The Afterlife of Sai Baba
The Afterlife of Sai Baba

Author: Karline McLain

Publisher: University of Washington Press

Published: 2016-05-02

Total Pages: 281

ISBN-13: 0295806516

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Nearly a century after his death, the image of Sai Baba, the serene old man with the white beard from Shirdi village in Maharashtra, India, is instantly recognizable to most South Asians (and many Westerners) as a guru for all faiths—Hindus, Muslims, and others. During his lifetime Sai Baba accepted all followers who came to him, regardless of religious or caste background, and preached a path of spiritual enlightenment and mutual tolerance. These days, tens of thousands of Indians and foreigners make the pilgrimage to Shirdi each year, and Sai Baba temples have sprung up in unlikely places around the world, such as Munich, Seattle, and Austin. Tracing his rise from small village guru to global phenomenon, religious studies scholar Karline McLain uses a wide range of sources to investigate the different ways that Sai Baba has been understood in South Asia and beyond and the reasons behind his skyrocketing popularity among Hindus in particular. Shining a spotlight on an incredibly forceful devotional movement that avoids fundamental politics and emphasizes unity, service, and peace, The Afterlife of Sai Baba is an entertaining—and enlightening—look at one of South Asia’s most popular spiritual gurus.

The Life And Teachings Of Sai Baba Of Shirdi
The Life And Teachings Of Sai Baba Of Shirdi

Author: Antonio Rigopoulos

Publisher: State University of New York Press

Published: 1993-03-09

Total Pages: 498

ISBN-13: 1438417349

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A vast and diversified religious movement originating from Sai Baba of Shirdi, is often referred to as "the Sai Baba movement." Through the chronological presentation of Sai Baba's life, light is shed on the various ways in which the important guru figures in this movement came to be linked to the saint of Shirdi.

Inner Dialogue with Sai Baba
Inner Dialogue with Sai Baba

Author: Geesje Lunshof

Publisher: Sai Towers Publishing

Published:

Total Pages: 249

ISBN-13: 8187694246

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Even Though The Writer Addresses Sai Baba, This Book Is Intended For Anyone In Search Of God. She Poses Questions And Answers We All Ask When We Set Out On The Spiritual Path. Actually She Addresses The Atma - Another Name For The Higher Self - That Resides In All Of Us. This Higher Self Can Manifest Itself On Earth In Human Form And As Such Has Been Given Different Names In The Various Cultures And Religions, Names As Rama, Krishna, Jesus, And Buddha And So On. However, We Always Deal With The Same Principle, Namely God Who Can Manifest In Different Forms But Who Ultimately Transcends Any Form And Is Worshipped As The Formless Principle Residing In All Of Us And Animating Everything From Within. If You Replace The Name Of Sai Baba For One That Represents Your Chosen Deity, You May Benefit Greatly By These Lessons Which Teach Us How, By Living Righteously And In Accordance With God S Will, We Can Be Happy In The Present, Critical Age. For Many Years Geesje Lunshof (Poet, Teacher, Writer) Wandered Through The World On A Spiritual Quest. Finally, In The Late Seventies, She Returned To Her Native Country, The Netherlands, Where Se Settled Down As An English Teacher. In 1980 She Heard Of Sai Baba For The First Time. Soon It Became Clear To Her The He Represented The End Of Her Search. In 1991, After Her Second Trip To Sai Baba In India, Sai Baba Started Answering Her Many Questions In An Inner Dialoque. This Took Place Through The Process Of Written Questions And Answers. As Many Of These Questions And Certainly All The Answers Are Of General Interest, It Gradually Became Clear To Her That She Must Not Keep The Dialogue To Herself, But Should Share It With Others.

