I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday. We have several new users, and I hope you all will friend Erik and me on Facebook, twitter, and other social connect media! Now, let’s see what one of the wisest men in history has to say. Please welcome Sai Baba!

Me: Let’s interview a religious or spiritual figure, now. What do you think about Sai Baba? Are you up for hunting him down, Erik?

Jamie: Oh, I’ve always wanted to talk to him!

Me: Good, so can you get him for us, Erik?

Erik: Sure

(Erik leaves)

Jamie: I’ve seen him twice!

Me: For real?

Jamie: Uh huh.

Me: Or in spirit?

Jamie: Well, not for real. He was still alive when I saw him the first time. He manifested in the room, and then I saw him after he passed away; I asked for him.

Me: Oh! How awesome.

Jamie: The first time, I didn’t ask him to come. He just sort of arrived, and the other people in the room saw him as well!

Me: Oh, how amazing!

Jamie giggles when Erik comes back with Sai Baba.

Sai (jovially): Hello!

For some reason, I expect gurus like Sai Baba to comport themselves with great solemnity and poise, so to have him announce himself with such unabashed glee takes me aback!

Jamie (shyly): Hi. Oh, I’m going to act like a little girl; I can feel it!

Me: I bet! I hate to admit, I really only just heard about him from a blog member, so I know nothing about his life! Hello, Sai Baba! I can say your name over and over again and have all sorts of fun with it. It just rolls off the tongue so playfully. It’s almost like music.

Jamie (laughing): That makes him smile!

Sai: Thank you.

Me: So, I’m sure you know why we’ve summoned you here. Let’s see if you can knock some sense into this crazy world of ours with some of your wisdom.

Sai: Unfortunately you can’t push wisdom on anybody.

And it begins.

Me:  So true. Now the first question I’d like to ask is this—you can interject any time you want, of course—Reflecting on your life, do you think you accomplished your spiritual mission?

Sai: From the moment I was born, I accomplished my spiritual mission.

Me: Really? Can you explain?

Sai: I accepted and surrendered into the work I knew I had to do.

Me: So, was that part of your spiritual mission, to surrender? To let go? Is that what you’re saying?

Sai: Yes.

Me: Okay. Were you here to learn anything or were you just here to teach?

Sai: I was only here to teach.

Me (giggling): You’re a man of many words!

Sai: Words can wield more power when there are fewer of them, sometimes. The more words a person utters, the less others listen. 

Me: Isn’t that the truth! So, what were you here to teach?

Sai: That life, love, all of your cravings, all your needs you create for yourself in life—they begin in the heart and they resonate in the heart.

Me: Mm.

Sai: I’m—

Jamie (laughing at Sai): Whatever!

Jamie (to Erik and me): He doesn’t consider himself to be the world’s greatest teacher.

Sai: I mostly came to live a life of example of what it could be for so many others. I denounced material possessions and with that—

Erik: Wait, why would you do that?

Jamie and I giggle.

Me: Oh, and when did you do that?

Sai: When I was a young teenage, I think.  I didn’t pay much attention to time passing by, so I really didn’t know my exact age. Once I was able to cut that tie to material things, I was able to see life without the demons we create that get in our way.

Me: Ah! So, I’m sorry I stepped on Erik’s question there. Erik, you asked him why he let go of material goods, and I interrupted. Sorry.

Erik laughs.

Jamie (laughing): He’s turning away from me, and I couldn’t hear him; he’s talking directly to Erik. I’m going to move and get in his way!

Me: All right! You show Sai Baba who’s boss!

(Pause)

Jamie (touched): He calls Erik “Son.”

Me: Aww.

Sai: Son, you make a choice of identifying what you need in life, and then your second choice is identifying what you do not need in life; in the action that follows, this is choosing to be honest with yourself about the difference between the two. In my life, I believe in following through with what you think is best instead of going with the herd.

Me: What a wise lesson for all of us to learn. We need to have the self-honesty necessary to distinguish between our wants and our needs.

Sai: Indeed!  It’s the one facing everyone on Earth! It’s the one that is collapsing the world economy.

Me: Sure! Everyone wants, wants, wants. They confuse their wants with needs.

Sai: Yes.

After my interview with Sai Baba, a quick Internet search reveals a Sai Baba temple in none other than Houston, TX. Looking at his hair do, I think this may not have been a smart move, because Houston has got to be the “Bad Hair Capital of the World!

Until Part Two, enjoy the wise words of Sai Baba:

If you want peace and if you want happiness you must live in love. Only through love will you find inner peace. Only through love will you find true happiness. Love flourishes through giving and forgiving. Develop your love! Immerse yourself in love!

…Love is the basis of everything. It is the single most important quality that has to be developed. All your thoughts must become immersed in this quality of love… then truth will naturally establish itself in your heart.

A house must be built on solid foundations if it is to last. The same principle applies to man, otherwise he too will sink back into the soft ground and becomes swallowed up by the world of illusion.

All action results from thought, so it is thoughts that matter.

Do not be misled by what you see around you, or be influenced by what you see. You live in a world which is a playground of illusion, full of false paths, false values and false ideals. But you are not part of that world.

Let love flow so that it cleanses the world. Then man can live in peace, instead of the state of turmoil he has created through his past ways of life, with all those material interests and earthly ambitions.

Life is a song – sing it. Life is a game – play it. Life is a challenge – meet it. Life is a dream – realize it. Life is a sacrifice – offer it. Life is love – enjoy it.

Look out into the universe and contemplate the glory of God. Observe the stars, millions of them, twinkling in the night sky, all with a message of unity, part of the very nature of God.

Love one another and help others to rise to the higher levels, simply by pouring out love. Love is infectious and the greatest healing energy.

Man is lost and is wandering in a jungle where real values have no meaning. Real values can have meaning to man only when he steps on to the spiritual path, a path where negative emotions have no use.

Man learns through experience, and the spiritual path is full of different kinds of experiences. He will encounter many difficulties and obstacles, and they are the very experiences he needs to encourage and complete the cleansing process.

Man seeks to change the foods available in nature to suit his tastes, thereby putting an end to the very essence of life contained in them

The life ahead can only be glorious if you learn to live in total harmony with the Lord.

What is new in the world? Nothing. What is old in the world? Nothing. Everything has always been and will always be.

What matters is to live in the present, live now, for every moment is now. It is your thoughts and acts of the moment that create your future. The outline of your future path already exists, for you created its pattern by your past.

You must be a lotus, unfolding its petals when the sun rises in the sky, unaffected by the slush where it is born or even the water which sustains it!

You must pass your days in song. Let your whole life be a song.

SUCH WISDOM!

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