These two
Chapters relate the story of a rich gentleman, who
wanted Brahma-Jnana, quickly from Sai Baba.
Preliminary
The last Chapter described how Mr. Cholkar's vow of
small offering was completed and accepted. In that
story, Sai Baba showed that He would accept with
appreciation any small thing offered with love and
devotion, but if the same thing was offered with pride
and haughtiness, He would reject it. Being Himself full
of Sat-Chit-Anand (Existence, Knowledge and Bliss) He
did not care much for more outward formalities but if an
offering was made in meek and humble spirit, the same
was welcome and He accepted it with pleasure and
avidity. In fact there is no person more liberal and
benevolent than a Sadguru, like Sai Baba. He cannot be
compared to the Chintamani jewel (the Philosopher's
stone which satisfies desires), the Kalpataru (the
Celestial Tree which fulfills our desires) or the the
Kamadhenu (the Celestial Cow which yields what we
desire), for they give us only what we desire; but the
Sadguru gives us the most precious thing that is
inconceivable and inscrutable (The reality). Now let us
hear, how Sai Baba disposed of a rich man, who came to
Him and implored Him to give him Brahma-Jnana.
These was a rich gentleman (unfortunately his name and
whereabouts are not mentioned) who was very prosperous
in his life. He had amassed a large quantity of wealth,
houses, field and lands, and had many servants and
dependents. When Baba's fame reached his ears, he said
to a friend of his, that he was not in want of anything,
and so he would go to Shirdi and ask Baba to give him
Brahma-Jnana which, if he got, would certainly make him
more happy. His friend dissuaded him, saying, "it is not
easy to know Brahman, and especially so for an
avaricious man like you, who is always engrossed in
wealth, wife and children. Who will, in your quest of
Brahma-Jnana, satisfy you that won't give away even a
pice in charity?"
Not minding his friend's advice, the fellow engaged a
return-journey tanga and came to Shirdi. He went to the
Masjid, saw Sai Baba, fell at His Feet and said, "Baba,
hearing that You show the Brahman to all who come over
here without any delay, I have come here all the way
from my distant place. I am much fatigued by the journey
and if I get the Brahman from You, my troubles will be
well-paid and rewarded." Baba then replied, "Oh, My dear
friend, do not be anxious, I shall immediately show you
the Brahman; all My dealings are in cash and never on
credit. So many people come to Me, and ask for wealth,
health, power, honour, position, cure of diseases and
other temporal matters. Rare is the person, who comes
here to Me and asks for Brahma-Jnana. There is no dearth
of persons asking for wordly things, but as persons
interested in spiritual matters are very rare, I think
it a lucky and auspicious moment, when persons like you
come and press Me for Brahma-Jnana. So I show to you
with pleasure, the Brahman with all its accompaniments
and complications."
Saying this, Baba started to show him the Brahman. He
made him sit there and engaged him in some other talk or
affair and thus made him forget his question for the
time being. Then He called a boy and told him to go to
one Nandu Marwari, and get from him a hand-loan of Rs.
five. The boy left and returned immediately, saying that
Nandu was absent and his house ws locked. Then Baba
asked him to go to Bala grocer and get from him, the
said loan. This time also, the boy was unsuccessful.
This experiment was repeated again twice or thrice, with
the same result.
Sai Baba was, as we know, the living and moving Brahman
Incarnate. Then, some one may ask - "Why did He want the
paltry sum of five rupees, and why did He try hard to
get it on loan? Really He did not want that sum at all.
He must have been fully knowing, that Nandu and Bala
were absent, and he seems to have adopted this procedure
as a test for the seeker of Brahman. That gentleman had
a roll or bundle of currency notes in his pocket, and if
he was really earnest, he would not have sat quiet and
be a mere onlooker, when Baba was frantically trying to
get a paltry sum of Rs. five. He knew that Baba would
keep His word and repay the debt, and that the sum
wanted was insignificant. Still he could not make up his
mind and advance the sum. Such a man wanted from Baba
the greatest thing in the world, viz., the Brahma-Jnana!
Any other man, who really loved Baba, would have at once
given Rs. five, instead of being a mere onlooker. It was
otherwise with this man. He advanced no money nor did he
sit silent, but began to be impatient, as he was in a
haste to return and implored Baba saying- "Oh Baba,
please show me the Brahman soon." Baba replied - "Oh my
dear friend, did you not understand all the procedure
that I went through, sitting in this place, for enabling
you to see the Brahman? It is, in short this. For seeing
Brahman one has to give five things, i.e. surrender five
things viz. (1) Five Pranas (vital forces), (2) Five
senses (five of action and five of perception), (3)
mind, (4) intellect and (5) ego. This path of Brahma-Jnana
of self-realization is 'as hard as to tread on the edge
of a razor'.
Sai Baba then gave rather a long discourse on the
subject, the purport of which is given below
Qualifications for Brahma-Jnana or Self-Realization
All persons do not see or realize the Brahman in their
life-time. Certain qualifications are absolutely
necessary. (1) Mumuksha or intense desire to get free.
He, who thinks that he is bound and that he should get
free from bondage and works earnestly and resolutely to
that end;and who does not care for any other thinks, is
qualified for the spiritual life. (2) Virakti or a
feeling of disgust with the things of this world and the
next. Unless a man feels disgusted with the things,
emoluments and honors, which his action would bring in
this world and the next, he has no right to enter into
the spiritual realm. (3) Antarmukhata (introversion).
