The Miracle in Reverse Long ago, about 2,000 years in the past, Lord Jesus Christ trod on the surface of the earth in the small region of Pales­tine. He only preached for 3 years. He spoke to the simple folk in a very sim­ple language, in the form of stories and parables to show them the way to the truthful path of life and righteousness. His life on the earth was a great message for humanity. At a marriage party, when the wine be­ing served was exhausted, Jesus turned water into wine. Last year a couple stayed in one of the flats in Prasanthi Nilayam [abode of peace] and the man, who was a habitual drunkard, took along with him two bottles of whisky in his baggage to the room. In the night he started drinking in front of Swami’s photo that was hanging on the wall. He poured the drink in a glass and started drinking to Baba’s health in spite of his wife telling him that he should not drink in the holy place. But when he drank he found that the liquor had turned into water. As he could not remain without his drink, he opened the new bottle and to his utter amazement that, too, had turned into water! Therefore, the man had to remain without his crutch for that fateful night. The next day both the husband and wife attended the bhajan meeting and Baba came to him and made similar gestures [as if raising a glass to His mouth] as the man had made in front of Baba’s photo while drinking the liquor! He was amazed and shaken by Baba’s omnipresence and sat silent with folded hands. After that the couple left Prasanthi Nilayam. From then onward he gave up this bad habit for good. ~A. S., CalcuttaSource: Sanathana Sarathi, July 1983

The Miracle in Reverse “Then, suddenly from among the crowd, an old man emerged. He shouted in a loud commanding voice, ‘Give the child to me’. There were two women and one man with him, who also pleaded, ‘Give the child to him, lady! He is famous as a curer of children’s diseases.  He has saved many children from death.’ And, so, losing all fear, my wife handed over the child to him.” This is from a letter written by S. R. V on 28th November 1958. The incident happened on 25th November 1958. The ‘old man’ was no other than Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba Himself. The two women and the man who accompanied Him were also creations of His grace and power, while He appeared in disguise in His mission of mercy!  …Let us now look a little closer at this strange story, this leela [play] of Bhagavan. A devotee, S. R. V. from Bangalore, had come to Puttaparthi with his wife and child for the Birthday Festivities of Bhagavan, on 23rd November 1958. He left Prasanthi Nilayam on the 25th at 12.45 p.m. taking leave of Baba and receiving from His hands the Vibhuti [sacred ash] that He gets by a mere wave of the Hand as well as a few oranges. At 5:30 p.m. that evening, when some devotees gathered round Him at Prasanthi Nilayam, Baba told them a dramatic tale of ‘death’ and ‘rebirth!’ He said that S. R. V.’s child, Geetha Sudha, called Sudha for short, had died on the way to Bangalore at 2:45 p.m., but He had left His body at Puttaparthi, hurried to the place, manifested Himself as an old man, and saved the child. His narration was full of details and very clear, and devotees who keep diaries of their experiences have recorded every word of it. He said that the child was sleeping on the back seat; that a scratching sound was heard by the mother; that when she turned she was shocked to find the baby stiff and blue and practically lifeless; that the moving car was stopped; that the time was 2:45 p.m.; that the place was between Palasamudram and Bagepalli; that a huge crowd of villagers gathered on account of the wailing; that everyone was advising all kinds of remedies and cures; that a bus proceeding to Hindupur came on the scene, was stopped and added to the confusion; that as soon as the bus moved off, He appeared as an old man and demanded that the child be given over to Him, saying that He heard about the tragedy and had come running to the place; that He asked the party for a little Vibhuti because He was sure they had it; that keeping the child on His lap, He showed it His real form, upon which the baby, as usual on all occasions when He took the child up in His hands, cried; that He pretended to go through some curative rituals and handed the baby to the overjoyed parents; that S. R. V. thanked Him profusely for His service; that he offered to pay Him a rupee [Indian currency], which He refused to accept; that he pressed upon Him an orange out of the five or six that He Himself had given him at noon while leaving Him at Puttaparthi, and that after invoking upon that fruit the calamity that had pursued the baby, He threw it away before reaching the Nilayam! On the 28th of November, a long letter written by S. R. V detailing the entire incident was received at Puttaparthi and it was given over by Baba to be read by those who had heard Him describing the miracle three days earlier within a few hours of the ‘death’ and ‘re-birth.’ What a surprise it was to read in the letter that the child was sleeping on the back seat (!) there was heard a scratching sound (!) that the body was stiff, that the child was breathless, that the villagers ran in from all directions, that there were suggestions galore, that the Hindupur bus was stopped at the scene (!) and then, the para quoted above! “Then, suddenly from among the crowd, an old man emerged……………” The letter continued, “The old man placed the child on His lap and she began to cry (!) He also heated a copper wire and applied it to the brow. We thanked him much for saving the child and I asked him to accept at least a rupee as a reward (!). But despite our best efforts he refused to accept it. I then gave him an orange from among the ones which Baba had given us while leaving. He asked us to leave for Bangalore without worry and do Arati to our Ishtadevata—Venkataramanaswami as soon as we reached home. I asked him his name and he gave it as Jodi Adipalli Somappa.” S. R. V. concluded his letter thus, “I am now certain that the Old Man was no other than Baba Himself. I also suspect that the three villagers who asked us very forcibly to give Sudha into His Hands were also ad hoc creations of His leela. My inference is that Baba must have gone on a ‘trance’ about 2:30 or 2:45 p.m. on the 25th.” We who had heard Baba relate the whole thrilling story on the 25th evening itself have no doubt in our minds that Jodi Adipalli Somappa is no other than Baba Himself, Baba manifesting Himself 48 miles away to save the child! Om Jodi Adipalli Somappaya Namah. . . Mysterious are the ways of the Lord.  Words are of no avail if one desires to describe Him. The mind is too feeble an instrument to measure His glory… aprapya manasa saha [our mind is unable to conceive]! ~N. KasturiSource: Sanathana Sarathi, May 1959

Blessings Guru in Hinduism means a personal spiritual teacher or guide. The syllable ‘Gu’ means darkness or ignorance and the syllable ‘Ru’ stands for repeller of darkness. So a Guru is the light of awareness that removes the darkness of ignorance and reveals the ultimate truth of the Supreme Self. Guru is also a guide who ensures that the disciple is sailing toward the right direction. “Guru bin gyan na upje, guru bin mile na mokshaGuru bin likhe na satya ko, guru bin mite na dosh” Meaning: “Without Guru, no one obtains spiritual knowledge or achieves salvation. Without Guru, no one can see truth or have his doubts removed.” I am a humble devotee of Shirdi Sai Baba. Now let me share one of my experiences. When I was staying temporarily in Koramangala area of Bangalore [now Bengaluru, India], I used to visit various temples nearby, like temples of Ganapati, Raghavendraswami, Hanuman, Yellammadevi, Nagdevta, etc. I wanted to visit a Sai Baba temple but could not find any at walkable distance. Then I thought that I will request my husband to take me to a Sai temple by car someday. It was on 23rd November 2018, that I had this strange experience. After visiting the temples, as I was walking back home I realized that I had gone one lane ahead of my house. But I did not turn back. I kept on walking on as if in a trance. Then finally my steps stopped, I reached a building with a signboard “Sai Sparshan” where there were photos of both Shirdi Sai Baba and Sathya Sai Baba. I was really surprised to be there. I could hear devotional songs and Aarti songs about Sai Baba. Puja (prayers) and ‘Havan’ (fire rituals) were going on there outside the building. After attending the puja for some time, I came back home. The next day morning I again went to the building. I was glad to see that it was a small temple of Sai Baba. There were idols of Ganapati, Sathya Sai Baba, and Shirdi Sai Baba. Inside the temple there was nobody—just God and me! So I prayed to my heart’s content and thanked God for bringing me there. Then an old man came and gave me ‘laddu’ as ‘prasadam’ [consecrated food] saying that yesterday (23rd November) was the birthday celebration of Shri Sathya Sai Baba who is believed to be the incarnation of Shirdi Sai Baba! Then I realized that I was guided by my Guru Sai Baba to reach there on that auspicious day. This strange experience changed my life. I trust in Sai Baba and strongly believe that Sai Baba is always there with me. Whenever I had to face obstacles, painful experiences, or trials in life, I believe that Baba will take care of me. When I write about Sai Baba, or when I sing Sai bhajans on stages or temples, I could see the affectionate smile on my Baba’s face! And when I am blessed with awards and recognitions, I can feel Baba’s blessing hand on my head! Sai Baba is like a father to a humble devotee like me. Definitely, Sai Baba is the Guru in my life who teaches and guides me and inspires me to achieve more and more! OM SAI RAM!                                                                             ~Dr. Nalini Janardhanan

