THE SECRET OF SADANA

Whether we should give more importance to worldly dealings or to the Sadana is a common question to all atheists. People who give more importance to worldly dealings, due to circumstances think that they are imprisoned in the world and suffer a lot. To the people who think that they can achieve the paramartha (spiritual goal) in the old age, the vasanas strengthen themselves day by day and they stand in their way to the spiritual goal. If any one is there to give more importance to spiritual goal even from the beginning of ones life, he forgets the worldly responsibilities and face the trouble and thinks that his wife and children are in the way to his spiritual goal. They torture them in the name of discipline or ignore them in the name of dispassion or vairagya. This is a riddle of the life. The society will compel us that every one should realise their duty and control their desires with the help of Dharma for the sake of others. But the individuals give importance to their own desires. This is another riddle for a person facing the life. The way of art for the above riddle is called Samscruthi. The nature's goal is to blossom the physical and mental faculties of the human beings and to beget children with such faculties for the betterment of the race. If we do not understand and work for this truth, the individual and the society will become topsy-turvy. All the religions say that the mahatma's blossom due to natural instincts and every body must learn this understanding and discipline from them. This is termed as "Dharma" by the Hinduism and "Seelam" by the Buddhism and Jainism. "The way" by the Christians and Tavos, "Shariath" by the Muslims.

The four ashrams like Brahmacharya etc., are the ways of disciplined life given by Maharishees. Then the way of worldly dealings and sadana will never be contrary. The worldly life will be a means for paramartha and the spiritual life will be a good method of living for the nation. For this reason, the Indian culture has been in existence for thousands of years even though all the western civilisations were outdated. Our civilisation began to deteriorate only after we have neglected the tradition of getting the discipline from the perfect gurus or acharyas.  Instead of coordinated and enlightened outlook (gnanadrusti) we have individual ego, which lead to different cults, and in the name of religion we suffer great devastation. Though many enlightened souls lived in the same period, it is a thrill that there were no controversies between them in the past. The reason for this was that, only one best cult was prevailing at that time. The Gurugeetha declares that a student who has a sincere yearning for knowledge should gather the (gnana) knowledge from different teachers like a bee that gathers honey from different flowers. Every perfect Gnani ordained his student to collect knowledge from other teachers also. Sri Krishna directed Arjuna like this, in Geeta (4:34). Vasista, the teacher ofRaghu lineage ordained Dasaradha to send his son Sree Rama along with Viswamitra. Sri Vyasa sent his son Sri Suka Maharshi to Janaka Maharaja to acquire full knowledge. Sree Rama worshiped all the Rishees in the forest. In the eleventh scanda of Bhagavatham, the avadhuta collected knowledge from twenty-four gurus (teachers). By this the student realizes the truth that the gums may be of different forms and their ways may be different but the knowledge in them is the same like the honey in the different flowers of different plants. Then  only we will not have the differences of cults and disputes. "Best ideas may come to us from all the directions" is the prayer of Vedic Rishees. "Ano bhadra Kratavoyasthu Viswatha".

If we have to serve many Mahatmas, first of all we must know the real value of that principle and we must have interest in tliat principle. Then we must know how the perfect Gnanees really appear. Otherwise there is the danger of ourself travelling in the wrong path and serving everyone who appear like a perfect saint in the garb of perfection. To inculcate this quality in us Sri Veda Vyasa has written the life histories of many perfect saints in Bhagavatham. In Tamil we read the life history of Sixty-three Saiva saints in Peria Puranam. In the same way we read the life histories of twelve Alwars. As the real Siddapurushas are beyond death, if we read their life history with devotion, even today, we get their blessings. Sri Parikshith who was destined to die in seven days was advised the devotional hearing of Bhagavatam by Shri Sukayogi. Shirdi Sai also prescribed the reading of Bhagavatam to Vijayan.and in his last days.

If we do not recognise this great truth we think that we know better than Sri Suka and Saibaba of Shirdi and we do not give any importance to the best method of Sadana i.e. of reading the life histories of great saints with devotion. Sri Ram ana Maharshi also said that the reading of the life histories of Mahatmas and their teachings amounts to their direct presence. Sri Venkaiah Swamy also told a devotee that he should read the life history of Sri Potuluri Veerabrahmam. Sri Veerabrahmam garu wrote in Kalagnanam that he was the  incarnation of Datta. Sri Nrusimha Saraswati the second incarnation of Datta also promised that he was in the form of "Sri Guru Charitra" and devotional reading will bless the reader with physical and spiritual uplift and also with his blessings. We find the same tradition in other religions also. In Bible and Khoran we see the life histories of the great saints called "Pravaktas" who lived in those religions. So those religions prescribed to them the reading of their life histories with devotion.

