Spiritual Practices Approved By Sri Sai Baba

Aum Sairam

Sri Sai Baba used several methods to instruct devotees.

1) Remembering His name and complete surrender to Him
2) Shravana [study of Eknath Bhagwath, Guru Charitra etc]
3) Manana [meditation of His form]
4) Sitting near His feet
5) Sending some to Khandoba
6) Vishnu Sahasranama
7) Direct instructions
8) Instructions in vision and dreams
9) Some to Macchindragad, some to Kolhapur and Sholapur for sadhana

Bringing Sri Sai Baba before our mental vision, these things have to be
practices and lived; mere reading is of no use. You have to think and
carry out what you read. Mere book learning without the grace of Guru
and self realization is no avail.

The nava vidha Bhakti are
1. Shravana [hearing about Sri Sai Baba]
2. Kirtana [praying to Sri Sai Baba]
3. Smarana [remembering Sri Sai Baba]
4. Padasevana [resorting to Sri Sai Baba's feet]
5. Archana [Worship of Sri Sai Baba's feet]
6. Namaskara [Bowing to Sri Sai Baba]
7. Dasya [Service to Sri Sai Baba]
8. Sakhyatva [Friendship to Sri Sai Baba]
9. Atmanivedana [Surrender of self to Sri Sai Baba]

Sri Sai Baba's feet are the only means of attaining happiness. We
should know no other method of attaining the supreme goal of life,
except meditating on His feet. Look at Sri Sai Baba's posture, how fine
it is. He is sitting with his legs folded, the right leg across the
left knee. The fingers of His left hand are spread on the right foot.
On the right toe are spread His two fingers-the index and middle ones.
By this posture Sri Sai Baba means to say, be most humble and meditate
on my toes you will be able to see My light. Sri Sai Baba had advised
Hemadpant that before the senses, mind and intellect enjoy their
objects, He should be first remembered. We should offer whatever we
enjoy to Sri Sai Baba. Then the object that is not fit to be enjoyed
will be shunned and in this way our vicious habits or vices will
disappear and our character will improve.

By worshipping Sri Sai Baba, we attain both the objects, worldly and
spiritual, and are fixed in our true nature, and get peace and happiness.

Those who want to gain their welfare should respectfully hear Sri Sai
Baba's Leela's and meditate on them. Our vrittis, [thoughts]
regarding desire, anger, [fear] and avarice should be offered to Sri
Sai Baba. He would help us eradicate all the vrittis.When Sri Sai
Baba's form is fixed before our mental vision; we forget hunger, thirst
and this sansara. The consciousness of worldly pleasures will disappear
and our mind will attain peace and happiness.

Sri Sai Baba allowed His devotees to serve Him in their own way and did
not like any other persons interfering in this. He did not like any
other Bhakta meddling with a Bhakta's service. He is capable to gauge
the merits and worth of the service rendered to Him. Sai Sai Baba is an
ocean of mercy, God Incarnate who is Para Brahma and the great
Yogeshwara. What is wanted on our part is whole hearted devotion to
Him. When a devotee has got firm faith and devotion, his wishes will
soon be fulfilled. Whenever a devotee had complete and whole hearted
devotion to Sai Sai Baba, all his calamities and dangers were warded
off and his welfare attended to by Sri Sai Baba.

Shri Hemadpant says Oh Sri Sai, let us never forget and lose sight of
Your feet; neither son, nor wife nor friend will be of any use in the
end. It is only You who will give us salvation. Remove the restlessness
of our mind and make it steady and calm. It is You that makes us drink
the nectar of Your Leela's and awakened us from our slumber due to
your grace [It is the nectar of Sri Sai Leela's that will awaken us.
This is again Sri Sai's grace on us. We have to wait patiently for the
same. We should pray to Sri Sai Baba, Make our eyes Yours, so that we
should never feel pleasure or pain. Control our body and mind as You
will and wish. Let our mind get rest at Your feet.

Come what may, leave not, but stick to your bolster [Support or Guru]
and ever remain steady, always in union with him.

We should always remain with our chosen Guru and do not waver we have
to pray to Sri Sai Baba. Oh Sri Sai, create in us regard for your
stories, while listening to Your stories let sattvik tendencies and
emotions arise in us. Let Your grace dawn on us. It is only You who can
make us see the Lord in all creatures.

Allah Malik