SUPERNATURAL ACTS OF GOD-SAI BABA -VI

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The Crucifix

The crucifix was created by Baba on a most auspicious day, Mahasivaratri. Baba

had reached a decision to halt the yearly public viewing of the birth of the

lingam as it flashes from his mouth and comes to rest in his hands, cushioned

by a silk handkerchief. Although that public portion of the holy festival of

Mahasivaratri was now terminated; nevertheless the lingam would be created by

Baba each year again and again, for it is a principal sign by which we may know

the Avatar. In respect to the oval, egg-shaped lingam which Baba produces from

within his body on Mahasivaratri night, he says, "It is not possible for you to

understand the divine purpose and gauge its potential or to know the

significance of its manifestation. In order to bear witness to the fact that

Divinity is among you, it becomes necessary

for me to express this attitude of mine. Otherwise the atmosphere of hatred,

greed, envy, cruelty, violence, and irreverence will overwhelm the good, the

humble, and the pious. The lingam is a symbol of the beginningless and endless,

of the infinite it is the most fitting symbol of the Omnipresent, Omniscient,

and Omnipotent Lord. Everything starts from it and everything is subsumed in

it."

We may also know the Avatar by the sixteen signs that accompany him: creation,

preservation, dissolution, knowledge of incarnations, special Grace and the

power to bestow it; each of these in the past, present, and future, thus

totaling fifteen, with the sixteenth being Paramatma, the Divine, resident in

the heart of each being. To these sixteen signs of the divine incarnation of

the Avatar, Baba adds another sign, which he terms the most significant of all

- divine love, universal and impersonal, yet personal. The lingam has been seen

by the writer a number of times. On the occasion of one Mahasivarathi night, I

was sitting quite close to Baba. When the moment came, I saw a flash of gold

come from his mouth and saw the lingam caught in the silk handkerchief held by

his hands. It was of gold. How an object that size came up Sri Baba's throat

cannot be explained. At another Mahasivaratri, the lingam was

translucent, and there was a clearly visible flame in the center of the lingam.

The evening before the Mahasivaratri Day of 1973, we were told to be ready in

the early morning for a trip; and that when the cars were loaded and ready we

would know the destination. Swami had decided that only a handful of people

would be with him when the lingam became manifest.

Our destination was the Bandipur Game Sanctuary in Bandipur Forest, several

hours away in Mysore State. We arrived at the Forest resthouse in the early

afternoon. The next morning we returned to our cars, and, guided by the Forest

people, took various winding roads hoping to come upon one of the Forest's wild

elephant herds. As we moved through the trees and the open areas, in our minds

we were hoping for a replay of the dramatic and fascinating encounter between

Baba and a wild elephant herd which had taken place some years before when

Swami and some devotees had made a holiday expedition to the Game Sanctuary.

This time, however, the elephants remained in their secret places and not even

one was seen. But the drive through the hills had another and more important

objective. Swami intended to find a correct site where we could gather at dusk

for the sacred event of the lingam birth. It was on this great and

most mysterious occasion, unknown and beyond imagination to the world at large,

that the crucifix came into being.

As we crossed a bridge above a sandy, dry riverbed, Baba indicated that this

would be the place. He said we would all return here just at dusk, and this we

did. The cars halted at the side of the road, and we started to climb down the

bank to the sandy river bottom. I was beside Baba. As we passed a bush, Swami

broke off two twigs, placed them together and asked me, "What is this, Hislop?"

 

"Well, Swami, it is a cross," I answered. Baba then closed his fingers over the

twigs and directed three somewhat slow breaths into his fist, between thumb and

forefinger. Then he opened his hand to reveal a Christ figure crucified on a

cross, and he gave it to me.

He said, "This shows Christ as he really was at the time he left his body, not

as artists have imagined him or as historians have told about him. His stomach

is pulled in and his ribs are all showing. He had no food for eight days."

