SAI SPIRITUAL SHOWERS

Namasmarana: Constant remembrance of God by repetition of His Name is itself meditation. Meditation stills the wandering mind. When the mind becomes still the veil between you and the Reality is removed, and you know that you are the Reality. Continuous remembrance is possible only when your devotion is intense. Repeat the Name, constantly, it will take hold of you and at certain stage it will possess you. Then you cannot forget the Name even if you try to. The body will become Divine. All this is achieved by the "Little Name" Ram. It is no more the ordinary human body. It becomes a holy body. The place on which he treads becomes sanctified.

A Test of Love: When temptations raise it’s hood threatening to engulf you, when old habits refuse to die, what will you do? Temptations may come bouncing back, but hold on exercising your will power to kill the old habits that die hard and at the end you are set free writes, echoes Doughs from New York narrating how he got rid of an old habit rooting the same out with sheer will power, owing to Bhagawan’s grace. Extracted from Sanathana Sarathi, July 1981.

I was introduced to marijuana at the age of twelve. While this may seem quite young it is very common in America.

I came to know about Sri Sathya Sai Baba four years later at the age of sixteen. I loved Him with all my heart and before long my heart began to make it clear that this love and my drug habit could not mix.

I tried again and again to give up smoking. Again and again, I failed. In this way I went through much guilt and pain. Still I was determined. I prayed constantly to Baba for help and never gave up the fight.

Shortly after my nineteenth birthday I was sitting up in my sister's apartment. She had gone to bed and I was wide-awake. Having just drunk two cups of coffee I knew I would be up for several hours.

I had been smoking less and less and was determined to give it up altogether. I had made the vow and now came the test.

On the table in front of me was a pipe and a large bag of marijuana. My mind began tempting. "Go ahead, you haven't smoked for a long time," it said. But I said, "No!" and prayed to Baba for strength. "Baba," I said, "I do this for You."

I went through over three hours of torture as my mind tempted and I resisted. I tried to escape in sleep but the coffee kept me awake. There was nothing I could do but endure the suffering of this mental battle.

Finally, exhausted, I drifted off to sleep and in sleep I learned that through pain I had proven my devotion to God. As I lay slumbering I was rewarded with a most wonderful dream.

All pain and exhaustion vanished as Baba came to me and said, "Thank you for loving Me."