Sairam friends,
Before you go through this article, let me clarify this.
- StarSai is not about Shirdi Saibaba and spirituality alone. While Sai rules StarSai and my soul, he never once wanted me to write about him and his leela alone.
- Sai encourages anything good. If I say something good to you, that’s enough. It doesn’t necessarily have to be on Saibaba.
- I hate people saying that they serve Saibaba and do nothing. Even when I was coming around dhuni in Saibaba temple for 2-3 hours everyday in 2005-6, I was a freelancer and I earned my living doing something.
I agree, Baba himself has kept few people with him during his lifetime without giving them a good career. Those are exceptions. If that’s in your life, Sai will show that but I basically don’t encourage serving Sai alone. And what do you mean by saying you serve Baba?
Baba needs no one to serve him. We choose to serve him and we are blessed. For few people that might be a career. There are singers, there are people who paint etc. Else, you must serve him only when you find time.
For vast majority of us, Sai devotion itself is a distraction. We use Sai as an excuse to ignore our responsibilities.
Baba himself never sat idle. Baba does some work. He never earned by what he did but he did some work. He used to maintain a beautiful garden. He watered plants, he was practicing as a village physician for first few years of his time in Shirdi, Sai even reduced himself as a sevak of another fake Guru. You must have read this in Sai Satcharita. Why should Sai work? He has all siddhi. He can bring all the heaven down to his little Dwarakamai. He went for alms and begged food from 5 houses in Shirdi when he himself was a Annapurna.
I say this to both men and women. Keep learning a lot and focus on your career. If you are strong in what you do, half your problem is solved.
Have you come across articles in which I keep mentioning that I had not achieved anything in my life and that I have not done anything useful for anyone? Devotees who regularly come to StarSai tells me that I have done something good and that what I do for Sai is also helping thousands of people in some way. It could be true but my perception is different.
Think about this basic idealogy.
There are Sai devotees who might involve in bad activities and there might be someone who never worships Sai or God but they might only do good.
So my intention is to do something good for everyone. Why should I focus on Sai devotees alone? Somone might completely hate Sai faith but he/she might be good at heart. They too deserve a good life. Though I write about chanting, reading Sai Satcharita and some pooja for Sai and Gods, I don’t recommond someone young leaving their responsibilities and focussing only on Sai. Trust me. I was like that for few years in my life. My parents supported me. How many parents will let you serve Sai and do literally nothing? My parents did but I promised them that will be for a time period. Even during that period, I kept working on something for my career.
Having said that, atleast the past one year, my perception in life has changed a lot. I start to realize that I must do something that’s not related to spirituality or Sai devotion.
These are my interests
- I keep telling anyone I come across to learn something new and never waste their time. Most of the youngters I come across assume that if they have a job, they can relax at home. Honestly, any industry will not be the same forever. You might have to face a huge economic crisis in your life time. You must be prepared for such a period. If you are well learned, you might have better options.
- I don’t have any means to give someone a job but I like telling them what to do about it.
- I always look for opportunities in day to day life to do little good deed. You too must cultivate such habit. Sometimes, I don’t have presence of mind and loose a nice opportunity to involve in a good activity.
I am happy when you write that you followed my instructions to do pooja, chant Sai’s holy name and read Sai Satcharita.
Even if you don’t do all this and simply focus on your duty with dedication, Sai’s blessings will always be with you.
Trust me. That’s karma marga. Baba’s path is “Path of work”
Do some work. Make Sai proud of you.
Even when you don’t have a job, keep working on something and develop your skills.
Take one step beyond serving Sai and Sai will take 100 steps to change your life as you desire.
Love,
Venkat