Baba and the Bees The other day here in Prasanthi Nilayam I was listening to a story about Baba being told by Mr. Kasturi to a group of us Westerners. The story related to a cat who called on Baba in distress and how He came to its help. It moved me very much as I am an animal lover, and especially fond of cats; our family has seven of them. So I decided to share this animal story of my own, or rather insect story. About seven years ago, while living in the beautiful mountains of Idyllwild, Cali­fornia, this miracle happened. Idyllwild is a place that has many bees, especially wasps called yellow backs, a dangerous stinging variety. Most people living in these mountains are dreadfully afraid of them, but I was not. In fact, I used to put out every day a plate of left‑over fruit for them to enjoy—a habit my husband did not appreciate! Often, he would complain that the plate was too near the house, then I would go out and move it, fruit and bees further away, telling him a little egoistically: “I am not afraid of them, I have contacted their spirit, and they will never sting me. Anyway, Sai Baba is protecting me!” Weee! When one makes a bold state­ment like that, better watch out, for the ears of Baba are everywhere, and He might decide to test the statement. Which is just what He did! I had known about Baba for two years but had not yet had the blessed chance to see His physical form. I did, however, firmly believe in His Divinity and Omnipresence! Some days later I was invited to a children’s party, to which I went alone. When the festivities were over and I was about to leave, loud terrified screaming was heard from outside the back of the house. Everyone rushed to the wide windows to see what was wrong, and there we saw two small children running to the house pursued and surrounded by a thick cloud of furious bees—yellow backs! There must have been at least 200 of them. The children had found and broken open one of their hives and the bees were taking their revenge! All the party guests, in­cluding myself, seemed to be rooted to the floor. Only the mother rushed out into the holocaust to save her little ones. No one else dared! Then a big man ventured out, coming back almost immediately with several stings. The back door was closed tightly to keep the bees from swarming in­side. From the safety of the windows, all watched the mother strike out at the bees helplessly, only making them angrier… Then I heard it, that still small voice inside, which I had come to identify as Baba. It said, “Go out and help that poor mother and children, I will be with you,” I stared at the scene before me in horror, my faith in having made friends with the spirit of bees having fled. The small Voice insisted, so I found myself opening the door and stepping out into the middle of the flying, buzzing storm. A moment of terror rushed through me from my toes right up and out of the top of my head. I closed my eyes and prayed: “Baba if ever I needed you, it’s now, please come here!” In that very same instant, He was there! I felt His cool, peaceful presence surround me, and the whole area! Finding the hysterical mother almost hidden by the swarming wasps, I grabbed her wildly flay­ing arms and shouted so as to be heard above the ominous droning. “Be calm now, God is with us, He has come to help us.” I had never met this woman before, nor she me, for all I know. She stared into my eyes and became calm. Together we caught hold of the children and began to strip off their clothes, to which dead, half‑dead and live bees were clinging. We both spoke gently to the children, and I also talked to the wasps, begging them to be calm and not to sting any more. Their stings had caused numerous ugly swellings on the faces, arms, and legs of the children, some of them bleeding badly and were giving a lot of pain also. We plucked bees out of their hair, eyes, nose, mouth, somehow getting them clear­ed enough to enter the house and into the bathroom. As