Sathya Sai Baba - A clear view: Part 7

Devi Amma

The second great devotee is a woman named Devi Amma, who lives near Baba’s ashram in Whitefield. She is radiant with saintly Love, and my intuition is that she is a fully-Realized Saint of the highest order. Devi Amma speaks fluent English, and tells delightful stories, often bubbling over with laughter. She humbly says that on the inner plane she often finds herself in a group of Spiritual Masters gathered around Sai Baba, saying it has been given her to keep one foot in that realm, and the other in our realm! She speaks with great familiarity about the various forms of God, and the ancient Sages and celestial beings, for it seems they visit her on a regular basis. “There are many levels of angels,” she said to one questioner. “They look very beautiful, so beautiful! When they reach the highest level of angel, they become almost as beautiful as Lord Jesus.”

Devi Amma’s life story is amazing. When she was 15, her uncle died unexpectedly, and the tragedy led her into deep introspection on the meaning of life. In the spontaneous meditations that followed, she began hearing the sound “OM”, and soon after this, a blazing sun of spiritual light appeared in her room. From within that effulgence gradually emerged the form of a divine man with a radiant aura, who introduced himself as the ancient Sage Agastya, the first of the great Rishis. (She says, with all humor and humility, that in a previous incarnation she was Agastya’s daughter.) Agastya declared that he was her Guru, and began appearing before her on a daily basis, instructing her in meditation and the secrets of spirituality, and by the age of 20 she had attained Enlightenment. One night, Sathya Sai Baba unexpectedly appeared in her room, His form repeatedly changing into the form of Lord Subramaniam (her family’s chosen Deity) and then back into the form of Sai Baba, thus revealing His oneness with God. Some years later, when she finally saw Sai Baba in person, she had the same experience: “Sai Baba - Subramaniam! Sai Baba - Subramaniam!” She says that while Agastya is her Guru, Sai Baba is the Poornavatar, and is now working through her to bless and uplift humanity.

Little Heart

The third great devotee is an Australian woman who calls herself “Little Heart.” She says she attained union with Baba through the path of Love, and now sees God everywhere, and is always aware of her true Being as all-pervading Consciousness. She lives near Baba’s Brindavan ashram, writes beautiful books, and gives sage advice, so to speak, to those with questions.

I recently had an interview with her, in which she said, among other things, "A Poornavatar like Baba doesn't exactly come along at every tick of the clock!" (We are indeed fortunate to be alive at this time, and be aware of His presence on the Earth!)

Having lived a very full life in the world before coming to Baba, including two marriages and two divorces, Little Heart is in an unusually good position to know the struggles Westerners go through in making the transition to a life of spirituality. I always find it encouraging to meet a Self-Realized Westerner. (Yes, it is possible...!)

Sai Lakshmi Ma

Then there is Sai Lakshmi Ma, who says that in 1980 Baba came into Her body and has never left. In the several hours I spent in her presence, I witnessed a steady stream of delightful miracles. As soon as she placed a garland on the altar, amrit began trickling from a large photo of Baba. Then she held her palm towards Baba’s photo, and it was instantly filled with amrit, which was passed out to all. I had brought her a bag full of grapes and laid it in front of her altar; five minutes later she opened the bag, and showed me that a number of the grapes were now half-eaten, a sign that Baba had received the offering directly! She held up to Baba’s photo some bananas which my friend had brought, and after ten seconds, showed us that each banana now had clear teeth marks in the skin! Another friend of mine put three laddus (sweets) on the altar in a bag. A few minutes later Sai Lakshmi Ma indicated he should open the bag - and one of the laddus had a large bite taken out of it! (The specially blessed food was passed out to all.) Necklaces handed to her for blessings were returned a minute later, smelling of rose perfume or dripping with amrit. Empty containers passed to her would be returned miraculously filled with vibhuti or kumkum. When questions were asked, her responses seemed to indicate that she was hearing Baba’s answer directly and then passing it on. I was told that many people have received healings through her prayers to Baba.

Although it wasn’t clear whether or not she is fully Self-Realized, the miracles were definitely genuine. At the very least, she is a great servant of God, and an extraordinary channel for Sai Baba’s blessings.

Vasantha Sai, Vijai Shankar & Others

I’ve also read about an elderly woman in Madurai named Vasantha Sai, who has attained God-Realization through her intense devotion to Baba, whom she considers to be “the reincarnation of Sri Krishna.” She says that Baba has told her internally that she is the reincarnation of Radha, the childhood consort of Lord Krishna; this identity has been confirmed by several ‘palm-leaf prophecies.’ She is now giving subtle help to many seekers. (My psychic friend Mary visited her and reported that she is truly a Saint, and does indeed have an Enlightened aura.)

