BABA'S HEALING TOUCH TRANSCENDED RELIGION
Dr. Jai Maharaj
By Rauf Ahmed
The Times of India
Sunday, October 6, 2002
These are times when an increasing number of those who
believe in peace and sanity are beginning to see religion
as a curse. This is because of the reign of terror let
loose by self-appointed and fundamentalist 'custodians'
of religion. Followers of any religion cannot also be
violent and destructive, for the two are mutually
exclusive. That's why the Sai Baba of Shirdi's
observations on religion a hundred years ago are even
more relevant today.
Sri Shirdi Sai Baba is probably known as much for the
miracles he performed in the process of alleviating human
suffering as for his eclectic philosophy. However, that
does not take away from the fact that he epitomised a
great mission -- of human brotherhood and religious
harmony.
Baba interpreted the religious credo in a rational and
existentialist manner. God, he insisted, bore no
religious identity, for He could not be fettered by any
institution. To him, the spirit of a religion meant more
than its identity. And Baba lived by what he propounded.
Not once in his 40-year stay in Shirdi did he identify
himself with any particular religion. No one knew for
certain then, and no one knows even now, what his
religious identity was. Was he a Hindu? Was he a Muslim?
Baba lived the greater part of his life in a dilapidated
mosque in Shirdi, and the place is identified as
dwarakamayi or masjidmayi. His constant refrain was:
'Allah Malik'. He invoked the name of Allah but He was
well versed in the Vedas and the Upanishads, Hindu
scriptures. For someone who had no claims to formal
education, Baba could interpret Hindu scriptures with
great facility.
Baba never indulged in religious didacticism -- but he
was particularly knowledgeable about that religious
philosophy which was more rational than dogmatic. His
thoughts were liberal; to him, religion was a means to
seek God within, to attain to a higher human plane,
getting closer to the ideal of the perfect being.
Baba did not preach self-denial. He didn't say that
denouncement of everyday chores of life was a
precondition to spiritual quest. Real peace, he said,
cannot be achieved by running away from the turbulence of
living. It had to come from within, even in the midst of
chaos.
He chided devotees who came for prayers on an empty
stomach. Hunger, he told them, could distract. He
denounced religious fanaticism, which, he said, was
dangerously counter-productive because it negated the
very essence of the religious credo. You can't be
religious and vicious at the same time, he said. Religion
shuns violence and destruction.
At one point, at the height of communal tension in
Shirdi, he prevailed upon the Hindus and the Muslims to
celebrate Ram Navami simultaneously with the Urs, with
the respective processions starting from the same point
where the Samadhi Mandir now stands in the Sai Baba
temple complex. This ritual continues even today -- even
though it has lost much of its intensity and commitment.
Baba's healing touch is palpable even today, more than 80
years after he breathed his last on Dussehra, October 16,
1918. So is his presence in the precincts of the Samadhi
Mandir. The number of visitors here has grown with time,
from a few hundreds in the early '70s to more than 10,000
a day today. On special occasions like Ram Navami and
Dussehra it swells to nearly 10 lakh people a day.
Writings on Baba's life tend to focus more on his healing
powers and the miracles he performed. But Baba's real
mission was to help people rise above bigotry. He tried
to initiate a thought process that would elevate the
human spirit to a divine high.
Read the complete news at:
http://www.timesofindia.com
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Om Shanti
Panchaang for 30 Bhadrapad 5103, Sunday, October 6, 2002:
Chitrabhanu Nama Samvatsare Dakshinaya Jeevana Ritau
Kanya Mase Shukla Pakshe Bhanu Vasara Yuktayam
Hasta-Chitra Nakshatra Indra-Vaidhriti Yoga
Kinstughna-Bava Karana Prathama Yam Tithau
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SANJAY DADLANI
Ananda das
Times of India, a portion of which I will also quote:
> He denounced religious fanaticism, which, he said, was
> dangerously counter-productive because it negated the
> very essence of the religious credo.
The article provided a few anecdotes about a purported mystic/philosopher who
seemed, at least at first blush, to be a relatively sane person, perhaps a bit
of a freethinker or syncretist, but genuinely concerned lest religion be
tarnished with the deeds of zealots acting in her name.
Subsequently, another person from the United Kingdom saw fit simply to
besmirch that religious teacher's memory with a rude curse.
This is unfortunate, unfair and uncalled-for; even an ordinary person will
generally heed the Latin maxim "De mortuis nil nisi bonum", for at least a
portion of the dung we throw at others will certainly stick to ourselves. How
sad that a Vaishnava, a humble servant of Sri Krishna, would trouble to befoul
his lips with curses, rather than attempting to deal with the substance of the
posting with which he apparently disagrees.
Best regards,
Ananda das
Dark Knight
Ananda das wrote:
> Subsequently, another person from the United Kingdom saw fit simply to
> besmirch that religious teacher's memory with a rude curse.
>
> This is unfortunate, unfair and uncalled-for; even an ordinary person will
> generally heed the Latin maxim "De mortuis nil nisi bonum", for at least a
> portion of the dung we throw at others will certainly stick to ourselves. How
> sad that a Vaishnava, a humble servant of Sri Krishna, would trouble to befoul
> his lips with curses, rather than attempting to deal with the substance of the
> posting with which he apparently disagrees.
If you knew the amount of damage that this "religious teacher" has
caused to so many lives, you may understand the curse.
DK
P.S. I agree.
Ananda Das
<aoo0it$euh$1...@perki.connect.com.au>, Ryan Peetz <rpe...@shaw.ca> and
Neil Ozman <neil...@yahoo.com> saw fit wantonly to insult the sincere
beliefs of each other's faith. This is unfortunate and uncalled-for.
Let us always look for the good, and not be so hasty to create mutual
ill will.
Best regards,
Ananda das