SRI SAI SATCHARITA and SATHYAM SIVAM SUNDARAM [60]

[Guest guest]

Om Sri Sai Ram

Ganesha Mantra: AUM Gung Ganapathaye Namah

Ganesh Gayatri

Tat purushaaya vidmahe

Vakratundaaya dheemahi

Tanno dhanti prachodayaat

SRI SAI SATCHARITA and SATHYAM SIVAM SUNDARAM

The Life Stories of the Two Avatars of the Age – [60]

SATHYAM SIVAM SUNDARAM - PART IV

The Life of the Divine Avatar Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba - [1973-1979]

N. Kasturi M.A., B.L.

FATHER AND SON

Shri Soundararajan, the renowned singer of South India, was pathetically

distraught when doctors declared that his daughter's heart could be saved by an

operation possible only in the USA. But Baba cured her in a remarkably short

time. He created a Rudraksha seed and directed her to drink the water in which

it had been ceremonially washed. Shri Soundararajan's son had been ailing from

a malignant type of jaundice. When the doctors gave up all hope, he was brought

home and placed before a portrait of Baba, at his own request. Shri

Soundararajan put through a telephone call to

Baba at Prashanthi Nilayam. He was able to contact Baba, but the line was

subject to so many disturbances that neither could his prayer be conveyed to

Baba nor could he catch the voice of Bhagawan. His son passed away with the

name of Baba on his lips. Later, Baba told Soundararajan that his son was a

great soul who had achieved liberation from the bonds of birth and death after

paying off the little balance of his karmic debt.

Baba addressed a mammoth meeting at a football field at Rajahmundry. Two weeks

later He received a letter from one who, with his son by his side, had heard

Him speak that day. "My son was so inspired by the discourse and by the Bhajans

that he became totally immersed in You. He was constantly doing Bhajan and

reciting Your glory and Your majesty. He passed away while he was in that

heightened consciousness. I am glad I could claim such a pure soul as my son.

We gladly performed the last rites knowing that he had attained the highest

goal attainable by man." There are cases of Baba conferring

this boon directly, when prayed for.

The eight-year-old daughter of a lady known as Chincholi Rajamma, used to visit

Puttaparthi with her mother in the forties. She skipped and ran, laughed and

crooned, and flitted about like a ray of sunshine in the presence of Baba. One

evening, while Baba was about to proceed with a small group of devotees to the

Chitravathi sands, she brought His sandals and placed them on the ground before

Him. Baba patted her on her head and said, "What do you want? Tell me." She

surprised everyone and shocked her mother by her reply: "I want to be absorbed

in You." Baba said, "You are a child; you have to get married, bring up a

family and make your mother happy." But the girl insisted that these things

were trivial when compared with mergence in Him. Where from she learned all

this, people wondered. Baba wiped her tears and said,

"Your father is no more; you have to be with your mother." But she protested,

"If, as you say, I get married, I will still have to leave my mother. No, I

wish You would shelter me for ever." Baba was silent for a while. His response

to the agony of the tender heart was, "Good, Good," and He tweaked her cheek.

Five days later at Bangalore, on a Thursday, she died peacefully with her eyes

fixed on a portrait of Baba, which she had herself adorned with garlands barely

three hours before, while continuously, reciting Bhajans. The mother is now

grateful that the Lord has welcomed her daughter into His arms.

Shri Ranajodh Singh was for some years, in the thirties of this century, the

Inspector-General of Police in Mysore State. His daughter was suffering from

acute colitis which prevented her from taking food and drink. Her parents were

devotees of Baba and she, too, had deep faith in His divinity. It was a

Thursday when Baba surprised them with a visit. He spoke

compassionately to the patient and, creating a Dosa - hot, tasty and crisp, with

the fragrance of fine Ghee - gave it to the girl to eat. When Shri Ranajodh

Singh prayed that He bless them with a visit the next Thursday also, Baba did

not reply but left the house. On the ensuing Thursday, the girl sat up on her

bed, had a bath and did Puja before Baba's portrait. Then saying, "See! Baba is

calling me!" she left her body behind. Baba had long ago created for her a

silver plate with the markings of two feet, which He called Vishnu Padam (the

Feet of Vishnu), which was always reverentially kept under her pillow. When she

died, the plate disappeared and was never traced again in spite of an intensive

search. The parents were filled with supreme gratitude for, as some Americans

who tended a young man named Steve at Whitefield, when he was nearing his end

through cancer, declared, "If only people knew how resplendent it is to die in

Baba." On his last day, Steve stopped 'reliving his days

of drugs and alcohol' and emerged from the purificatory ordeal with an

illuminating prayer on his lips and an expression of delight on his face, when

his prayer was answered by Baba.

