Should we pray for Swami's Return?
- Published on 23 July 2013
Sreejith Narayan
Some devotees have asked the question "Should we pray for Swami’s Return?". Even though I am not qualified to answer this, I feel there is no harm in expressing my humble views.
In my belief, there is nothing we can do “specially” to bring Him back. This scenario can be compared to Swami's occasional visits to Whitefield from Puttaparthi. Even though everyone knows that He would be back to Puttaparthi some time, no one can do anything to bring Him back earlier or make Him stay in Whitefield longer than He decides.
Swami once said that Devotees seldom know what to pray for.
The advent itself was according to My Sankalpa (Resolve); every step in this Avatar is due to My own Sankalpa; not due to the prayer or petition of devotees. The devotees seldom know what is good for them. (Sathya Sai Speaks, Vol 3, Ch 29)
As Swami conveys in the above words, whatever the Sai Avatar does is through His own Sankalpa or Divine Will. We would not know what His Divine Will is, except when He has expressed that through His words. His words represent His Divine Will to make those things happen. My belief in His Reappearance stems from my faith in those words. But when and how it will happen, He alone knows!
Coming back to the question of whether or not we should pray for His Return, it would be interesting to consider two relevant statements from the Lord.
1. The Lord comes as Avatar when He is anxiously awaited by saints and sages. Sadhus prayed, and I have come. (Divine Discourse, January 25, 1963)
2. This body has come through the Lord's resolve to come. That resolve is intended to uphold the Truth. Divine resolve is always true resolve. (Divine Discourse, November 23, 1968)
At the first glance these two statements may appear contradictory. On one hand Swami says that He came because of the prayers of the Sages. On the other hand He mentions that the Sai Advent was due to His own resolve. When we delve into it a little deeper, we can come to a conclusion that He answered the prayers of the Sages as a “Divine excuse” or "pretext" to descend down to this earth. So, in my humble opinion, it is from that perspective we should pray for His Return. Even though Swami has already decided what all will happen, we can still pray so that we feel we are doing something to be a part of this Divine Drama. Collective intensity also leads to a critical mass and nothing pleases our dear Lord than when devotees unitedly come together and engage in the Divine thoughts of Him.
More importantly, we can engage in intense Namasmarana and Samastha Loka prayer for this world, which will make Him happy and also facilitate the cleansing process and spiritual transformation within ourselves. As much as I believe that all His words about the future will come true, I must also abide by His words on spiritual transformation and apply those to my life. Without that, I know I wouldn't be eligible to step foot in His Sai Kingdom that is fast approaching!
This hiatus, this pause is a time to intensify our efforts and spiritual practices. It is an interlude for in-depth individual and collective sadhana (spiritual endeavor) to complete our homework, to work upon ourselves in order to graduate. So also, this is the phase, to ruminate, to pledge, to rededicate, to affirm and reaffirm our willingness to serve Him in all of creation. And, with the intensity of collective thought process, gather a "Critical Mass" seeking the cherished return of Beloved Bhagawan. (Jullie Chaudhuri, Foreword to STKC)
Comments
My sentiments too
Everything is HIS WILL - We are totally powerless to make things happens unless BABA wills it - MOSES JESUS MOHAMMED NANAK All these Beings could not do the miracles unless BABA willed it with His Divine Commands - All Rishis Yogis etc........ though enlightened know without the Divine Will not even a leaf can move...but for our solace and selfless prayers we move closer to enlightenment for SWAMI says "even the worm has to reach the goal one day"
I am desperate for BABA to return to bring peace to the world and our lives but my desperation will not bring HIM back because HE decides and ONLY HE
Jai Sai Ram
Sai Dav
July 24, 2013 at 3:03 AM
God has a plan... praying for Sai's return? Is that not saying you do not trust him... that you are worried he will not return?
He tells us that he is in each one of us... find that place, the God self inside where there is perfect stillness, don't look or pray outside of yourself... he is not there!
Honestly... With all that Baba has taught over the many years... would he not be disappointed at people praying for his return?
Do your work... Find Yourself... that place in you which Baba has taught of for so many years... then you will join him as one not praying for him as God who is somewhere outside of you!
Baba said... the only difference between you and me is... I know I am God and you don't... Yet!
There are a couple of teachers speaking clearly of self realization... Ramana Maharshi, and Mooji.... another in the lineage of Ramana.
Mooji can be seen on You Tube and on Mooji.org
They speak of the same truth that Baba spoke of... your true nature!
Now don't you think Prema Sai would be happier to see we have been doing our own home work?
Instead of waiting for him to come along and do it for us...
Yes... Realization comes through Gods grace, but our earnestness and effort is first necessary.
Here is a prayer that I love...
