The Miracle of Sai Miracles..

Ignorance is Bliss? Not always!

A few years ago in Kodaikanal some students were sitting in a line during darshans. Swami came, walking with His hands held back. He passed by some students. One of them while continuing to gaze at the Divine form, happened to see Swamis hands which were held back. Within Swami's hands he noticed a green ring. The monkey mind of the boy got into motion. Doubts began clouding him. His mind told him that now Swami will begin waving His hands and materialise this very ring which is already in His hands. On one hand the boy was suffering from doubts, on the other hand he was worried that no one else should notice this. He sat confused and worried.

Swami finished His round and began walking back. He came and stood in front of this boy. The boy looked up and saw Swami looking at Him.

Swami asked ' Did you notice a ring in My hand?

Boy hesitantly said : 'Yes Swami!'

Swami  brought the ring forward and asked : 'What color is it?'

Boy - 'Green Swami'

Swami blew on it and asked 'What color is it?'

Boy - 'White Swami'

Swami blew on it and asked 'What color is it?'

Boy - 'Many coloured Swami'

Swami changed the form of the ring a few times and thus put the mind of the boy to rest.

(The students name has been withheld. The above story is authentic, some points may slightly vary, though i have recollected it to the best of my knowledge )

I write this note to express a basic fact about Swami's miracles. I have sadly noticed that some critics who post videos of manifestations by Swami on youtube etc keep pointing at the presence of some objects that Swami is materialising, which they see already in His hands, and call this cheating. These people are like children who lack understanding.

Let me confess - at one point I too was beset with doubts because of a certain incident.

I had the previlage of covering the 2002 Dassera yagna on video and editing it for Sai studios. Somewhere while editing i noticed that during the poornahuti when Swami manifests various gems to be offered in the fire, His hands were already holding it. My monkey mind started reacting. I blew up the image made it large, watched the clip over and over again.. each time my doubts were confirmed. Whats more somehow my attention was drawn to a few other times when this same thing  happened. I didnt know what to think. My intellect wasnt able to give any plausible reason. After some days of trying to figure it out, I gave up. I prayed to Swami saying that i have faith.. it is up to You to give me understanding.

He did!!

The answer to the mystery lay in a statement that Swami often made "What I will, materialises instantly!" I realised that the wave of His hands is only a way to draw the attention of His devotees towards the fact that Swami is about to pour His grace on someone. Think about it, how would it feel if Swami in a nano second just materialised something and gave it to a devotee. Half of the time the devotee who is already filled in awe by being in Swami's presence; will not be able to register the fact that Swami has just poured grace on him. He may think that perhaps Bhagawan took a ring from some where and put it on his finger while He was lost in Sai. So Swami waves His hands to take the devotees attention. But Swami does not need that much time to materialise. Once He thinks of it, the object comes. And so it is with many of such videos.

Watch carefully the Mahashivaratri video where Swami materialised a lingam from His hands. Sri Narasimamurthy had pleaded with Swami not to perform the ligodbhava  that year, instead Swami can just materialise it and avoid pain to Himself and His devotees. Swami in response did this very thing and materialised a lingam from His hands. The moment Sri Narasimamurthy made this request, Swami's love for His devotee and His sankalp must have instantly manifested the Golden lingam. So obviously when Swami stood up and waved His hands, He already had the lingam.

I also realised that there is a purpose in putting devotees through doubts. On the surface we may be aware only of our devotion. But deep within us some doubts may be hidden in some corner, waiting to manifest and poison our belief system. Swami is well aware of these hidden doubts.. so He purposely draws attention of devotees to these incidents, like in case of the student and myself , among others; thereby bringing these doubts out and  uprooting them off once and for all.

A few days back I came across a radio interview on the net where the hosts were exploring the possibility of miracles and were openly sarcastic in their views of Swami, whose name came about as one who performs miracles regularly and openly. The host made a snide remark that Sathya Sai Baba was perhaps good enough to entertain at children's birthday parties with His tricks. Their guest that day was a prominent scientist from Iceland named Erlendur Haraldsson, who to his credit came as a loyal and faithful man of science. 

His views, so honestly put forward, put the doubting minds of the hosts to rest. He stated that an ordinary magician may manifest things just as Baba does, but how many magicians are known to openly distribute objects that they have created for keepsake. The objects manifested are known to be pure silver, gold and diamonds. The scientist also said that he is witness to the fact that Baba materialised objects numerous times a day, day after day, month after months for years. So saying things like Swami hid objects up His sleeve was totally improbable and impractical. Further more he frankly revealed that a lot of objects manifested came about at the spur of the moment and couldn't be pre- conceived or prepared for. 

For example he mentions that once they were speaking with Swami about the Rudraksh seed. Now try as Swami may, the scientists could not understand a thing about this seed. So finally Swami materialised one on the spot. The topic of the Rudraksh came about coincidentally, so no one could have known that before hand to keep it handy for a materialisation. There were numerous such cases that the scientist witnessed day in and day out during his prolonged stay with Swami. When the scientist would request Swami to subject Himself to scientific investigation; Swami would simply state that science could measure only that which was within the range of the senses. Matters of spirit were beyond the realm of the senses or science.

Those who are close to Swami will bear testimony to the fact that often when He materialised an object, our attention was monopolised more by the love that caused the act of materialisation then any object itself. I remember that whenever I received anything from Swami, I would notice it only after I had left His presence. while with Him, only He would be the subject of my attention.

I have witnessed many a manifestations by Swami at very close range, some of them for my family members and myself. For one, we dont give it much importance, simply because when in the presence of Sai, all miracles and objects simple cease to hold importance. Yet let me narrate two incidents which stand out, one of which I was a witness to.

1. My friend told me that once in whitefield, Swami called a marriage party for interview. Although only family members were called.. my friend joined them, very keen to experience Swamis' interview. To his surprise Swami allowed him in. The bride party were not followers of Sai but infact doubted Him. Swami materialised a mangal sutra for the bride, but with a difference.. The mangalasutra wasnt fully removed from Swami's hand, it was still halfway in. Swami asked the bride 'How long do you want this to be?' and pulled the chain from His hands to a very large size.. it just kept coming from His hands..  The bride was surprised looking at the length... So Swami asked 'Do you want it smaller?' She nodded. So Swami withdrew the chain back and it started going back in the hand (Gravity notwithstanding). When the ideal length was found the chain released from Swami's hands..

2. This happened during a family interview in March 2006. During this time Swami was in a wheel chair and His hand movements were slow. So when Swami wanted to grace His student, my brother with a watch, He began waving His hands. The motion of the hand was very slow and His palm was not fully facing down but was visible clearly to the eye. So we all could see how the dial along with the metal strap of the Rolex watch, came from His palms and fingers, and once fully released, gravity took over the heavy watch, but Swami caught it instantly.

I know many more such incidences can be spoken about, but the basic idea has been conveyed. There are some who arent interested in the truth but are bent on entertaining doubts. But this has been written for those who are beset with doubt but are willing to investigate for a better understanding.

Sai Bless all..