Dr. Kraemer of Honolulu writes in the same strain of gratitude, "This is to

inform you of the sad yet glorious news of Meeke's passing away. She must have

passed straight into the hands of Baba. She was so peaceful, so smiling, so

completely without the slightest trace of apprehension or anxiety, and she

could think of Baba's name until the very last moment."

ON HIS PALM THEY SAW

A certain person was a captain during the Second World War, but since he died of

a commonplace disease in a civil hospital, his widow did not get much by way of

pension. So she had to earn some money teaching music, in order to keep her

three children - two daughters and a son - in elementary ease. The son passed

his B.Sc. examination with a first class from the Madras University

FONT-SIZE: 10pt">, while still in his teens. The army authorities gave him a job

in their cantonment office at Bangalore. His mother, who was overwhelmed with

joy, sent him to offer homage to the family deity, Venkatachalapthi, in the

temple on the Thirumalai Hills in Andhra Pradesh, so that he could join duty at

Bangalore with divine blessings.

However, what did happen was that the boy got drowned in the holy tank of the

temple. His body was in police custody for two days as it was unidentified. The

anxious mother was confronted by the photograph of her son's corpse, which

appeared in the daily papers. But, Baba appeared to her in a dream and directed

her to come to Puttaparthi. There she was taken by a mysterious stranger to the

Presence. Bhagawan called her and her children for the precious interview.

"Don't weep," He said, "for your son who led a disciplined life and was full of

devotion, has now merged with God. When he has found the lotus feet of Bliss,

you should not indulge in grief." But she could not be consoled.

Then Baba said, "I know your heart is broken since you could not have even a

last glimpse of his body. See, it is here." Saying this, He spread His palm in

front of her, and she could clearly see the events of that fateful pilgrimage

appear upon it: The son slipped on the steps of the tank, and a few people

jumped in to save him. It was too late. Even first-aid could not revive him. A

lotus-like bunch of flames rose from his body and proceeded towards the

innermost shrine where the idol of Venkatachalapathi is installed, disappearing

in a blaze of glory at the Lord's feet. Then she saw the idol come alive and

change into a charming image of Baba Himself.

After some time Baba spoke to her, "Mother, the one you loved as your son was a

staunch devotee of the Lord during his previous life. He was engaged in Tapas

for twelve years on the steps of this very holy temple tank. His deepest desire

was to attain Jala Samadhi (Water-mergence) in those sacred waters. To fulfill

that desire he took birth again and, as your guru, has led you to Me. Remain in

Puttaparthi, ever singing the glory of Venkatachalapathi, who has accepted your

son into His fold."

TODAY IS THURSDAY

Shri Ramakrishna, Professor at the Victoria College, Palghat, was returning home

during the afternoon recess, when an old man stopped him in the middle of the

road. He appeared to the astonished professor as the very embodiment of the Sai

Baba of Shirdi. He said in Tamil, "Today Is Thursday," as if that was a strange

piece of news, "so I am taking Ramesh with me." Ramesh was the professor's

fourteen-year-old son. He had left for school that morning. The professor

hurried home to discover that Ramesh had come home from school with high fever.

He kept himself alive only until he could see his father and mother together at

his bedside. The father wrote to me, "How kind of Baba to tell me that He was

taking Ramesh, whom He had given me as a boon, and that too on a Thursday, the

day when He advises us to offer ourselves at His

feet." Some weeks later, at Ootacamund, Baba called in the professor and his

wife for an interview, and confirming His announcement, blessed the boy's

picture in his bungalow with showers of Vibuthi

The mother of Lynn, a girl from San Diego on the Pacific Coast of

normal">America, also had the consoling thought that it was a Thursday when her

daughter fell from a tree and died, while attempting to save her younger

brother from a dog. Lynn adored Baba. She was the brightest child in her Bal

Vikas group. Her mother bore the calamity courageously and calmly, for Baba had

granted her the wisdom to bear such blows of fate.

On 31st December 1973, I had a letter from New Delhi from a bereaved father. He

wrote, "I know I will not get any reply from you, as you are very busy. But I

must write what I feel, because it helps me in getting nearer to my Lord, Sai

Baba."

"I lost my daughter in Safdarjung Hospital on 21st December 1973. She died of

burns. During the eight days I was with her, Baba was

always 'with me'. His presence gave me so much courage and peace that I could

face the ordeal without a tear or murmur, and could accept it as His doing. I

know that her death was so ordained; that is why my prayers to Baba failed. But

His blessings were constantly with us, and His Charanamrit and Vibhuthi were

given to her before death. You will be glad to know that her end was very

peaceful. Her bodily agony was not anywhere as great as similar patients in her

ward. Please convey my thanks to the Lord."

