Quotes by Sai Baba of Shirdi

1. In answer to a devotee’s question concerning samsara (worldly activities), Sai Baba observed:
   1. The Shadripus (the six enemies – lust, anger, covetousness, delusion, pride & jealousy) are all delusive. They make the unreal appear as real. If a rich man wears a gold ornament, the poor man gets jealous, and thinks he must have one. This is lobha (greed). All are like this. So one must conquer the six enemies. If they are conquered, waves of passion will not arise. Else they will enslave you. If they are subordinated and reason made the commandant, then the delusive pleasures and pains will no longer hold sway over you.
2. Sakharam Hari alias Bapusaheb Jog was the uncle of the famous Varkari Vishnubuva Jog of Poona. After his retirement from Govt. Service (He was a Supervisor in the P.W. Department) in 1909 A.D., he came and lived in Shirdi with his wife. He had no issue. Both husband and wife loved Baba and spent all their time in worshipping and serving Baba. After Megha’s death, Bapusaheb daily did the arati ceremony in the Masjid and Chavadi till Baba’s maha-samadhi. He was also entrusted with the work of reading and explaining Jnaneshwari and Ekanathi Bhagawat in Sathe’s Wada to the audience. After serving for many years, Jog asked Baba – “I have served you so long, my mind is not yet calm and composed, how is it that my contact with Saints has not improved me? When will You bless me?” – Hearing the Bhakta’s prayer Baba replied – “In due time your bad actions (their fruit or result) will be destroyed, your merits and demerits will be reduced to ashes, and I shall consider you blessed, when you will renounce all attachments, conquer lust and palate, and getting rid of all impediments, serve God whole-heartedly and resort to the begging bowl (accept sannyas).” After some time, Baba’s words came true. His wife predeceased him and as he had no other attachment, he became free and accepted sannyas before his death and realized the goal of his life.
3. ref: http://www.saibaba.org/lhossb/lhossb12.html
   1. A very rich man Gulzar was residing near Malegaon. On hearing about the powers and leelas of Sai Baba, he decided to go to Shrdi to get Brahma Jnana from Baba. He engaged a tonga for the journey. After reaching Shirdi, he approached Baba, and asked him to teach him Brahma Jnana without delay, as he had engaged a tonga for the journey. Baba told him, “Friend, do not get worried. I will show you Brahman just now. All my transactions are for cash only and no account. All who come to me are with selfish desires. Very few ask for Brahma Jnana like you.” So saying, Baba diverted the topic. He called for a boy and asked him to get five rupees as loan from Nandu Marwadi. The boy returned after sometime stating that the house was locked. Baba sent him to some other house, with the same result. He sent him to two more places, but without success. Then Baba looked at Gulzar who had come for Brahma Jnana and said, “There are fifty currency notes of five rupees denomination in your pocket. Attaining Brahma Jnana urgently is not materialistic. I have been sending the boy to get a loan of five rupees, with the intention that you should observe. You did not volunteer to give that five rupees to me, that too as a loan,even though you have a lot of money. Such a miser cannot understand Brahma Jnana. You were in a hurry because, if there was delay the tongawala would charge you more.”
   2. Baba then added, 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: (1) five pranas (2) five senses (3) mind (4) intellect and (5) ego. All these are inside a person. It is easy to surrender the enternal 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.
4. (ref: ?http://www.saibaba.org/lhossb/lhossb12.html) – A person who wants Self-realisation or Atma Jnana, should be careful in the following matters:
   1. A strong desire should be there for moksha or freedom from worldly matters.
   2. One should have detachment from all things of this world and also desires about the other world ( paraloka ).
   3. All the senses of a man are accustomed to seeing external things only. One should make these senses see the self or Atma.
   4. When he cannot divert his mind from bad and undesirable things and not be able to control his mind, he cannot get Atma-Sakshatkara even if he gets Jnana.
