Devotees stories of Sathya Sai Baba

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all listened mildly and had no interest in finding out anything further about

this. He started to plan a return trip and wanted to take at least one other

person with him. He had previously given several book in Russian to his friend

"Mikhail", but Mikhail would not read them. Although the two had been friends

since they were students and Mikhail knew his friend was credible, still he had

no interest in Sai Baba. Alexander could not understand this as Mikhail was a

well educated man, a professor and well known scientist with many achievements

to his name. Alexander had resigned himself to going alone back to India, but

unexpectedly, Mikhail had called and told him he had decided to go. He had told

his wife that he might stop drinking if he went and so he got her support. He

thought he might pay for the trip by the savings from refraining from alcohol

for six months. Alexander explained to him that no one was allowed to have meat

or alcohol or tobacco in Prasanthi

Nilayam and Mikhail agreed to these conditions. But, even though he had decided

to go, Mikhail still refused to read any of the books about Sai Baba.They

arrived at the Ashram and were given a room to share with other international

visitors. On the third day Alexander gave his friend three issues of the

quarterly magazine, "Divine Love" and Mikhail started reading only those

articles where Swami himself speaks. He was transfixed by what he read and

continued reading into the night.The next day, Alexander got up to attend

darshan as usual but did not see his friend Mikhail so he saved a place for him

in the darshan lines even though the Seva Dal volunteer told him this was

usually not allowed. Finally, a half hour before darshan time, Mikhail showed

up and joined Alexander and they settled down to wait for a glimpse of Swami.

At last he appeared and slowly, gracefully floated through the crowds until he

approached to where the two Russian visitors were. As he went by

them, Sai Baba looked directly at Alexander and Mikhail and made a sign with his

hands three times. Alexander was thrilled as it is an unusual occurrence to

receive some kind of sign or attention from Swami.After Darshan, Mikhail

excitedly told his friend Alexander that last night he had had a dream in which

Swami came to him and had a long conversation with him. Mikhail was confused

because the dream had seemed completely real to him and he could see and

remember everything just as when he was awake so he didn't know whether to take

it as a dream or a real event that actually happened.Then Mikhail narrated to

his friend from memory, the following conversation from his "dream". In the

dream he found himself in the very same lecture hall in Russia where he

normally delivers lectures to his students. But instead, Swami was at the

rostrum where Mikhail usually lectures and Mikhail was sitting at a table like

one of the students. Sai: "You wanted an interview -

you will have it now. You always liked double lectures (two 45 minute periods

without a break): you will now have such a period yourself. You may ask me any

questions." Mikhail: "Not everything is clear in religions. They divide" Sai:

"Religions were written for the time when people were primitive and so they

were expounded in the language and concepts of that period. A blind belief and

miracles were required. Look at Moses who was taking Jews from Egypt showing

miracles. Each time requires its form. Temples were constructed but the real

temple must be in one's soul. You did not want to read books about me, but you

studied mathematics: first 2 X 2, then further, then physics. From the simple

to the complex, but all the knowledge is held up by the highest knowledge which

is God. Gradually one goes from intellect to spirituality; one needs intellect

to live in the world. You started reading about me for the sake of your friend.

Your friend is my channel. He brought you

here and did it selflessly. Do not worry about material things - You have a good

intellect. Just imagine that man's life in a cosmic scale lasts only one

hundredth part of a second, so what difference does it make where you live: in

a palace or in a hut?"Mikhail: Where can I find strength? Sai: "If you have

spiritual strength, then physical strength is not important. Your program was

to go swimming in the sea (this is exactly what Mikhail and Alexander had

agreed upon). Go or you will be sorry. One must do everything sincerely,

nothing should be done out of compulsion. You have a good intellect and it's

not necessary for you to stay here long. You have to decide."Mikhail: "How

shall I live now? Maybe I should become a monk or work out an algorithm for my

future actions?"Sai: "If you put bread into the mouth of a hungry man then he

will never learn to earn it himself. One can't work out algorithms for the

whole of one's future. That is why you are

given a choice in your life. I give you a trial and watch what choice you will

take. on that depends whether you pass your test or not. If there was no

choice, you would be slaves, and I don't need slaves. You should find a

spiritual path by yourself, everything depends on you. You should not expect

any gratitude for whatever you give."Mikhail: "What concrete steps should I

take to come to spirituality?"Sai: "Let us take an example of water - it is a

substance. One may pour it into a vessel; they may bring it to you in a

restaurant in a crystal glass or you may pour it into a gold goblet. But the

best of all is to go to the source, the spring, and drink it from there. The

spring is in your heart. it is forgotten; you must yourself converse with God.