When an aged devotee, Raval Seshagiri Rao was on the last breath of life, Baba

entered his room at Prashanthi Nilayam and revived him while helping him sip

coffee. He was privileged to have been in charge of the shrine for over

fourteen years. He was well versed in the scriptures and very regular in Japa

and Puja. As a matter of fact, he was passing out with the Upanishads on his

tongue and Baba before his eyes. "The five fundamental elements which, in

combination, became this body of mine, are now parting company," He said. "What

a glorious death," I said to myself. But Baba knew that he had yet to pay the

last instalment of his karmic debt. So He turned to him and reprimanded him

saying, "Why did you embark on this journey without first securing a ticket

from Me? Get down! Do your shrine duties as usual. Attend the

forenoon Bhajans and perform Aarti." There is no need to add that he did as he was told.

YOU CANNOT DIE

Let us consider the confession of a person living in Bangalore, who was

preparing to die. Vrajlal P. Parekh wrote on 18th August 1972, "Six years ago,

I sat in the Darshan line around the Sai Ram tree at Brindavan in Whitefield.

Baba granted me a private interview. He exposed my private thoughts and worries

and blessed me with the words, 'Be confident; have peace of mind. Baba's

blessings are with you.' I was not blessed with Vibhuthi My faith in Him

strayed hither and thither when my luck ran down in business, and I was caught

in much anxiety. Though I had secured a Diploma in Commerce in 1938,

I found myself unfit in modern business techniques, and was financially

completely ruined. I was sorely dejected, and decided to separate my soul from

this body. I purchased a bottle of Tik-20 and kept it in a secret place. After

having deeply thought over the matter, I decided to make use of the poison on

4th September 1970, the night of Ganesh Chaturthi.

"But my elder sister, who had been ailing for a few months, passed away suddenly

that very day, as if bidding me to postpone my suicidal act. I could not

understand the mysterious ways of Baba. I became more gloomy and finally fixed

the date and time as 4 p.m., Friday, 11th September 1970, to swallow the poison

with a pinch of Vibhuthi, so that I might have a

peaceful end. I went to my shop early that morning with the bottle in my pocket.

I was alone and no customer was expected in the afternoon. I was feeling happy

as the time fixed for death was approaching. I was reading the Sanathana

Sarathi, which had come at noon by post, wondering how I would experience the

miracle of Baba while dying into Him.

"At 1-30 p.m. two plainclothes men walked into my shop and wanted me to

accompany them to the Seshadripuram Police Station. I could not imagine why I

was wanted. In a terribly confused state, I closed the shop and went with them.

The bottle was in my shirt pocket. At the station I was told that the Inspector

had gone out. I was told that there was a warrant for my arrest from a

magistrate at Moradabad in Uttar Pradesh. Then I realised that a case had been

filed by a

10pt">Moradabad merchant for non-payment of a bill by me. I had explained my

difficulties to him and pleaded for being allowed some time to make the

payment, but he did not believe me and proceeded against me in court, charging

me with cheating. The warrant was bailable, but I had to present a surety.

"Meanwhile I was asked to go into the 'lock-up'. The police officer said, 'Take

out all the articles in your pockets and place them on this table before you go

in.' I hesitated on account of the bottle. I said that it was only a civil case

and prayed to him not to send me in. He sympathised with me and allowed me to

sit on a bench beside him. I then sent for my elder brother, who arrived there

very soon. I handed over the telltale bottle to him just as it was, wrapped in

paper, and asked him to keep it at home without telling anyone. He was also to

get someone to stand surety for me.

"Just on the stroke of 4 p.m. (!) The Inspector of Police arrived and ordered

that I be put in the cell. He would not give ear to my pleadings or

explanations. I recalled Bhagawan’s assurance, 'Baba's blessings are always

with you.' I felt most happy when I discovered that Baba had prevented my

suicide. I saw Baba in the cell, laughing at me for my folly.

"I was in the cell for hardly four minutes. My brother came with the surety and

I was released. My brother scolded me severely for having kept poison in my

pocket. Baba had foiled my first attempt by causing the sudden death of my

sister, simultaneously releasing her from the painful ailment, which she could

not endure in her old age. Again, he foiled my second attempt by causing a

warrant from 1,800 miles to be served on me, and have me go into the cell

without the bottle at the exact time fixed by me for suicide. It is indeed

beyond human comprehension to gauge His mystery."

YOU HAVE COME

Many who have come within the horizon of Heavenly grace have died in peace and

joy, pronouncing the name of Baba or even declaring that they had been blessed

by Baba's Darshan. Baba says that we cry Koham at the time we are born, puzzled

by the problem, 'Who am I?' Likewise, when we die, we should draw the last

breath in joy, uttering Soham, 'I am That.' "Baba is calling me,Baba is here

by my side," profess devotees before they pass away. On the day when Baba had

the Cowans with Him at Whitefield to shower further grace on the resurrected

Walter and his wife, He asked Walter to narrate his experience at Madras

FONT-SIZE: 10pt"> while ostensibly accompanying Baba to the Seat of Judgement.

