Sandeha Nivarini - Post 49

Dear All,

From the chapter on Gurus and their ashrams which is covered in the last 2 posts, we will take 2 main learning given by Swami.

1)   First is on “Who is a true Guru” and,

2) Second is on “How to deal with such self-declared  Gurus/ Godman who do not satisfy the criteria given by Swami for a True Guru”, as per the earlier point.

On True Guru

Devotee: What are the qualities of those great men, Swami?

Swami gives the following qualities in response to the question.

·	They will neither crave wealth nor have ambition  to develop their ashrams;
·	They will neither love those who praise them nor hate those who blame them.
·	They won’t prevent their disciples from approaching them; they won’t prohibit anyone from approaching them;
·	They won’t relish the defamation of others;
·	They won’t be vengeful against those who point out to them their own mistakes and wrongs.
·	They will look upon all with equal love;
·	They will always spread truth, righteousness, peace, and love (sathya, dharma, santhi, and prema);
·	They will ever yearn for the joy, welfare, and progress of the devotees.

Seek such people. They are the true gurus.

On how our approach should be towards those who are not acting as Guru / Preceptor as described above by Swami.

Devotee: But Swami, now we get counterfeits very cheap for a rupee, a paisa, or even a cigarette! Whom of these should we approach, whom should we accept?

Swami: Why are you concerned with all this? You are concerned with your advancement, your progress. You must crave a person to point out to you the right path for your spiritual exercises (sadhana). Or, if that is not possible, you approach and accept your Self — that is enough to give you what you require. Depend upon yourself, and your doubts will be destroyed.

Devotee: Then what do you advise us to do? How are we to deal with these people? Please tell us.

Swami: My dear child, give up all talk of people who have lost their way. Speak of your reaching the path.

Dear All, 

Swami being God Incarnate, He could foresee what all developments would take place during His living in His form and also after He leaves this form. 

So, He has answered to all such things in the above 2 answers, decades before leaving his form and decades before few beings declaring themselves to be subtle form of Sai or as an intermediate form to fill the gap of Sathya Sai leaving this world and His re incarnation as Prema Sai.

First of all, He has given few important points for any one to be called a true preceptor.

Second and the most important thing-He has given full clarity for we devotees on how (not to) deal with such beings who announce themselves as a medium of Sai or any other self-declared Gurus who do not perhaps satisfy the factors given by our Lord while giving the points on True Guru, as given above.

Swami’s one answer is to be taken by Moola mantra by all true devotees of Swami, which is “My dear child, give up all talk of people who have lost their way. Speak of your reaching the path.”

We have basked in the glory / grace of Sai’s Darshan for sure and perhaps also Sparshan and Sambashan if we had the fortune for the same as well.

And, on the 24^th of April 2011, He left his form as Sathya Sai as per His will and now, we have to wait for Him to re-emerge / re-incarnate as Prema Sai.

My dear Brother and Sisters, there is a story on Mira which goes like this.

Once she was in Mathura / brindavan, there was a scholar who was also present there who used to meet only Male fellow beings / disciples.

Mira said about that scholar - “O,  are there any Purushas (male in literal sense) other than Sri Krishna, whom this scholar would meet??? 

To me, I thought Krishna is the only Purusha and all others are His subject only”.

If our devotion to Swami is at that level, then for us, it is ONLY SWAMI and nothing else. In the nothing else word, not only acceptance of anyone else but even the criticism of anyone else is included.

After having tasted the nectarine experience with Swami, if we are really Sai devotees, then, Swami’s teachings and instructions are more than enough for us to take in and follow and if we do that, believe me, we are hardly going to get any free time and by that time, if we are alive, we would have to fortune of witnessing Prema Sai as well!

Now, tell me from your heart, like Mira, if we have experienced Swami in real sense, then where is the time for knowing about any other being proclaiming to be Swami’s agent/ medium etc.?? Where is the time to criticize them? Where is the time to even speak bad of them?

For those who are not satisfied with Sathya Sai fully, for those who have not taken up Sai’s teachings after he left his form, if anyone else is giving them the satisfaction, then so it be. Let us send our love to all of them and in fact, to each and every one in this world, as Swami has given the dictum “Love is God, live in Love”.

Let us not let go this precious time to be in Sai’s thoughts, to follow Sai’s words and to please Sai in our deeds. So, let us totally avoid  talking / gossiping about any one / any group which, according to others, is / are using Sai's name in a wrong manner!!

Love.