Sairam friends,
I am deeply disturbed by a few incidents happening in Delhi, India and also my own life. I am not able to sleep until 3 AM thinking about innocent people beaten up. I never ask anything from Saibaba touching his portrait as soon as wake up but yesterday, I asked Saibaba to protect good people who are fighting for a good cause.
Lately, I have become a fan of Neha Bora. She’s very clear in what she speaks and acts to match her words. ( Check featured Image Courtesy of Aisa.in ). My Sister was named Indra since my Mother admires Indira Gandhi. Once or twice in half a century, we can come across real leaders and I believe Neha has a big political future.
Last evening, I went to flower market to buy flowers and other stuff we use during Navratri. A security near a building allowed me to park my car and hence I gave him some money. Later, I had to drive a bit fast as I always had to sweep the temple at 8 PM. I reached Shirdi Saibaba temple here in Coimbatore 2-3 minutes late and started sweeping. One of this guy who have been serving in temple for years always like to give harsh instructions.
These are my friends or probably those whom I know for years. I am still contemplating on whom to call as friends because the world seems to acknowledge people whom you know well as friends. But those whom you know well may not always be good. I usually follow his words but last night I told him,
“You are dominating and don’t know to love people.”
This is something I have discovered in the mindset of those who pride themselves as serving Saibaba or in Saibaba temple. Externally, it appears that you serve, internally, they never transform themselves. I have seen more humble Sai devotees who don’t serve in temple or who hardly have time to come to temple or even those who never worship Saibaba to be humble and kind.
Being unkind to devotees when prasad is being served
People come to temple with lots of desires and thought process deep in their heart. Some think about their studies, some about their career and some about getting married and some about their children’s future. So, it is important that we learn to implement some rules in temple with kind words and not authoritarian words.
We often face devotees asking for extra cup when prasad is being given. They have a rule not to give more than 1 cup or plate. So, I also follow that while giving prasad. I don’t know how to say “No”. So, I tell them with a smile.
There was a devotee from Kerala. He stood in que and asked for prasad. This guy who usually gives prasad was very rude to him when he simply asked for extra plate to close the plate with food. These people do not understand basics of how perception works in the minds of people. They carry this harsh remark for lifetime that someone in Tamil Nadu denied giving me an extra plate. Well, he can deny but he could have said that with kindness.
Temples are places of worship and also places of tourism. You should ensure people have pleasant experience when they visit a temple.
It is not just people who serve in Shirdi Saibaba temple. I have also seen Sai devotees being rule but that demands a separate article.
Deeply Disturbed
After sweeping the temple, I came to Dwarakamai and sat in the fan. I was sweating profusely. Whenever I sweat a lot, I remember my Appa asking me to visit a doctor and I used to argue with him saying I don’t think they have a solution for this. My Sister sends me lots of expensive perfume from US. I get annoyed that my eyes get hurt and I have slight head ache if I use perfume. So, occasionally, I use these perfume on my foot.
What I realized is, there’s something you cannot fix in your own body. So, you cannot fix others be it in Saibaba temple or the nation as a whole.
I felt that I should talk less to this guy who was instructing me harshly from now on. I was deeply disturbed as lots of thoughts are in me. Some about my own life and some about what’s happening in India, especially in Delhi.
That’s when I thought of writing this article.
Even in a Shirdi Saibaba temple when we closely follow those who serve temple, there is so much of arrogance and inequality. Not all of them, a fraction of them assume they are bigger than Saibaba himself. Both Sai devotees and Saibaba temples in some cases do not follow his path. They are just doing a physical work and not transforming themselves internally.
So, what can we expect from the government or people who can beat and kill innocent children of this country to secure their position?
I am proud of those who fight for equality in India. Miles away, the United States too has its own problem. I do not see a country which is happy with their politician at this point of time. People are treated like animals.
People are treated like animals whenever a temple is crowded. It could be a Saibaba temple or any other temple for that matter. The more crowd there is, the more inequality you could see in a temple.
Neither Goddess or Shirdi Saibaba can implement inequality in a temple or in the nation.
We have to do it.
We have to tell these idiots when they are wrong and appreciate them when they are right. The problem is, the moment you tell people that they are wrong, the will sideline you.
In the Saibaba temple’s Dwarakamai, for several years, I used to distribute prasad in Dwarakamai. I personally imagine Saibaba lives in Dwarakamai and hence I love giving prasad standing there and drop the rest inside the Dhuni. Later, they changed the practice and I had to take the prasad from Dwarakamai and hand it over to others giving prasad. 3-4 Month back, one of this guy said, I am coming late from Dwarakamai to the varanda and I should stop taking prasad from Dwarakamai.
I was deeply hurt because I don’t even remember for how many years I have been doing this.
These are little incidents which made me realize people cover themselves inside the blanket of religion or seva but their mind is not pure, their heart does not have humanity.
This is what has happened to India too.
Leaders are hiding inside the blanket of religion and innocent people who demand equality are beated-up.
Both in a small Saibaba temple and the Nation, if you want to change inequality, you have to change it, you have to open your mouth and speak about it.
Om Sai Ram
Venkat