Devotional Spaces of a Global Saint
Devotional Spaces of a Global Saint

Author: Smriti Srinivas

Publisher: Taylor & Francis

Published: 2022-10-28

Total Pages: 292

ISBN-13: 1000604063

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Devotional Spaces of a Global Saint focuses on the presence and contemporaneity of Shirdi Sai Baba (d.1918), who has a vast following in postcolonial South Asia and an ever-growing global diaspora. Essays consider the saint’s influence on everyday life and how visual, narrative, textual, sensorial, performative, political, social, and spatial practices interpenetrate to produce multiple terrains of devotion. Contributions by twelve scholars of several academic disciplines explore eruptions and circulations of sacred materials, spatialities of devotional practices, visual and digital imaginaries, transcultural narrativizations, and material affects and effects of Sai Baba. The presentation transcends routine scholarly discussions about sainthood, cultures of worship, religious objects, Hinduism and Islam. Shirdi Sai Baba’s presence conveys inspiration and healing energies and he accepted the entreaties of people of all castes and creeds, offering an alternative to communal ideologies of his time – and the present. Considerations of Shirdi Sai Baba’s milieux of devotional praxis situate and localize debates about the meaning of nation and religion, past and present, urbanization, and class identity in transitions from colonial to postcolonial/global South Asia. The book expands the boundaries of the study of Shirdi Sai Baba and makes important contributions to South Asia Studies, Anthropology, Religious Studies, Global Studies, Urban Studies, Indian Ocean Studies, Inter-Asian Studies, Visual and Media Studies, and Cultural Geography.

Unique Spiritual Philosophy of Sri Shirdi Sai Baba
Unique Spiritual Philosophy of Sri Shirdi Sai Baba

Author: Satya Pal Ruhela

Publisher: Notion Press

Published: 2016-04-08

Total Pages: 708

ISBN-13: 9352068033

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Sri Shirdi Sai Baba (1838–1918) was the first Sai Avatar (incarnation) in the Sai Trinity. His name and fame have been spreading like wildfire throughout the world. He is venerated and worshipped by billions of inhabitants on this planet. His life as a Sufi fakir, simple yet penetrating teachings, countless astounding miracles, blessings to everyone who simply chant His name, "Sai" and His great impact as the unique Jagat Guru (Universal Master) are duly acknowledged by billions of people from all races, religions, cultures and nations. Many Shirdi Sai Baba temples have been built not only in India, but also in many foreign countries like the UK, USA, Russia, Africa, Mauritius and eastern countries. Almost fifty-eight websites and twelve journals propagate His name. Still, most Sai devotees in the world do not know many crucial facts about Him. The book contains valuable information about prominent Shirdi Sai organizations, web sites, temples and books.

The Hagiographer and the Avatar
The Hagiographer and the Avatar

Author: Antonio Rigopoulos

Publisher: State University of New York Press

Published: 2021-04-01

Total Pages: 595

ISBN-13: 1438482302

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In this biographical study, Antonio Rigopoulos explores the fundamental role of a hagiographer within a charismatic religious movement: in this case, the postsectarian, cosmopolitan community of the Indian guru Sathya Sai Baba. The guru's hagiographer, Narayan Kasturi, was already a distinguished litterateur by the time he first met Sathya Sai Baba in 1948. The two lived together at the guru's hermitage more or less continuously from 1954 up until Kasturi's death, in 1987. Despite Kasturi's influential hagiography, Sathyam Sivam Sundaram, little scholarly attention has been paid to the hagiographer himself and his importance to the movement. In detailing Kasturi's relationship to Sathya Sai Baba, Rigopoulos emphasizes that the hagiographer's work was not subordinate to the guru's definition of himself. Rather, his discourses with the holy man had a reciprocal and reinforcing influence, resulting in the construction of a unified canon. Furthermore, Kasturi's ability to perform a variety of functions as a hagiographer successfully mediated the relationship between the guru and his followers. Drawing on years of research on the movement as well as interviews with Kasturi himself, this book deepens our understanding of this important pan-Indian figure and his charismatic religious movement.

Transformation of the Heart
Transformation of the Heart

Author: Judy Warner

Publisher: Weiser Books

Published: 1990-07-01

Total Pages: 212

ISBN-13: 1609257561

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This wonderful book is a collection of stories by people whose lives have been transformed by Sathya Sai Baba. Written with warmth and compassion, these stories provide a unique and personal glimpse of Sai Baba, one of the most impressive men of miracles to appear for centuries. These personal narratives, written by people who share our normal, everyday lives, show how true spiritual awakening occurred for each of them. A musthave introduction to the basic teaching of Sathya Sai Baba.