The Advent of Sai Avatar
With just three more days to celebrate the advent of Sai Avatar,
My memory recalls the joyous day of His glorious, divine form,
The multitude of eager devotees who came in droves to attend,
Jostling with each other to catch a glimpse of our Dear Lord Sai
As He was feted and honored by all with pomp and divine glory
On the twenty third of November with reverential pious worship,
What a miracle, what a lucky destiny to be with Sai on that day!
I bowed my head in gratitude to be alive to see heaven on earth.
As the world plunged in darkness, losing ever its pristine purity,
As the evil form of wickedness stalked humanity in hot pursuit,
As hunger, disease, negative passions held full sway all around,
As humans, the crown of creation, floundered in terrible agony,
The supreme consciousness, the mighty Creator Himself stirred
In His divine compassion, at the earnest pleas of yogis and saints
Made His sankalpa [will] to appear amongst us to dispel the darkness,
He appeared in the far, remote village five and ninety years ago.
Nature rejoiced at the birth of the Divine descent, a sweet form,
That drew with a magnetic charm all seekers of the eternal Truth,
At the tender age of thirteen drew a multitude of eager devotees,
Renouncing the worldly kith and kin, to teach all, poor and rich,
He spent all His life on earth teaching us the path to pure Love,
Showed us the glory of service, to find joy in the joy of others,
His holy brightness cast its benevolent rays all around the world,
Then on Easter day, nine years ago, His task done, He was gone.
His life amongst us left an impact, unparalleled in its Divine nature,
He taught us all, seekers and non-seekers as well, what true life is,
To us who searched for Truth in places of worship, in scriptures too,
Who went on arduous pilgrimages on hill tops and cavernous spots,
He said, look within, deep within you, hidden under layers of sheaths
Lies that Atma, your own divine spark, that part of eternal brilliance,
Once you find it, then all around you temples and scriptures of yore,
Places of worship, birds and beasts, every atom shines in Divine aura.
What a divine teaching sorely missed in our ignorance! We learnt anew,
We dipped into the silence in our hearts, in that silence lost ourselves,
We felt a peace beyond our understanding, saw such dazzling energy,
That embraced all creation, our horizon vastly expanded to the beyond,
He taught us how to purify our hearts within before the spiritual journey,
Get rid of the internal enemies that bind you with iron fetters mercilessly,
Anger, jealousy, hatred, and such poisonous traits that held you in sway,
Cleanse yourself and in the space so purified, so sanctified, let love enter.
Let your love expand, Sai taught us, a love without barriers and bonds,
A love beyond your own kith and kin, a love that soars in the joy of all,
A love that embraces the birds on the trees, the animals in the jungle,
The plants and the blossoms that shed beauty around, all that crawl,
Yes, He, our Lord Sai taught all this and more, Love is God, God is Love,
“Experience the joy and grief of others, He taught, help ever, hurt never,
See unity in diversity, our hearts cleansed with the teaching of Lord Sai,
We saw and felt a new world, saw only the beauty and joy in one and all.
Nine long years have passed since He withdrew His physical form forever,
He taught us to seek Him formless in all the supreme Divine energy around,
The beloved form had gone but true to His teachings we learn ourselves,
To see and experience the formless Divine energy, the basis of all creation,
In my life, my Divine Savior, Beloved Lord Sai, was the true goal of my life,
He changed my life’s path to one of seeking always His sacred proximity,
He taught me, my late spouse, and my four children ways to live righteously
With tears welling up in me, I thank Lord Sai for His sacred blessings to all.
~ Kanaga Ranganathan, November 21, 2020