I’ve also heard reports about a man named Vijai Shankar, based in Houston, who realized the Self through Baba’s grace, and is now traveling the world teaching advaitha (the philosophy of non-duality) and Atmic abidance.

In addition, I've heard that among Baba’s devotees today is the reincarnation of Saint Francis, the reincarnation of Mira Bai, the reincarnation of Sarada Devi, the reincarnation of Swami Vivekananda, and the reincarnation of Paramahansa Yogananda! (Hey, could be...)

It’s always inspiring to have the darshan of those who have reached life’s goal by following my own chosen guide. Jai Sai Ram!

Baba’s Charitable Works

In addition to His ashrams, Sai Baba runs a vast network of charitable organizations, including two of the finest hospitals in India, where all services, including open heart surgery, are provided free of charge to all. The hospitals’ success rate is phenomenal. Someone asked Baba, “Why do You build hospitals when you can cure anyone with Your miraculous powers?” He replied, “Yes, I can cure any disease instantly. But for that the person must have total faith in me. Most people in this age have more faith in doctors and operations than they have in God. So I give them what they have faith in. But it is My hand that does the operations!” (Hence the success rate!)

Baba's 'Super Specialty Hospital' in Puttaparthi

In addition, Baba has created a vast water supply system for a draught-stricken area in South India, and also founded an extremely high-quality, comprehensive educational system, from kindergarten to post-graduate levels, with all tuition provided at no cost. Each year the Sai Schools turn out the finest graduates in India, young men and women not only established in academic excellence, but rooted in self-discipline, integrity and spiritual wisdom.

There are also Sri Sathya Sai schools operating in a number of other countries, and over five hundred schools around the globe utilizing Baba’s “Education in Human Values” curriculum. A Sathya Sai School in Zambia has been dubbed “the Miracle School” by the Zambian press, because it accepts only students who have flunked out or been expelled by other schools, and yet consistently turns them into the best students in the nation. How is it done? The students do long periods of interfaith devotional singing each day, receive a steady dose of Baba’s ‘human values’ curriculum, and are disciplined only with Love. (I'd bet they're also receiving huge doses of Baba's Grace, wouldn't you?)

Baba has recently constructed a beautiful College of Music near the Prashanti Nilayam ashram. (Does anyone else hear harp music?)

Ocean of Consciousness

Whenever I meditate deeply on Baba, I invariably find myself uplifted into infinitely expansive blissful Love; and daily, in His presence, there is a palpable deepening into the awesome silence of the Self. Even on rough days - when I've cut my neck shaving and I've got diarrhea again and I've splattered mud on my new white pants and the rickshaw driver's hit the speed bump at 30 kilometres-per-hour making my head bang on the rickshaw roof and I've cursed loudly just before arriving at the ashram - even then, there's always a dose of bliss and peace from my Baba's darshan. I never cease to be amazed - what a Master He is!

Those of us who have experienced Baba’s Love and omniscient guidance, and seen the profound transformations brought about in our lives by His grace, can only bow in gratitude, and do our best to love Him and serve Him and worship Him within all. For Sai Baba is not a man; for me, He fully embodies the all-pervading God of Love (with a great sense of humor) who awakened me many years ago. I believe it can even be misleading to call Him "an incarnation of God" - for He is not that afro-crowned body in the orange robe giving darshan, the Guru who took birth in Puttaparthy. No. He is the all-pervading Ocean of Consciousness, the Substratum and Creator of all universes! That ochre-clad body we see before us is but a wave on the shoreless, all-encompassing Sea of Satchidananda, who Sai Baba is.

In His words:

“I am neither Guru nor God.

I am You; You are I; that is the truth.

There is no distinction.

The appearance of differences is the delusion.

You are waves; I am the ocean.

Know this and be free, be Divine.”


His true form (and ours) is indeed all-embracing, and yet transcends all manifestation. As a full embodiment of that limitless Paramatma, Sai Baba is Holiness itself, and His every word and action are nothing less than Divine Love in motion, healing Grace flowing effortlessly into our parched and thirsty world.

To that supreme Being, I bow.

