Spiritual Yoga (Vedanta)

As a scientifically oriented man a former securities analyst and principal of my own stockbrokerage firm how do I explain what may be the most remarkable phenomenon of the 20th century? I am referring to Sathya Sai Baba, the spiritual leader of more than 30 million East Indians (and countless other non Indians around the world).
As a rational, no nonsense observer, my first conclusion would have to be "charade," for there are absolutely no physical laws to describe what I have experienced first hand with this remarkable being. The rational part of me wants to believe that it must be nothing more than a magic show of wondrous proportions. Is he a benign magician or truly an Avatar, as the Indian masses believe?

I am a person for whom miracles do not happen and are not acknowledged easily. I am, as you might tell, skeptical by nature. Yet today I wear a ring on my finger that I personally witnessed being somehow manifested from Sai Baba's hand while in a personal interview with him in 1981. The ring is real and I know at least a dozen other people who have other jewelry or "trinkets" which have come from Sai Baba in similar interviews.

Then there's the vibhuti the sacred healing ash which Sai Baba often manifests ... sometimes by the pounds. And he has repeatedly done this in front of huge audiences. In fact, he has manifested this same, fragrant powder for me in another interview in early 1983.

It would be easy to write Sai Baba off as no more than an accomplished magician, something several cuts above the late Harry Houdini. But in true holy man tradition, Sai Baba will accept nothing tangible for his efforts; he appears to do nothing except give. And unlike stories of many so called gurus of Indian origin who have become known to Americans, there is no hint of scandal (at least, to the best of my knowledge) associated with Sai Baba. These are to his credit. To his detriment is ... nothing that I know of.

And this is an area where the reasonable part of me also rebels: no human being that I have known in my 45 years is so decidedly off balanced to the good. My suspicions are automatically aroused in the presence of such goodness (though perhaps this only reveals my own shortcomings). But in my 10 plus years of investigating Sai Baba, my findings have only confirmed his reputation.

I was first "introduced" to this Indian holy man in 1974 by a man of impeccable credentials. He was a physics professor from M.I.T. (whose name, unfortunately, I no longer remember). And it may, again, be to my discredit, but I probably would have completely discounted the stories he related ... except for the authority of his position. For the stories he was relaying to a large assembled group were truly beyond belief.

In fact, this physics professor had either first hand experiences or quite reliable reports of Sai Baba having accomplished all of the most awesome achievements that the Bible attributes to Jesus (e.g., feeding the masses, healing the sick and even restoring life to the dead in Sai Baba's case, he revived one Walter Cowan, an elderly Californian who had lain dead for 3 days in an Indian hospital).It should be noted, however, that such feats are not as unusual as one might first believe: in Autobiography of a Yogi, the late Paramahansa Yogananda reports of his own direct experiences with his gurus and teachers of witnessing similar fantastic feats.
And in Magic and Mysticism in Tibet, the French yogini, Alexandra David Neel, relates bizarre experiences in which she, herself, partook, high in the Tibetan Himalayas.
Other Indian and Tibetan lore is filled with similar stories relating fantastic feats by accomplished yogis, lamas and shamans trained in the esoteric arts.

Nonetheless, I was duly impressed enough by the professor's tales to begin my own investigations. Here's is what I've discovered. Sathya Sai Baba was born with the name of Sathya Narayana on November 23, 1926, the youngest of four children to a poor but devout family in the small village of Puttaparthi, near Bangalore in southern India. Even from an early age, young Sathya amazed his friends with his "pranks" of manifesting candies and other treats from an empty bag.

On a hill near the village there stands a tree where Sathya and his friends used to play. One day, as a number of the villagers recall, Sathya took his friends and asked each one what sort of fruit he would like. When each of the friends had answered, young Sathya immediately ordered the tree to produce the requested fruit mangoes ... papayas ... apples ... and several other Indian fruits. And it did! Within moments, the tree manifested each of the fruits the boys had requested (some of which were not even native to the region!) to the obvious amazement of Sathya's young friends.

This is just one of many astonishing stories about the miracles which have continually surrounded Sathya Sai Baba from his earliest years.

In 1940, at the age of 14, Sathya announced to his family and friends that he was the incarnation of an Indian holy man, Sai Baba of Shirdi (who had died in 1918, but left the prophecy that he would reincarnate in eight years to a pious family in southern India). Young Sathya then announced that his devotees were waiting for him throughout India and it was time to give up his childhood. From that point forward, he began collecting followers and performing charitable works in India.
Today, there are numerous schools, universities and hospitals which Sai Baba's devotees have built under his direction. But what of these miracles and unexplainable phenomena which surround Sai Baba?

Although I was fascinated when I first heard about the feats that Sai Baba could perform, my skeptical nature tempered these feelings with the knowledge that magicians could also perform feats that seem to defy all physical laws. Any time that a human hand is involved in such phenomena, my reasoning went, there is a chance for charlatanism to occur. Then I heard about one phenomenon which truly astounded me.