I looked at the crucifix, but found no words. Then Baba continued, "The cross is

wood from the actual cross on which Christ was crucified. To find some of the

wood after 2,000 years took a little time! The image is of Christ after he

died. It is a dead face."

I noticed something odd and asked, "Swami, what is that hole at the top of the

cross?" Baba replied that the cross had been originally hung from a standard.

We continued down to the river bed, and Baba seated us in a rectangle, with

himself at the head. It could be seen that Swami's body was already in labor,

and the group at once started singing bhajans (sacred songs of devotion and

praise to Divinity). This continued without interruption until the lingam came

out from Baba's throat and was caught by him in a silk handkerchief. After the

lingam had been admired by everyone, Swami put it aside. He then raised a small

heap of sand in front of his knees, and with his finger sketched an outline on

it. Then in a moment or two, he dug his hand into the sand and brought forth a

silver flask filled with amrith. Then he moved his hand and created a small

silver cup. Everyone, from his hand, was then given a portion of the amrith,

nectar of the Gods. How delicate and delicious was the taste! It is unique.

There is no other taste to compare to it.

Within a few weeks we were back at our home in Mexico and were soon to witness

an amazing series of events in relation to the crucifix. The cross is so small

that the details on the figure of Christ escape the eye. A friend, Walter, came

down to our home and took some color photographs of the crucifix. The over-all

length of the Christ figure is only one inch, and Walter was to make some

enlargements to bring out the detail. When he mailed us a sample of the prints,

my wife and I were astounded. I wrote to him and said that if the pictures were

seen around the world, they would create an art sensation. I am sure it is the

greatest sculpture of Christ every made. In my estimation, it is the most

extraordinary object Sri Sathya Sai has ever created for the joy of his

devotees.

A few weeks later, Walter and his wife returned with color enlargements of the

cross. These, along with the actual cross, were spread out on the dining room

table, next to large french windows overlooking the sea. The time was about 5

p.m. The details revealed by the photographic enlargements were so

extraordinary that all persons present were concentrating on this amazing

vision of Christ, and on the mystery and wonder of Sri Bhagavan. On this

afternoon, the sky along the Mexican coast was clear and peaceful but suddenly,

without any warning, there was a loud crash of thunder and as our eyes turned to

the windows, lightning flashed from a dark cloud where a moment before there had

been only clear sky. A violent wind rushed through the house, causing windows

and doors to open and shut with such force that glass was in danger of

shattering. The curtains were flying in all directions. We were much startled

by

this turn of events, but my wife at once, said, "It is 5 p.m., the time Christ

died on the cross, and what is now happening is described in the Bible." She

later brought a Bible and we looked until we found the pertinent paragraph,

which said that at the moment Christ gave up His life, a violent storm arose

with lightning and thunder, and winds rent the curtains of the temple. We

concluded that we had witnessed a wonder totally beyond our power of

imagination. Before our eyes had occurred nothing less than a recapitulation of

events related to the crucifixion. The following day newspapers in San Diego

carried a brief story commenting on the sudden and mysterious storm that had

arisen without warning on the Mexican coast, near Ensenada. We and our friends

concluded that this recapitulation of an event which had taken place some 2,000

years ago upon the crucifixion of Christ, implied a great Power connected in

some way with that small cross and Christ figure materialized by Baba. A

Year or so later I sent a description of the event to Dr. Eruch B. Fanibunda for

his book, Vision of the Divine. He showed the memo to Baba. After reading the

memo, Baba said the event had occurred as described and that the significance

attributed to it was correct.

It might be thought that the story of the cross was now complete, but there is

still a sequel. In 1975, I made an unannounced trip to India to consult with

Baba about arrangements for a visit to America that we hoped he would

undertake. Swami had not been informed of my visit and was away on tour when I

arrived. On that day he was having lunch with a few senior devotees and he

said, "Hislop arrived in Bangalore just now and is waiting."