we bathed them, they cried with pain, and indeed their small bodies were a mess! I prayed again silently to Baba to help the poor little things, and then a great miracle occurred, for before our astonish­ed eyes all the swellings, the ugly lumps, began to fade away and with them all the pain went, too! The mother and I looked at each other in amazement, neither of us having suffered even one sting ourselves. When it was all over; and the children, smiling now, were wrapped in towels, I said to the mother, “I believe that your children have had a divine healing, but if you have any doubt at all you’d better take them to a hospital for treatment.” As most of you readers will know, bee stings can be deadly! She answered me, with tears of joy pouring down her face! “I know I have just seen a miracle; I need no hospital!” We smiled at each other, simply ‘know­ing’! Then she said quietly, “I have never met you, but I have heard about you, and that you follow a holy man who lives in India; was it He you prayed to for help?” “Yes, It was,” I told her. “Will you write his name for me and somewhere I can buy books about him; and where I can write to him. I would like to thank him for saving my children.” I gave her this information and left through the front door, as the back one was still being

Swami’s Continuous Divine Grace   Ihad the grace of Bhagavan’s darshan [sighting of a holy man] three times in India in 1990, 1994, and 2010.  Yet when Covid hit in 2020, I slipped into a deep depression, and it was as if I had acquired a total amnesia of all the many enchanting spiritual experiences I had encountered with Swami. In 1986 one night, when I first attended Thursday evening Manhattan Center meetings, I happened to mention a disheartening work conflict to a long-time devotee. The next week she lovingly gave me a portrait of Krishna entering Arjuna’s chariot on the Dharmakshetra [the field of righteousness where the final battle between good and evil was won by Krishna]. I meditated in front of the scene often and the work situation calmly resolved, by Swami’s grace. In 1988 I was struggling with a persistent mental and emotional fog. I was still able to go to work and attend Manhattan Center meetings, however I was very despondent. One evening I had a dream that I was in a beautiful garden courtyard with dusty tan soil. Two men in white uniforms were fighting. I was a few safe yards away, exhorting them to stop. A large ornately carved brown door opened near the men, and Sathya Sai Baba emerged with His hands up in Abhaya Hasta [blessing to remove fear]. The men immediately stopped fighting and walked quietly away. Then Swami sweetly smiled and beckoned me to follow him up a flight of stairs to His room. I henceforth increased chanting the Gayatri [the most sacred Hindu mantra] daily and was better in a month or so, by His grace. In 1989 I had a very brief vision of Shiva in my meditation room in Brooklyn; a few months later my ailing beloved older brother Vincent silently merged into eternity, by Swami’s grace. In 1997, for 3 glorious seconds I saw Krishna on Bay Ridge Avenue near where I reside in Brooklyn, New York; shortly afterward my gravely ill dear older sister Marie Joy blissfully left her body, by Swami’s grace. Fast forward to 2020 and my anxiety and profound sadness during Covid was relentless. I spent three years on daily anti-depressants and in weekly psychotherapy sessions, both of which helped enormously. I remained devoid of any spiritual feelings or practices, however. Last December I had a dream of the blessed Mother of Jesus who silently stood resplendent in front of me. I started to again recite the Hail Mary and Gayatri daily and earnestly, by Swami’s grace. After a short trip to Disneyland, I resolved to have fun sometimes as all the children around me were so enjoying the Disney Princess Parade! What I have learned about Our Lord’s omniscience, omnipresence, and omnipotence is that He is always emanating prema [Divine love], and that we have but to just turn our suffering gaze toward Him to obtain relief. Swami has stated many times, “Take one step toward me and I will take a thousand toward you.” Pranams at His Lotus Feet,                                                            ~Felicia R. Gironda, USA