When Walter had finished his narration, there was a strange flutter in the

minds of all present. Indra Devi spoke on the overwhelming compassion of Baba.

She described how Baba had fulfilled a boon, which He had granted years earlier

to my mother: "I shall give you divine nectar when you leave this world," Baba

had said. She left for her heavenly abode one noon, at Prashanthi Nilayam, when

Baba was at Brindavan. But a few minutes before she died, nectar gushed from the

idol of Shirdi Sai Baba kept near her bed, from the toe of the right foot that

was placed over the left knee. She noticed it and held her cupped palm to

receive the gift. Kasturi helped her sit up and drink the

nectar, about two ounces of fragrance and sweetness. Then she lay down again and

passed into Sai." Baba listened to her narrative and then said, "Yes, I keep My

word to those who are steady in their faith. I also give Darshan when death

calls on those who have dedicated their lives to Me."

While on the topic of deathbed Darshan, I must also relate here the narration of

my revered guru, Mahapurushji, of the Sri Ramakrishna Mission, about the 'shower

of peace' from Ramakrishna Paramahamsa: A sweeper named Rasik lived at

Dakshineswar. One day, as the Master was returning from the direction of

Panchavati, absorbed in a spiritual mood, Rasik knelt before him and prayed,

"Father, why don't you bless me? What will be in store for me?" The Master

assured him, "Your wish shall be fulfilled. You will see me at the time of

death." A few years later, as the moment of death approached, Rasik cried out

in joy, "You have come, Father! You have really come!" and saying this breathed

his last.

When we find Sai devotees facing death or enduring the departure of their

beloved ones, we are apt to judge them as insensitive and dull. No. They meet

death heroically, for they are certain that Baba will be their guide, guardian,

friend and teacher, through as many births and rebirths they may have to pass.

He is at all times with us, in us, beside us, before us and behind us. So,

instead of being anxious at the time of death, devotees approach this final act

as children being led to school by loving parents, or as graduates attending the

convocation, or as a mountaineer approaching the summit, or as rivers merging

into the sea.

There was a doctor serving in the hospital at Prashanthi Nilayam. He was about

60 years old and appeared to enjoy good health in spite of a damaged heart. One

evening Baba sent for him, and he left off eating his lunch. "Bhagawan is

calling me," he said, and hastened towards the Mandir. Just as he neared it, he

fainted and did not recover. Death was sudden and painless. His wife, who had

imbibed Baba's teachings on Karma, on the Atman and on the eventual mergence in

Paramatma, bore the blow with courage and wisdom. She told the women who

ventured to console her, "Perhaps you fear that I am a hardhearted woman

because I do not weep. No. It is only because I know that weeping is futile and

foolish." Mr. Sethu from Delhi, writes in a letter, "I believe that whatever

Baba does, it is for our own good, though it may not

immediately seem so to us."

CLOSER AND CLOSER

THE INTERVIEW

On the ground floor of the Mandir at Prashanthi Nilayam, the room at the western

end of the long veranda through which one has to pass to arrive at the steps

leading to the first floor is known as the Interview Room. Persons blessed by

Baba with a chance for private conversation and guidance; sit outside the door

of this room till He directs them to come in.

Since the day of the Annunciation (23rd May 1940) when Sathyanarayana declared

Himself to be Sai Baba, suppliants from all quarters have been streaming into

the village of Puttaparthi to have His Darshan, to participate in the Bhajans

and to earn counsel, consolation, confidence and courage from Him. And on the

23rd of November 1950, the twenty-fifth birthday of Bhagawan, was inaugurated

the Prashanthi Mandir.

Earlier, Swami was residing with a few devotees in the village itself, at a

Mandir constructed on a small plot of land gifted by Subbamma, the

'foster-mother', on the eastern outskirts. When the seekers swelled in number,

along extension with a corrugated sheet roof was added as a shelter, and a

separate structure with a sleeping room and a bathroom was built behind the

Mandir for Baba's use.

Baba, who was then in his teens, moved among the pilgrims either in the

kitchens, where they would be working, or in the extended shelter where they

stayed. Persons anxious to win the precious gift of His grace, or those wishing

to benefit from His premonitory warnings and preparatory guidelines for

spiritual progress, followed Him from one room to another, until He finally sat

down somewhere upon a bedroll on the floor. They gathered in a semicircle at His

feet and prodded Him with prayers, petitions and problems. On most evenings,

Baba moved to the sandy bed of the Chitravathi and, while Bhajans were being

sung, called a few to follow Him into the thickening dusk so that He could

grant them interviews.