One of the men at the table (who later told me of the scene) remarked, "You made

a crucifix for him."

Baba replied, "Yes, I made it for him. And when I went to look for the wood,

every particle of the cross had disintegrated and had returned to the elements.

I reached out to the elements and reconstituted sufficient material for a small

cross. Very seldom does Swami interfere with Nature, but occasionally, for a

devotee, it will be done.

Excerpts from the book "My Baba & I" by Dr. John S. Hislop

Experience of Dr. BaronowskiDr. Frank Baronowski, a Professor in Arizona State

University in America, is an expert in this field. He not only photographs aura

but is blessed with the rare gift of being able to see the aura directly with

his eyes.In 1979, he came to India to make a study of aura of holy men in the

country. Inevitably, his travels brought him to Baba, who was then in

Bangalore. At the time Baronowski reached Whitefield, a course arranged by Baba

for school teachers was in progress. Baronowski heard about this and was

naturally keen to speak in the conference, sharing his numerous experiences.The

Professor's first glimpse of Sai Baba was during the early morning Darshan.

Baronowski was stunned by what he saw - Baba's aura was simply out of this

world. He saw it again and

again - saw how this extra-ordinary aura enveloped one and all, believers and

non-believers alike, those who were directly looking at Him and those whose

attention was wandering. Later, Baronowski was given the opportunity to speak

during the conference proceedings, in the immediate presence of Bhagavan

Baba.Here is an extract of what he saw in his own words:I have always been able

to see the human aura, that is, the energy pattern which surrounds a person. The

auras around average people extend as much as three to five feet. Auras are

composed of every imaginable colour and these colours change as a person's

emotional, physical and mental states change.In general,- the colour blue is

evident in a person' s aura, it is an indication of deep spirituality;- green

is a healing color;- yellow indicates high intelligence; and- red means anger

or frustration.- The colour pink, which is rarely seen, typifies a person

capable of self-less

love.I have met over a hundred holy men in India. Too many of these holy men are

involved in their own personal egos. Their auras show mostly concern for

themselves and their institutions. So, the auras are only about 25 cm. broad or

perhaps 50 cm. I am not a devotee of Sai Baba. I have come here as a scientist,

to see this man Sai Baba.I saw Him on Sunday, on the balcony giving Darshan to

devotees below. The aura that Baba projected was not that of a man. The white

was more than twice the size of any man's, the blue was practically limitless,

and there were gold and silver bands beyond even those, far beyond this

building, right up to the horizon.There is no scientific explanation for this

phenomenon

A Extracted from: http://www.radiosai.org/Journals/06Nov15/AuraDivinity/divinity.htm

It was the hour when man, bird and beast were still, wrapped in sleep.

Everything had melted in the thick darkness. The train was speeding along like

a spangled snake, along the Sub - Himalayan jungle track.Dr. R turned in bed

and opened his eyes, for there was a strange smell in the compartment,

something burning, he thought! The fan was emitting sparks, like a Catherine

Wheel! There was no one else in the coach, except his wife who was fast asleep.

There was no time even to think out a plan. He put out his hand and fumbled with

the switch, but, good God, it was out of order! The fan could not be stopped. It

had to burn like that! ……. and perhaps, set the compartment on fire!Pull the

alarm chain? But, that will be a big sensation; it would involve delay, for the

guard has to investigate, come, diagnose, prescribe, administer the treatment

etc. The sparks increased ; the smell smote

the nose."Baba! O Baba, save us, O Baba!" The prayer automatically rose from his

heart, for Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba was his never failing succour. The train

slowed down just a wee bit. Was it a station they were coming to? Well then,

when it halted, he could wake the wife and both could get down and tell the

guard. He rose and peeped into the darkness, far out into the oncoming stage.