In a small temple cum orphanage near the city of Mysore, there are housed four miracles which are directly attributable to Sai Baba, but which are not in direct, physical contact with him. First are a series of pictures upon which grow the sacred ash, vibhuti. It grows in depths of up to half an inch per day on several of the many pictures. Curiously, the only place on the pictures where it does not grow is around the eyes, leaving one with the most peculiar sensation upon seeing these photos.

Then, there is the lingam (an oblong shaped crystal about eight inches in length) which Sai Baba manifested at a sacred Indian festival, and which when held to the light shows a remarkable image of him in the center of the crystal.

The third phenomenon stands just outside the temple/orphanage, near the banks of a small river just beyond the property. This is a pair of carved feet reputedly a replica of Sai Baba's feet from which emanates perpetually a fragrance very much like the combination of gardenias and roses. When one places a handkerchief on this carving, it becomes quickly saturated with this perfume like essence and one may carry the fragrance with him for days on end.

But to me, the most impressive of these miracles and the one which has captivated me the most for all these years is the phenomenon of the amulets which produce amritha, a most delectable nectar (reputedly the same ambrosia which is the nectar of immortality common to both Hindu and Greek "mythology").

The story of these amulets is quite fascinating. A one time thief, named Hulliguppa (who is now the caretaker of this temple and orphanage), had purchased these two, small pieces of jewelry with Sai Baba's picture emblazoned upon them in a local bazaar. On a chance encounter with Sai Baba, Hulliguppa asked the holy man to bless the amulets for him. He did; and later, these amulets began producing this wondrous and delicious! nectar. And they continue producing yet to this day. In fact, the only time they apparently do not produce amritha is when the wind blows directly upon them. Otherwise, when one holds the amulets in his or her hand, it isn't more than a few minutes before a tablespoon of the nectar manifests itself in the palm.

But it requires no human touch for these small amulets to produce the amritha. Normally, they are stored in a large vase, which fills itself up and must be emptied regularly or it overflows (rather like the buckets in The Sorcerer's Apprentice).

The nectar itself is quite distinct: aside from being the most delicious substance I have ever tasted, it has the taste and smell of a vast array of flowers reduced to an incredibly sweet syrup. And, strangely, most people who taste it find the taste to be curiously familiar ... but they can't remember quite where or when they had experienced it previously. Hindu literature speaks of another realm one of the realms beyond this earthly life in which fountains of amritha flow and this substance is the food (and drink?) of the inhabitants of that planet (as I understand it from my own readings of the literature). True or not, it is a truly remarkable and delightful experience to taste this nectar.

It is easy to focus on the miracles which surround Sai Baba and there are countless of them (many of which have been recorded on film and videotape). But what of Sai Baba's teachings? They are universal, and actually are nothing unique. He advises his devotees who belong to every major religion of the world to follow their own religious pathways and beliefs. But he does suggest that people follow a vegetarian diet (in typical Hindu tradition) and that the most sure way of finding spiritual enlightenment (and freedom from rebirth into this earthly realm) is by selfless service to one's fellow man. He cautions against the excess use of sugar and especially salt in the diet, and to live a life that is as generally uplifting as possible. Nothing too strange or startling here in fact, nothing at all that most of us have not learned either through our doctors or whatever religious teachings we follow in our own lives.

The miracles, Sai Baba says, are nothing more than "calling cards" to attract the attention of people to his single message of love. Time and again, Sai Baba has been quoted as saying that he wishes nothing more from people than their love no gifts ... no money ... nothing more than living an uplifting life that is exemplary to others around his devotees.

Yet most people are at least first attracted to Sai Baba because of the unexplainable phenomena that transcend all rational explanation. Many books have been written about him often by society's most "reputable" individuals (such as physicians, nuclear physicists, and others who are by nature both skeptical and not easy to fool). For these miracles do occur on a daily basis, both directly from Sai Baba's hands as well as in homes of his devotees around the world.

The typical miraculous phenomenon is the picture of Sai Baba which begins manifesting vibhuti, the same way as occurs in that small temple near Mysore. This phenomenon repeats itself in devotees' homes throughout the United States, England and in literally every other part of the world. And nearly every Sai Baba devotee has "Baba stories" by which they have been miraculously blessed (and especially protected) at particularly trying times in their lives.

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A typical day at the ashram at Puttaparthi, the tiny desert village some four hours by car out from the city of Bangalore, begins at around 4:00 A.M. Visitors from all over the world begin arising for the first functions of the day. On high Indian holy days, there may be as many as one quarter of a million or more visitors on the ashram; but on a "normal" day there may only be five or ten thousand that is, when Sai Baba is at the ashram and not traveling. Otherwise, there are only several hundred permanent residents.

The ashram, itself, is a huge place much larger than the village, itself. Within its confines are several schools of higher education, as well as a hospital, a large dairy and other buildings necessary for the management of the center. The climate is that of a high desert dry and, in the early morning, generally cool. Visitors begin trekking toward the main temple to sing early morning chants (called "bhajans") and other devotional practices which are typical to the Hindu faith. However, as mentioned earlier, visitors do come from all religious backgrounds and walks of life. It is not unusual, for example, to meet in the course of one day, Muslims, Zen and Mahayana Buddhists, Christians and Jews people who are doctors, statesmen, scientists, bus drivers and beggars.

