Sai Picture gallery: Shri Shirdi Sai speaks-14th June /The Snake Temple of Penang, Malaysia

My Favourite Thoughts and Inspirations.Read them ,May b u will find the answer to ur problem

Very fortunate is the one who has learned to admire, but not to envy................ Pin all your hopes in god, and then you will not be pinned down by man................. The wealth of a rich man can be stolen or burnt, but the happiness & wisdom of the wise remain................ Life may be struggling, but is very good............ When in doubt, just take a positive step......... Life is too short, but we all have to go long way....... Your work would not take care of your health, but your Prayer to Baba,who is your father, mother & friend, will answer it............ Never be anxious to win every argument. Listen to others also................. Smiling is more healing than crying alone. Never get angry, Baba knows, when & how to take care of you............... Save for retirement starting with your first pay cheque. Make peace with your past & don't screw up the present. Never compare your life with others to make yourself miserable............... Never make any relationship a secret............... Everything can change in the blink of an eye. Have Shraddha & Saburi inBaba.............. Take a deep breath to calm the mind........... Be resourceful to acquire what you love in life....... Burn the candles to enlighten others. Don't save it for a specialoccasion. Today is special............ No one is in charge of your happiness but you. Be selective & choosey.............. Forgive & Forget to make others happy. Time heals all the wounds. Have patience. Good or bad is never permanent, welcome a change. God loves you because you are one of His creations. Come out & adopt positive attitude to witness miraculous ways of Baba........... Envy is a waste of time............ The best in you is knocking your door. Look in to feel His presence........... Never get into any arguments; feel fresh, get up, dress up & show upwith a smile................... Life isn't tied with a bow, but still is a gift showered by GodAlmighty................... If I keep the weaknesses of others in my mind, they soon become a part of me................... The ego is the poison of the soul...drink in the bliss and spit out the poison............... To be free from negative thoughts is to be free from punishment.................. In the long run the most difficult thing is to search for an easy way out............... If I enjoy praise, it means I can be easily hurt by defamation.................. Try to conquer greed now because “while man becomes old, his greed becomes youthful........... The end of birth is death. The end of death is birth........ The stronger your attachment the greater the power of the Maya (the illusion : Her creation) over you..... "I put firm faith in the words of my Guru, considering them more valuable than all the shastras put together." ........... Don't poison your soul, mind, heart and body with negativity....bathe in Divine positive love............ Your Soul is always trying to be heard above the noise of your mind, when you quiet your mind your Soul takes command!.................... Pin all your hopes in god, then you will not be pinned down by man................. Remember that you are very special. NO ONE can play your role better than you.................. If someone defames you or insults you, shower him with flowers, smiles and good wishes............ When you get angry, you lose more than your temper When all your attachments are with the one God, then your achievements are many............... When people cannot stand you because they do not understand you, God will stand by you........... To give happiness to others is a great act of charity. A slip of the foot we many recover, but a slip of the tongue leaves a deep imprint............ Life is like a drama. If I understand the plot, there is great happiness........... To smile in the face of disaster is the result of a stable mind............ If God answers ur prayer,He is increasing ur faith. If He delays,He is increasing ur patience. If he doesn’t answer,He knows u can handle........... You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree............... Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present............... Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about............ If a relationship has to be a secret,you shouldn't be in it........... However good or bad a situation is, it will change Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift."......... How many times should I forgive, I am tired of forgiving? – Forgive as many times as you would wish God to forgive you!................ Never do anything which you would not wish to do during the last hour of your life.............. Ego-based desire is the root cause of all suffering......... Contentment is the destroyer of all three - desires, anger and greed......... Knowledge leads to freedom, but pride of knowledge leads one to hell.......... A single act of selflessness can turn hell into heaven. The habit of giving rather than asking is the tool for an enduring relationship........... Silence is the best language.......... Only the joy that comes from right conduct is true happiness- Other pleasures are really sources of pain and causes of shame.......... A god-fearing person can never be religious, because if you fear God you cannot love him............. The most beautiful thing is to see a person's simling face.And even more beautiful is, knowing that u r the reason behind it..................................................................................With lots of good wishes and regards to all from Deepa H and family [ debu7366@yahoo.com ] ...............May Sai always give us peace of mind and May he always make us feel His presence where ever we go.... Saibhakt, Deepa H [You can always contact me at debu7366@yahoo.com ]......................................