What should you do? You must gradually change yourself morally for the better.

You have bad habits. Start with getting rid of them. You have already become

better; less proud. Pride is making you blind. Alcohol dries up

your brain - that is the worst. It's an obstacle to God. Smoking dries up your

body. It hinders your development." Mikhail: "What then?"Sai: "Act according to

the criteria of Truth. One can clean the puss out of the wounds like Mother

Teresa or help people, but if you are proud then everything is in vain. If you

want you may bring people the knowledge about me, but do not be a lecturer.

Nothing should be done without sincerity, one should not be lazy. Your wife is

more spiritual than you, she is more compassionate. Both of you still have an

opportunity to come to me - your life span is not finished yet."Mikhail: "I

can't understand: is it a dream or not? I am waiting with my group for an

interview."Sai: "The cleverer a man is, the less faith he has. There are no

miracles in the world, only a level of knowledge. For you to believe, tomorrow

morning at Darshan I'll make this sign by moving my hand three times like that

(and Swami showed how he would do

it). That's the end of your double time." And after the dream ended, Mikhail

attended darshan where Swami confirmed the truth of the meeting by making the

sign with his hand three times. He has repeatedly said that no one can see him

in a dream without his willing it. He chose this extraordinary way to help

Mikhail in his spiritual growth at just the right moment in his life. As always

he showers his love on all.From the March 1998 issue of Sanathani Sarathi.

Published by Sathya Sai Books and Publications Trust The spiritually

realized person will recognize the permanent that

subsumes the changing entity. Such a realization can only come when a person is

pure in thought, word and deed. Purity must express itself in loving service.

Help to the needy has been described as the highest virtue. Harming others has

been condemned as a sin. Devotees must engage themselves in acts of service,

which will sanctify their lives. Do not posit distance between you and me; do

not interpose the formalities of the guru-friend relationship, or even the

attitudinal distinctions of the God-devotee relationship, between you and me. I

am neither Guru nor God; I am you; you are I; that is the truth. There is no

distinction. That which appears so is the delusion. You are waves; I am the

ocean. Know this and be free, be divine. Vijay's Tumor Cured Miraculously

My son Vijay had been complaining of severe headaches since the beginning of

1997. The intensity and frequency increased by the summer and the headaches were

sometimes accompanied by vomiting. In August, an eye specialist was consulted

and he immediately suspected something seriously wrong and advised a C.T. scan

of the brain. After much testing the diagnosis of a brain tumor was confirmed

and the Neurosurgeon recommended surgery as soon as possible.Vijay was admitted

on August 21 with the operation scheduled for 2 days later. Nearly 40 years ago

my mother's younger sister was operated on for a benign brain tumor but she was

not cured and died within three years. This thought was uppermost in my mind and

I was not at all happy about the operation, but the diagnosis was unanimous so

there was nothing

else to be done.The morning of the operation I went into the prayer hall at the

hospital along with a portrait of Sathya Sai Baba and started praying

intensely. Although it was not logical, I prayed repeatedly that the operation

should go well but that there should be no tumor.The team of doctors came out

at 1:30 p.m. and the chief Neurosurgeon looked perplexed. He said the operation

was successful but he was surprised to see no tumor where there ought to be one

but instead he found a legion which he scraped and sent a sample off for

biopsy. I was the only believer of Sathya Sai Baba amongst my relatives. My

wife believed only in Shirdi Sai Baba. I know for sure that Baba had answered

my prayers. It must have been He who had removed the tumor, the presence of

which had been confirmed by all scan reports and doctors.Four days later the

report came back from the biopsy and it said that the sample was unsufficient

and that further investigation should be done.

