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Who is Sathya Sai Baba
Source:
http://www.saibaba-aclearview.com/contents2.htm
By R. D. Awle
[Copyright 2001.
This material may be downloaded, reproduced and distributed
freely, as long as the source is clearly attributed.]
Testimony of the Modern Day
Masters
One of the greatest Saints of this
century was a woman named Anandamoyi Ma. (The name translates as
‘Bliss-permeated Mother.’ There’s a photo of her, standing next
to Paramahansa Yogananda, in Autobiography of a Yogi.) She was
so pure and filled with God that she was widely considered to be
a Divine Incarnation herself: there seemed to be nothing in her
but God, and her words were Truth itself. According to one
of her closest Western devotees, over the years she had often
been asked, “Who is this Sathya Sai Baba we keep hearing about?”
But for many years she never gave an answer. In the last
year of her life, however, the question came up again, and this
time she gave the following response: “This body will speak on
this question only once; don’t ask again. Sathya Sai Baba
is the most powerful incarnation of God ever to come to the
Earth. And there won’t be another at His level for another
sixty centuries.”1
That
amazing testimony was recently strengthened for me when I went
to one of Anandamoyi Ma’s ashrams in the Himalayas. When I
shared the preceding quote with a Swami there 7,
he said that Anandamoyi Ma had then added, “It’s no wonder you
keep hearing about Sai Baba. He is the Avatar of this Yuga!”
(Avatar means Incarnation of God; a Yuga is an era lasting many
thousands of years.)
Other Saints have given similar
testimony. Shortly before he left his physical body
behind, Paramahansa Yogananda was approached by one of his close
American disciples, a woman. “Master,” she said, “I know
you are planning on leaving your body. You must take me
with you! You are my God!”
“Nonsense,” replied Yogananda. “God is God; I am your Guru.”
“But Master, if you leave without
me, I will commit suicide!”
“Enough of that foolishness! God
Himself is now incarnate on Earth, in South India. His name is
Sai Baba. When I leave you are going to live with Him.”
(His prediction proved correct; after Yogananda’s death, that
devotee spent the rest of her life at Sai Baba’s ashram.)8
Mata Amritanandamayi (also known
as Ammachi), Herself considered to be an incarnation of the
Divine Mother, was once asked, “Who is Sai Baba?” She
replied, “Avatar. Perfect from birth.”9
On the day after Sai Baba’s birth (November
23, 1926), Sri Aurobindo, another great Saint of this century,
broke a long period of silence to announce, “Twenty-fourth
November, 1926, was the descent of Krishna into the physical.
A power infallible shall lead the thought, in earthly hearts
kindle the Immortal’s Fire, even the multitude shall hear the
voice!” 10
It seems obvious at this point that his announcement of Krishna’s
physical re-embodiment was referring to the birth of Sathya Sai
Baba.
Mother Krishnabai, the
Self-Realized disciple of Swami Ramdas (the great Saint from
Kerala), told her devotees, “Sai Baba is an Avatar, a full
incarnation of Krishna. He is Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva
together in one form!” She recommended they spend as much time
in His presence as possible.11
Swami Satchidananda, the
Enlightened sage who currently runs Anandashram in Kerala, was
recently asked about the allegations against Sai Baba. He
replied, “Forget about it. He is God!”12
Karunamayi (also known as
Vijayeshwari Devi, considered by many to be a living incarnation
of the Goddess Sarasvati) recently told one of her close
devotees, "Sai Baba and Amma [meaning herself] are both watching
over you." Apparently she also knows who Baba is!
Yogi Ramsuratkumar made it clear
on numerous occasions that Sai Baba is an incarnation of God.
He often asked visitors from Baba’s ashram, “You’ve left God to
see this beggar?”13
(Of course, that “beggar” was himself merged in the
all-pervading Consciousness; the beauty of his attainment was
matched only by his humility.)
Shiva Balayogi, another of the
great Gurus of the last century, was once asked about Sai Baba.
