Sai Baba of Shirdi

Image of Sai Baba in a temple in a winter attire.

Sri Sai of Shirdi (in the Ahmednagar district) or Shirdi Sai Baba (c.1838 - 15 October 1918). His teachings included living a simple life. Sai devotees revere him as the supreme being.

Quotes

• Sabka Malik Ek Hai.
  • One God governs all.
    • As translated in Shirdi Sai The Supreme (1997) by S. P. Ruhela, p. 188
  • Everyone's God is One.
    • As translated in Follow The Wind Of Your Soul (2006), by George C. Kottis, p. 345
  • Mukti is impossible to person addicted to lust.
  • Laziness is man's own enemy, and it takes toward inertia, which is a downward tendency. Inertia can neither lead to devotion, nor to material advancement. The lazy one's downfall is assured. One gets nothing free in the world. If we labour hard we exist. Labour alone shall triumph is a truism in itself.
    • As translated in Shirdi Sai Baba Life: Life-philosophy and Devotion (2011) by O.P. Jha

Sources

Everyone's God is One.

Ruhela, Satya Pal (1994). What Researchers Say on Sri Shirdi Sai Baba. M.D. Publications Pvt. Ltd.. pp. 111–. ISBN 978-81-85880-85-3. 

• Jnana marga is like Ramphal. Bhakthi marga is like Sitaphal (custard apple), easy to deal with and very sweet. The pulp of Ramphal is inside and difficult to get at. Ramphal should ripen on the tree and plucked ripe, If it falls down it is spoilt. So if a Jnani falls, he is ruined. Even for a Jnani there is the danger of a fall, i.e., by a little negligence or carelessness.

• Three main points:1) The “destination” one must reach, that is, “Mukthi”, (salvation) that is located “high up”; 2) the ways or margas leading to it are many, one path originating from Shirdi; and 3) The Presence of a guide, that is, a guru, is essential in order to reach the goal safely.
  • Rigopoulos, Antonio (1993). The Life And Teachings Of Sai Baba Of Shirdi. SUNY Press. pp. 43–. ISBN 978-0-7914-1267-1. 

Eleven important sayings

Sinha, K.N. (1 January 1997). Sai Baba: A Ray from the Supreme. Abhinav Publications. pp. 80–. ISBN 978-81-7017-349-6. 

• Whoever puts his feet on Shirdi soil, his sufferings would come to an end.
• The wretched and the miserable would rise to plenty of joy and happiness.
• I shall be ever active and vigorous even after leaving this earthly body.
• My tomb shall bless and speak to the needs of the devotees.
• I shall be active and vigorous even from my tomb.
• My mortal remains would speak from the tomb.
• I am ever living to help and guide all who come to me, who surrender to me and who seek refuge in me.
• If you look to me I look to you.
• If you cast your burden on me , I shall surely bear it.
• If you seek my advice and help, it will be given at once.
• There shall be no want in the house of my devotee.

Saying stated to his disciples

V. B. Kher (1 January 1991). Sai Baba of Shirdi (English). Jaico Publishing House. pp. 332–. ISBN 978-81-7224-030-1. 

• Know that my soul is immortal. Know this for yourself
• My eye is ever on those who love me.
• Whatever you do, wherever you may be, ever bear this in mind that I am always aware of everything you do
• If one meditates on me, repeats my name, and sings about my deeds – He is transformed and his karma is destroyed. I stay by his side always.
• In whatever faith one worships me, even so I render to them.
• If one perpetually thinks of me, and makes me his sole refuge, I become his debtor and will give my life to save him.
• I am the bond slave of my devotee. I love devotion. He who withdraws his heart from the world and loves me is my true lover and he merges in Me like a river in the sea.
• If you make the sole object of your thoughts and aims you will get paramatma
• Look up to me and I will look after you. Not vain is my promise that I shall ever lighten your burden.
• Trust is sadguru fully. This is the only sadhana. Sadguru is all the gods.
• Though I be no more in flesh and blood, I shall ever protect my devotees. I shall be with you the moment you think of me.

Brahma Jnana

• Oh friend! Brahma Jnana means realisation of Self (Atma). There is no difference between Atma and God. If you want to realise Atma in your body, then you have to surrender to God the following five things: five pranas, five senses, mind, intellect and ego. All these are inside a person. It is easy to surrender the external things. But to surrender those which are inside a person is very difficult. It is like walking on the edge of a sharp knife. Those who cannot surrender even the external things are deemed to be fully under delusion. Such persons cannot understand the five inside matters.
  • To a rich man Gulzar from Malegaon (Life History of Shirdi Sai Baba - Ammula Sambasiva Rao, 1998)

About Sai Baba of Shirdi

• More over, Sai Baba was a celibate, remaining in one place, performing miracles, admonishing his disciples, and keeping a fire perpetually burning at Shirdi. The functions of a Guru, ascetic and saint, Sai Baba adds that of Avatar as many of his devotees and followers consider him as major incarnation of this age.
  • Stated by Charles S. J. White.Sinha, K. N. (1 January 1997). Sai Baba: A Ray from the Supreme. Abhinav Publications. pp. 80–. ISBN 978-81-7017-349-6. 

• Sai Baba is exemplary among the great saints of Maharashtra in western India for the ways in which he drew upon and surpassed the categories, concepts, and styles of a variety of conventionally competing religious traditions. Maharashtra is well-known for the integrative spirituality of its foremost figures, and among them Sai Baba is particularly important. The author “locates” Sai Baba in the contexts of both Hindi and Islamic traditions.
  • Rigopoulos, Antonio (1993). The Life And Teachings Of Sai Baba Of Shirdi: The Conflicting Origins, Impacts, and Futures of the Community College. SUNY Press. ISBN 978-0-7914-1267-1. 

External links

• Some quotes of Sai Baba from book of yoga celibacy.