The love and affection, which exists between great saints, are shown towards their devotees also. Sri Saibaba who was/always accustomed to wear white kora cloth, one day ordered his men to bring him kashaya. But he did not wear the Kashaya clothes given by them on that day. After some time, there came Sri Mulesastri, who was the disciple of Guru Golaf Swamy and a Kashayadhari. But Mulesastri doubted that Sri Saibaba was a Muslim. Then Shri Sai appeared to him in the form of his guru who always dressed in kashaya colour robes and thus Sri Sai reformed his brain. When the disciple of guru Siddarooda came to Shirdi Sai, he distributed fruits to all and pointing to that disciple, Sri Sai said, "he belonged to a great Darbar".

Shri Sai used to treat his contemporaries like Akkalkota Swamy, Tajuddinbaba, Hajarat Babajohn, Narasing Maharaj etc., with great regard and liking. Anandanath the disciple of Akkalkkota Swamy, Devidass, Janakidass, Gangagir, Hajarat Bannemia, ShamshuddinMia, Ameeruddin (Nandhed) Rama Maruthi Maharaj, Gajanana Maharaj, Dhunivaladada etc., took the darsan of Sainalh of Shirdi with love and  affection. The love between Mahatmas and their reverence towards Sainath are such.

This principle is true even today. In the life history of Shirdi Sai, we can see how the avadhuthas like Chivatam Amma, Sri Venkaiah Swamy, Mayee Amma, Rami Reddy Tata, Anasuya Matha, the avadhutas of Pundi, Chirala, Cuddapah, Sri Kalahasti, Sri Gunavali Maharaj, Sri Gajanana Maharaj of Akkal Kota, Ranganna babu garu, Sri Pakalapati Guruvu garu etc., respected Sri Sainath and me who served him, and other Sai devotees and treated them with affection. A Sufi Mahatma called Attar wrote the life histories of Mahatmas in that tradition.

In this aspect we must think over the spiritual principle practiced by Sri Venkaiah Swamy, when he visited the Saibaba temple at Vidyanagar. You will read about this in detail in this book. The reverence towards and the devotional reading ofgurucharitra and Saileelamrutham made Sri P.Subbaramaiah to live in the direct presence of Sri Venkaiah Swamy and to serve him, and gave him the golden opportunity of collecting the life history of Sri Venkaiah Swamy. It also gave me (a servant of Saibaba) the opportunity to write the life history of Sri Swamy along with these spiritual secrets. This is only due to the fact that Sri Swamy's intention was that his devotees should read the life histories of many other mahatmas and their teaching and get the best samskaras. Otherwise why should he give that opportunity to me? Even Other mahatmas like Akkalkota Swamy, Hajarat Tajuddinbaba, Sri Gajanana Maharaj, Chivatam Amma etc., gave me the opportunity to write their life histories because of these reasons.

The essence of all religions is to have firm belief in God and remember him always and spend all our life to their best satisfaction. Those who achieve this fully are called Mahatmas. All the Mahatmas and all the scriptures say that only after achieving that state we permanently get rid of our sorrows. All the creatures wish to live without any sorrow and dissatisfaction throughout their life. But the way of achieving it, is very subtle. If we want to know that subtle ^method, we must resort to people who achieved that state. Even if we resort to them to receive all that they want to give us, we must know how to serve them. That must be taught by the enlightened Mahatmas, when we approach and serve them in the fitting manner. If we do not know how to serve them we move away from our guru just like many flowers, which fall away from the trees. Thatmeans the Mahatma, whom we have resorted to, was not satisfied with our service.

