Biography of a Living Legend

Once a devotee asked Sai, “What should one do to follow the path of spirituality?”
Sai replied, “It is so difficult that even before thinking about it, we must first learn the art of living. This human birth that we have been blessed with, we need to improvise and refine it. It is very difficult to understand and follow the path of true spirituality. First learn to love unconditionally, ask yourself how many times you talk negatively and criticise others? Are you able to see everyone as one, do you have that vision? When you walk past a temple, a gurdwara, do you fold your hands and are you able to see the oneness common amongst them all? To understand spirituality, first learn to live correctly. To reach the destination of spirituality, you have to go step by step. This is a destination very far and difficult to reach. Yet, if you put in sincere efforts, you will succeed, but before that, try to be a better human being and learn to sacrifice certain things! 24 X 7 we are away from truth, we waste time in watching TV, in gossiping and criticising others or reading about unnecessary subjects! Where do we even hear the word ‘truth’ in the whole day? Think of it, we are not even 5% connected with truth. Still if the effort is sincere and backed by conviction & determination, success is certain!”
This way Sai helps us see things in the right perspective, clarifies about our goals and suggests the right ways to achieve them!

We learn so much by visiting and seeing different places. It is with this intention and to witness the wonders of Mother Nature that Sai visits so many different places.
In 2009 when He returned from the China trip, one devotee asked, “Sai, did you go up to see the Great Wall of China?”
Sai replied, “The cost of the ticket for going up was Rs 1000. Only thing that I could have seen from there would have been Hong Kong and Tibet. I thought that whatever I spend to go up there, I will not be able to see the Lord, so I decided not to go!”
This clearly shows that Sai is completely in alignment and one with the Lord, but due to His down to earth nature, we are unable to appreciate His greatness and glory!

Sai always prefers to perform His regular tasks on His own. Even on visits abroad, He never allows others to carry His luggage, etc. If anyone insists, Sai smiles and says, “Today you can help me with my luggage, but if tomorrow I travel alone, who will carry my bags, etc?” Not only He carries His own bags, but in case there is a lady in the group with more bags, He carries that too and with a chuckle He says, “My other hand is empty!”
In 2010 during a trip to London, Sai Himself were lifting and putting bags of devotees in the luggage section of the bus! When some devotee tried to stop Him, He said, “It is important for everyone to have the habit of working and being active, whereby one remains young and healthy!”
In this manner, Sai Himself walks the path of His principles and sets an example for us to follow!

Once a person had come to attend a marriage at Darbar Sahib Halani, Sion. Next day he sent 3 dozen white bedsheets with his driver alongwith a message that whenever Sai comes to Mumbai, these sheets should be used during Kirtan.
When Sai were told about this, He inquired as to when this person had come to Darbar. He recollected that he had come to attend the wedding of a devotee’s daughter. Sai asked for his identity and were told that he was a trustee of some organisation.
Sai said, “Send all these bedsheets back to him with the driver and write a message exactly as per what I am telling you word by word, ‘Never again repeat such a mistake in Halani Darbar’! The correct way is to humbly offer our offerings to a Saint with folded hands, the discretion being entirely His to accept or not.”

In 2004, Sai had gone to Dubai. There one devotee invited Sai to his house for bhandara. When Sai reached there, He saw that many visitors, friends, etc had come for His darshan. Amongst them was one big businessman, who had brought well decorated large plates, full of dry fruits. He asked Sai to carry this all to Ajmer and said that my home is just a few houses away from here, so please come there also. Sai looked at him, understood his egoistic tone and replied,  “Distribute these dry fruits amongst all the devotees who are coming in a line one by one and then you also come in that queue.” Hearing this, that man started sweating and instantly lowered his head in response.

When Sai narrated this incident, He said that saints have that supreme status of indifference towards materialistic things, coupled with humility towards true feelings and devotion!

Once when Sai had gone to Matheran, all the accompanying devotees were having a nice time, eating, drinking, laughing, talking and making merry. Amongst them one lady was sitting very quiet and grim. Sai called her and asked her the reason. She said, “Sai, you yourself are God and in front of you they should not talk in such a manner or make fun and behave this way.” 

Sai smiled and replied, “I know everything about everyone. I know their devotion, their behavior, I know who all come with true feelings and who all come for show off! I am fully aware of everything, it is true that they have to rise above from their current state. One day, they will themselves realize, good sense will prevail, there will be improvement and they will follow their religious path with devotion and sincerity.” This way Sai always covers up the faults of everybody and blesses them to grow spiritually in life!

Once Sai left for Lakshadweep absolutely alone. He took a flight from Jaipur for Mumbai and did not inform anyone. No one knew that Sai is traveling to Lakshadweep via Mumbai. When Sai was coming out of the Mumbai airport with his bag, He sensed that some two or four persons are following Him and on looking back He realized that four commandos with heavy duty rifles are following Him. They must have felt that Sai is some very senior Minister, whom they have been ordered to provide security and escort Him. As Sai had not informed anyone of His arrival in Mumbai, He went towards the window for booking a cab from the airport to Dadar station. This took the commandos by surprise and one of them came closer and asked Sai, “Are you Mr Mishra?” When Sai denied this, they simply turned and left! 

Sai’s personality and His way of walking with flair and authority is such that even the commandos got puzzled!

Every year Sai goes out with His devotees to different places. But there are times when He prefers to go alone to see and wonder about the magnificent nature, visit new places with different types of people and culture. He likes to move away from routine life and reflect upon the secrets of the Lord’s creations! Watching the miracles, Sai praises the Lord and says that by going around alone, not only one goes through different experiences, but also learns a lot!
Once while on such a trip to Sikkim, one Lama asked Him for a lift. Sai made him sit next to Him and asked him, who is a Lama and why are you wearing this dress? He said that Lama is a saint. Sai expressed His desire to meet the senior most Lama of that place. He replied that he does not meet anyone and you need a concrete reason for meeting him. Sai said why would anyone like to meet a saint, obviously not to discuss business or finance but to pay one’s obeisances and take his blessings. Since he is the head Lama here, I wish to meet him. The Lama said that for this a written permission will have to be taken. Sai wondered as to why a saint should be fearful of anyone, on which the Lama compared a saint to a minister. Sai completely disagreed and said, “Today a person is a minister but tomorrow he may be nothing. They only want to accumulate votes. But for a saint, once a saint always a saint! Neither will he ever step down nor can anyone ask him to. Why does he need security? Even I am a Mathadish of my Darbar, I have come to this mountainous place and am roaming around alone without any fear! If I don’t harm anyone, why will anyone even think of harming me!”
The Lama must have surely been stunned at the clarity of definition of a saint and his fearlessness!

Sai always teaches us that whatever work we are doing, we must do it with concentration and dedication. If we are not used to paying proper attention to our work, then we will not be able to do anything properly and attentively. Sai says, whether it is our usual day to day work or related to spiritual matters, we must pay proper attention and do it. If you can perform your worldly duties conscientiously, only then you will be able to perform your spiritual duties properly!

In 1999, when Sai visited Europe alongwith His devotees, their main mode of travel there was by train. The surprising thing was that always while alighting, Sai would give perfect directions of how to exit from the station or on which platform to go for catching a connecting train, etc. It just didn’t seem that Sai had come to Europe for the first time!
One devotee asked Sai, “How is it that you know everything about all the directions of how and where to go? It seems that you have been here before!” Sai replied, “It is very important to pay proper attention. The reason I know all this is because I am always alert and attentive!”