Meanwhile Vijay started getting headaches again and he started pestering me to

take him to Baba at Puttaparthi which I decided to do. This was apparently

Baba's decision as well because events started going in my favor. My cousin,

Sri K. V. Krishnamurthy who was an ardent devotee of Baba and a Seva Dal

service worker, set up an appointment with a specialist, Dr Verma. My cousin

was going to Puttaparthi and so it was decided we would go with them.After an

exhausting drive we reached Puttaparthi but we had just missed the morning

darshan and so it appeared we would have to wait until 4 p.m. However a Seva

Dal worker known to my cousin suggested that I stand along with my son Vijay

(who was at that time suffering from headache) at the exit point through which

Baba might come out for going to the cricket ground which was under preparation

at that time. Within ten minutes Baba came out and as he came near the place

where we were standing, He looked up with his hand in a blessing

posture and particularly smiled at my son Vijay. I could feel the enormity and

intensity of the love in his face and that very instant my child Vijay shouted

in joy, saying "Papa, my headache is gone!" There was no physical touching for

my son. His direct eye to eye contact was all that happened and the miracle

indeed worked. Of course the real miracle had already happened at the hospital.

This was only a confirmation of that.In the evening when we went for darshan, my

son had a letter for Baba in which he had requested to cure him of his headache.

After collecting a few letters from some of the women devotees, He came straight

to where we were seated as if He knew we were there and collected my son's

letter through me. My cousins were immensely delighted, because my visit to

Puttaparthi had proved fruitful. We returned the same day to Bengalore.Two days

later when we attended the appointment with Dr Verma as arranged by my cousin he

examined Vijay thoroughly and

said these exact words: "Baba is the Greatest of all Surgeons. He has cured this

young child. The child will not have problems any more. Even if headache does

come sometimes, ignore it as a common headache."My son Vijay at that time was

only 13. He never spoke of Sathya Sai Baba before. Yet now he does not leave

for school without lighting up a stick of agarbatti incense before Baba's

portrait. Even though he had missed three months of school, he has caught up

with his studies and whenever he smiles, I can see Baba's smile through

him.What other proof is needed to show Baba loves and cares even when we do not

think of Him but do our duties with utmost devotion?From a story in April 1998

issue of Sanathani Sarathi (the Eternal Charioteer) magazine. Published by Sri

Sathya Sai Books and Publications Trust. The Lord is the Kalpatharu,

the Divine Tree that gives whatever is asked. But you have to go near the tree

and ask for what you want. Many people speak about getting a vision of God.

This is a naive desire. They do not realize that the Divine is present in

everything they see. The Vedas declared that man fails to see the Divine though

the Divine is manifest in everything he sees. The Vedas declare such a person a

complete fool. Everything in the universe is permeated by the Divine. Everyone

should seek to realize his/her divinity and recognize the divinity in all

beings. From Nuclear Physicist to Renowned Musician A brilliant

Indian student by the name of Vemu Mukunda had taken science courses at

universities in India. Then he left his motherland to conduct post graduate

research in Scotland. He took a job in England working in the field of nuclear

science. Although outwardly he seemed to have successfully established himself

in his chosen field, yet he was not happy. He had left his family, friends, and

culture behind and now found himself living in an environment where the

advancements in technology were considered the highest goal and his only social

life consisted of attending endless rounds of cocktail parties. He felt his life

was empty and without purpose and this feeling came to a crisis point when his

brother and

sister both died back in India. Furthermore the negative use of nuclear science

to build weapons of mass destruction weighed on his conscience and made him

question his choice of career. He began to sink into a state of chronic

depression which was only briefly relieved by the release he felt when he made

music on the Indian stringed Veena that he had played since childhood.It was

during that period of black despair that a series of strange incidents occurred

to bring a new influence into his life. By coincidence, a mutual friend in

London had a veena at home that was badly damaged and when he heard of Vemu's

skill with the instrument he invited him to his home to see if he might be able

to repair the instrument. Vemu went to the home along with some friends and

indeed found the instrument so badly damaged that he was completely unable to

get any pleasant sounds out of it at all. However he agreed to take the

instrument back to his home and see if he could repair

it.On the way home, the friends who had brought him wanted to stop at a house

where they knew the residents were conducting Sai Baba bhajan sessions (sacred

singing). Though Vemu had no special interest in doing so, since he was riding

with them he went along with the plan.When they arrived at the house and went

in, he saw a picture of Sathya Sai Baba on the wall and immediately had the

thought: "Oh, no not him". His parents had been followers of Shirdi Sai Baba

and they felt that Sathya Sai Baba, who claimed to be the reincarnation of

Shirdi Sai Baba, was an imposter and so Vemu had also taken on this attitude.

