SAI NECTAR
What is the essence of Sai?
I've been contemplating this profound question for a few days, particularly, after an intriguing dream I had with him recently.
In the dream I found myself in a gym sized room. I was standing near the entrance of the room when Swami came in. I was so happy and surprised that He was giving us darshan. I gazed at our beautiful, radiant Swami as He walked past me.
I ran over to where other devotees were seated looking for a vacant seat. There was one towards the back but I wanted to be closer to the front. A Seva dal told me to sit on the floor seems everybody was sitting in chairs. Then Swami did something odd, He removed His robe, it was only for a split second, He was still fully covered with undergarments. When I looked again He was floating around in His bright orange robe administering to His devotees. This happened twice, but no one else seemed to be aware of it.
When he came to the row I was sitting in. I observed Him smiling and interacting with devotees. It was so beautiful. I wanted him to talk to me but He did not. One lady jumped up and ran after him crying, "Swami, Swami," pleading with Him over some problem. The next thing I knew I was near the entrance again and Swami was leaving. Once again he passed by me very close.
When I woke up from this marvelous dream, I pondered its significance, asking our Lord to please elucidate. Then it came to me crystal clear that Swami wanted me to delve deeper into His inner essence. To let go of the outer trappings, explore and put into practice his guidance and teachings. I asked Swami's permission to share this sensitive dream and He gave the okay.
So much valuable instruction our Lord Sai has imparted to us, it's rather difficult to choose one particular thing to put into practice. I remembered listening to a brief talk by Swami Mukundananda, in which, he discussed reading the Bhagavad Gita and how each time he read it he received a little glimmer of divine knowledge. I decided I would read the Ramayana, Ramakatha, Rasavahini by Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, again.
After reading a few pages one evening, I fell asleep and received another wonderful dream:
I was on stage with all these people from the past and the present. Michael Jackson, and others. We were all singing a very hopeful, uplifting song. Felt like people from other universes and worlds filed in joining us on stage. And soon the director said let's take it to the museum. We started walking towards a fantastic amazing museum singing this song. I recorded a little of what I could remember of the song when I woke up, but there was more to it.
While basking in the glow of this dream I had an epiphany, Swami wanted me to lead and really all of us, to lead a more Sathwic with lifestyle.
In this Kali Yuga the pull towards the world and all its dizzying attractions and temptations is tremendous. Movies, television shows, politics, fashion, sensuality, you name it — they are selling and promoting it.
“To be in the world, but, not of it” as the Master Jesus admonished, is to lead a Sathwic lifestyle.
I gathered some helpful excerpts and quotes by our divine Baba on the Gunas and leading a Sathwic lifestyle. If you like you can explore further reading Swami’s messages on leading a Sathwic lifestyle.
"This Nilayam has three gates the outer, representing Thamas, (through which people enter with waywardness, doubt, despondency, etc.): the second one, representing Rajas (crossing this, men are attracted by Drysanand, Nethrananda, and Mano-ananda, the sights that please the eye and the mind) and the third one, leading to the Prayer Hall where people develop the rarer, purer qualities called Sathwic. This circle summarizes the progress of the Sadhaka towards realization, from the dreary sands of desire, through the wild pushy patches of anger and hate, onto the green lawn of Prema (love) and gaining the broad region of Ananda, he sits in Yogic contemplation, and the Kundalini sakthi is awakened until the lotus of the Heart blooms and the Supreme Flame is kindled scattering the darkness of Ajnana. Like the pictures in children's books this Circle, with the concrete representation of the symbol on the flag, will serve to remind you and teach you the lessons I am emphasizing.
~Sadhana the Inward Path, Sathya Sai Baba, P. 219
“You must see Nature as filled with God, shaped by God, as God, in those shapes and smells and sounds. We see the image in the mirror, because the light rays are reflected back from the surface of the mirror. You are the reflection of the rays of God from the mirror that is nature. And if that mirror were not there, the Jivi does not exist as a separate entity. Remove the mirror, then ‘you’ merges in ‘He’ and there remains ‘We’. It is Prakrithi that induces the belief that you are the body, the Deha. You feel, you too are name, form like Prakrithi. This identification has led to and inordinate degree of attention to the body and consequently, worry and misery.”
“Moderation in food, moderation in talk, and in desires and pursuits, contentment with what little can be got by honest labor, eagerness to serve others and to impart joy to all— these are the most powerful of all the tonics and health preservers known to the science of health, the Sanathana ‘Ayurveda.’
“Sathwic diet does not mean simply the food we take through our mouth but also means the pure air we breathe through her nose, the pure vision we see though our eyes, the pure sounds we listen through our ears and the pure objects we touch through our feet. All that we take in through doors of the five sense organs may be described as the Sathwic diet. Listening to bad sounds, looking at bad sights, touching bad things do not constitute Sathwic diet.”
Sadhana the Inward Path, Sathya Sai Baba, P. 206-207
Lord Buddha states:
“The true master lives in truth, in goodness and restraint, Non-violence, moderation and purity.”
“My actions are my only true belongings. I cannot escape the consequences of my actions. My actions of the ground is which I stand.”
Dearest Devotees the inner essence of Sai is a deep Wisdom and Love, that unfolds as we purify ourselves and experience the ananda and bliss that is our permanent, everlasting truth.
May we all sip the nectar of that holy bliss.
