The time will come when all of this dream will vanish. To everyone of us there must come a time when the whole universe will be found to have been a mere dream, when we shall find that the soul is infinitely better than its surroundings. In this struggle through what we call environments, there will come a time when we shall find that these environments were almost zero in comparison with the power of the soul. It is only a question of time, and time is nothing in the infinite. It is a drop in the ocean. We can afford to wait and be calm.

We understand Bhagawan to the extent He reveals Himself to us. Textual knowledge can only serve as guide maps, but it is for us to traverse the path...to know the Divine in Sathya Sai Baba. Quoting a brief question answer session between the illustrated spiritual master Nisarga Datta Maharaj and a devotee of the Master, Sri B. N. Narasimha Murthy reiterates the often repeated teaching of Bhagawan that worldly intelligence cannot fathom the ways of His being and to know Him man should strive to understand his own self. An extract from Bhagawan’s Biography series Sathyam Sivam Sundaram - Part 6.

Once there was an interesting dialogue between a well-known jnani of our times and his disciple about Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. One of the disciples of Sri Nisarga Datta Maharaj was a frequent visitor to Prasanthi Nilayam and he became an ardent devotee of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba in course of time. One evening while serving his Guru, who lived at Kethwadi in Mumbai, he submitted his question, “Maharaj, who is Sri Sathya Sai Baba?”

Instead of answering the question of the curious disciple, the Guru asked him, “What does Baba say about Himself?”

The disciple, who did not expect that question from his Guru, said what he could remember at that time, “Maharaj, Baba has revealed that He is the reincarnation of Sai Baba of Shirdi!”

“When did Shirdi Baba shed His mortal coil?”

“In 1918.”

“When did Sri Sathya Sai Baba make His advent?”

“In 1926”

“Baba is what He was between 1918 and 1926!”

The disciple could not comprehend what the Jnani had meant by that; he was also not satisfied since the answer was not what he had expected. He pleaded with his Guru, “Maharaj, I cannot understand what you said about Baba…”

“Sri Sathya Sai Baba is Paripoorna Parabhrahmam!” declared the Jnani. The disciple was very happy with that answer since that was what he wanted to hear from his Guru! But the Guru was not satisfied; he wanted to teach his disciple a higher lesson. He asked the disciple, “What do you understand now about Baba?”

The disciple was baffled by the question; he kept silent. Then the Guru told the bewildered disciple, “Idle curiosity and vain words are of no use to an aspirant. Try to know yourself. When you realise who you are, you will realise who Sri Sathya Sai Baba is!"                                        



His words are authentic...as Kasturi himself experienced, they are profound utterances, beyond the grasp of the ordinary...

Only an Avatar could say those words. Lesser souls like seers, siddhas, sadhakas, mahatmas, munis, ascetics and aspirants would not have the courage or, even if they mustered enough courage to utter them, the words would not have the ring of authenticity.

About four years ago, I happened once to go to Puttaparthi, by the night train from Bangalore. I reached the place by 10 a.m.. when I peeped into the old Mandiram near the village on my way to the new Prasanthi Nilayam, a furlong away, I was shocked by the heavy cloud of sadness that hung over it. For, the brother-in-law of Baba, (as we with our limited family outlook do prattle in delusion), Sri Subba Raju, Baba’s ‘sister’s’ husband, who was also his ‘maternal uncle,’ had passed away the previous evening and was buried late at night. I had known him as a good and active worker at the Prasanthi Nilayam, with a kind enquiry always on his lips, and so I was overwhelmed with sorrow. I also felt great anguish when I thought of the bereaved lady and her only son, a sweet little boy. With a heavy heart I moved towards the Nilayam, half apprehensive to meet there the stricken ‘brother’ and ‘nephew’ and doubting all the time whether the words I might use would be enough to express my sorrow and convey my sympathy.

When I reached the Nilayam I could not stop my tears, for, right underneath the portico, on the knee-high wall facing the garden, sat Baba with all the ‘relatives’ standing in a semicircle in front of him. The bereaved lady was evidently inside the Nilayam, for her lamentation could be heard outside. Dark despair lay thick on every face and all were eagerly watching Baba’s lips, waiting for his words.

Since I had not yet heard those words which only an Avatar could say, I had foolishly manufactured, on my way to Prasanthi Nilayam a sentence of consolation, in the conventional style, to be spoken to Him. But luckily, before I could commit that sacrilege, Baba looked at me with a bewitching smile, and seeing my tears, he said, “Why? What is this? Don’t you know me? If there is no birth and no death, how am I to pass my time?” and, then, he laughed!

“How am I?” …. “Birth and Death” …. “Passed My time” …. What a profound utterance, and before what an audience and against what a background!

I saw before me not Baba with a physical body 28 years old but the avatar of the Lord, Himself. Who else could have the courage? Who else could infuse into those words that true ring of authenticity? Ponder over this, brother reader; that is my prayer.
(an extract from Sanathana Sarathi April 1958)

The eye which is scarce two inches long can see millions of miles into space, but is incapable of seeing itself? Man too is as shrewd and as weak as the eye. He can analyse other’s motives, count other’s faults and map out other’s skills and capacities but he is powerless to analyse himself, his feelings and his emotions.
 
SRI SATHYA SAI BABA  
WITH A VISION THAT GUIDES AND A MISSION THAT TRANSFORMS