One step closer to Brahma Gyaan

One step closer to Brahma gyan:::: A 'devotee' goer wrote a letter to the editor of a newspaper and complained that it made no sense to go to the Temple . 'I've gone for 30 years now, he wrote, and in that time I have heard something like 3,000 mantras. But for the life of me, I can't remember a single one of them. So, I think I'm wasting my time and the Gurus are wasting theirs by giving services at all. This started a real controversy in the 'Letters to the Editor' column, much to the delight of the editor. It went on for weeks until someone wrote this clincher: I've been married for 30 years now. In that time my wife has cooked some 32,000 meals. But, for the life of me, I cannot recall the entire menu for a single one of those meals. But I do know this... They all nourished me and gave me the strength I needed to do my work. If my wife had not given me these meals, I would be physically dead today. Likewise, if I had not gone to the Temple for nourishment, I would be spiritually dead today! When you are DOWN to nothing.... God is UP to something! Faith sees the invisible, believes the incredible and receives the impossible! Thank God for our physical AND our spiritual nourishment! ------------------------------ So easy to beat yourself up over mistakes you've made. So many amongst us live in the past rather than loving the present and building a brilliant future. Some people stay stuck for years over something they did or a failure they've experienced. Sad. A life is a terrible thing to waste. But let me ask you a question: "is there really such a thing as a mistake?" First of all, no one tries to fail or mess things up. Every one of us wakes up in the morning, walks out into the world and does the best we can do based on what we know and the skills we have. But even more importantly, every so-called "mistake' is actually a rich source of learning. An opportunity to build more awareness and understanding and gain precious experience. Experience that will help us do, feel and be even better. So, just maybe, there are no mistakes. Just maybe what we could call failures are actually growth lessons in wolf's clothing. And just maybe the person who experiences the most wins. ---------------------- A sick man turned to his doctor as he was preparing to Leave the examination room and said, 'Doctor, I am afraid to die. Tell me what lies on the other side.' Very quietly, the doctor said, 'I don't know.' 'You don't know? You, a Christian man, Do not know what is on the other side?' The doctor was holding the handle of the door; On the other side came a sound of scratching and whining, And as he opened the door, a dog sprang into the room And leaped on him with an eager show of gladness. Turning to the patient, the doctor said, 'Did you notice my dog? He's never been in this room before. He didn't know what was inside. He knew nothing except that his master was here, And when the door opened, he sprang in without fear. I know little of what is on the other side of death, But I do know one thing... I know my Master is there and that is enough.' ------------------------------- A boy and a girl were playing together. The boy had a collection of marbles. The girl had some sweets with her. The boy told the girl that he will give her all his marbles in exchange for her sweets. The girl agreed. The boy kept the biggest and the most beautiful marble aside and gave the rest to the girl. The girl gave him all her sweets as she had promised. That night, the girl slept peacefully. But the boy couldn't sleep as he kept wondering if the girl had hidden some sweets from him the way he had hidden his best marble. Moral of the story: If you don't give your hundred percent in a relationship, you'll always keep doubting if the other person has given his/her hundred percent.. This is applicable for any relationship like love, employer-employee relationship, friendship etc., Give your hundred percent to everything you do and sleep peacefully ---------------------- The tragedy of life is not death,but what we let die inside us while we live.When u were born,the world rejoiced while u cried,-live ur life in such a way that when you die,-the world cries while u rejoice.. -------------------------------- Your days are your life in miniature. As you live your days, so you craft your life. What you do today is actually creating your future. The words you speak, the thoughts you think, the food you eat and the actions you take are defining your destiny â€“ shaping who you are becoming and what your life will stand for. There's no such thing as an unimportant day. Each of us is called to greatness. Each of us has an exquisite power within us. But for this power to grow, we need to use it. The more you exercise it each day, the stronger it gets. The more this power gets tapped, the more confident you grow. The best among us are not more gifted than the rest. They just take small steps each day as they march towards their biggest life. And the days slip into weeks, the weeks into months and before they know it, they arrive at a place called Extraordinary. ----------------------------- If you can not respect , love , care about ,stand by or be honest with your own parents ,-who gave birth to you and were the very first people who fell in love with you -- then whether you accept this or not but you do not love anyone else in this world either with all your heart and soul ....and time will show that none of your children will stand by you either- when you will need them the most.. ----------------------------------- If you sit with a person who is smoking, even without ur knowledge- You will end up inhaling second hand smoke.In the same way, if you be in the company of saints who constantly preach about the importance of doing good karma-, automatically even without ur knowledge- u will end up doing a lot of positive and humble deeds. If you be in the company of a person who keeps saying bad words and abusing others then then obviously whether u like it or not -- u will end up being the same kind of person sooner or later. And if u constantly listen to Gods name, his praises, his bhajans-even without you being aware of it - the words that will come out of your mouth will be nothing but the nectar of love and bliss. So be in the company of God and even without your knowledge-You will find him seated in your heart - talking to you and finding solutions to ur problems and worries.You just need to take one step towards Him and He will take 100 steps towards you.. By Deepa H inspired by Sai -------------------------------------------- Always tell someone that you love them because you never know what day Will be their last, or your own. Always seek to resolve your problems or disagreements with loved ones Because if either of you should pass on before, the one who is left alive will have the rest of their life to ponder those unresolved feelings but will never find closure. And closure usually brings Peace... ......................................................................................With lots of good wishes and regards to all from Deepa H and family [ debu7366@yahoo.com ] ...............May Sai always give us peace of mind and May he always make us feel His presence where ever we go.... Saibhakt, Deepa H [You can always contact me at debu7366@yahoo.com ]

