Let us look forward to a happier tomorrow; let the name of Shri Sai resonate in all corners of the globe

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Most of the devotees of Shri Shirdi Sai Baba are reported to have spiritual

experiences, many of which are in the form of miracles, which not only enhances

their faith in Baba but also spiritually uplifts them. If one goes through such

experiences of devotees as depicted in Shri Sai Satcharitra and other literature

on Sai Baba and compares them with the experiences of the present day devotees

one would find a close similarity pertaining to many of them. Shri Khaparde, a

prominent advocate of Amravati near Nagpur, who used to visit Shirdi frequently,

and Kakasaheb Dixit who devoted the later part of his life in the services of

Baba at Shirdi have recorded details of such experiences in their diaries.

 

When one hears about some of the common experiences reported by devotees,

one’s mind is transported to Baba’s time at Shirdi. Imaginations become

vivid, all worries cease to exist and time seems to stand still. Most devotees

have reported that they used to get spiritually charged at the very sight of

Baba; disturbing and uncontrollable thoughts of their mind used to vanish, a

feeling of purity and love would engulf them.

 

Baba had a unique way of communicating with his devotees through language, look

and touch besides the extremely strong and vibrant spiritual thought waves. He

used to relate his thought waves even from afar. These powerful thought waves

used to appear in the form of vivid dreams and ideas in the minds of his

devotees to convey certain impulses, directions, forewarnings, future happenings

and Baba’s love. Those who followed these directions with an open mind

benefited amply. While such directions were related by Baba in dreams, the

results were seen taking shape suddenly or in due course of time in the actual

realities of their worldly life. For example, one devotee saw Baba giving him

yellow rice in his dream. When he got up he found yellow rice sprinkled all over

his bed. Similarly another devotee found a coconut in his bed when awakened from

sleep. Another direct experience as depicted in the Shri Sai Satcharitra was in

1917, when Hemadpant had a

dream wherein he saw Baba in the form of a Sanyasi promising to come to

Hemadpant’s house for meals that day. At lunchtime, just as the family was

about to begin eating, two men, Ali Mahomed and Moulana Ismu Mujavar, appeared

at the door and handed over a picture of Sai Baba to Hemadpant. Hemadpant was

much moved at the thought that Baba had indeed blessed him by gracing his house

for lunch.

 

There are numerous experiences about Baba appearing physically in different and

distant places, while he was in his human embodiment at Shirdi. Devotees have

reported that Baba, while sitting in front of the Dhuni in the morning at the

mosque, would often refer to distant places and other worlds he had visited

overnight despite being physically present at Shirdi. A famous incident is

narrated in Shri Sai Satcharitra in 1910, when Baba, sitting near the Dhuni,

pushing firewood into it, suddenly pushed his arm into the Dhuni thereby burning

his hand. On enquiry by the devotees, he replied that at some distant place, the

wife of a blacksmith was working at the furnace with her child tied to her

waist. When her husband called her, she suddenly got up and the child slipped

into the furnace. Baba thrust his hand into the Dhuni to save the child from the

furnace. Another devotee, B.V Deo had sent a letter to Bapu Saheb Jog in Shirdi

requesting Baba’s presence

in a group lunch he had arranged. Baba promised to attend the lunch with two

other persons and did so by appearing in the form of a Sanyasi with two

followers.

 

The greater miracles of Baba are instances of control of natural forces like

fire, air and water (rain). The Satcharitra narrates of an evening when

torrential rain accompanied by lightning and thunderstorm hit Shirdi flooding it

entirely. This terrified all the disciples, animals and birds who took refuge at

Dwarakamai Masjid and prayed for help. At their request Baba commanded the cloud

in a thunderous voice to stop its fury and to allow his children to go their

houses. Within minutes the rain stopped and the storm settled down. Another

instance documented was on an afternoon when flames from Baba’s dhuni rose up

to the roof of Dwarakamai Masjid threatening to burn it. Baba took his satka

(stick) and hit a pillar commanding the fire to calm down. At each stroke of the

satka the flames gradually settled to normalcy. Baba gave numerous other types

of experiences to his devotees but it would not be possible to codify or cite

such examples due to lack of

space.

 

The more surprising and interesting fact to note is that even after departure

from his bodily abode in 1918 and till the present day, devotees continue to

report similar experiences. Truly speaking, even on the day Baba left his body

and thereafter, devotees have been experiencing such unexplainable events. Such

experiences of Baba are not limited to the gullible and uneducated rural youth

as is commonly believed to be, but cuts across the “intelligentsia†of the

society including lawyers, professors, officials, doctors, scientists and

others. It is interesting to observe that even in this era of esoteric, atomic

individualism, with population (the number of devotees) having increased

manifold, where rationality and objectivity rules the minds of the people, such

spiritual experiences continue to affect millions. Cutting across the man made

differentiations of caste, races, religions, socio-economic diversities, all are

making a beeline to Baba’s

Samadhi at Shirdi as Baba had once uttered in a state of spiritual ecstasy.

Despite the modern day youth’s affinity to western culture, Baba’s message

remains ever relevant and appealing. That is why so many temples have come up

across the globe. Sai Baba not only crossed the boundaries of humanism but gave

shelter to all living creatures. The Sai Satcharitra narrates numerous instances

of his compassion towards dogs, snakes, horses, tigers and even birds.

 

Today on an average 35,000 people visit Shirdi every day and on weekends the

numbers go upto a lakh or more. There has been a phenomenal growth in the Sai

faith as can be seen in the astronomical growth in the number of temples,

literary publications, devotional music etc. The number of devotees dedicated to

spread the name and message of Shri Shirdi Sai Baba is mind-boggling. Today the

Sai movement is not limited only to Maharashtra as was during the time of Baba,

but within decades of his departure has crossed the national boundaries to

become a global movement. This new era of “Saiism†does not touch the

religious aspect of the devotee’s life only but affects and permeates all

aspects of an individual’s life (family, culture, social behavior etc). For

the devotees Shri Sai Baba is not a part of their life but their life itself in

all its aspects.

 

The spirit of Sai is more active and alive today than perhaps it ever was. This

raises in our mind a fundamental question - “Who is Sai Baba?†Some address

him as a Sadguru, some as a fakir, some as a Yogiraj, some as a saint and to

most of the devotees he is “God the Almighty†Himself. He has been accepted

as an incarnation (Saguna Sakara avatara), which means, God who in human form

walked on earth. History has shown that the expansion of religions and/or faiths

started by the incarnations expanded phenomenally after they left their human

embodiment. This was the case with Jesus Christ, Buddha, Mohammed and Shri

Krishna. The Sai movement is ever on the increase in a similar manner, which

goes to reinforce the faith that Sai Baba was an incarnation of God (Paramatma).

This goes to prove Baba’s promise that after leaving his body he will be ever

active from his tomb to protect and guide his devotees. As Baba had once

promised, He continues to

exist in a subtle form (Mahakarana sheath) as a unifying force, to spread and

re-establish compassion, love, truth and tolerance amongst human beings and

among all living entities on earth.

 

Let us welcome and embrace this age of Sai, who is the panacea for all the evils

of the present world, torn asunder by forces of regionalism, racialism, economic

and social differences, religious bigotry, fanaticism and lack of faith in

“Godâ€. Let us look forward to a happier tomorrow; let the name of Shri Sai

resonate in all corners of the globe.