Lots of Prema,
Sonya Ki
I've been contemplating this profound question for a few days, particularly, after an intriguing dream I had with him recently.
In the dream I found myself in a gym sized room. I was standing near the entrance of the room when Swami came in. I was so happy and surprised that He was giving us darshan. I gazed at our beautiful, radiant Swami as He walked past me.
I ran over to where other devotees were seated looking for a vacant seat. There was one towards the back but I wanted to be closer to the front. A Seva dal told me to sit on the floor seems everybody was sitting in chairs. Then Swami did something odd, He removed His robe, it was only for a split second, He was still fully covered with undergarments. When I looked again He was floating around in His bright orange robe administering to His devotees. This happened twice, but no one else seemed to be aware of it.
When he came to the row I was sitting in. I observed Him smiling and interacting with devotees. It was so beautiful. I wanted him to talk to me but He did not. One lady jumped up and ran after him crying, "Swami, Swami," pleading with Him over some problem. The next thing I knew I was near the entrance again and Swami was leaving. Once again he passed by me very close.
When I woke up from this marvelous dream, I pondered its significance, asking our Lord to please elucidate. Then it came to me crystal clear that Swami wanted me to delve deeper into His inner essence. To let go of the outer trappings, explore and put into practice his guidance and teachings. I asked Swami's permission to share this sensitive dream and He gave the okay.
So much valuable instruction our Lord Sai has imparted to us, it's rather difficult to choose one particular thing to put into practice. I remembered listening to a brief talk by Swami Mukundananda, in which, he discussed reading the Bhagavad Gita and how each time he read it he received a little glimmer of divine knowledge. I decided I would read the Ramayana, Ramakatha, Rasavahini by Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, again.
After reading a few pages one evening, I fell asleep and received another wonderful dream:
I was on stage with all these people from the past and the present. Michael Jackson, and others. We were all singing a very hopeful, uplifting song. Felt like people from other universes and worlds filed in joining us on stage. And soon the director said let's take it to the museum. We started walking towards a fantastic amazing museum singing this song. I recorded a little of what I could remember of the song when I woke up, but there was more to it.
While basking in the glow of this dream I had an epiphany, Swami wanted me to lead and really all of us, to lead a more Sathwic with lifestyle.
In this Kali Yuga the pull towards the world and all its dizzying attractions and temptations is tremendous. Movies, television shows, politics, fashion, sensuality, you name it — they are selling and promoting it.
“To be in the world, but, not of it” as the Master Jesus admonished, is to lead a Sathwic lifestyle.
I gathered some helpful excerpts and quotes by our divine Baba on the Gunas and leading a Sathwic lifestyle. If you like you can explore further reading Swami’s messages on leading a Sathwic lifestyle.
"This Nilayam has three gates the outer, representing Thamas, (through which people enter with waywardness, doubt, despondency, etc.): the second one, representing Rajas (crossing this, men are attracted by Drysanand, Nethrananda, and Mano-ananda, the sights that please the eye and the mind) and the third one, leading to the Prayer Hall where people develop the rarer, purer qualities called Sathwic. This circle summarizes the progress of the Sadhaka towards realization, from the dreary sands of desire, through the wild pushy patches of anger and hate, onto the green lawn of Prema (love) and gaining the broad region of Ananda, he sits in Yogic contemplation, and the Kundalini sakthi is awakened until the lotus of the Heart blooms and the Supreme Flame is kindled scattering the darkness of Ajnana. Like the pictures in children's books this Circle, with the concrete representation of the symbol on the flag, will serve to remind you and teach you the lessons I am emphasizing.
~Sadhana the Inward Path, Sathya Sai Baba, P. 219
“You must see Nature as filled with God, shaped by God, as God, in those shapes and smells and sounds. We see the image in the mirror, because the light rays are reflected back from the surface of the mirror. You are the reflection of the rays of God from the mirror that is nature. And if that mirror were not there, the Jivi does not exist as a separate entity. Remove the mirror, then ‘you’ merges in ‘He’ and there remains ‘We’. It is Prakrithi that induces the belief that you are the body, the Deha. You feel, you too are name, form like Prakrithi. This identification has led to and inordinate degree of attention to the body and consequently, worry and misery.”
“Moderation in food, moderation in talk, and in desires and pursuits, contentment with what little can be got by honest labor, eagerness to serve others and to impart joy to all— these are the most powerful of all the tonics and health preservers known to the science of health, the Sanathana ‘Ayurveda.’
“Sathwic diet does not mean simply the food we take through our mouth but also means the pure air we breathe through her nose, the pure vision we see though our eyes, the pure sounds we listen through our ears and the pure objects we touch through our feet. All that we take in through doors of the five sense organs may be described as the Sathwic diet. Listening to bad sounds, looking at bad sights, touching bad things do not constitute Sathwic diet.”
Sadhana the Inward Path, Sathya Sai Baba, P. 206-207
Lord Buddha states:
“The true master lives in truth, in goodness and restraint, Non-violence, moderation and purity.”
“My actions are my only true belongings. I cannot escape the consequences of my actions. My actions of the ground is which I stand.”
Dearest Devotees the inner essence of Sai is a deep Wisdom and Love, that unfolds as we purify ourselves and experience the ananda and bliss that is our permanent, everlasting truth.
May we all sip the nectar of that holy bliss.
Lots of Prema,
Sonya Ki