Sunday, June 13, 2010

Shri Shirdi Sai speaks-14th June /The Snake Temple of Penang, Malaysia :: Must See

Om Sai Ram !Om Ganeshaya Namaha!
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

The Snake Temple of Penang, Malaysia
[Kindly click on any of the below pictures to see the larger view]

The Snake Temple is situated in Sungai Kluang, Bayan Lepas, Penang, Malaysia and is perhaps the only temple of its kind in the world. It is a good example of the extensive culture background of the Chinese population in Penang.

The temple is filled with the smoke of burning incense and a variety of pit vipers. The vipers are believed to be rendered harmless by the sacred smoke, but as a safety precaution, the snakes have also been de-venomed but still have their fangs intact, visitors are warned against picking up the reptiles and placing them on their bodies for taking pictures. Local devotees believe that the temple's snake population has come there of its own accord.

Chor Soo Kong, patron deity of Snake Temple

The temple was built circa 1850 in memory of Chor Soo Kong, by a Buddhist monk who moved to Penang. Chor Soo Kong was born with the Tan surname in China during the Song Dynasty (960-1279). He was very serious about spiritual attainment and was ordained at a young age, bringing with him stories- myths and legends of a deity and it's healing powers. David Brown, a British resident heard of it and was subsequently cured of incurable illness. In homage of the deity, to whom Brown owned his life, he offered a piece of land on which the original temple was built. Legend has it that Chor Soo Kong, who was a healer, gave shelter to the snakes of jungle. When he died at the age of 65 after a lifetime of good deeds, he was bestowed the honorific title Chor Soo, meaning an eminent historic figure continuously revered by a community generation after generation. After the completion of the temple, snakes appeared on their own accord.

View of the main Prayer Hall before restoration. Note the darkened wood walls

The Snake Temple was originally named the "Temple of the Azure Cloud" in honor of the beauty of Penang's sky.