Shirdi Sai Baba left his body in 1918 and many of his original followers were

unwilling to believe that he had taken on the Sathya Sai form eight years later

(Sathya Sai was born in 1926) even though Shirdi Sai Baba had told his followers

just before his death that he would take birth again eight years hence.Vemu had

no interest in the bhajans and so

he sat behind the other singers and took no part in the singing. However during

a lull in the bhajans the hostess put a veena in his hands and asked him to

play something. In an abstracted mood he began to strum the instrument and

presently a tune came into his head and he began to play. The others very much

enjoyed his playing and when the song ended they asked him to play another

song. He agreed, playing the first tune that came to mind. At the end of the

second song, he suddenly realized that the two songs he had just played had

been composed by two different Indian Saints but the titles of the songs had

the same meaning in the respective languages of the composers: "No One is Equal

to You".Now Vemu looked down at the veena he had been playing and realized that

it was the badly damaged one he had been taking home to repair. But

mysteriously, every note he had played on it had been completely harmonious.

Now he tried to play it consciously and not a single harmonious note

would come out of it. He began to feel as if something miraculous had occurred

and he felt the hair on his head standing on end.He thought to himself: "Sai

Baba! What power. Is he a black magician?"After this incident Vemu began to get

invitations to play professionally. He accepted whenever it fit into his

schedule and strangely, wherever he played he would run into someone who would

talk about Sathya Sai Baba. At home his friends in London kept pressing him to

attend Sai Baba bhajan sessions. He began to feel that he was being pursued by

Sai Baba!Vemu had been schooled on the principles of science and so his

confidence was more on the field of matter than that of the spirit. He felt

that the realm of spirit was only a way by which some people escaped from harsh

reality. And yet some part of him wanted to proceed into the spiritual realm

while the other part wanted nothing to do with it. His mental torment increased

and he felt himself being torn in two

different directions. He continued to resist the spiritual impulse and yet, the

world of physics and materialism had lost its charm for him.Finally in a state

of complete desperation he sat down and addressed a letter to Sathya Sai Baba

at his residence at Prasanthi Nilayam. Although he had heard that Sai Baba does

not answer directly by writing back, it was said that he would provide the

answer in some more direct form. He poured out his heart's dilemma asking Sai

Baba if he should continue in his chosen profession of nuclear engineering,

quit and become a full time musician, or renounce the world and become a

religious devotee (Sannyasi).As he boarded a flight to Paris for a Veena

concert, he wondered how and in what form he might receive a response to his

letter but nothing unusual happened on the trip. On his return to London, he

began to feel an inexplicable urge to visit the same home where he had played

the damaged veena during the bhajan session. This was

curious to him since he didn't even want to go there the first time. He ignored

the urge for a while but finally gave in. Approaching the house, he noticed the

"Om Sai" written on the front of the house. The owner of the house, Mrs Sitabai,

greeted him at the door and told him she was very glad he had come because she

had something for him. They went to the shrine room and she handed him a

photograph telling him an unknown visitor had attended the last bhajan session

and had asked that the picture be given to Vemu as soon as possible. He looked

at the photograph and saw that it was a picture of Sathya Sai Baba playing the

veena!He was immediately overcome with emotion and surrendered to Sai Baba by

prostrating before the large photo of him on the wall. Tears of emotion ran

down his cheeks. He knew now that he had his answer. He soon quit his job and

became a full time musician. His reputation as a skilled veena musician spread

and he began to get calls from all over Europe,

including as far away as Russia. He felt that somehow his sudden success was due

in part to the guiding hand of Sathya Sai Baba and he began to feel that he

wanted to return to India and visit him. At about this time his mother and

father were also asking him to return to India to see them and so he began to

think seriously about making the trip home. But at the back of his mind was a

fear that all the events were just coincidences and the result of his own

imagination and that Sai Baba might refuse to see him. It would be a great

disappointment to him if Sai Baba ignored him.He decided to write to a friend

and have him ask if he should come to visit Sai Baba. Soon afterwards he had a

vivid dream in which Sai Baba came to him and rubbed his sacred ash (vibhutti)

