{"id":7574,"date":"2016-09-08T15:15:36","date_gmt":"2016-09-08T15:15:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/guruvani.us\/?p=7574"},"modified":"2018-03-15T14:50:58","modified_gmt":"2018-03-15T14:50:58","slug":"how-to-be-in-closer-relationship-with-baba","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/guruvani.us\/index.php\/2016\/09\/08\/how-to-be-in-closer-relationship-with-baba\/","title":{"rendered":"How to be in closer relationship with Baba ?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"7589\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/guruvani.us\/index.php\/2016\/09\/08\/how-to-be-in-closer-relationship-with-baba\/guruji-5\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/guruvani.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/guruji.jpg?fit=530%2C447&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"530,447\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"guruji\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/guruvani.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/guruji.jpg?fit=300%2C253&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/guruvani.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/guruji.jpg?fit=530%2C447&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-7589\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/guruvani.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/guruji.jpg?resize=530%2C447\" alt=\"guruji\" width=\"530\" height=\"447\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/guruvani.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/guruji.jpg?w=530&amp;ssl=1 530w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/guruvani.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/guruji.jpg?resize=300%2C253&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 530px) 100vw, 530px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Devotees of Shri Shirdi Sai Baba often ask me a question \u2013 \u201cHow to be in closer relationship with Baba?\u201d Basically, the devotees want to develop an emotional rapport with Baba. The various methods they adopt, according to their stages of <em>consciousness<\/em>, <em>strength of will<\/em>, inborn and acquired <em>qualities<\/em> and <em>faith<\/em> in Baba, greatly vary. It is true that the relationship of each disciple with Baba i.e., God, will be unique, and there cannot be an exact second relationship. However,\u00a0certain common denominators and qualities are the prerequisite in all such relationships. If the devotees understand these qualitative prerequisites, then the <em>treading of the path<\/em> would be simpler.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><div class=\"scbb-content-box scbb-rounded-corners scbb-content-box-green\">\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">[icon name=&#8221;asterisk&#8221; class=&#8221;&#8221; unprefixed_class=&#8221;&#8221;] The foremost quality as I feel is <em>faith<\/em> in Him. Mere intellectual faith acquired over a period of time by reading books, discussions etc., may develop certain amount of conviction in Him but this level of faith is not enough, even though at the earlier stages it may be necessary.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">[icon name=&#8221;asterisk&#8221; class=&#8221;&#8221; unprefixed_class=&#8221;&#8221;] People are often seen saying, even publicly, that \u201cI can sacrifice my life for Baba\u201d or that \u201cIn this world I can depend on nobody except Him fully\u201d. However, if we closely observe their lifestyle, the way they interact with people, their reaction to adversities of others, their reaction to individuals and groups around them in the society, one would find that their proclaimed convictions are a mere exercise in substance\u2010less assertiveness.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\">[icon name=&#8221;asterisk&#8221; class=&#8221;&#8221; unprefixed_class=&#8221;&#8221;] If faith in Baba is genuine, the devotees would not be indulging in the manipulations they do in relation to other people, being fully aware that Baba many times forbade people, and reprimanded devotees for committing such acts to satisfy their smallest of interest.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify\"><\/p><\/div><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">[icon name=&#8221;quote-left&#8221; class=&#8221;&#8221; unprefixed_class=&#8221;&#8221;] We have to watch whether we are acting truthfully, howsoever difficult it may be, according to the advice of Baba. <strong>Faith reflects in everyday reality. It is not a mental luxury or a philosophical dream.<\/strong> Therefore, Let us seriously think about this strength of our faith in Baba. [icon name=&#8221;quote-right&#8221; class=&#8221;&#8221; unprefixed_class=&#8221;&#8221;]<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a class=\"fasc-button fasc-size-large fasc-type-popout fasc-rounded-medium\" style=\"background-color: #0b9616; color: #ffffff;\" data-fasc-style=\"background-color:#0b9616;color:#ffffff;\">Jai Shri Sai !<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><em>Source: Excerpts from GURU PURNIMA MESSAGE (1997) by Dr. C B Satpathy<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p class=\"text-justify\">&nbsp; Devotees of Shri Shirdi Sai Baba often ask me a question &ndash; &ldquo;How to be in closer relationship with Baba?&rdquo; Basically, the devotees want to develop an emotional rapport with Baba. The various methods they adopt, according to their stages of [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[12],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7574","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-gurujis-teachings"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7wChg-1Ya","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":9918,"url":"https:\/\/guruvani.us\/index.php\/2025\/12\/22\/why-baba-tests-his-devotees\/","url_meta":{"origin":7574,"position":0},"title":"Why Baba Tests His Devotees","author":"GVADMIN3","date":"December 22, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"In Shri Sai Satcharita, Baba often appears to test His devotees through hardships, delays, misunderstandings, and emotional trials. 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