Our senses have been created by God with a tendency to
move outward and so, man always looks outside himself
and not inside. He who wants self-realization and
immortal life, must turn his gaze inwards, and look to
his inner Self. (4) Catharsis from (Purging away of)
sins. Unless a man has turned away from wickedness, and
stopped from doing wrong, and has entirely composed
himself and unless his mind is at rest, he cannot gain
self-realization, even by means of knowledge. (5) Right
Conduct. Unless, a man leads a life of truth, penance
and insight, a life of celibacy, he cannot get
God-realization. (6) Preferring Shreyas, (the Good) to
Preyas (the Pleasant). There are two sorts of things
viz., the Good and the Pleasant; the former deals with
spiritual affairs, and the latter with mundane matters.
Both these approach man for acceptance. He has to think
and choose one of them. The wise man prefers the Good to
the Pleasant; but the unwise, through greed and
attachment, chooses the Pleasant. (7) Control of the
mind and the senses. The body is the chariot and the
Self is its master; intellect is the charioteer and the
mind is the reins; the senses are the horses and
sense-objects their paths. He who has no understanding
and whose mind is unrestrained, his senses unmanageable
like the vicious horses of a charioteer, does not reach
his destination (get realization), but goes through the
round of births and deaths; but he who has understanding
and whose mind is restrained, his senses being under
control, like the good horse of a charioteer, reaches
that place, i.e., the state of self-realization, when he
is not born again. The man, who has understanding as his
charioteer (guide) and is able to rein his mind, reaches
the end of the journey, which is the supreme abode of
the all-pervading, Vishnu (lord). (8) Purification of
the mind. Unless a man discharges satisfactorily and
disinterestedly the duties of his station in life, his
mind will not be purified and, unless his mind is
purified, he cannot get self-realization. It is only in
the purified mind that Viveka (discrimination between
the Unreal and the Real), and Vairagya (Non-attachment
to the unreal) crop up and lead on the self-realization.
Unless egoism is dropped, avarice got rid of, and the
mind made desireless (pure), self-realization is not
possible. The idea that 'I am the body' is a great
delusion, and attachment to this idea is the cause of
bondage. Leave off this idea and attachment therefore,
if you want to get to the Self-realization. (9) The
necessity of a Guru. The knowledge of the self is so
subtle and mystic, that no one could, by his own
individual effort ever hope to attain it. So the help of
another person-Teacher, who has himself got
self-realization is absolutely necessary. What others
cannot give with great labour and pains, can be easily
gained with the help of such a Teacher; for he has
walked on the path himself and can easily take the
disciple, step by step on the ladder of spiritual
progress. (10) and lastly the Lord's Grace is the most
essential thing. When the Lord is pleased with any body,
He gives him Viveka and Vairagya; and takes him safe
beyond the ocean of mundane existence, "The Self cannot
be gained by the study of Vedas, nor by intellect, nor
by much learning. He, whom the Self chooses, by him It
is gained. To him the Self reveals Its nature", says the
Katha Upanishad.
After the dissertation was over, Baba turned to the
gentleman and said - "Well sir, there is in your pocket
the Brahma (or Mammon) in the form of fifty-times
five(Rs.250/-) rupees; please take that out." The
gentleman took out from his pocket the bundle of
currency notes, and to his great surprise found, on
counting them, that there were 25 notes of 10 rupees
each, Seeing this ominiscience of Baba, he was moved and
fell at Baba's Feet and craved for His blessings. Then
Baba said to him, "Roll up your bundle of Brahma viz.
Currency notes. Unless you get rid completely of your
avarice or greed, your will not get the real Brahma. How
can be, whose mind is engrossed in wealth, progeny and
prosperity, expect to know the Brahma, without removing
away his attachment for the same? The illusion of
attachment or the love for money is a deep eddy
(whirlpool) of pain full of crocodiles in the form of
conceit and jealousy. He, who is desireless, can alone
cross this whirlpool. Greed and Brahma are as poles
asunder, they are eternally opposed to each other. Where
there is greed, there is no room for thought or
meditation of the Brahma. Then how can a greedy man get
dispassion and salvation? For a greedy man there is no
peace, neither contentment, nor certainty (steadiness).
If there be even a little trace of greed in mind, all
the Sadhanas (spiritual endeavors) are of no avail. Even
the knowledge of a well-read man, who is not free from
the desire of the fruit or reward of his actions, and
who has got no disgust for the same, is useless and
can't help him in getting self-realization. The
teachings of a Guru are of no use to a man, who is full
of egoism, and who always thinks about the
sense-objects. Purification of mind is absolutely
necessary; without it, all our spiritual endeavors are
nothing, but useless show and pomp. It is, therefore,
better for one to take only what he can digest and
assimilate. My treasury is full, and I can give anyone,
what he wants, but I have to see whether he is qualified
to receive what I give. If you listen to Me carefully,
you will be certainly benefited. Sitting in this Masjid,
I never speak any untruth."
When a guest is invited to a house, all the members of
the household and other friends and relations that
happen to be present, are entertained, along with the
guest. So all those that were present in the Masjid at
this time, could partake of the spiritual feast, that
was served by Baba for the rich gentleman. After getting
Baba's blessings, one and all, including the gentleman
left the place quite happy and contented.
Special Characteristic of Baba
There are many Saints, who leaving their houses, stay in
forest, caves or hermitages and remaining in solitude,
try to get liberation or salvation for themselves. They
do not care for other people, and are always
self-absorbed. Sai Baba was not of such a type. He had
no home, no wife, no progency, nor any relations, near
or distant. Still, He lived in the world (society). He
begged His bread from four or five houses, always lived
at the foot of the (Neem) tree, carried on wordly
dealings, and taught all the people how to act. and
behave in this world. Rare are the Sadhus and Saints
who, after attaining God-vision, strive for the welfare
of the people. Sai Baba was the foremost of these and,
therefore, says Hemadpant.
"Blessed is the country, blessed is the family, and
blessed are the chaste parents where This extraordinary,
transcendent, precious and pure jewel (Sai Baba) was
born."
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