on his left shoulder beneath his shirt and said to him: "Come to India". When

he awoke the dream seemed very real but he still felt that it might have been

created out of his wish to go to India to see the great

teacher. After several days of struggle he made up his mind to go so he canceled

all his performance reservations and took a plane to India.When he arrived at

Swami's (i.e. Sai Baba's) residence he took his place on the grounds at the end

of a line of men. One of the devotees told him that he had arrived just in time

for Darshan, in which Sai Baba circulates among his devotees giving sight of a

holy person. Vemu sat quietly enjoying the feeling of peace that emanated from

the place and waited patiently. Soon there was a stir at the other end of the

lines and he caught sight of the orange colored robe of Sai Baba as he

circulated slowly, gracefully among the devotees, stopping briefly to talk to

some, to create vibhutti for some lucky ones, or to take letters from others.

As Sai Baba got closer, Vemu felt his excitement and anxiety increase. As he

saw the robe and delicate feet approach him he could not bear to look directly

into his face, encircled with a halo of hair and so

he cast his glance downward onto the ground. His heart was in his mouth and his

body became rigid as he noticed the feet approach ever closer. Vemu had written

a letter to give to Sai Baba but he had completely lost his wits and did not

even think to hand it to him. He felt Baba take the letter from his hand and

then he raised him up and he heard him say in a quiet voice: "Go inside and

wait".Vemu went inside and when at last he faced Sai Baba alone in the

interview room, Sai Baba created vibhutti for him and rubbed it on his left

shoulder under his shirt just as he had done in the dream. Then Sai Baba began

to discuss the obstacles in his life showing complete familiarity with his

career struggle, his desire to play the veena, his depression, and other

details of his daily life. As the talk ended, Baba circled his hand and

produced out of air a five faced rudraksha bead in a gold setting at the end of

a gold chain. He gave it to Vemu to wear constantly and told him that he

would have great success both in his new career and in his spiritual progress.

He then invited Vemu to play the veena at a musical concert to be held at the

Sathya Sai College in Brindavan.When the time of the concert came, Vemu brought

along his eighty year old father who had been a close devotee of Shirdi Sai

Baba. His father told the son he would just sit outside on the outer grounds

and wait. But when Sai Baba learned the father was present he immediately

called him inside and in Vemu's words: "For a whole hour Swami talked to my

father like a loving mother to her child. After that my father was a changed

man." Now the entire family, Vemu's father, mother, brother and all the other

members of the family are followers of Sathya Sai Baba.From a story that

appears in its original form in Sai Baba, Avatar by Howard Murphet. Birth Day

Publishing. San Diego, CA. This book contains a whole collection of devotee's

stories as well as the personal experiences of the

author with Sai Baba. A mother may forget her child, but God will

never forget you. He is closer to you than any mother. Never forget God. The

main mission of God is to develop the principle of love in mankind. Only when

we get intoxicated and forget ourselves drinking the nectar of Divine love, can

we find the path to liberation. Fill the brain with high thoughts, highest

ideals; place them day and night before you, and out of that will come great

work.

