SAI BABA AND THE COSMIC CHRIST

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struck a note in the core of my being. He crystallised virtually everything I

had come to believe in 65 years of search. I had come home. What also impacted

me increasingly was the extraordinary similarity in the life, teachings,

miracles, and personality of Sai Baba and Jesus of Nazareth. They even seemed

to express themselves in the same phraseology. Of course it is true that all

world teachers basically assert the same truths, but there is an extraordinary

identity between Sai Baba and Jesus which is quite unique. In 1968 Albert

Eckhart wrote, 'The difference between Sai Baba and Jesus Christ is that the

first is living and his miracles are confirmed by men, whereas the miracles of

Jesus are reported in the Bible only. Nevertheless, the behaviour and the deeds

of both are nearly and often the same.' The teachings of Jesus spread across

half the globe. Sai Baba, in a little over 40 years, is said to have 50 million

devotees and there are Centres in 64 countries of the world. (This article was

written in 1984. Now there are Sai Centres in about 180 countries and

correspondingly a much larger number of followers - H2H Team). Puttaparthi is

rapidly becoming the Vatican of the East. At the Birthday celebration in 1980

there were 350,000 people accommodated on a campus of 100 acres. On

Swami's 50th birthday Dr Diwaker, an Indian scholar and statesman, said this:

'Once Swami was a village urchin, uncared for, untutored, unloved. Now on his

50th birthday we assemble from the four quarters of the globe and what do we

find? Philosophers and politicians, educators and legislators, scientists and

technologists, the learned as well as the ignorant, the rich as well as the

poor, and from all nations and from all religions, if this is not a marvel and

a living miracle I would like to know what is! Sai and Jesus...Same Love

Jesus went about loving people and healing the sick. Sai Baba, too, does just

that — loving people and healing the sick, serving mankind 24 hours a day. Both

interpret the purpose of human life in

exactly the same way. The symbolic meaning of the Cross is the eradication of

the ego — the vertical stroke represents the T with which we are born, and the

horizontal stroke the erasure of the ego. Baba's interpretation is identical.

'The sole purpose of your incarnation is the crucifixion of the ego on the

altar of compassion.' Both have made stupendous statements. Jesus said, 'I am

the way, the truth, and the life. I and my father are one.' Baba has made even

more incredible statements, 'My power is immeasurable. My truth is inexplicable,

unfathomable. I am beyond the reach of the most intensive enquiry and the most

meticulous measurement. There is nothing I do not see, nowhere I do not know

the way, no problem I cannot solve. My sufficiency is unconditional. I am the

totality — all of it' Both proclaim the brotherhood of

man and the universality of the message. 'Go ye therefore, and teach all

nations,' said the Christ. 'My mission is for all mankind,' says Baba, 'I have

not come to collect disciples for any particular sect, creed or religion, such

as the Hindu religion. I have come to light the lamp of love in the hearts of

all humanity.' Sai and Jesus - Same Teaching and Message The teaching of

both is exoteric and esoteric. Christ taught the masses in simple parables, yet

astounded the scholars and theologians with the scope and insight of his

knowledge. Baba also teaches the masses in parables, yet was explaining the

most abstruse

passages in the Vedas to India's pundits at the age of ten. Both come over as

men of the people, intensely human and lovable, albeit divine, rather than as

cloistered holy men. One might say 'divinely human and humanly divine'. One

feels this about Jesus, at one and the same time a friend and a god-man. So too

with Baba — at one moment borrowing a razor from Dr Gokak when travelling, and

then suddenly performing some stupendous miracle (like 'cancelling' the cancer

of a devotee). We are told that Jesus commanded an audience of thousands, and

was acclaimed by virtually the entire city on his entry into Jerusalem. Baba

commands an audience of tens of thousands on a whirlwind visit to a big city.

Both started their mission when children. Christ taught in the temple at the

age of 12. Baba was performing miracles at 6 and started his mission at the age

of 13. The teaching on karma and reincarnation is common to

both, although most of Christ's teaching on these truths were expunged from the

four Gospels which were kept, at the Council of Constantinople in 553 A.D. They

are, however, still intact in the Aquarian Gospel and others. 'A man reaps what

he sows,' says Jesus. 'Whatsoever acts a man does, good or bad, follow him,'

says Baba. 'The Kingdom of heaven is within you,' said Jesus. 'We make our

worlds ourselves,' says Baba. 'God is your best Guru, and He resides in your

heart.' Christ upheld the role of women and tried to raise their status above

the level of mere chattels. He was often surrounded by women. Swami, too,

reveres women, and elevates them in their vital role of motherhood as being the

custodians of future generations. 'The mother is the child's first

guru,' He says. Three of His first six colleges are for women only (and every

year November 19th is celebrated as Ladies Day in Prashanthi Nilayam and all

Sai Centres). Christ preached joy and the life abundant. 'I am

come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.'

