Baba’s Philosophy |
Shirdi Sai often stated that He has it in Him to grant all the needs of His devotees .
Shirdi Sai Baba taught no rituals , followed no paraphernalia of rules and believed in utmost simplicity, humanism, unity of all god heads going beyond all barriers of mind which is reflected in two cardinal principals of Shraddha ( faith) and Saburi ( patience) to make the world more meaningful and harmonious for all its animate and inanimate inhabitants.
SIMPLICITY: On a mundane plane , its reflected in utter simplicity in the daily conduct of Shirdi Sai – the clothes that He wore was a simple tattered robe ( kafni) with a cap n a begging bowl – only possession that He had. His lack of interest in donations / gifts that was offered to Him ( which was invariably gifted away to needy by evening of the same day like all mystic saints ), concern about well being of all those who were in contact with Him , and above all regarding every one as His own self.
On a spiritual level “ simplicity” means returning home and being established in Self. Nothing can be more simpler than this objective which is the birthright of every human being. Shirdi Sai always dwelt in the Self even while being in physical plane—the simplest art of living.
HUMANISM: Shirdi Sai believed in the general and spiritual well being of all mankind and His daily conduct was an example of accepting every fellow being as His own , irrespective of any barriers of caste , creed, religion, language or other such man made barriers. He believed in the innate divinity of each being and was forever concerned with the welfare of all people .The crowd that visited Shirdi during His lifetime comprised of personas from all strata of society of varied religious background , caste , etc. Each being received the compassionate blissful attention of the Master ; He was a mother to all.
On spiritual plane, “humanism” enshrines the basic principle of treating every being as a reflection of the Self ; its also reflected in the policy of serving the other (human ) beings as a service to God .
UNITY OF GOD HEADS: Shirdi Sai never discriminated on the basis of any of the so called man made mind barriers of any sort whatsover. He advised every person to follow their path while emphasizing on the need to maintain and follow general principles of shraddha ( faith) and saburi (patience). This conduct was the secular approach requiring no rituals but only purity of conduct in all spheres of life ensuring the well being of all in the world .
On spiritual plane, “unity of godheads” essentially means returning to the “source” which is “One” – the absolute.
SHRADDHA (FAITH) : Shirdi Sai advised His devotees to have Shraddha (faith) and to bear the vicissitudes of life with faith “ shraddha”. On a mundane level it ensured that all changes were calmly accepted without harbouring any ill will towards any fellow being while looking forward.
On spiritual level, “ shraddha”( faith) means treading on the path with single minded devotion with utmost purity towards awakening of Self irrespective of trials & tribulations that often deter the seeker.
SABURI (PATIENCE): Shirdi Sai always insisted on “saburi” (patience) in all circumstances of life to His devotees like other saints. On mundane plane, it ensured that one would conduct himself in most appropriate manner at all times contributing to overall harmony by this courteous conduct towards everyone.
On spiritual plane, “saburi”(patience) entailed calming all senses , thoughts to realize the Self ie sad-chidda-anand.
One could say that the teachings of the Shirdi Sai can be encapsulated by ensuring purity of conduct in all spheres of daily life as stated by Him as “ shraddha” and“saburi” that would make the society and the world a more compassionate cohesive functional unit by serving others .