Month: December 2021

In Miami once, a devotee invited Sai to his house and organized a bhandara, and also called some of his relatives and friends. At the airport, Sai suggested that the group do some sightseeing. The devotee requested that there were around 300 guests waiting for His darshan. Sai asked him to go and start the bhandara and told him that He would follow in an hour or hour and a half. When Sai reached his house, there were only 3 remaining. The devotee told Sai with folded hands that others waited for a long time and then had to leave.
Sai smilingly told him that don’t worry, they had basically come in response to your invitation, others who really were keen to meet me, they are still there!
What our Sai wants is only pure love and devotion, nothing else!

In 1996, when Sai visited USA, one devotee came and asked as to why Sai does not do katha kirtan here, as all other Saints do it happily and earn a good amount of dollars before leaving.
Sai just smiled and said, “I have not come here to earn dollars or make money. It is purely a pleasure trip! I have come to see places, to see the wonders of mother nature and it was your love that brought me here!”
After that trip, whenever anyone requests Sai to visit there, He simply says, “Once I came there for going around, I do not want to do it again and again. Two types of people go there, one, who want to earn in dollars, others who have relatives there, whom they want to visit. I do not want to earn dollars, rest if anyone is keen to meet me, they can always come here!”

Sai is very firm in following certain principles and when on a pleasure trip, He never does _katha_ or _kirtan._ He says that when all others who accompany Him, leave their businesses and shops or jobs behind, how can He keep His office open on such trips!
Once during a trip to Canada in 1996, one devotee requested that you please visit our house and do _katha kirtan_ there. Sai said, “I have come here only on a pleasure trip.” When she still insisted, Sai said, “If you want to listen to _katha kirtan_, you come to Ajmer. A well never goes to the thirsty, it is always the thirsty who goes to the well to quench his thirst! On the spiritual path too if you have that thirst and that devotion within, you can fulfill it with your effort.”
She further asked that how then did Lord Krishna provide that knowledge to Arjun? Sai simply said, in this today’s world, can you find anyone like Arjun? She then became quiet and could not say anything!

Sai not only has full knowledge of Shastras, but also, He always practices what He preaches! For instance it is mentioned in Niti Shastra that a Saint, a King and a Lady must always keep their grace and behave accordingly. Whenever Sai visits different places whether within or outside the country, He never stays in anyone’s house, He always prefers to stay in a hotel. He asks all the devotees residing there to meet Him at that common place.
When Sai visited USA in 1996, the devotees staying there conceded to Him that the number of places He covered in those few days, they had not visited in so many years of their stay! Sai smilingly said that had I visited or stayed at your places, I would not have been able to achieve this!