Just after sunrise, a vegetarian breakfast is served. Regardless of how many people are on the ashram, there always seems to be enough food. But the first big event of the day at least for those who've traveled thousands of miles to be there is morning darshan. This is the time when Sai Baba makes his first of two daily appearances. Males and females are separated (the ashram is a very strict and conservative place, where males and females except for married couples do not co mingle); then they file silently into a large, open area in front of the main temple or mandir. At around 8:00 A.M., one of the doors opens and an electric like feeling races through the crowd: Sai Baba is coming.

He invariably dresses in an orange or ocher robe; and though he stands only five feet tall, his size is never noticed. He seems quite large, as a matter of fact. His presence defies description, even for those who are not devotees. Perhaps it is the sense of grace he carries about him, or because of the esteem in which his devotees hold him: but there is an undefinable sense of presence as he slowly moves from the temple toward either the men's or women's side to walk among the seated crowds.

It is remarkably orderly and quiet. Those in the first several rows often hold photographs of Sai Baba up for his autograph, or other things which they hold dear to have Sai Baba touch or bless. Often, devotees hand him letters (which he is said to read at night, instead of sleeping). Occasionally, he will stop in front of someone, and in a peculiar motion of his hand, manifest vibhuti or one of the much prized pieces of jewelry.

Perhaps even more cherished than his manifestations, however, are the personal interviews that Baba gives to a few, hand selected people following each darshan. I have been fortunate enough to have two such interviews one at which he manifested the ring for me; and the other, in which he manifested vibhuti.
In these private interviews, he is a remarkably warm and personable being: his voice has a tinkling, child like quality and his smile is pure radiance. Yet, there is an awesome aura of power which surrounds him, and even the most carefully thought out questions that one had planned on asking Sai Baba are forgotten because of his remarkable sense of presence. In these interviews, he often answers unverbalized questions from his devotees ... gives special advice ... and, of course, manifests the occasional trinket or vibhuti. One is left with a shaken feeling at the end of such a close encounter with this truly noble being.

Mornings on the ashram are the more active time; after lunch, very little occurs until afternoon darshan (at around 5:00 P.M.). But in the morning, there are bhajans to be sung ... classes about service to mankind ... or reading of spiritual texts or other forms of uplifting literature. As with all, true ashrams, this is a place for retreat and contemplation not for socializing and making acquaintances.

After lunch, most people rest, since the desert is a very uninviting place, even during the winter months. The British tradition of late afternoon tea is honored at the ashram, and shortly after that is afternoon darshan. Again, the group is divided into males and females and the same process is repeated as occurred in the morning. Again, Sai Baba appears and walks among the devotees. Again, he manifests vibhuti or other materializations. And, again, he selects a few, fortunate individuals for private interviews.

After darshan, many of the remaining people enter the temple to sing evening bhajans; and near sundown, the evening meal is served. Finally, while it is not encouraged, sometimes visitors wander out into the tiny village Puttaparthi to sample a taste of what frenetic Indian evening life is like ... even in such a tiny village. There, vendors sell fruits and vegetables as well as pictures and other items related to Sai Baba. Animals and mostly naked children wander freely up and down the main, dirt road of the village. Flower vendors do a big business, as do those who sell green coconut or sugar cane juice.

Lights go out on the ashram at 9:00 P.M., and residents must be in their quarters by that time. The rooms, themselves, are small, bare concrete cells, about 12 feet square. Most of them have either Indian style or Western style toilets in a small separate bathroom with one spigot for the water (which is treated at the ashram). The water, itself, is perfectly safe there (in contrast to some other places in the country), as is the food that is consumed on the ashram. In many rooms there is no furniture, but there is a single electric bulb and one electric outlet; in a few of the rooms, there are even electric overhead fans. While there are sleeping mats available at the main office, visitors are advised to bring much of their own equipment or to buy it in Bangalore or in the village, itself. Room and board for these accommodations is incredibly inexpensive something like $7.00 a week per person, complete.

Is Sai Baba simply a clever magician or truly the Avatar that many Hindus have prayed for? Perhaps this question will never be answered to the satisfaction of the merely curious or those outside of India. But he is a very powerful spiritual force in India today a force that appears to be growing remarkably quickly. And his influence is reaching throughout the West. When I first heard about Sai Baba in 1973, he was virtually unknown. Today, most people who have investigated any of the traditional Eastern spiritual pathways have come in contact with stories about or teachings by this remarkable holy man. He has prophesied that he will live until the age of 96 and that, within a few years, he will be widely known throughout the world. Whether or not this is true, there is little doubt that he has already influenced many millions of lives ... and will likely continue to do so in the future.

Article 15

Sathya Sai Baba Magician Or Avatar?