Grace is helping you in every way. Trust it. Say, “Yes, I am here, remove this sense of separation, this arrogance of separateness and merge me in you, oh God, oh Universe Being, Self, Truth, Life. Don’t give me any technique. Absorb me. Replace me with You.”
The last thing I will say is to watch this video... it's a prayer of surrender!
It is written on the wall by the western canteen at puttaparthi.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mA3sKzTeNI
August 4, 2013 at 10:12 PM
August 5, 2013 at 10:14 PM
September 4, 2013 at 3:41 AM
September 4, 2013 at 6:44 AM
September 4, 2013 at 6:44 AM
September 6, 2013 at 6:38 PM
September 15, 2013 at 7:38 AM
Swami always sees how much faith we have, if I pray please come back, I still have some doubt in some remote corner of my mind, 'Oh! let me pray 'IF' He doesn't come back.'
On the contrary even if HE comes and tells I am not coming, we should have the faith to tell Him, Swami u are playing with us.
Obviously, we don't pray to the sun god to rise in the east the next day. :-)
The second argument which I often hear is 'How can u be sure what Swami will do, how can u understand His will.' He only does what He wills not what we pray and we should be tuned to His will rather than praying for what we desire.
Correct!, I am attuned to His will and know in my hearts of hearts He will come back hence there is no question of praying for my desire to be fulfilled.
Faith is beyond logic, once we try to analyze it with our minds we get completely lost.
September 28, 2013 at 3:39 AM
September 28, 2013 at 8:56 AM
September 15, 2013 at 3:37 AM
1. Bhagawan will of course re-assume HIS form. But with that comes the burden of whole Universe on our beloved Sai. He sacrificed HIMSELF for us, for our sins. Is it right on our part to pray to HIM for coming back and once again sacrifice HIMSELF for us ? Is it not selfishness ? Love is Selflessness.
2. Nevertheless, Bhagawan will come back, for HIS love for us is unconditional and for reason(s) best known to HIM. But do we deserve HIS attention ?
3. Please note that Bhagawan has redefined the definition of Avatar : Avatar is one who gives love to all, and gets tortured in return.
Lord Shiva saved the world from Halahal Poison, and hurt HIMSELF in the process . Same with our mother Sai. Keeping this in mind, would You like Bhagawan to re-assume the form ? Is it not better that we should return to HIM, rather than the other way around.
4. Everybody is only looking to get this and that from Sai. Has anybody of us thought as to who will take care of HIS body ? While Bhagawan is busy looking after us, how many of us are prepared to sacrifice ourselves to look after the comfort of HIS body ?
September 19, 2013 at 8:55 AM
September 19, 2013 at 11:58 AM
September 19, 2013 at 12:24 PM
Your questions reflect your deep Love for our dear Swami. However, He is the Universe and the Universe is He! If you re-read your list of questions, you will see that Bhagavan will come because HE wills to, because of His own sankalpa, for reasons known only to Him (your point #2). How can this be our selfishness then? Aren't we giving ourselves too much credit? To say that we can MAKE him come by our prayers, and therefore this is selfish? As swami Himself has said, nothing and no one can stop Swami in His mission, or come in His way. His Will will happen! So, don't worry about being selfish. Pray away :), only because that keeps us closer to Swami. Like you said, He will come anyway because He chooses to. The joy for us is in the prayers and the yearning for Him to return. No harm can come to the Avatar.
LRao
September 20, 2013 at 12:31 AM
Last Thursday, Radio Sai published a three part, panel discussion in their 'Heart 2 Heart' section: "NATURAL CALAMITIES: WHO'S RESPONSIBLE?"
media.radiosai.org/.../Conversation-on-Natural-Disasters-part-02.htm
Here is a pertinent extract from PART 02 in which God changed the 'rules' to fulfil a promise and answer the prayer of a devotee:
"There is Still Hope, and He is the Hope.....
If we sincerely pray, everything can be changed. It has happened so many times in the past. For example, Bhagawan Baba declared that He would never leave the shores of the Indian sub-continent and go abroad but then He went to East Africa. When somebody asked “Swami, you had promised you will never go”, He said it was the devotion of that devotee.
“I had promised him (a devotee by name Dr. Patel) that I would go to his house and have parting meals in his house. But by the time I could fulfil the promise, he had already gone to East Africa. To fulfil that true devotee's prayer, I changed all the rules.”
In Hindi, there is a particular saying ‘Param Prem ke paale padkar, Prabhu ko niyam badalte dekha’ – ‘getting entangled in the great devotion of the devotee, we have seen God change the rules of creation Himself. ‘Apna maan bhale tal jaaye’ – ‘His honour may go for a toss but He doesn't bother.’ ‘Par bhakt ka maan nahin talte dekha’ – ‘He has never let the word or the true prayer of a devotee go false."
Some answers are already given...
Naren