The shrine, before which Bhajans were sung, was on an elevated platform at the

western end of the long shed. After the Bhajans it was 'closed', a thick blue

curtain being drawn across the shed from south to north. Pilgrims proposing to

depart were often granted interviews in the mornings and afternoons on the

other side of that curtain. Then, as now, he spent all hours of the day in the

task of repair, reconstruction and reform of the individuals whom His Will had

drawn to His presence. Repair of physical abnormalities and subnormalities was

also carried out by divine surgery during such interviews.

PADA - PUJA

During the years at the old Mandir (and for about five years after the new

Mandir was occupied by Baba), every person or family leaving the Presence for a

substantial length of time was blessed with the opportunity to offer Pada-Puja

to Swami. Pada-Puja means 'worshipping the feet'. Seated on a silver chair in a

room at the eastern end of the veranda, Baba graciously placed His feet on a

silver plate. The devotees poured water on the feet while Vedic hymns were

recited. They then placed flowers on the feet while the 108 names of their

chosen deity were repeated. After this they waved incense and lighted camphor.

They offered fruits or sweets, bits of which were tasted by Swami and blessed,

to their immense satisfaction. On such occasions Swami would initiate a boy

into the Gayathri mantra or a child into the alphabet,

would 'christen' a baby or bless a couple about to be married. There were days

on which as many as three or more such Poojas were performed - a measure only

of the extent of Baba's compassion. After the Pooja, people would linger

longingly, until Baba had answered the questions, which tormented them and

solved the riddles, which baffled them. Days might melt into weeks and weeks

into months, but the afflicted would await the great experience. Each day was

'the day'; each moment, 'the moment'. There were no definite days or hours when

one could expect to converse with Him and undergo the 'conversion'. However, if

one had to leave before one had been given this golden opportunity, one would

sadly depart, hoping for better luck next time.

In spite of Prashanthi Nilayam being imposing and spacious, it did not have,

until 1974, a separate, secluded room for personal conversation with the

Avatar. The persons selected by Bhagawan from the rows of eager devotees, were

called into the room at the eastern end of the veranda, fifteen or twenty of

them at a time. Baba would first address them as a group on the various aspects

of Sadhana, giving them inspiration and insight. Then he would meet each one

individually to impart His message, providing them solace and strength. After

diagnosing their ailments, He would prescribe the antidote for their cure in a

soft, unobtrusive atmosphere of love.

The events that take place during the interview are recorded only in the tablets

of memory. Baba delves into personal feelings and inbuilt agonies, and is ever

engaged in revealing and correcting faults, disinfecting habits, filtering

emotions, fumigating passions and fostering virtues - a process that

discourages publicity.

THE FIRST INTERVIEW

Dr. John Hislop writes, "When he had his first interview with Bhagawan, this

writer was seated in a small room with his wife and several others who were

part of the interview group. All attention was on the slender, elegant,

graceful form of Bhagawan - His deep, luminous eyes, the sweet, warm smiles,

and the charm. The critical and questioning mind stopped its restless activity.

Anxiety about the world and its problems faded away from the consciousness.

There remained just a feeling of quiet happiness. Although Baba was speaking,

one was surrounded by quietness. In that peaceful state of being, one's

awareness deepened without effort. There was a perception that something alive,

something unknown, was in one's heart. In a moment, the realisation came that a

current of love was moving in this writer's dry, 'western' heart,

and then it was very clear that the source of that love was Bhagawan - nay, more

- that the sweetness of Bhagawan Himself was there, with life, in the heart."

How could Sri Sathya Sai Baba, a stranger never seen before, come into the

heart of a mature man and bring about a change from within, a change from which

there is no turning back?

Surely, God is the only stranger who can do this. Hislop writes, "On that

memorable day when I first came into the presence of Sathya Sai Baba, I reached

the end and goal of my forty-seven years of search for the One. Who could say

the truth so directly that I could see for myself that it was true. Never can I

forget that day."

Hislop and his wife contacted Theosophy from Dr. Annie Besant and J.

Krishnamurthi, through Thray Sithu U Ba Khin and Mahesh Yogi-series of splendid

teachers who struggled on the path of Jnana."But when I came into the presence

of Baba on that ever-memorable day in 1968," writes Hislop, "I made the totally

surprising and unsuspected discovery that I was a Bhakta! Never had I shown that

tendency to myself and I was truly amazed.The Lord has to come in human form

to move among men," says Baba, "so that He can be listened to, contacted,

loved, revered and obeyed. He has to speak the language of men and behave like

human beings do. Otherwise He will be either neglected and negated, or feared

and avoided." Thus the Lord revealed Hislop to Hislop, and directed him on to

that road within himself which leads to

Him.

