VIBHUTI

[Guest guest]

able to remain humble and reticent in the face of such favours from the Unseen.

talking about them, writing about them, only adds fuel to the fires of their

self-importance. Some people, I understand, have so far fallen from grace that

they have charged a fee for the public to go in and see the vibhuti show. So

Baba tends to minimize the importance of these, implying that such events are

private-only for the few who will gain in faith and strive to live purer lives

through exposure to this symbol of Divine Power. Nevertheless, there are

recipients who seem to want as many as possible to share in the joy of their

wonderful experience in all humility. One morning in a coffee bar, in the

bazaar outside the wall, I met a young Indian who offered to take me to a house

wherevibhuti was appearing in large quantities. It proved to be a humble

dwelling behind some shops.

When we arrived, the only people present were: the owner of the house-a modest,

shy woman, her brother who was there on a short vacation, and an Indian lady

doctor. i learned that all three were Sai devotees, and I was told later that

the owner is a devoutly religious woman who has reached a high degree of

self-surrender to the Lord Sai baba. she spoke no English, so her brother and

the lady doctor related the facts to me. A few day's earlier vibhuti had begun

forming copiously on Baba's photos and other sacred pictures in the room where

we were now sitting. From some of the pictures came also a colourless liquid

which they called 'honey'. The quantities of both substances were so great that

they fell off the pictures into containers placed underneath. As I watched, the

pictures were still exuding both vibhuti and 'honey'. I was given the samples

of each. The so-called 'honey' was thinner than the

ordinary honey. It had the consistency, but not quite the heavenly flavour, of

the amrita that Swami sometimes produces in containers from the sands. Word of

the phenomenon had spread rapidly in the village, and crowds gathered-up to

three hundred at a time, the brother told me. They packed the yard, verandah

and small rooms to suffocation point. Many were given holy ash and 'honey' to

take away. But on the evening following the first day of crowds, Swami appeared

to the saintly house-owner in a vision, and told her he did not want her

bothered by all these people; she must deny them entrance to the house and

grounds. This she did. I, myself, was graciously permitted to come in to view

the phenomenon because they knew my name as author of 'Sai Baba: Man of

Miracles'. So I was made an exception, but no other visitors were present."

(Sharing with Sai

Love) Ram ( Ram ChuganiKobe, Japanrgcjp

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