Suddenly he saw a man clinging to his door holding fast to the handle. How

could have possibly hopped up the running train in that forest blackness? A

nascent fire, a sneaking thief -what was he to do?The man said, "I am a

punkahwala; come to repair the fan!" He looked a seasoned mechanic; he had a

screw driver in his hand; he wore a kakhi shirt and drawers; he smiled in an

appealing way. So, the doctor opened the door and let him in. The train gained

speed. The wife too woke. It was all so easy for his skilfull hands; a few

turns of the screw and tap or two at the proper

place; the sparks ceased , the fan whirred, swift and safe. He was a silent,

skilful hand. He then sat crouching in a corner and asked the doctor to lie

down and sleep. His voice was so sweet, his kindness was so overpowering that

the doctor lost all fear and suspicion. He laid himself down and turned away

from him and dozed.But, the wife had her own fears. She had read and heard of

robberies in running trains of even worst calamities and so, she had half an

eye open to watch the stranger's slightest movement. And, even while her eye

was watching him, he disappeared!!A week later, they get a letter from Baba at

Puttaparthi, "How did you like my Punkah repair?"Dr.R. himself narrated this

wonderful incident when he came for Mahasivarathri to Puttaparthi.

"This is My Duty; when a call comes out of distress and devotion, I hasten to

the rescue", Baba said. And sure enough, Baba kept His word!(Sanathana Sarathi

, October 1961)

The Mew is Heard

Minkie the cat

One incident which occurred on the 23rd of November deserves to be highlighted

in the Sai chronicle. About sixty devotees had arrived from far-away Gauhati,

the capital city of Assam. They had travelled in a special railway coach for

seven days before they reached Bangalore, and they had before them another

week-long ordeal to get back home. Baba appreciated their devotion and gave

them Darshan and a short spiritual discourse at the prayer hall. He filled

their hands with the precious gift of vibhuti. He saw in the group a girl named

Lakhi and he gave her vibhuti a second time, saying, "This, for the cat."

The cat was Minkie, whom she had rescued from the city drain on a rainy day and

brought home to keep warmed and fed. The kitten was not, however, welcomed by

her elder sister who was a nurse in the biggest hospital in the city, but who

could not stand cats. She blamed Lakhi for bringing the horrid thing and

keeping it as a pet. One night when a few guests had arrived for dinner, the

cat stole into the kitchen and ran off with a bite of fish. This enraged the

lady so much that all her bellicose adjectives exploded in one burst at Lakhi's

face. Lakhi could bear it no longer. She caught Minkie by the neck and spanked

her severely with a longish stick. The poor thing yelled in pain. Suddenly,

every picture of Sai Baba in the house - there were sixteen of them hanging

with garlands after the Thursday bhajans - fell on the floor! The guests ran

out of the house into the open courtyard, for they were sure that an earthquake

had struck.

But the lady noticed that only the pictures of Baba had dropped; all others were

intact on the walls! It was then that she realized that Baba had given a sign to

save the cat. She shouted to her sister, "Lakhi! stop! stop! Don't kill it! Baba

is angry with us!" Lakhi placed Minkie on the table. She was in tears, and her

sister, too, was sobbing. The cat tried to allay her pain by shaking in quick

quivers. The guest had come back by now and they too witnessed the struggle of

the cat to regain her poise. Lo and behold! When Minkie shook herself, puffs of

fragrant vibhuti emerged from her fur and fell thick on the table! The fragrance

announced that Bhagavan had blessed the cat.

Six months later, on 23rd November, when Lakhi was present with many other

devotees from Assam at the Prasanthi Nilayam prayer hall, Bhagavan, in His

infinite compassion, remembered Minkie, the unwelcome cat, and sent to her His

most valuable prasad. He instantly detects every denial of love and warns us

when we miss our way. His hand reaches beyond the horizons of space and the

chronologies of time. He teaches us, by example, to wish well for every form of

life, be it man, beast, bird or plant. His love has no limit, for He is in all.

Source: SSS IV

With Sai love from Sai brothers -''

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