We have noted how much important it is, for a sadaka to resort to a perfect Atmagnani. All the puranas warn us that in the Kaliyuga there are a number of people who, without the required knowledge, pronounce themselves as sadgurus as they are mad after money and fame. Even if we have the darsan of Sadguru by the good deeds of previous births we can attain good results only if he is suited to our samskaras acquired in the last birth. Among these Sadgurus, only those who belong to the top class, are capable of clearly suggesting the aspirant "so and so is your guru and you should approach him". For example, Akkalkota Swamy used to tell some devotees to resort to Sainath of Shirdi and, to some others to go to Sri Ramamaruthi Maharaj. Once Tajuddinbaba said to Bapu Saheb Booty "your guru is at Shirdi. Go to him quickly. Who am I to interfere in your case?". We cannot know the sadguru who is suitable to our past samskaras unless any Mahatma or God directs us towards them. Ramakrishna Paramahamsa requested Kalimatha to give him the experience of Advita. But Kalimatha said, "I have brought here for you, Totapuri, a vedantic guru. You take the required initiation from him". Ramakrishna Paramahamsa experienced a deep Nirvikalpa Samadhi state for three days as soon as he took initiation from Sri Totapuri. But as we are worldly-minded we do not have the required qualification to get the darsan of our chosen God. That is possible only due to the sadana in the previous life. For example, when he was seven years old, Ramakrishna Paramahamsa saw the clouds and a number of cranes under that cloud. He found the cloud as Sri Krishna and the cranes as the chain of pearls in the neck ofBalakrishna and he experienced a state of deep samadhi. To such a great man it took twelve years of continuous Sadana to get the darshan of Mother Kali.

Lord Datta gives us a dream vision and tells us "the sadguru whom we have to resort", if we, the worldly-minded men, do the devotional reading of Sri Gurucharitra. For example Lord Datta ordained some to resort to Shirdi Sai and to others to Akkalkota Swamy when the sadakas took to devotional reading of Gurucharitra. He ordered Vasudeva Sastry of Mangav - (Maharastra) "you approach Sri Govinda Swamy of Narasobavadi". This Vasudeva Sastry became a Mahatma due to the grace of his Sadguru. Lord Dutta directed  Sri Rangavadhuta who took to the devotional reading of Sri Gurucharitra to resort to Sri Vasudevananda Saraswati. All people who followed these divinely directions became Mahatmas. We will know how to serve the Sadguru and we will have the capacity to serve the sadguru only due to the devotional reading of gurucharitra. That is the only good method of selecting a sadguru. Before we get that fortune we will be blessed with the darsan of Mahatmas.

If we do not know how to serve the Mahatmas we commit mistakes in two ways.

1) Alwaysbythe grace of Mahatmas we can fulfill ourjigsires and get rid of all our troubles. But we will be under the delusion that we need not get knowledge from them and follow them in life. We get suffering and joy in the next birth as per the deeds done in the life. We do good and bad things according to the likes and dislikes in us. In all beings and in all things there is only one god. As we are unable to recognise this truth we like certain things and dislike certain other things. That means the likes and dislikes are due to ignorance. Through them, we get the punya and papa (sin). We get into the cycle of death and birth and in every birth we get joys and sorrows. Due to ignorance when we get joy, we commit more sins. So gradually our account of merit diminishes and the account of sin increases. As some body deludes, our good acts (deeds) will not ratify the bad deeds. We reap the consequences inevitably, separately according to the quantity and quality of our karma. If we resort to Mahatmas they can transfer to this birth, some punya of some other birth and the sorrow of this present birth to next birth and bring peace to us. But if we want to get peace without any sorrow permanently, we have to drive away ignorance with knowledge and remain witliout doing punya or papa (sin). The mahatmas do so because they expect us to be grateful to them, for temporarily removing sorrow and giving joy to serve them with Nista and Saburi. Those devotees, who do like that, are like the children who know their responsibility and bring joy to a father. They become dearer to the Sadguru. Otherwise, they will be like the children who do not know their responsibility and will be out of the good looks of their father. Shirdi Sai once said "I will tell you once or twice. If you do not listen to me I will leave you to your fate".

Sri Avadhuta Venkaiah Swamy also said "I will let them go if they are going". Avadhuta Pitchemma said, "If you eat like a bull and lie down like a log of wood what good will you derive".

2) If we do not know how to serve a Sadguru there is every possibility of committing mistake in some other way also. The God is everywhere without a form and a name. For us, who are capable of only recognising the form and name, the God appears to us with form and name like a Sadguru. We call it as "Gurutatvam" and that Gurutatvam is Lord Datta. His incarnations like Sreepada Sreevallabha, Nrusimha Saraswati, Manikya Prabhu, Akkalkota Swamy, Sri Shirdi Saibaba and others who are always available to mankind as Sadgurus and the various forms of Lord Datta.