He replied, “Sathya Sai Baba is an Avatar.”14
Master El Moya and Master Kuthumi, two of the great Ascended
Masters behind the founding of the Theosophical Movement, also
declared Sai Baba to be an Avatar. According to author Howard
Murphet, in the book “The Light Will Set You Free” these Masters
have stated, “Avatar Sai Baba is carrying the Divine
consciousness in the world today.” 15
Maitreya, the mysterious Master
who has been miraculously appearing before people in various
places around the globe throughout the last two decades, has
said (through his spokesman, Benjamin Creme) that He (Maitreya)
is the planetary Avatar, while Sai Baba is the Universal Avatar.16
Testimony from Gopalakrishna Baba,
Devi Amma, "Little Heart" and Vasantha Sai appears later in the
website.
Baba’s Own
Words
And what does Baba Himself say?
“The totality of Divine Energy has come unto humanity as Sathya
Sai. This is a human form in which every Divine Entity,
every Divine Principle, that is to say all the names and forms
ascribed by man to God are manifest.”19
He says He is the Father who sent Jesus - but then adds that we
are also God, but have forgotten:
“You as body, mind or soul are a
dream. But what you really are is pure existence,
knowledge, bliss. You are the God of this universe.”20
He declares that He knows the
entire past and future of every one of us, as well as our every
thought - and frequently proves this assertion by revealing
intimate knowledge of the innermost thoughts and personal lives of
His devotees. His continuous flow, for over six decades, of
miraculous manifestations, and instantaneous healings of
‘incurable’ maladies such as cancer, paralysis and blindness, is,
to my knowledge, unparalleled in the history of the world.
I’ve also read a number of well-documented accounts of Baba
bringing people back from the dead, including a Nepalese woman
named Bharosa Adhikari, and an elderly American named Walter Cowan,
whose resurrection is beautifully described in My Baba and I, by
Dr. John Hislop. Another such account, regarding an Indian devotee
named V. Radhakrishna, follows later in the website.
1 This was told to the
author by a man who visited Anandamoyi Ma in the last year of
Her life. While in Her ashram he was told this quote by one of
Her closest Western disciples.
[7] A charming man
named Swami Mounananda, who was visiting the Ashram.
[8] This story was
related to the author by a woman who was a close friend and
caretaker of the Yogananda devotee during the last years of her
life.
[9] This quote was
told to the author by a man whose friend had asked Ammachi about
Sai Baba in his presence; he had heard the answer directly from
Ammachi. Please note that this quote should be qualified
with the understanding that Ammachi has been known to give
contradictory statements on this and other topics, depending on
whom She is speaking to, apparently giving each one just what
they need to progress on their path. (As She said in a
recent talk, "The answers Amma gives are what people need to
hear in the moment.") To the 'Who is Sai Baba?' question,
She has responded in many ways, including: "Baba is the ocean,
Amma is a wave"; "Amma is the ocean, Baba is a wave"; "Amma
feels Baba is not an Avatar"; "Baba is fully Divine"; and "I
don't know"! (Clearly, Ammachi, like Baba, is a Master of
Maya!)
[10] Divine
Memories of Sai Baba; Diana Baskin; Sri Sathya Sai Books and
Publications Trust, 1990; p. 1.
[11] This was told to
the author by a woman who has been one of Krishnabai’s devotees
for many years.
[12] This was told to
the author by a woman who has known Swami Satchidananda for many
years. The quote came from her own recent conversations
with Swamiji.
[13] Told to the
author by a friend who had heard this directly from Yogi
Ramsuratkumar. Yogi Ramsuratkumar’sopinion of Sai Baba’s
divinity was also confirmed by the author on numerous occasions.
[14] Tapas
Shakti, Sri Sri Sri Shiva Balayogi Maharaj, Palotas, T. (comp.,
ed.), Sri Shivabalayogi Maharaj Trust, Bangalore, 1992; p. 197.
[15] This
information came from a private letter sent by Howard Murphet to
a Sai devotee. The author has not yet been able to
independently verify Murphet’s statement.
[16] Told to the
author by a woman who had worked to spread Maitreya’s teachings
for several years.
[19] God
Descends on Earth; ibid., p.18.
[20] Sai Baba
Gita: The Way to Self-Realization and Liberation in This Age;
Drucker, A. (ed.); Sai Towers Publishing, Bangalore, 1994;
frontispiece.
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