A personal reaction: the Charisma of Sri Sathya Sai Baba

[Guest guest]

In the year 1971, when the first edition of “Shri Sai Baba, the Saint of Shirdi”

was published by Somaiya Publications Pvt. Ltd., the writer was not even aware

of the manifestation of this “Maha Yogi” known as Shri Satya Sai Baba. For this

reason Shri Satya Sai Baba’s name was not included in the chapter entitled “The

successors of Sai Baba” in part II of my book. But, subsequently, the writer

had the privilege of meeting Satya Sai Baba quite frequently, and each meeting

was an experience and a revelation! Truly the ‘leelas’ of the Divine are

inscrutable! For, now that I have been commissioned to prepare this fourth and

revised edition of the “Saint of Shirdi”, I feel that it is a God given

opportunity to include in the second part of my book a chapter on Shri Satya

Sai Baba as also one of the illustrious successors of the Saint of Shirdi -- at

whose lotus feet I have found my refuge and shelter. Since this chapter

comprises a very intimate

portrayal of my personal reactions to and my experiences of Shri Satya Sai

Baba’s Grace, I have taken the liberty of discarding the conventional phrase

“the writer”. substituting in its place the personal pronoun ‘I’ whenever I

have felt the necessity to express my emotional reaction more effectively to

the charisma of Shri Satya Sai Baba’s unusual outpouring of Grace on this

humble writer. Destiny’s deep contrasts are but the ‘Leelas’ draping the

unanimity of the one Divine!

At the outset, I would like to say that I have no intention of getting involved

in the controversy whether Shri Satya Sai Baba is or is not an Incarnation of

the Shirdi Baba. In any case, the writer feels that at out level of

consciousness such speculations are presumptuous -- and therefore futile. It is

sufficient to recognize Shri Satya Sai Baba as one of Bharat’s “Maha Yogis”.

It is only when one actually sees the Baba that one realizes that his pictures

which appear in the papers do not do him justice. For, the main attraction of

the “Yogi” is in his eyes which are not only magnetic, but are also brimful of

love and compassion. His bizarre miracles of producing “Uddhi” from empty space

and the materialization of all kinds of silver and gold images and rings from

his mouth give one a queer feeling of apparent showmanship which is not

attractive....but one soon learns to accept these powers as an unusual method

of the saint to lure people to him by giving them what they want so that later

they may learn to crave for the jewels of the Spirit. Each “Yogi” has his own

peculiar modus operandi, and who are we to judge whether they are right or

wrong? For, as soon as we come in contact with this incredible Master, we

realize that his ultimate mission is not to give material satisfaction to his

flock, but rather to lead them gradually to appreciate

the glittering virtues of the spirit.

The social services that this “Avatar” organizes for the benefit of the humanity

are many. Hospitals, Schools and Colleges are built and commissioned to help the

cause of education and to give relief to the sick and the ailing. Perhaps, no

other saint has involved himself in such practical solutions of the country’s

welfare. There is no dearth of volunteers who dedicate their services to the

institutions started by the Baba who infuses the spirit of service and

dedicated work to his followers. We are reminded of Swami Vivekananda who said

years ago that “Work is Worship”. Baba has not much respect for the “Yogi” who

spends his time enjoying his own individual Bliss, showing supreme indifference

to the sufferings of the others. This life says Baba is ‘preface to the epic of

the supreme’ which requires the practice of an internal “Yoga”. It is no

wonder, therefore, that Shri Satya Sai Baba is recognized by even the highest

Government officials and enjoys a popularity

which has no parallel among the godmen of Bharat.

But despite this preoccupation with the vaster issues of life, Shri Satya Sai

Baba, like Sai Baba of Shirdi, gives an amazing outpouring of love and

understanding of the problems of men an women individually. His heart is full

of compassion for the woes and miseries of the ordinary householder. Satya

Sai’s miracles for the upliftment of those who are oppressed with the diseases

of the body and the agony of the mind are well known to those who go to him

with Faith.