Even though they appear with a form and a name, they are not confined to them alone; they are the all pervading and are known through their leelas. If we do not recognise this, we will be under the misconception that the Guru also will be one like us with the form and name and when we show disrespect towards other Mahatmas, that means we refuse the God who appears in the form of other Mahatmas. Then we refuse the real tatva of Sadguru.

If we want to overcome this defect we have to read the life histories of some Mahatmas and their teachings. We must see many Mahatmas. If we do not know the original nature of gold we cannot identify the real nature of gold ring (our Sadguru). The bee, which is capable of knowing the honey, can go and suck the honey from all the flowers containing honey. /It sucks only the honey, without minding the form and name of the flower. So we will be realising from their life histories the existence of one and only one God in all the forms of different Sadgurus. We must serve our Sadgurus, as instructed by them. In Bhagavatam (eleventh chapter) the Avadhuta says that he earned knowledge from twenty-four gurus. In Geeta, Sree Krishna said to Ariuna to see the Sadguru who had experienced the oneness with the universe and serve him and get his doubts cleared. If he did so the gurus would teach him. He said in the plural number only. In this, another principle is also hidden. Even though, we have met a number of teachers and got their blessings, it is only due to the grace of the Mahatma whom we have taken as our guru. Babu Saheb Booty a native of Nagapur served Sainath for along time. Once Saibaba said to him that he will be blessed with his grace in the form of Gajanan Maharaj of Shegaon. Actually, Gajanan Maharaj of Shegaon once came to Nagapur and lived in Booty' s house for two or three months and gave him the opportunity to serve him. In the same way Rege went to Nagapur for the   darsan of Tajjuddin baba. In those days Tajjuddin Baba's darsan was very difficult to get, as he was living in the palace of Raja. In addition to that, thousands of men were waiting for his darsan in the garden in front of the palace. As Rege was scheduled to leave by train at four 0' clock in the evening, he wanted to wait there up to three 0' clock. A few minutes before three '0' clock a devotee from Tajjuddin baba came to Rege and took him to Baba's darsan saying that Baba wanted to give him a separate and special darsan. At another time a family in Pune saw Kaka Mahajani Maharaj and requested him to grace their house. But he refused their request. That family went to sainath of Shirdi whom they were worshipping from a long time and told about Kaka Mahajani. He blessed them "don't worry, Kakamahajani will come to your house" After that Kaka Mahajani miraculously came to their house and stayed for three or four days. Sadakas will not forget this thing. Any women is respected only due to her chastity. If we do not know this principle and do not remember it, even though we have seen many Mahatmas, we will have only the wavering ideas. The sadgurus who are enlightened souls see everybody as their own form. So they will not think that they are gurus and the others as their disciples, so they will never tell us how we should serve them. Whenever they get good devotees, they will tell them how they had served their Gurus. That is the only way to us. That is the only way to get their grace. As it is very difficult to read all the life histories of Mahatmas we should read at least Sree Gurucharitra, and the life history of Shirdi Saibaba and Sri Sai Prabhodamrutam. We will know the way of serving a sadguru. If we do not know how to cook and how to conduct pooja we will not be able to offer naivedya and seva to a sadguru. If the son of a Raja do not realise his responsibilities, he will not be able to get the kingdom from his father and will be able to get only food and clothes from the king like all other children from their father. Some other prince who knows the responsibility and who is competent to sit on the throne gets the kingdom. In the same way one who knows the technique to serve the guru can alone get the best result from him.

When we pay our visit to Golagamudi we should not waste our time. In the presence of our swamy we must read the life history of Sri Swamy and take circymambylations (pradakshina) to the holy fire place (agnigundam) and samadhimandir. Even in our house we can begin the parayana (the devotional reading) of Sri Swamyji's life history a week before the commencement of the Aradhana day, which falls on The twenty fourth of August every year, and complete it on the Aradhana day. The devotional reading of Gurucharitra during the Gurupoomima celebrations and the Saileelamrutam during Dasara upto Vijayadasami do a lot of good to us both physically-and spiritually.

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