DOUBTS AND DEFECTS

Another person who underwent a similar revelatory experience was Swami

Abhedananda, for long a resident Sadhak at the ashram of Bhagawan Ramana

Maharshi. He wrote to me on 23rd December 1961, "To be frank, I must admit that

I have been hearing of Sri Sathya Sai Babaji and about his Mahimas for a long

time. But hearsay does not convey a good opinion about Him. Recently, nearly a

week or ten days ago, I got your book, 'Sathyam Sivam Sundaram' from a devotee

of His, and I went through it. It is very interesting and illuminating, and is

driving me to have a Darshan of the Divinity. Will you

let me know whether and when I shall be able to have the Darshan?"

"Although I have been living my life in this fashion for over twenty years now,

I still have doubts and defects. This body is at the fag end of its life,

having passed the age of seventy-six. I cannot delay relishing the summum

bonum, the certainty of which my doubts do screen. May I request you also to

help me earn His grace and thus be liberated from these doubts and defects,

this sinuous, unending Samsara."

Even before my reply reached him, he had had a vision of both; Ramana Maharshi

and Sai Baba, on the 27th at 4 a.m., while fully awake at the Ramana ashram.

Baba spoke to him in clear Telugu, and directed him towards a new process of

meditation. He came to Prashanthi Nilayam and was immediately blessed with an

interview. His letter to me dated the 5th February 1962

10pt">, gives an account of the grace Baba conferred on him: "I must thank you

for being instrumental in exposing me to Baba's grace, which helped clear all

my doubts. I was really astonished to find my old-age infirmities disappear and

my weakened limbs regain strength merely by His touch. His clear exposition,

with analysis and analogies, not only put an end to my long-harbored doubts,

but made me see Truth face to face in its sublime nature."

"Not only this, but His transformation at the time of my leave - taking into

Muralidhar Krishna (Krishna with the flute) in dazzling splendor, is a sight I

shall never forget. The Darshan of Saguna Brahman (the Universal Absolute

incarnated as a 'limited' being), was a blessing bestowed on this poor soul to

reveal the oneness of Saguna and Nirguna."

Hislop, too was very prone to accept God only as the Universal Absolute; the

limited, temporal, particular incarnation, was to him less glorious and divine.

So Baba gave Him, also, a vision of Himself as Krishna, in order to make him

aware that the Divinity is full and free, and that It cannot be diminished or

devalued if It takes the form of an avatar. Abhedananda continues in his

letter, "I was still a believer only in Nirguna Brahman, and considered

everything that was visible to be Mithya. This gracious transformation of His

changed me, and made me see everything - visible and imagined - to be Sathya, a

part of that same Absolute Principle."

"Baba had anticipated all the difficulties and doubts which I carried to Him

regarding my efforts in Sadhana, and He cleared them all. He instructed me,

convincing me about the validity of His advice, and how to proceed further. I

am not quite convinced with the popular view attributing Avatarhood to Baba. He

seems to me to be the perfect Poorna Brahman, personified to end the unsettled

state of the world by making man realise his own real nature, which is Bliss."

Shri Maharajakrishna Rasagotra, presently India's envoy to France, writes of

moments he has spent in Baba's presence: "Words cannot sum up the quality of

such moments spent in Baba's company. He sits there, a picture of compassion,

nay, and the very embodiment of Love transforming each fleeting fraction of

time into a moment of revelation, enlightenment and release. When He enters a

room, you feel enveloped in the warmth of His love. You feel a part of Him, and

the identification of one with the other is complete. Perhaps that is why there

is nothing in one's past, present or future which is hidden from His gaze."

NO MORE COBWEBS

"Years ago, when I first sought Him out in a remote place, without prior

appointment, acquaintance or introduction, he brought up, without any

suggestion or provocation from me, the subject of death, saying, 'The loss of

your child weighs upon your heart still. The living must get reconciled to the

inevitability of death.' He then proceeded to bring into my vision an

altogether new horizon with which I was not acquainted before," says Shri

Rasagotra.

I heard Him gently ask a devotee thus: "What is the cause of your worry? What

are all your fears based on?" And He continued, "Your worry and fear is based

on your experience in the past, experiences of yesterday. But today is not

yesterday. And tomorrow will be different. You do not know what tomorrow will

bring. Why do you then give fresh life in your heart to the ghosts of

yesterday?"

The interview is an occasion when Baba cleans the cobwebs from the brain, erases

the wrinkles on the brow and cures the myopia of the intellect, by removing the

distractions from the mind. He advises us to pay attention to the breath and

listen to the 'Soham' it recites. He fixes a silencer to the tongue. He

sweetens and softens the speech; he lightens the burden on our shoulders and

gives us hope for the future. He gives new meaning to our actions and places,

new goals for us to achieve. In fact, he sublimates our emotions and sanctifies

our passions. Shri Rasagotra, who has experienced the grace that Baba confers

during an interview upon those who go to Him with constant yearning, writes, "A

man, who goes in for a meeting with Him, seldom comes out the same. He emerges

from the encounter, exalted and radiant, as if Baba

has stripped him of his motley cloak of many patches and fitted him out in

Love's pure raiment, for a fresh journey towards a bright, new destination."

