Sai Baba the Master

[Guest guest]

We have noted in another chapter that on a holy Diwali day Baba had thrust

his hand in the burning fire (dhuni) to save the child of a blacksmith who

slipped accidentally and fell in the fire at a far off village. The burns

on Baba’s hand were terrible to look at. When devotees suggested that he

should get his forearm treated by a doctor, Baba smiled and said, “Even if

this body is kept on a pile of 2000 dung cakes and burnt up, we must be

able to look on it unperturbed, and see what happens. That is the real

evidence of jnana (Self-realization)”.

 

One day when Baba was having lunch, a dog entered Dwarakamai and put its

snout in the can containing buttermilk. Bade Baba who saw it at once

ordered another devotee present to throw away the polluted buttermilk. Baba

said, ‘Why’? He then gave it to one Babu and got a dish prepared with it

which he ate at night.

 

Sri Marthand, son of late Sri Mahalsapathi, has recounted to me the

following characteristic incident :

 

One day a palanquin was carried to and set down in front of Dwarakamai by

a band of attendants. It was curtained on all sides so that the inmates of

it could not be seen. One of the attendants accompanying the palanquin

carried a big vessel with its opening secured by a piece of a cloth into the

mosque and kept it before Baba. Baba brusquely said, “Who has come (in the

palanquin)?….. Whoever it is, remove the curtains!” The curtains were

removed. The person in the palanquin was the princess Chimnabai, one of the

then princely States of India. Baba told Mahalsapathy to see what the vessel

contained. The latter looked up and said, ‘It contains gold!’ Baba, pointing

at himself, said to Mahalaspathy ‘Is this (i.e. Baba’s form) the real gold

or is that ?’ “You are the treasure!” said Mahalsapathy. “Then send the

vessel back to her!”, ordered Baba. The vessel was promptly returned to the

palanquin. Who is the prince of givers and who the receiver ?

 

Source: http://www.saibharadwaja.org