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'Another Leela of Baba'
By Indra Devi
Swami with Ms. Indra
Devi
That particular year (1969) I had not planned to go for Baba's
birthday as I was due to visit India a little later. All the same
one evening, after meditation, looking at his picture, I found
myself saying: 'Bhagavan, take me to Puttaparthi for Your birthday.'
Two years later, I received a phone call from Chuck Wein, a young
man who used to come to our Sai Baba Centre in Los Angeles. He was
calling from the Warner Brothers Motion Picture Studio.
'Mataji, can you go to India tomorrow? Warner Brothers will pay
your passage if you will go to ask Sai Baba's permission to make a
documentary film on His life...' Somehow, I wasn't even surprised
and answered very calmly, 'Tomorrow is Sunday and all the offices
are closed, but I can leave on Tuesday.'
'Who is paying for my ticket?' I asked the Air India manager in
Los Angeles.
'Warner Brothers,' he replied.
I arrived just in time for the celebrations which began early in
the morning when Bhagavan hoisted the Prashanthi Nilayam flag on
the roof of the temple. He then declared that He was Shiva-Shakti
incarnated in human form, in order to lead men towards God. He
exhorted people to cleanse and purify their hearts - to make
Discrimination (Viveka) their flag post, unfurl the flag of
Love on in and let it flutter joyfully in the wind of Grace. He
also said that He is born in each of us as Love.
'Only that day, when love is born in you, can it be my Birthday.'
At eleven o'clock Swami went from the temple to the auditorium in
procession. His mother, Easwaramma, started the ceremony by first
garlanding the Sai, then anointing His head with a flower dipped
into a cup of fragrant oil. She was followed by several others
chosen by Baba from among His old devotees. The procession then
moved, headed by the temple elephant Sai Gita.
The day before I was ready to return home, Bhagavan called me in
to give His blessing. At parting he produced, with the familiar
circling motion of His hand, a beautiful golden medallion of the
Goddess Lakshmi.
'I don't want anything, Bhagavan,' I pleaded.
'This is not for you... for the protection of the house - no more
fires.'
I did not know at that moment how badly we would need His
protection a few months later when we were about to loose the
ranch.
After returning from India, I went to the Warner Brothers Studio,
but not a soul there had ever heard of Sai Baba let alone my trip
to Him!
'Another leela of Baba?' wondered Dick Bock when I told him
about it.
Indra Devi - Canada
America's foremost yoga authority - taught Sai Yoga under guidance
of Sri Sasthya Sai Baba. A close associate of Baba; personally
witnessed many wonderful miracles of Bhagawan.
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