Shri Sai Satcharitra Chapter 16-17

Chapter – 16-17

Quick Brahma Jnana

These two chapters relate the story of a rich gentleman who sought Brahma jnana quickly from Sai Baba.

Preliminary

The last chapter described how Mr. Cholkar’s vow of an offering of sugar candy was completed and accepted. In that story, Sai Baba showed He would accept with appreciation any small offering given with love and devotion, but if the same thing was offered with pride and haughtiness, He would reject it. Being Himself full of sat-chitananda (existence - knowledge - bliss), He did not care much for mere outward formalities, but if an offering was made in a meek and humble spirit, it was welcome and He accepted it with pleasure and avidity. In fact, there is no person more liberal and benevolent than a satguru like Sai Baba. He cannot be compared to the Chintamani jewel (the philosopher’s stone which satisfies desires), the Kalpataru (the celestial tree which fulfills our desires) or the Kamadhenu (the celestial cow which yields what we desire) for they give us only what we desire, but the satguru gives us that which is most precious, inconceivable, and inscrutable (Self-realization).

Now let us hear how Sai Baba disposed of a rich man who came to Him and implored Him to give Brahma jnana.

There was a rich gentleman (unfortunately his name and whereabouts are not mentioned) who was very prosperous in his life. He had amassed a large quantity of wealth, houses, fields and lands, and had many servants and dependents. When Baba’s fame reached his ears, he said to a friend of his that he was not in want of anything and so he would go to Shirdi and ask Baba to give him Brahma jnana, which, if he got it, would certainly make him happier. His friend dissuaded him, saying, “It is not easy to know Brahman, and especially so for an avaricious man like you who is always engrossed in wealth, wife and children. In your quest of Brahma jnana, who will satisfy you, who won’t give away even a pice in charity?”

Not minding his friend’s advice, the fellow engaged a return journey tanga and came to Shirdi. He went to the masjid, saw Sai Baba, fell at His feet and said, “Baba, hearing that You give Brahma jnana to all who come here without any delay, I have come to Shirdi all the way from my distant place. I am very tired from the journey and if I receive Brahma jnana from You, my troubles will be well paid and rewarded.” Baba then replied, “Oh, my dear friend, do not be anxious, I shall give you Brahma jnana immediately. All My dealings are in cash and never on credit. So many people come to Me and ask for wealth, health, power, honor, position, cure of diseases and other temporal matters. Rare is the person who comes here to ask Me for Brahma jnana. There is no dearth of people asking for worldly things, but people interested in spiritual matters are very rare. I think this is a lucky and auspicious moment with all its accompaniments and complexities.” Saying this, Baba began to show the rich gentleman Brahman. He made him sit down and engaged him in conversation on a different subject, thus making him forget his question for the time being. Then Baba called out to a boy to go to Nandu Marwari and get a loan of Rs.5/ from him. The boy left and returned immediately saying that Nandu was absent and his house was locked. Baba then asked him to go to Bala the grocer and get the loan from him. The boy was unsuccessful this time as well. This experiment was repeated again twice or thrice with the same result.

Someone may then ask, “Why did Sai Baba, being the living, moving Brahman incarnate, want the paltry sum of five rupees and why did He try so hard to get it on loan?” Actually, Baba did not want that sum at all. He must have fully known that Nandu and Bala were absent. It seems He adopted this procedure as a test for the seeker of Brahman. The gentleman had a bundle of currency notes in his pocket and, if he was really earnest, he would not have sat quiet as an onlooker while Baba was frantically trying to get the sum of Rs. 5/. He knew Baba would keep His word and repay the debt and the sum wanted was insignificant. Still, he could not make up his mind whether to advance the sum. Such a man wanted from Baba the greatest thing in the world, i.e. Brahma jnana! Any other man, who really loved Baba, would have given the Rs. 5/ at once, instead of being a mere on looker. It was otherwise with this man. The rich gentleman advanced no money, nor did he sit silent, but rather, began to be impatient as he was in a haste to return. He implored Baba saying, “Oh Baba, please show me Brahma jnana soon.” Baba replied, “Oh, my dear friend, did you not understand all the procedure I went through while sitting in this place, for enabling you to see the Brahman? It is, in short, this. For realizing Brahman, one has to give five things, i.e. surrender five things, viz. (1) the five pranas (vital forces), (2) the five senses (five of action and five of perception), (3) the mind, (4) the intellect, and (5) the ego. This path of Brahma jnana or Self-realization is as difficult as it is to tread on the edge of a razor.”

Sai Baba then gave a rather long discourse on the subject, the purport of which is given below.

Qualifications for Brahma Jnana or Self-Realization

Almost all people do not see or realize Brahma jnana in their lifetime. Certain qualifications are absolutely necessary.

(1) Mumuksha or intense desire to become free. He who thinks that he is bound and that he should become free of bondage and who works earnestly and resolutely to that end and does not care for anything else, 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 actions 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 desires Self-realization and immortal life must turn his gaze inward and look to his inner Self.