Dr. Bronkey's Mysterious Phone Call A woman by the name of Wilma

Bronkey had opened her home, "Enchanted Acres", to people with disabilities

ranging from children to the very old. Through the years of her personal

welfare work she had taken in a total of 280 foster children. One day out of

the blue, she received a very strange phone call. The caller said to her: "Dr

Bronkey, would you please send as soon as possible, the $200 deposit on your

fare to India? Arrangements must be finalized for all those going in Indra

Devi's party to see Sai Baba." She tried to tell to tell the person on the

other end of the line that she had no plans to

go to India and didn't even know of a person known as Sai Baba, but the line had

gone dead. She thought it very curious that the person had referred to her as Dr

Bronkey since she had no doctorate degreeHowever she had heard of Indra Devi, a

well known yoga teacher, and decided to find out something about Sai Baba. She

got her hands on the book "Man of Miracles" and found herself wanting to go see

Sai Baba in person. But she felt this was an unworkable idea because of her many

responsibilities.Soon, a strange coincidence made her begin to think more about

the trip. She was awarded an honorary doctorate degree. But she still felt she

couldn't make the trip and decided there would have to be some unmistakable

sign before she would seriously consider going. Dr. Bronkey (we will call her

Wilma) liked to wear rings and was in the habit of wearing many rings but her

special favorite was an ordinary and inexpensive ring with a badly scratched

blue glass stone given

to her by some of her foster children. One day she went out with the rings in

her purse and was going to put them on later. She went to see a film on the

care of handicapped people but after the film started, she realized she had

seen it before and her thoughts began to wander. She took the rings out of her

purse and started to put them on. But she couldn't find the blue glass ring

which she specially valued. She anxiously started reviewing in her mind all the

places she had been to earlier where she might have lost the ring when out of

the corner of her eye, she saw a strange stream of colored sparks emanating

from her handbag. She felt a vague wind blowing in the theater and heard a

voice say to her: "You asked for a sign."She picked up her handbag and felt

inside and there was the missing ring but the metal was very hot to the touch.

She quickly picked up the ring and even in the dark light of the theater the

stone was sparkling so that her companion said: "Wow, where did

you get that?"Wilma and her companion went to the lobby of the theater to

examine the ring in the light. It was the same familiar ring but now it had a

sparkling light blue stone set in it. They were highly excited by the strange

series of events and so they left the theater and started for home. They

decided to stop at a jewelers on the way home to identify the stone. The

jeweler greatly admired the stone and informed them it was a very high quality

aquamarine and was probably worth about $1000. They were excited but mystified

by this so they decided to take it to get a second opinion from another

jeweler. As Wilma handed the ring to the second jeweler she had the impression

that the shade of color in the ring had changed slightly from what it was

before. The jeweler took the ring and pronounced it to be a sapphire worth

between $1000 and $1500 dollars. Back in the car, Wilma told her friend she was

starting to believe in fairies but by then they had guessed

that Sai Baba must somehow be behind all the strange happenings. By this point

they wondered whether he might once again change the stone for yet another

jeweler so they stopped at a third jeweler so see what would happen. Not even

looking at the stone, Wilma handed it to the jeweler and requested an

appraisal. The jeweler told her it was worth about $1500. Then they asked what

type of stone it was he said that it was a diamond and a very nicely cut one at

that.By the time they reached "Enchanted Acres", the ring had turned back to the

light blue aquamarine color and it subsequently remained that color. Now Wilma

was absolutely convinced that Sai Baba was giving her a sign that he wanted her

to visit; but there remained a few obstacles in the way of the trip.

Unexpectedly her son and his wife offered to take care of the patients if she

made the trip. But Wilma was still lacking the money to purchase plane fare.

This was soon solved when two friends she had once healed called

to see her. They had suddenly felt that she might be in need of money and

offered to loan her $2000 dollars which she could pay back any time with no

interest. She found that this was just the amount needed to make the trip so

she purchased the tickets and joined Indra Devi's entourage bound for India.

Soon they were at Prasanthi Nilayam sitting on the sandy grounds waiting for

Sai Baba to appear. She saw him among the crowds and found herself entranced

with his movements, watching as he seemed to float gracefully around the

circle. Soon he came near her and then stood right in front of her with a smile

on his face and a twinkle in his eye and asked in a soft voice: "How did you

like the ring?"She has since been an ardent follower and has returned several

times with groups of sick people to ask his blessings for them. During a visit

in 1978, Sai Baba asked her to expand her humanitarian work and to establish a

convalescent center for patients who had been cured of

cancer.Dr. Bronkey had been carrying on her humanitarian welfare work for years

before she was called in such a mysterious manner. The strange events leading

up to her meeting with Sathya Sai Baba were the highlight of her life and now

she continues her expanded works with the inspiration she draws knowing that

the love and blessings of Sai Baba are behind her.Adapted from a story that

originally appeared in Walking the Path with Sai Baba by Howard Murphet.

