Transcription
I have heard that Shirdi Sai Baba used to stay in a mosque. No one knows for sure whether he was Hindu or Muslim. Can anyone know for sure what religion a saint belongs to? Saints transcend Hindu and Muslim boundaries; that is what a saint is. Before coming to the mosque, he wanted to stay in a temple. However, the temple priest was unsure of the man’s identity and character, so he turned him away. Then he stayed in the mosque. What is the difference between a temple and a mosque? It’s all the same. No one turned him away from the mosque, so he stayed there; it became his home.
But a Brahmin sadhu would come to see him every day, and he would eat only after his darshan. Sometimes, there would be a large crowd of devotees, and the darshan would take a long time. But he would not eat until he touched Sai Baba's feet. Sometimes, evening would fall before he could get darshan and touch his feet; only then would he return home to eat. One day, Sai Baba said to him, “My dear, don’t be so worried; I will come and give you darshan.” The Brahmin was very happy. He said, “Tomorrow, tomorrow, I will wait there.” He felt blessed that Sai Baba would give him darshan there.
The next day, he prepared his food early in the morning, bathed, and sat at his door waiting for Sai Baba’s darshan. No one came. A dog tried to enter, and he tried to drive it away with a stick, fearing it would make things impure or soil the food. Sai Baba still did not come. He even hit the dog several times. The dog persistently tried to enter, even after the food was ready. [Music] When Sai Baba did not come, evening approached. Then the Brahmin, who had run away earlier, came and said, "You did not come; you did not keep your word." Sai Baba said, “I did go; you hit me four times on my back. Even then I tried to enter, but you would not let me in.” Then the Brahmin started crying. Then he remembered; then he remembered. He had not looked closely; the dog had something special about it; it was not an ordinary dog. He remembered, thinking back; there was something extraordinary about the dog; a unique sound, a sensation similar to the feeling of Sai Baba's presence. But I didn’t understand; I am slow-witted. Why didn’t I understand? He cried, asking for forgiveness. He said, “Forgive me; give me another chance tomorrow. I will not make this mistake again.” Sai Baba said, “As you wish; I will come tomorrow.”
He sat down, waiting for the dog. Our belief is that he was waiting for a dog to come. No dog appeared; there was complete silence all around. Sometimes stray dogs would come out in India; there is no shortage of stray dogs. That day, however, there were none. He sat with his food prepared, thinking that he would feed the dog first and then eat himself. The dog did not come. Then a beggar came, smelling strongly, and shouted from a distance, “Stay outside; get away; do not stand here.” But he still tried to enter. Then the Brahmin became angry. He said, “I told you to go away; do not enter; I will break your head. We are waiting for someone else. Don’t bother us.” Evening came, and Sai Baba did not come. Then Sai Baba arrived and said, “Brother, we came, and you would not let us in.” The Brahmin said, “Maharaj, you are wrong; I kept watching constantly. A beggar did come, and I sent him away, so that he would not interrupt our meeting, and then you came in the form of a dog, and you left. This was a mistake.” Sai Baba said, “I came as that beggar.” We see only what we believe; we see only what we believe. If you believe that God does not exist, then God does not exist. Even if God tries a thousand ways, dances before you, you will say no. You will see something else; you will interpret it differently; you will think, this man is mad, or you will think, am I dreaming? Did I eat bhang or something? How can this be? If you believe it will never happen, then it will never happen. You are the master; nothing can happen contrary to your will.