Believers from as far away as Singapore and Taiwan come to pray in the temple on Chor Soo Kong's birthday (the sixth day of the first lunar month).

The Snake Temple is roughly 10km south of Georgetown. It takes about 25 to 30 minutes by taxi. Blue and Yellow busses from Komtar in the direction of Nibong Bus terminal and the airport pass the temple

As you can expect, there is an active community of devotees. The chanting of the sutras start every morning at 5am. The temple opens for visitors at 6am and usually closes at 7pm. There is no admission fee, though you pay RM 30 if you want to have a picture made with a snake around your neck.

If you wish to see the Snake Temple with a lot of snakes, do not go during Chinese New Year, particularly during the birthday of Chor Soo Kong, which falls on the 6th day of the New Year celebrations. In order to prevent overtaxing the snakes due to the crowds, noise and smoke, the temple committee removes most of the snakes during this period.

At the back of the temple is a snake pool. Not filled with water, but with fruit trees.At the first sight, one will not be able to see any snakes over there.But if you have a close look than you will see snakes coiled on the branches of the tree.

Wagler's Pit Vipers in the Snake Temple, Penang

Shrine to another deity inside the Snake Temple

Simply Amazing!!!!!

I dont know about you but I have never seen anything like this before......

Click on the picture to see the larger view of the snakes hanging on both the sides of the shrine

The resident venomous vipers and green tree snakes are said to be slightly doped by the incense smoke drifting around the temple during the day, but at night slither down to eat the offerings.

Within the Snake Temple are two brass bells. There were originally three. The bells were cast in 1886. Today two of them are still visible to visitors.

One is within the main prayer pavilion of the temple, while another is in the annex building on the right side of the prayer pavilion.

Snake Farm

Within the compound of the Snake Temple is the Snake Farm. It is a reptile farm which was set up by a third party in a deal with the Snake Temple. In exchange for renting the premises, the Snake Farm provides care to the snakes of the Snake Temple.

Within the Snake Temple are two wells called the two Dragon Pure Water Wells.

Dragon Pure Water Well
These ancient wells were dug in the 1850's, when the Snake Temple was completed. According to legend, the two wells represent the two eyes of a mystical dragon which descended from the heavens during the consecration of the temple. The dragon landed in front of the temple with its tail facing west. The two eyes of the dragon transformed into two wells. One is 10 feet deep and 3 feet in diameter while another is 10 feet deep and 2 feet in diameter. The well provided fresh water for the surrounding village.

According to local belief, those who drank from the well will attain good fortune, health and longevity.

One of these two wells is located in front of the Snake Temple, a short distance to the right of the ascending staircase. The other temple is located within the compound of the Snake Farm.

The Snake Temple before the renovation, photo is on display in the temple.

May Chor Soo Kong, patron deity of Snake Temple - bless our souls and remove the poison of hatred, ego, selfishness, pride, greed and jealosy from our hearts.

Law of Love is Greater than All Religions

Religion means a way of life. The religions of the world are the different paths to reach God. Each religion has laid down a unique mode of worship, tenets, and tradition. But, Baba did not take note of these rules and regulations. He discarded them as man is not born for the sake of religion and rules. He exhorted that pure love is the easiest path to reach God, who is the embodiment of love and the law of love is greater than all religions. The religion of Baba, is to love God and all beings, which are nothing but His manifestation. It is enough to have a loving heart so that we could share our love with others and get loved.True love satisfies the hunger of any creature, wipes out the tears and cares for the needy. It is the divine mission of Sai to shower His love on all. Rule of law, justice and moral conduct are all meant to help keep society in order but should not cause even the slightest harm to any creature. If we behave cruelly and unjustly against any living being, God will not appreciate us despite our social service and religious prayers or rituals performed. Love is superior to law. Law will punish, but love transforms and paves the way to reach the Supreme Soul. We, therefore, should always remember the saying of Baba, "love all beings and be merciful". That should be our religion of love.