Joy is the very essence of Baba's personality and teaching. Listen to those who

know Him intimately — Howard Murphet, author of three books on Baba: 'We who

struggle on through sorrow and passing joy, see in Baba the embodiment of

perfect joy.' Or to Dr Sandweiss, author of The Holy Man and the Psychiatrist,

'He appears to be in a state of constant bliss. His face and body are lit with

an aura of energy which I have never observed in a human being.' Of course the

cornerstone of the teaching of these two god-men can be summed up in the one

word - love. No newcomer to the Gospels, unconditioned by theology, could

possibly read them without gaining the over-whelming impression that the

paramount message contained therein is one of love. "Thou shalt love the Lord

thy God . . .' and 'Thou shall love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two

commandments hang all the law and the prophets.' Sai Baba, too, is the

embodiment of love. It is the essence of all His teaching, the golden thread

which runs through everything He says and does, the criterion by which He

judges everything. There is the same similarity in the detailed teaching.

'Avoid killing, theft, adultery, greed, sensuality, anger, impatience, hatred,

egotism, pride.' Are not these exhortations an appeal to the Christian values?

In the ten volumes of Baba's Discourses can be found every precept of the

Sermon on the Mount. I give here a few of the sayings of both. The

Sermon on the Mount Jesus : 'Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall

see God.' Sai : 'The pure heart becomes inspired; it sees beyond intellect and

reason.' Jesus : 'Search not for the mote in your neighbour's eye but look for

the beam in your own.' Sai : 'Instead of seeing faults in others, search for

those in yourself.' Jesus : 'Judge not, that ye be not judged.' Swami: 'Do not

judge others, for when another is judged you are yourself condemned.' Jesus :

'Cast not pearls before swine.' Sai : 'Do not discuss devotion with those who

have none; it will lessen your own.' Jesus : 'Love your enemies.' Sai : 'Carry

on even if you are hated.' Jesus : 'Not everyone who sayeth 'Lord, Lord' shall

enter the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of the Father.' Sai

: 'The secret of liberation lies not in mystic formulas and rosaries, but in

stepping out into action.' (Love and Service) Jesus : 'For as much as you do

injury to one of these, you do it to me.' Sai : 'Do not slander or injure

anyone, for you are slandering Me who is in him.' Jesus : 'For Thine is the

power and the glory.' Sai : ' No man can claim achievement, for all are but

instruments in the hands of the Lord..' Jesus : 'Come unto me, all ye who

are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest.' Sai : 'Bring Me the depths

of your minds, no matter how grotesque, no matter how ravaged by doubts or

disappointments. I will not reject you. I am your Mother.' Sai

and Jesus - The Same Divine Charisma As with the teachings, so with the

personalities and miracles. It is clear that Christ had a radiant transparency,

a divine charisma, with no trace of affectation, pride or ego; that he was

motivated solely by love which radiated from him. The impact of meeting him

must have been soul-shattering. How else could a man walk up to a small group

of illiterate fishermen, talk to them for an hour, and then say, 'Follow me,'

and have them do just that, abandoning all? Sai Baba has a similar effect. The

sight of Him changes men and women. Often souls are instantly transformed. Dr

Sandweiss was an example. When

Swami first looked at him he wrote: 'What was communicated in that brief moment?

The world! Something broke inside me. Some of Baba's love and joy penetrated my

soul and I found myself laughing like a child ... I felt somehow transformed in

one dazzling, incredible minute. I was left with my mouth hanging open.' The

Christ is said to have had an aura that reached out for a mile, so that

'sensitives' who came within it were psychically aware of his presence and were

uplifted. Sai Baba's aura has been described by Dr Baranowski, a clairvoyant and

Kirlian photography expert from Arizona University, as almost limitless. 'The

white (energy) filled the entire room, the pink (intense universal love) went

beyond the walls of the building and beyond this were bands of gold and silver

reaching to the horizon.' The Christ had X-ray eyes, instantly knowing thought

and character. Baba has said, 'I see into the mind and heart. I see who has an

urgent problem and needs the help of an interview.' He sees the past, present

and future of everyone he meets. His omniscience regarding the past and present

is constantly proved. One gets the impression that Christ preferred simple

people with a good heart. He mainly chose simple men as his disciples. Baba

often rails at the scholars and pedants, with their 'desire for disputation and

the laurels of victory over those preening themselves as learned'. 'Be simple

and sincere,' Baba tells His devotees. Both show their dislike of the Pharisee

type. Christ called them 'whited sepulchres'. Swami calls them 'dry as dust

scholars exulting in their casuistry and argumentative skills.' Both have

clearly shown their love of children. Jesus rebuked the disciples who wanted to

keep the children away. 'Suffer little children to come unto me' . Baba shares

this love. When a large group of children from the Wellingborough Centre (UK)

