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The following checklist samples out some of the questions a devotee should ask themselves when they want to assess how well they are doing as a Swami follower. Sometimes, we notice an invisible spiritual ego rising in us, making our bosom swell with the feeling that we are doing many things like Swami counselled us and inflate our pride. In-order to diffuse and deflate any such invalid thoughts, once in a while we need to take such self-audits to keep us grounded. We can also try associating ourselves with other people who we notice, are doing more good deeds than we do, so that we don't feel spiritually pompous.
1. Do you sing your Bhajans and chant mantras from your heart and not mechanically repeat
or sing for the sake of doing ?
2. Are you able to be at your polite most behavior with your closed ones when they do
something that normally will make you angry ?
3. Are you able to think of Swami at all times in every work you do ?
4. Are you chanting the Sai Gayathri regularly ?
5. Are you talking sweetly and with all humility , to your parents at all times ?
6. Do you see difference between people of different religions ?
7. Do you thank Swami at least once a day from your heart for the blessings you already have ?
8. Have you forgiven at least one person for the hurt they have done and surrendered the hurt,
the pain , the anger and regret and all emotion to the feet of Swami ?
9. Do you chant Bhramarpanam everytime before you eat something or atleast think of swami
before you eat/drink something ?
10. Do you talk to people obligingly even though you don’t like what they tell ?
11. Do you chant the Gayathri mantra at least 9 times every day , 3 each morning, noon and
night ?
12. Are you able to help someone without looking for any benefits of Good Karma in return ?
13. Have you lost any bad habits which you were suffering from , post Swami’s involvement?
14. Do you respect other gurus, religious heads and saints ?
15. Are you able to maintain equilibrium during happy and tough times with belief in swami
that he is aware of everything and that he will take care of everything completely ?
16. Have you inspired in cultivating good habits by behaving well and not explicitly asking
them to change their bad habits ?
17. Have you read the Sai Sathcharithra at least once respectfully with faith ?
18. Do you visit temples and offer worship to the Gods once in a while, in an effort to recharge
your energies ?
19. Do you take part in charity for feeding poor people and not merely sending donations as
monetary gifts ?
20. Do you feed animals, birds once in a while to prove that you have understood that swami is
there in animals and birds as well and you realize his omnipresence ?
21. Do you pine for swami like with earnest sincerity and pure love or simply doing things what
he said mechanically ?’
22. Do you practice proper use money, food , time and water and take all efforts and care to
not waste them at any cost and only use them as required ?
23. Do you chant Rama Nama as much as possible ?
24. Have you gone through any of the Vahini books of Swami and understood the contents ?
25. Do you feel the presence of Swami at every second, talk with him , involve him in everything
you do to show him you understand that he is watching you always ?
26. Do you divert the praise coming your way for the good deeds you do/did towards Swami ,
in word and reality and not claim the credit of having done a sathkarma ?
27. Have you been able to distract yourself when an uncontrollable feeling of physical lust or
mental jealousy or physical anger overtook you , by some one or something , and immediately
remind yourself that "all are god, love all serve all , help ever , hurt never" , thereby disabling
the bad thought immediately or gradually?
samastha lokah sukhino bhavanthu
