9. SATHYA SAI BABA

I stretched towards Baba with my letter as he stretches forward to take it.....April '97, Kodaikanal.



Guru Brahma, Guru Vishnu
Guru Devo Maheshwara
Guru Saakshaat Param Brahma
Tasmi Shri Guruve Namah
Om Shanti Shanti Shanti

 I've always known Baba exists. As a young schoolgirl in Malaysia, a classmate had shown me a ring which she said came from a guru in South India. She invited me to peek into it and I saw him in yellow robes. I was intrigued when she said his robes are a different colour on some days and I asked that she lets me peek when it next changes colour.
I never thought much about it after that and the episode was consigned to some corner of my mind.

Throughout my adult years and having moved to Singapore, every year, I'm reminded of his existence when his devotees celebrate his birthday with a small announcement in the papers in the obscure back pages, but somehow, it always catches my eye. When I was 'led' to him years later in 1997, as related in post 2 - Journey to Self-Realisation, it seemed so natural, like I've known him my whole life.

Baba is not for everybody and like all Masters, dogged by controversy. I shall only relate my experiences with him.

A week after my return from the 1st visit, I mailed him a letter with some questions. Several days later while attending bhajans at a Sai Center, a chap I know placed a blank envelope into my hands, saying he has a message for me from Baba. Once again, I found myself stunned into silence. I told no one I had written to Baba.
 
The message was one of Baba's many discourses, in this case, meant for women, and it answered the questions I had posed him. My friend said he had thought of me and pulled out this particular discourse from among the many he had and zapped a copy for me.
The next time Baba made his presence felt was at another bhajan session. That entire day, for some inexplicable reason, I felt depressed, my heart and mind heavy with the thought and feeling that Baba has left me ..... yet knowing he'll do no such thing.
At the end of each singing session, somebody would read out a random message of Baba's. That evening, it said, 'I will never leave you, you may leave me, you may doubt me, but I will not leave you.'

Just before I left on my 7th trip to India in Jan '05, after bhajans, I knelt before his picture to ask for blessings and guidance. From the garland of white jasmine flowers draped around his picture, a little white petal drifted gently on to the tabletop....and I knew all will be well with me and my family during my absence.

Despite his presence so keenly felt in my life over the last several years, I'm not a Baba fanatic. I do not attend bhajans every week and have nothing to do with the center's activities unless its pertaining to service. 

Baba asks that we do our own sadhana and there's no need to go see him in India. I derive strength and courage from my special experiences with him. He has given me his word he will never leave me and that's good enough for me.


BEFORE YOU SPEAK, ASK YOURSELF - IS IT KIND, IS IT NECESSARY, IS IT TRUE, DOES IT IMPROVE ON THE SILENCE?  BABA