went to the ashram they were too excited to sleep on the first night. Baba came

to their quarters and asked them if they would go to sleep if He, too, went to

sleep? Whereupon He lay down on the floor and pretended to sleep. Soon the only

sound was blissful breathing — and Baba crept out on tiptoe. Both demonstrate a

capacity for vehement 'righteous indignation' when necessary for a purpose, as,

for example, when Jesus drove out the money-changers from the temple with a

leather lash because he opposed the buying of animals for sacrifice. A friend

of mine who is a close devotee told me how one day a man with a very wealthy

father, who was dying, actually came to Swami to seek financial advice

about his coming inheritance! Swami thundered at him, with an emotion which

astonished my friend, for thinking of money when his sick father needed his

care, and dismissed him — only to revert to His normal loving self in a second.

The 'anger' was just a necessary 'act'. As He says, 'Sometimes I have to make a

noise!' Jesus and Sai - The Same Personality, the Same Miracles Both

also show a combination of deep humility and commanding authority. Jesus is

often referred to as 'one who spoke with authority' - one envisages a tall,

commanding figure. Yet he knelt down and washed the feet of his disciples.

Swami might often play and joke, but should anyone take undue advantage of it,

in the twinkling of an eye He resumes His authority. Once, when a devotee

enquired if he might ask a favour, Baba replied, 'Of course. I am yours. I have

no rights.' At one time a servant of mankind, at another the Lord. Both, of

course, have been maligned and persecuted. 'Calumny is the lot of all

great souls everywhere, at any time. It would be unnatural if it were not so,'

says Baba. He is oblivious to praise or blame. Christ was accused of being a

wine-bibber, of mixing with publicans and sinners. Baba has been criticised for

allowing 'sinners' to use the ashram. Their replies were similar: 'I came not to

call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.' Baba has said, 'Sinners have

more need of me than you have.' Christ was accused of healing by the powers of

Satan (Beelzebub). Baba has been called a black magician. There is also a

remarkable similarity in the miracles. Christ healed the sick. Baba heals the

sick daily. Christ raised Lazarus from the dead when his body is said to have

been in a state of decomposition. Baba has raised the dead on at least two

occasions. The body of Mr V. Radhakrishna was also in a state of decomposition.

Both multiplied food — Christ at the feeding of the five thousand, and Baba on

many occasions when the food has run out. Christ changed water into wine. Baba

has changed water into petrol and fuel oil. Christ could control the elements

and calm the seas; likewise Baba has made a rainbow appear, and made floods

recede. Christ could levitate and walk on the waters. Baba was levitating as a

child to the top of the rocky hill at Puttaparthi. The Divine Assurance

of Sai Christmas is a major festival at the ashram and celebrated with much

more fervour than in the West where it has become so grossly commercialised.

Baba often gives talks to small groups of Christians and points out the

excisions and interpolations in the Gospels. To those who feel a sense of

disloyalty to Jesus He has on more than one occasion manifested a figure of

Jesus above His head, thus identifying the two. There are also accounts of

people praying before a statue of Christ and seeing it transform into an image

of Sai Baba. Finally, on Christmas Day 1972 Swami was talking to a group of

Christians. He referred to a statement of Jesus which He said had been excised

from the Bible. One day Jesus said to his disciples, 'He who sent me will come

again. His name will be Truth. He will wear a red robe. He will be short, and

have a crown (of hair).' Of course this description exactly fits Sathya

Sai. When I read about this it completely fascinated me, for I had already

come to believe that Sai Baba was the great Celestial Being who had

overshadowed Jesus - the One whom Jesus referred to, and prayed to, as 'the

Father'. Well, in January 1980 I plucked up courage during a private

interview with only my wife present, and referred to Baba's statement on

Christmas Day 1972. I said, 'Swami, does this omission in the Bible mean that

it was You who sent Jesus of Nazareth into incarnation?' 'Yes,' He replied.

Then came the question which lay at the very core of my soul, 'In that case,

are you what Western Christians call

the Cosmic Christ?' 'Yes,' He said again. It is impossible to

convey in words the tone, the quiet assurance in which He affirmed these two

questions. Gently, lovingly, with total conviction, with a sort of ineffable

simplicity, and perhaps most of all, with a total lack of self-consciousness

impossible in

a human being. He looked straight into my eyes, which were no more than twelve

inches from His, and just said, 'Yes'. I only know that it was impossible not

to believe Him. - From Sathya Sai Baba Magazine - Spring 1984.

Source:http://media.radiosai.org/Journals/Vol_03/12DEC01/ With Sai love from

Sai brothers - ''

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