"The transformation begins almost at the first moment of contact with Baba and

the process of irresistible uplift never slackens thereafter. Perhaps this is

His greatest appeal, which draws to Puttaparthi and Brindavan, men and women of

all faiths and beliefs from every part of the world. The impact of His

personality is instantaneous, electrifying and elevating. In His luminous

presence, one feels part of a higher order of reality, lifted out of oneself,

as if one were on a different, altogether purer plane of existence, where there

is no lust, greed, anger or falsehood, and where, while there may be suffering

and pain, there is no fear."

William Penn writes, "That is the wonderment of Baba; once He enters your life,

He fills it completely. It becomes totally different, totally delightful."

Baba installs Himself as the Master in every heart that is warm with love. No

problem is beneath His notice or beyond His benediction. He challenges us with

dilemmas, and when the effort fails and the ego surrenders, He deals with our

personal problems with intimate sympathy. So most of what happens then - the

counsel He bestows, the courage He installs, the dilemmas He reconciles, the

despair He overcomes, the symbols of grace He gifts, the revelations He

vouchsafes and the doubts He resolves - is not recorded to be retold. Some idea

of what those whom Baba selects, earn during an interview, can be gained from

the following account received from a participant.

WHAT DOES HAPPEN

"There were seven others in the batch which Baba called into the room that

morning. A doctor from Bombay, a lady from Sri Lanka, an American couple from

Los Angeles, two American scientists from the Psychic Research Society in New

York, and a gentleman from Hong Kong. A remarkable assortment indeed and a good

sample of the variety in the eager rows of visitors sitting before the Mandir

awaiting this stroke of luck. There was an ornate chair in the room, but Baba

sat on the floor, with us sitting around Him. As He sat down He created

Vibhuthi, and gave us each a share, He called on me to translate His Hindi into

English, though my Hindi was poor and His English was unexceptionable. It was a

unique experience for me and I was genuinely happy at getting the chance.

Perhaps that was the reason why He asked me to do so. Baba

made us feel quite at ease, as if we had gathered before our family hearth. He

appeared extremely youthful and handsome, cheerful and buoyant - the very

embodiment of graceful charm."

"He suddenly turned towards the American couple and asked them if that day was

not the 33rd anniversary of their wedding. They were stunned. It took a few

seconds for them to say yes. He then created a ring with His portrait embossed

on it, and placing it on the trembling palm of the lady, He asked her to put it

on her husband's finger. He waved His hand yet again: a gold chain, with a

golden lotus suspended from it, emerged. He directed the gentleman to put the

chain around the neck of his wife. Their joy knew no bounds; they had never

dreamt that Baba would remind them of the significance of that day. How could

He, when they themselves had forgotten it in His presence? And Baba had now

celebrated it with such unforgettable grandeur!"

"Baba asked the scientists, 'What is your explanation for the materialisation?'

They sat silent. 'The laws of physics,' Baba said, 'do not allow something to

be created out of nothing. But they do not hold good as far as I am concerned.'

They asked, 'How is that?' Baba said that science was limited to the world that

could be perceived, that was manifest. But the spiritual eye can see matter

where even the most powerful microscope can find none. 'I need no X-rays or

chemical graphs to diagnose a disease. You, too, can develop such spiritual

insight. I am here to reveal to man this possibility and to lead him to new

vistas of peace and potence,' Baba said."

WHY BRING TO LIFE?

"The scientists asked Baba whether He had gone out of His body to rescue a man

who was drowning in a well at Kuppam village, as was reported by Murphet. Baba

said, 'I did save the man, Radhakrishna, from drowning; but I did not go from

here to there to do that. I was there already. I am everywhere at all times. I

need not go or come back.' "

"They asked Baba, 'On what basis do you bestow grace upon people?' Baba replied,

'I bestow grace when a person has fully surrendered to Me and when the situation

so demands. At Madras, Walter had three attacks of heart failure, full and

fatal, but I saved his life all the three times, for that was needed. I also

brought Radhakrishna back to life for just ten days, because I deemed it

necessary. You ask Me about death and the extension of life; but I say that you

are neither born, nor can you die.' "

’Can you grant grace to a country as a whole?' asked an American.’ I can,' said

Baba, 'if I desire. I have granted these two scientists special grace, giving

them many chances to watch Me and listen to Me, for they are interested and

have the capacity to help humanity by the knowledge gained from these

experiences.' Just then, one of the scientists observed that the stone on a

ring materialised earlier by Baba, was missing. All of us started looking for

it; but Baba indicated, with a smile, that He had dematerialized it."