It is on this note that I should like to conclude this brief chapter after

relating the two personal tokens for one who does not merit such favours.

(1) Round about the year 1978 Shri P.K. Savant, who was then one of the

ministers of the Maharashtra Government, met me at a public function and said

to me -- “Mrs. Sahukar, I have read and appreciated your book, ‘Sai Baba, the

Saint of Shirdi’, but how is it that you refrain from prostrating at the feet

of his Incarnation, Shri Satya Sai Baba?” I was taken aback, as I replied --

“Mr. Savant, I do not know much about Shri Satya Sai Baba, but even so I would

not hesitate to pay my homage to one whom I recognize as one of our spiritual

Masters. Due, however, to my physical ailments, I am unable to go into big

crowds, so I keep away.” However, Mr. Savant graciously invited me and my

husband to a small gathering in his house where Shri Baba was to come. We went

to this function gladly. When we reached Mr. Savant’s house, we were told that

Baba had gone upstairs for a brief respite. The staircase was guarded by

volunteers. I pleaded with one of these volunteers to let us

go up as we were special guests of Shri Savant, but the man was rude and refused

to comply. I started getting sore, and rebuked this man, and while this unseemly

row was going on, Shri Sai Baba himself came down the stairs, much to my

embarrassment. I wished then that the ground would open and swallow me up! But

the Beloved Master only looked at me with a gleam of loving amusement in his

eyes. he had a garland of flowers in his hand which he put around my neck. This

gracious gesture took my breath away, and I prostrated myself at his holy feet.

(2) The second Miracle of Grace took place in White Field, Baba’s Ashram in

Bangalore. Just a day before we were due to leave for Bombay, we learnt that

Baba was arriving from Puttaparthy. Very naturally, my husband and I went there

for the holy saint’s “darshan”. About three to four hundred “bhaktas” were

already seated in neat rows. I joined the women who told me that Baba would

emerge from a cottage we could see in the background. Then Baba would walk

through certain rows and leaving other rows alone, all according to his sweet

will. Soon, we saw the frail Swamiji walking towards us. My heart was pounding

like a machine. Would he walk through the aisle where I was? He approached us

and them swerved away from us. He then went to a small dais at the end of the

compound and sat on the chair. It was all over. The lucky ones who were blessed

with “Uddhi” were chirping, and the unfortunate one (I among them) felt

desolate. But, since I felt completely forsaken, from the

depth of my being I prayed to my Master the Saint of Shirdi. “Beloved Sai”, I

silently begged, “Do not let him ignore me like this. Somehow make Satya Sai

Baba come to me”. Then a great miracle manifested itself. Shri Satya Sai Baba

in response to my silent cry, suddenly got up and came down the dais and made a

bee-line for me. He came close to me and lightly touched my forehead and then

walked away to the cottage. There were two or three more of such extraordinary

miracles which swept me off my feet. But despite all these supreme tokens of

his Grace and love for me, I have never felt a desire to go to puttaparthy.

Perhaps for me the image and form in which I have been worshipping Sai Baba

through the years -- the beloved old man with white beard and hair sitting

cross-legged is like an indelible image in my heart and no other image can

replace it. It may also be an unconscious yet deep feeling within me that if

Satya Sai Baba is indeed my beloved Guru’s Incarnation, then my staunch

dedication, love and devotion to this supreme being would automatically reach

any manifestation who is an Incarnation of Shri Sai Baba, the Saint of Shirdi.

I end this chapter in all humility, leaving stone by stone the pattern to the Designer.

 

Source: "The Saint of Shirdi" by Mani Sahukar, Chapter 15

Web source: Shirdi Sai Baba Web Sitehttp://www.saibaba.org/shirdi15.html

[Guest guest]

What a Beautiful experience... fully blissed....Sairam................

On 10/21/05, saibaba list wrote:

A PERSONAL REACTIONTHE CHARISMA OF SHRI SATYA SAI BABA

-- Sheela.K.Rao.