledge (realization) of the Self, Dhyana (meditation) is necessary. If you practice it continuously, the Vrittis (thoughts) will be pacified. Being quite desireless, you should meditate on the Lord, Who is in all the creatures, and when the mind is concentrated, the goal will be achieved. Meditate always on My formless nature, which is knowledge incarnate, consciousness and bliss. If you cannot do this, meditate on My Form from top to toe as you see here night and day. As you go on doing this, your Vrittis will concentrate on one point and the distinction between the Dhyata (meditator), Dhyana (act of meditation), Dhyeya (this meditated upon) will be lost and the meditator will be one with the Consciousness and be merged in the Brahman. The (mother) tortoise is on one bank of the river, and her young ones are on the other side. She gives neither milk, nor warmth to them. Her mere glance gives them nutrition. The young ones do nothing, but remember (meditate upon) their mother. The tortoise glance is, to the young ones, a down-pour of nectar, the only source of sustenance and happiness. Similar is the relation, between the Guru and disciples."
Message from the teachings of Shri Shirdi Sai baba for 6th May
God Responds if We Humbly Plead Him
God is everywhere. But He will dwell in a pure, humble and sin-free heart, rather than in an egoistic heart which presumes that it knows everything. If we repent for our sins and mistakes and overcome arrogance, God would support and protect us. When the mighty King Elephant Gajendra's foot was caught in the jaws of a crocodile, it thought of saving itself by self-effort. It struggled for many years and failed to get its foot released from the mouth of the crocodile. At last, it surrendered its ego and cried for the Lord's help who rushed and rescued it. A mother shoulders all responsibility of a child which totally depends on her, rather than the kid that could look after itself. Same is the case with God. He would not care for us as long as we confidently manage the affairs ourselves. Is it not the sole responsibility of God to care for a devotee who looks to Him and pleads, 'Lord! You are my everything and my burden is Yours'. Who else would come to the rescue of the devotees who plead to Him? God would never ask people to seek His shelter alone. At the same time, He would never desert the devotees who repose faith in Him and leave everything to His Will. He not only hugs them to His heart but protects and shows them the right path. Our duty is to merely pray and seek the divine shelter of God, who incarnated as Sai Baba on the earth.
Message from the teachings of Shri Shirdi Sai baba for 6th May
God Responds if We Humbly Plead HimGod is everywhere. But He will dwell in a pure, humble and sin-free heart, rather than in an egoistic heart which presumes that it knows everything. If we repent for our sins and mistakes and overcome arrogance, God would support and protect us. When the mighty King Elephant Gajendra's foot was caught in the jaws of a crocodile, it thought of saving itself by self-effort. It struggled for many years and failed to get its foot released from the mouth of the crocodile. At last, it surrendered its ego and cried for the Lord's help who rushed and rescued it. A mother shoulders all responsibility of a child which totally depends on her, rather than the kid that could look after itself. Same is the case with God. He would not care for us as long as we confidently manage the affairs ourselves. Is it not the sole responsibility of God to care for a devotee who looks to Him and pleads, 'Lord! You are my everything and my burden is Yours'. Who else would come to the rescue of the devotees who plead to Him? God would never ask people to seek His shelter alone. At the same time, He would never desert the devotees who repose faith in Him and leave everything to His Will. He not only hugs them to His heart but protects and shows them the right path. Our duty is to merely pray and seek the divine shelter of God, who incarnated as Sai Baba on the earth.
No comments:
Post a Comment