"Then Baba rose and gave short personal interviews to each of us. Within

minutes, all my doubts and uncertainties had been resolved. He injected into my

life a new sense of purpose. As I stood speechless before Him, He reassured me,

holding my hands in His, and saying, 'Do not worry. I will take care of you. I

am always with you, beside you, in your very heart.' "

"A few days later Baba called the two scientists, two new couples from America,

a British citizen and myself into the interview room. He enquired about the

missing gemstone. Then He took the ring back from the scientist and, holding it

before His mouth, gently blew upon it three times. The missing stone reappeared,

firm and beautiful. 'It is Sankalpa, the Will that does it' Baba explained."

"Baba then spoke of the need for the cultivation of compassion and humility,

self-control and a virtuous character, among scientists. He spoke of the atom

bomb and other destructive weapons, and described the holocaust wrought by such

weapons. As He began speaking, 'Seven thousand years ago, on the historic

battlefield of Kurukshetra..' an American intervened with the question, 'How

does Baba know of events that took place seven thousand years ago? From books

or through other means?' Baba smiled, 'I know what happened seventy thousand

years ago! I can go forward and backward in time, and learn of anything I wish.

Time and space can impose no limitation on Me.' "

"Someone questioned Baba about the halo that Hislop had written He saw around

Baba's head. 'Thousands have seen the halo,' Baba said. 'You must be both, near

Me and dear to Me, to be able to see it,' He added."

"This question led to many others, and Baba answered them all in a short talk He

gave us: 'You are surprised that I can be in two bodies at the same time, or in

a thousand different places. When I give you a ring or any other object

materialised by Me, it instantly informs Me whenever you are in imminent

danger. I can reach you immediately and render all necessary help. However,

even if you have only genuine love and devotion for Me, My response will still

be immediate. I respond to every sincere prayer, no matter what form or name of

God you may adore and worship.' "

"Once, in this very room, Indra Devi of Tecate (Mexico) was sitting with others,

listening to Me. She had an American gentleman, whose wife was in the States,

sitting here. I knew that her car had met with serious accident while she was

in it. Even while engaged in conversation with them, I saved her and gave all

necessary assistance. Here, I told her husband not to worry, and to go home as

planned."

“‘Now science and technology have advanced tremendously, but man has no peace of

mind. Tranquillisers and sleeping pills have become a must for everyone. A

simple and regulated life, which includes natural foods and plenty of physical

exercise, is the best remedy for the complicated diseases that haunt man in all

lands. I do a lot of work as you must have seen, and take a small quantity of

simple food. I do not take milk, curds, butter or fruit-juice. This body will

continue to be in good health until its ninety-fourth year. I must admit that,

occasionally, I take upon Myself the ailments of My devotees, but these only

pass through My body without having any effect on Me.' "

HELPING THOUSANDS

"Someone asked how many hours Baba slept at night. 'I do not sleep at all,' He

replied. To a question about gesticulating with His hands, Baba said, 'During

Bhajans, when I am seated, you find Me gesticulating with my hands or fingers.

Sometimes it appears as if I am writing in the air. People are curious to know

why. At such times I am communicating with people you cannot see. I am engaged

in tasks that you cannot understand. I write replies to questions asked by

someone far away, and help thousands of people in every part of the world.' "

"Then He called us into the antechamber, one by one, and spent some time with

each, healing and heartening, comforting and correcting. I secured a second

chance to touch His feet and to draw strength and spiritual sustenance from

another assurance of His ever-present grace."

"An American asked, 'When will I have another chance?' Baba smiled and, patting

him on his back, replied, 'Today, a group of villagers has come. I give Myself

first to the needy and the poor. Most of the people who come here have no money

to spend for a long stay; I'll give you another chance when I am free.' "

“‘The material is only a baser state of the spiritual, of the divine. It is the

fulfillment of God's Will, the measure of His power. Creation can take place

only when the power of the spirit is channeled properly. Sai Baba is bringing

this truth into our awareness today,' said the octogenarian, Dr. Sigfried

Knauer, MD, of Mexico. Speaking about the interview he was granted, he told an

audience at San Diego, 'He called me in. After some minutes of talk, which I

will keep to myself, Baba asked me to cup my hands, and he slowly dropped one

by one, thirty-three tiny amber-coloured pills. (Thirty-three vertebrae, He

explained.) The pills had formed in His palm, one after another.' "

"At Bombay, before my departure from India, Baba called me into one of the rooms

at Dharmakshetra, where He was alone. He circled His hands a few times, and

turning His palm up, He showed me how a liquid was slowly filling one hand.

'Oil,' He said. It had an exquisite fragrance. Then He rubbed both palms to

spread the oil evenly on them, and He

gave me treatment with the oil. In gratitude, I wanted to touch His feet, but He

did not let me do so."

CONTINUED…

With Sai love from Sai brother M. Palaniswamy

/

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