   5. One should always speak the truth under all circumstances and remain a bachelor.
   6. Man should choose only that which will do him good and not that which gives him pleasure. Worldly matters give pleasure. Spiritual matters do him good. Instead of going for temporary or momentary pleasures, one should prefer spiritual matters only, which do good to him.
   7. Man should have under control, the mind and sensory organs. If he goes for pleasures, the senses also will keep the mind occupied with these matters and there will not be any room for spiritual matters.
   8. He must keep his mind pure. He should do his duties in a proper and satisfactory way, without expecting reward for his actions. Then the mind will be pure. Knowledge comes out from a purified mind and increases detachment, leading to self-realisation.Unless greed, delusions and desires are removed, man cannot get Jnana.
   9. If all the above-mentioned thing are practised rigorously he will achieve results. After this stage, the need for a ‘Guru’ arises. A Guru should be one who has attained Atma-Jnana, otherwise no useful purpose will be served.
   10. The first eight are one’s own efforts. To this, if the help of a Sadguru is also there, then God’s blessings will also be there. Knowledge of the Vedas, or riches or great intelligence will not get us Atma-Jnana.”
5. Unless, a man leads a life of truth, penance and insight, a life of celibacy, he cannot get God-realization.
6. Unless you get rid completely of your avarice or greed, your will not get the real Brahma. How can he, whose mind is engrossed in wealth, progeny and prosperity, expect to know the Brahma, without removing away his attachment for the same?
7. 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.
8. When Nanasaheb was once sitting in the Masjid with Mhalasapati and others, a Mahomedan gentlemen from Bijapur came with his family to see Baba. Seeing gosha (veiled) ladies with him, Nanasaheb wanted to go away, but Baba prevented him from doing so. The ladies came and took the darshan of Baba. When one of the ladies removed her veil in saluting Baba’s feet and then resumed it again, Nanasaheb, who saw her face, was so much smitten with her rare beauty that he wished to see her face again. Knowing Nana’s restlessness of mind, Baba spoke to him after the lady had left the place as follows – “Nana, why are you getting agitated in vain? Let the senses do their allotted work, or duty, we should not meddle with their work. God has created this beautiful world and it is our duty to appreciate its beauty. The mind will get steady and calm slowly and gradually. When the front door was open, why go by the back one? When the heart is pure, there is no difficulty, whatsoever. Why should one be afraid of any one if there be no evil thought in us? The eyes may do their work, why should you feel shy and tottering?” – Chapter 49 of Shri Sai Satcharitra.
9. Objects of senses are harmful. With Viveka (discrimination) as our charioteer, we will control the mind and will not allow the senses to go astray. With such a charioteer we reach the Vishnupada – the final abode, our real home from which there is no return.
10. 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 things, 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, where he is not born again. The man, who has the 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).
11. Brahma is the only ‘Reality’ and no one in this world, be he a son, father or wife, is really ours.
12. Be entirely prideless and egoless and your spiritual progress will be rapid.
13. Abandon lust, wrath and avarice as they lead to self-destruction.
14. Perfect happiness itself is Brahma.
15. Do not entertain the sense of doership in doing good.
16. Do not be a slave to your desires. Control them by ‘Naamjapa”.
17. Let things happen as they will. Our good lies only in meditating on Him.
18. Even a well-read person who is not free from the desire of the fruit of his actions, is useless and cannot get self-realisation.
19. Eat very little. Do not sleep much. Have dhyan on what is read and think only of Him.
20. Mukti is impossible to persons addicted to lust.
21. The path of Brahma Gyan or self-realization is as hard as treading on the edge of a razor.
22. The teachings of a Guru are of no use to a man who is full of ego and who always thinks about the sense objects.
23. To get knowledge of the self, dhyana (meditation) is necessary.
24. The best way to receive is to give.
25. The wise ones do not grieve for death, the fools do.
26. This joy and this sorrow is due to opinion which is mere illusion and is ruinous.
27. Lust, anger, greed, pride, attachment and jealously are all delusive.
28. Unless a man discharges satisfactorily and disinterestedly the duties of his life, his mind will not be purified.
29. Unless egoism and greed is dropped, avarice got rid of, and the mind made desireless, self-realisation is not possible.