(4) Catharsis from (purging away of) sins. - Unless a man has turned away from wickedness, stopped doing wrong, and has composed himself with his mind completely at rest, he cannot gain Self-realization, even by means of knowledge.

(5) Right conduct - Unless a man leads a life of truth, penance, insight, and celibacy, he cannot attain God realization.

(6) Preferring shreyas (the good) to preyas (the pleasant). There are two sorts of things, i.e. the good and the pleasant; the former deals with spiritual affairs, 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 senses

The body is the chariot and the Self is its master. Intellect is the charioteer and the mind serves as the reins. The senses are the horses and the sense objects, the 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 (Self-realization), and must continue through the round of births and deaths. However, he who has understanding and whose mind is restrained, his senses being under control like the good horses of a charioteer, reaches the state of Self-realization when he is not born again. The man, who has 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 Lord Vishnu.

(8) Purification of the mind

Unless a man discharges satisfactorily and disinterestedly the duties of his station in life, his mind will not be purified, and unless his mind is purified, he cannot get Self-realization. It is only in the purified mind that viveka (discrimination between the unreal and the real) and vairagya (non-attachment to the unreal) crop up and lead on to Self-realization. Unless egoism is dropped, avarice overcome, and the mind made desireless (pure), Self-realization is not possible. The idea that “I am the body” is a great delusion and attachment to this idea is the cause of bondage. Abandon these ideas and attachments if Self-realization is to be achieved.

(9) The necessity of a guru

Knowledge of the Self is so subtle and mystic, it cannot be attained by individual effort alone. The help of a self-realized teacher (guru) is absolutely necessary for they have walked the path and can easily take the disciple step by step up the ladder of spiritual progress.

(10) Lastly the Lord’s Grace is the most essential thing. When the Lord is pleased with anyone, He gives him viveka and vairagya and takes him safely beyond the ocean of mundane existence. The Katha Upanishad states, “The Self cannot be gained by the study of Vedas, nor by intellect, nor by much learning. He, who the Self chooses, by him, it is gained. To him, the Self reveals its nature”.

After the dissertation was over, Baba turned to the gentleman and said, “Well, sir, there is in your pocket Brahman (or Mammon) in the form of fifty times five (250) rupees. Please take it out.” The gentleman took a bundle of currency notes out of his pocket and to his great surprise found, on counting them, that there were 25 notes of 10 rupees each. Seeing this omniscience of Baba, he was moved and fell at Baba’s feet and craved His blessings. Then Baba said to him, “Roll up your bundle of Brahma, viz. currency notes. Unless you get rid of your avarice and greed completely, you will not get real Brahma jnana. How can he, whose mind is engrossed in wealth, progeny and prosperity, expect to know Brahma jnana? He must detach from all of these. The illusion of attachment and the love for money is a deep eddy (whirlpool) of pain, full of crocodiles, in the form of conceit and jealousy. He, alone, who is desireless, can cross this whirlpool. Greed and Brahma are as poles asunder; they are eternally opposed to each other. Where there is greed, there is no room for thought or meditation of Brahma. How then can a greedy man get dispassion and salvation? For a greedy man there is no peace, neither contentment, nor certainty (steadiness). If there be even a little trace of greed in the mind, all the sadhanas (spiritual endeavors) are of no avail. Even the knowledge of a well read man who is not free from the desire for the fruit or reward of his actions is useless and will not lead to Self-realization.

The teachings of a guru are of no use to a man who is full of egoism and who always thinks about sense objects. Purification of mind is absolutely necessary; without it, all our spiritual endeavors are nothing but useless show and pomp. It is, therefore, better for one to take only what he can digest and assimilate. My treasury is full and I can give anyone what he wants, but I have to see whether he is qualified to receive what I give. If you listen to Me carefully, you will certainly be benefitted. Sitting in this masjid, I never speak any untruth.” When a guest is invited to a house, all the members of the household and other friends and relations that happen to be present, are entertained along with the guest. So, all those that were present in the masjid at that time, could partake of the spiritual feast served by Baba for the rich gentleman. After getting Baba’s blessings, everyone, including the gentleman, left the place quite happy and contented.

Special Characteristic of Baba

There are many saints who, leaving their houses, stay in a forest, or in caves or hermitages and while remaining in solitude, try to get liberation or salvation for themselves. They do not care for other people and are always self-absorbed. Sai Baba was not such a type. He had no home, no wife, no progeny, nor any relations near or distant. Still, He lived in the world (society). He begged His bread from four or five houses, always lived at the foot of the neem tree, carried on worldly dealings and taught all the people how to act and behave in this world. Rare are the sadhus and saints who, after attaining God vision, strive for the welfare of the people. Sai Baba was the foremost of these and, therefore, says Hemadpant,

“Blessed is the country, blessed is the family, and blessed are the chaste parents where this extraordinary, transcendent, precious and pure jewel (Sai Baba) was born.”

Bow to Shri Sai - Peace be to all