Published by Samuel Weiser, Inc. If you wish to blossom forth as

your true Self, your Higher Divine Nature,

you must spend the life given you serving humanity with great humility and no

concern for selfish gain. God is not involved with either rewards or

punishments. He only reflects, resounds, and reacts! He is the eternal

unaffected witness! You decide your own fate. Do good, be good, and you get

good in return. Be bad, do bad deeds, you reap bad results. Do not thank or

blame God. Thank yourself. Blame yourself. Della Meridith Gets a Ticket to

India In May of 1972, Della Meridith was in a deep quandary. Her close

friends who had been Sai Devotees for some time were planning a return trip to

see Sai Baba. In her heart she felt a desperate longing to join them but was

unable to do so because of lack of money for the plane fare.That night she sat

meditating and she prayed with great sincerity: "Dear Baba, all the money,

everything in the universe, is Yours. Your are the master of all. If it be your

Divine Will, please make a way where there seems to be none." Suddenly she had a

vision that Baba was standing beside her. He raised his hand and poured silver

dollars into her lap from a horn of plenty. When she returned to normal

consciousness he was gone. She could not control her joyful weeping at the

vision of love and mercy she had just experienced.That night as she was

drifting off into sleep, a bright light suddenly filled the room. There a few

feet away stood Sathya Sai Baba with outstretched arms trying to hand her a

small slip of paper. She was spell bound by the vision and did not even try to

bend forward to take the piece of paper. Sai Baba smiled

at her and then was gone.The next morning a close friend called and told her:

"Della, Baba appeared to me last night, and told me to make arrangements for

you to go to India." It was then that she realized that the slip of paper he

was trying to hand her the night before had been an airline ticket.On May 27

Della received a letter in the mail with the ticket and the instructions to

meet her friends in New York for departure to India. Two weeks later they

arrived in India and proceeded to Bengalore. There they happened to meet an

Indian woman who was going to Puttaparthi to see Sai Baba so they all shared a

taxi and soon arrived at Sai Baba's residence.The next morning they were eager

to join the lines of devotees waiting for darshan. When Della was about to sit

on the ground to wait, she seemed to lose control of her legs. Her knees would

not bend. Her friends finally were able to get her seated. Again she cried out

inwardly to Baba for help not wanting to

think that she was being a burden to her friends. For a while she sat with eyes

closed aware of the pain in her legs. Suddenly she felt a cool breeze

surrounding her. She opened her eyes to see Sai Baba smiling warmly at her.

With a wave of his hand he materialized Vibhutti into her hand. She sat there

motionless with tears flowing down her face, holding the precious gift, trying

hard to control her joyful tears. Then he came back and with a look of infinite

tenderness indicated the vibhutti in her hand and told her: "Eat - for your

health". As she ate the vibhutti she felt her body filling with renewed energy.

It was a divine healing of love and mercy.On the last day of their stay they got

their greatest blessing of all. Sai Baba invited them to spend the rest of the

day with him and some Indian devotees. they were served a lunch and then each

of them was given a private interview. In her interview with him, Della

Meredith cannot forget his parting words to her, "Do what

your heart tells you to do, and remember, I am always in your heart wherever you

are, whatever you do."Since then she has always felt Sai Baba was there guiding

her life with love, and teaching her as she travels the return path.From Sai

Ram, Experiencing the Love and Teachings of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba by