Love Walking On Two Feet

A scientist named Dr. Baranowski, Professor of Physics at the University of Arizona and a specialist in Kirlian photography, once came to see Sai Baba. (Kirlian photography, or ‘biomagnetic field radiation photography’, is done with a special camera which photographs the energy bands around living beings; different colors in the biomagnetic field correspond to different emotional qualities. To quote Baranowski, “When a person is full of love the aura around him is blue and when the love is pronounced, it becomes pink.”) Baranowski had scientifically trained himself to see auras, and with this trained vision was investigating the various holy men of India. Some years ago he gave a talk at the Prashanti Nilayam ashram on his experiences with Sai Baba. Some excerpts:

“I have met over a hundred holy men in India. Too many of these holy men are involved in their own personal egos. Their auras show mostly concern for themselves and their institutions. So [their auras] are only a foot broad or perhaps two feet.

“I am not a devotee. I have come here as a scientist, to see this man Sai Baba. I saw him on Sunday, on the balcony giving darshan to the devotees singing below. The aura Baba projected was not that of a man. The white was more than twice the size of any man’s, the blue was practically limitless, and there were gold and silver bands beyond even those, far behind this building right up to the horizon. There is no scientific explanation for this phenomenon.

“His aura is so strong that it is affecting me standing by the chair on which He is sitting. I can feel the effect and I’ve to wipe my arm, off and on, as you must have noticed. It is very difficult for me to admit. I am a scientist. I have given over six thousand lectures in all parts of the world but for the first time, believe me, my knees are shaking. The aura that emanates from Baba shows His Love for you. . . . If ever I can use the phrase that I have seen ‘love walking on two feet,’ it is here.”

At this point Dr. Baranowski concluded his talk, and Sai Baba then delivered a discourse. When Baba had finished, Baranowski asked for permission to address the audience again.

“I have been watching Baba, while He was addressing you. The pink aura that was manifesting was so vast and strong that it went even beyond the hall behind this chair. It filled this big hall, embracing all of you gathered here. . . I have watched Him for a week now, as He walked among you, morning and evening. I have seen His aura, pink in colour, go into the person He is talking to, or touching and returning to Him. . . His energy seems to be endless. . . In my estimation, He is exactly what He appears to be - LOVE. That is what He is.”27

Who is Sai Baba? In His own words, “Sai Baba is Love, Love, Love!” He is the Creator of all universes, the Author, Producer and Director of the universal play... and He is the supreme Reality beyond even the word ‘God’, beyond any duality - prior to any creation, prior to time. He is the changeless eternal peace of Brahman.

And He is you. He’s reading these words through your eyes right now.

And when you look at His photo, He’s looking right back at you, seeing your entire heart, mind and soul, loving You with all the Love of God, and sending a ray of Divine Light to help you on your journey to Self-Realization.

May His grace descend upon you now, like a million goose-down feathers in the snow.

I close with a poem , written by Baba to us all:

CHILDREN OF IMMORTALITY

Children of Immortality!

Remember that you are created

In my image and likeness.

Perfect!

Live up to this image, in every way, in all planes.

Live like Masters!

Walk this earth with your heads held high,

Your spirits soaring...

Your hearts open to Love...

And believe in yourself and God within you.

Then all will go well.

Earth is but a manifestation of My Being.

Made out of My Life!

Wherever you look, I am there.

Wherever you walk, I am there.

Whomsoever you contact, I am that person.

I am in each, in all My Splendour.

See Me everywhere,

Talk to Me and love Me,

Who am in each.

Then from each, I will respond

And bring you into Glory.

You cannot see Me in one place and not in another,

For I fill all space.

You cannot escape Me

Or do anything in secret,

For there are no secrets with Me.

Live... Live... Live... in perfect accordance

With My laws, and wonders will ensue.

Think now. Does error clog the free flowing

Essence of My Being through you?

Ask Me this moment to reveal to you your errors

In the silence of your meditation.

Let old memories well up in you,

From My subconscious in you...

Old patterns...

Old forgotten feelings and thoughts.

Now plunge them into the Ocean of Light,

Burn them from the consciousness

So that you may be true emblems of My Being.

Right now,

Visualize My burning flame

Rising higher and higher

As it burns through you.

It is a flame that is cooling,

Cleansing and healing,

That soothes the hidden sorrow...

And leaves you calmed and quiet.

Rest in my Love.

Let all that you have been through

In your many lives up to this day,

Melt away in My redeeming Light.

Children of My Being!

Dissolve your sorrows and fears in Me.

Let me efface

All your karma.

Come back into My Consciousness, which is

Your own true Consciousness.

Let your petty human self fade away, right now,

As you come to Me, who am your Inner Self.

You are now My radiant glorious Self...

No longer separate from Me.

Melt with Me... Merge with Me...!

Become Me!28


   Sathya Sai Baba