30. We come here (in this world) alone and have to leave alone.
31. Wealth should be the means to work out Dharma.
32. What you sow, you reap. What you give, you get.
33. It is only in the purified mind that viveka and vairagya grows and leads one to self-realisation.
34. If anyone does any evil unto you, do not retaliate.
35. You should be blessed when you will renounce all attachments, conquer lust and serve God.
36. His remembrance drives always sins, afflictions and distress.
37. If anyone utters ten words at us, let us answer with one word, if we reply at all.
38. If others hate us, let us simply take to “naamjapa” and avoid them.
39. Detach yourself from passions and desires, or else they will enslave you.
40. Concerning ahimsa, recall this peremptory answer given by Baba to H. S. Dikshit, who had asked if it was all right to kill a poisonous snake: “No. We should never kill it. Because it will never kill us unless it is ordered by God to kill us. If God has so ordered, we cannot avoid it.
41. Sai Baba heartily recommended Satsanga (the company of the good) as an important aspect of every devotee’s sadhana: “Satsanga i.e. moving with the virtuous is good. Dussanga i.e. moving with evil-minded people is evil and must be avoided.”
42. With reference to lust, Sai Baba once commented tersely, “A person who has not overcome lust, cannot see God i.e. attain God-realization.”
43. Mr. Thakur.
    • Mr. V.H.Thakur, B.A., was a clerk in the Revenue Department and he once came to a town named Vadgaum near Belgaum (S.M. Country) along with a Survey party. There he saw a Kanarese Saint (Appa) and bowed before him. The Saint was explaining a portion from the book “Vichar-Sagar” of Nischaldas (a standard work on Vedanta) to the audience. When Thakur was taking his leave to go, he said to him, “you should study this book, and if you do so, your desires will be fulfilled, and when you go to the North in the discharge of your duties in future, you will come across a great Saint by your good luck, and then he will show you the future path, and give rest to your mind and make you happy”.
    • Then, he was transferred to Junnar, where he had to go by crossing Nhane Ghat. This Ghat was very steep and impassible, and no other conveyance, than a buffalo was of use in crossing it. So he had to take a buffalo-ride through the Ghat, which inconvenienced and pained him much. Thereafter, he was transferred to Kalyan on higher post, and there he became acquainted with Nanasaheb Chandorkar. He heard much about Sai Baba from him and wished to see Him. Next day, Nanasaheb had to go to Shirdi, and he asked Thakur to accompany him. He could not do so as he had to attend the Thana Civil Court for a civil case. So Nanasaheb went alone. Thakur went to Thana, but there the case was postponed. Then, he repented for not accompanying Nanasaheb. Still he left for Shirdi and when he went there, he found that Nanasaheb had left the place the previous day. Some of his other friends, whom he met there, took him to Baba. He saw Baba, fell at His Feet and was overjoyed. His eyes were full of tears of joy and his hair stood on end. Then after a while the omniscient Baba said to him – “The path of this place is not so easy as the teaching of the Kanarese Saint Appa or even as the buffalo-ride in the Nhane Ghat. In this spiritual path, you have to put in your best exertion as it is very difficult“. When Thakur heard these significant signs and words, which none else than he knew, he was overwhelmed with joy. He came to know, that the word of the Kanarese Saint had turned true. Then joining both hands and placing his head on Baba’s Feet, he prayed that he should be a accepted and blessed. Then Baba said – “What Appa told you was all right, but these things have to be practised and lived. Mere reading won’t do. You have to think and carry out what you read, otherwise, it is of no use. Mere book-learning, without the grace of the Guru, and self-realization is of no avail“.