Faith and Charles Penn. Published by Sri Sathya Sai Books and Publications

Trust. God is in your heart. Wherever you go and whatever you do, it

is known to God even if you think none has noticed it. People start worrying

about petty temporary things which are

like passing clouds and sometimes falter in faith and devotion. This is not

correct. You should never give up devotion. Your good work will beget God's

grace without fail. Sin or merit comes only from your own deeds, not from

outside. The unity of mankind will come when man becomes awakened and when he

allows love to flow from his heart all the time. Then he will recognize the same

love in others and see them as they really are, part of himself, part of God,

divine. Saved from an Awkward Situation Sometimes, the Lord comes to

our rescue when we pray incessantly and with devotion. It

also happens that Bhagavan Baba acts as a Saviour in times of deep trouble,

which we may not even be aware of. In this context, I would like to narrate an

incident about a lady who was saved by Bhagavan. The lady was traveling with a

son aged three years and a daughter aged eight, in the Coromandel Express from

Calcutta to Madras. It was in the month of May, 1980. The train stopped at

Vijayawada station en route to Madras. The son pestered his mother for

something to drink since he was thirsty and it was hot. The mother took the

child and went to buy some tender coconuts and some magazines to read during

the journey. The daughter waited in the train compartment for her mother and

brother. The lady was holding a handbag in her hand. Just as she came out of

the coconut vendor's shop, the train started moving, and the lady, who was now

carrying the child in one arm and with a couple of magazines in the other,

managed to get into a compartment. In the confusion that occurred,

the lady forgot to retrieve her handbag from the shop. As she was searching her

compartment, she suddenly heard a loud clap. The Coromandel Express is one of

the fastest trains in the country even today; and it gains speed within minutes

after its departure, sometimes even before leaving the platform of the station,

as in this case. The clap was heard from the other side of the train, the side

where there are no platforms, only railway tracks. The moving train had still

not left the station. The lady turned to see a fair hand holding her handbag.

She rushed forward to receive it. She was so excited that she forgot to thank

the person holding the bag. When she reached her seat, still in a state of

excitement,it suddenly dawned on her that the clap was heard from the side of

the railway station where there was no platform. When she received her handbag,

the train had been in motion. In a flash she realized that Bhagavan had come to

save her and her children. The handbag contained

their tickets apart from money and other belongings. The ticket examiner was in

the bay adjacent to the one in which the lady was traveling. Thus, Bhagavan had

saved the lady and her children from the unnecessary trouble and embarrassment.

The lady traveling in the train is my mother and I was the three year old

child. From Trayee Saptamayee, the 70th birthday commemorative volume. Story by

S.V. Raman. If a man is to enjoy enduring happiness, he must discover

the source of such happiness. That source is love. There is nothing greater than

love in this world. Everything has a price.

The price to be paid for enduring happiness is Divine Love. Without Love, no

object can give you real happiness. Hold all your property and wealth in

trust for the Lord who gave them to you. Even you and your family, you must

treat as a sacred trust, as persons given to you by the Lord to love, foster

and guide. Thus you must elevate your attachment into worship and make it an

instrument of spiritual progress. Deer Released From Its "Cage" In

1976, a small number of deer were brought from the Madhumalai forest to

Brindavan, and the grounds were cordoned off for the deer cage. Everyday,

Bhagavan Baba would feed the deer with apples. A small cage inside also had a

few partridges and parrots. Some students were blessed with the opportunity of

maintaining the cages. One day, as Bhagavan was coming towards us after feeding

the deer, looking at our faces pressed against the mesh, with a twinkle in His

eye He indicated the students and told an elderly devotee, "These are two

legged 'dear'. Those are My four legged deer. All are dear to me." We were

thrilled by His statement.Years later, it was a hot summer day in 1988. The

time was around 2:30 p.m. In the place of the old bungalow, now stood the new

Trayee Brindavan. A few boys observed a strange spectacle. A female deer was

looking longingly up at the window of the rooms on the first floor, where

Bhagavan lived. There is only one language - the language of the heart. What

prayers the deer (which was among the first deer to come to Brindavan)

addressed to the Lord, we shall never know. But the response was swift.

The doors of Trayee opened, and Sai Baba walked quickly down the marble steps,

across the hot marble floor, instructing the students to get some apples. He

entered the cage and patted the deer affectionately. As the fruits were brought

on a tray, Bhagavan Baba fed the deer with His own hands. The deer ate the apple

pieces quickly. Bhagavan finished feeding it, and after patting it lovingly, He

left. After a few minutes the deer collapsed. Its hour had come. The Lord had

entered the cage to release the soul encaged as a deer. Had he not said, "All

are dear to me." Come just one

step towards Me, and I shall take a hundred toward you. Shed just one tear, and

I shall wipe a hundred from your eyes. God is love, you are God, and you

should awaken to that truth. See the light, live in light, and let love blossom

in your hearts so that it lights up the world and cleanses it of the evil and

the ignorance of the present age. God is man and man is God. All of us

have something of God, the divine spark, within us. All men are divine like

myself, but with the spirit embodied in human flesh and bone. The only

difference is that they are unaware of this Godhood. They have come into this

karmic prison through the mistakes of many lives. I have taken this mortal form

out of my own free will.

They are bound to the body, while I am free of this bondage. The main difference

is that they are shoved hither and thither by desire but I have no desire except

the supreme one to make them desireless. Courtesy:http://www.cosmicharmony.com/

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