An Amazing Personal Transformation… From Me to ‘Myself’  An IPS (Indian Police Service) officer of the 1996 batch, Ms. Charu Sinha served in different capacities in the state of Andhra Pradesh. Later, she also went on deputation to the U.N. Peace Keeping Mission in Kosovo for a year. After working as DIG (Deputy Inspector General of Police), Anantapur Range, for almost three years, she was posted as the Secretary, Andhra Pradesh Public Service Commission in Hyderabad (at the time of publishing of this article). In September 2020, she created history becoming the first woman IPS officer to take over as the Inspector General (IG) of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) for the Srinagar sector in Jammu and Kashmir, a highly critical position. She came into the Sai fold in 1989 and since then it has been a story of the transformation Swami brings in each one of us, removing all that is less than divine in us. A sensitive girl yearns for her personal god When I was a child, I loved the story of Dhruva and like him, I wanted to sit in the lap of God. I always thought if I pray to Rama, Krishna, Shivji, or Vishnu, the other Gods will get angry. So, I was always confused about whom to pray to. I wanted a God I could see in front of me, talk to, confide in, and laugh with, who would love me unconditionally however I was, and one who would be my best friend and guide. I wanted my own personal God. The idea of a God somewhere up there in the sky, beyond my reach, was not what I could relate to. As a child I had a disturbed childhood and never knew how it was to be carefree. I was very shy, sensitive, and had the right values but was quiet, scared of everybody and everything and always felt unloved. I wanted to be loved unconditionally and be totally independent—emotionally, mentally, and financially. I thought when I find my God, I won’t need anyone in this world, and no one could hurt me. It was the heartfelt desire of a sensitive child who was badly hurt by the insensitivity and constant comparisons by the people around. In 1989, my father’s German friend Frank introduced me to “The Autobiography of a Yogi” and my spiritual quest began. I had never doubted the existence of God, but I wanted to feel and experience it and find my personal God. My yearning increased. We would visit Shirdi every year. I had some amount of faith in Shirdi Baba but, since I could not see Him or talk to Him, I still wanted something more. In a time of despair baba becomes her true friend  In August 1989, Papa took the whole family to Puttaparthi. Something in that trip had affected me. On returning home I found myself turning to Baba whenever I would pray in the pooja room. In the meantime, all the people I had faith in started letting me down. I could not understand why I was suddenly without a friend in the world, for no fault of mine. I was plunged into the nadir of despair, hopelessness, and diffidence. I did not know whom to turn to. In those young and foolish days, I wanted a soulmate, as I thought that that would be the solution to all my problems and my insecurities, little realizing that my quest would bring me unbearable pain. Baba made me experience and realize that He was the only soulmate I ought to look for, trust and have faith in. Betrayed trust, humiliation, broken friendships, and relationships left me badly mauled, with a mutilated heart and soul, absolutely alone, with no emotional support and no job to sustain myself—I was heading nowhere, had no one to turn to, and there seemed to be no way out. I cried for help from the depths of my being. I did not want to live anymore. Only God could have saved me—and He did. Selected for the Indian Police Service In January 1996 when I went to Puttaparthi I had a number of dreams and was selected for the Indian Police Service the same year. I realized that it was He who got me selected. He had told me in a dream that He was selecting me to protect something. As usual I did not understand what the dream was all about. That was the turning point in my life as I turned to Him completely. Had it not been for Him, I could never have done my National Police Academy training. It was He who made me do the rock climbing, push-ups, sit-ups, rope climbing, back roll, front roll, cross country running, drill, marching, swimming, horse riding—every step of the way, in spite of severe breathing problems, fractures, and bruises. In December 1997, after 8 years He gave me padnamaskar and took away all the pain. He also taught me that forgiveness was important, and I am not my past. I learnt to put my past behind me and understand the role of different people at different stages in my life for my learning and progress, however hard the lessons were. Success comes by Swami’s grace Then came the field training—the initial shock of policing—I saw for the first time the different social values of different people and sections of society. The deceit, lies, crimes, insensitivity, and different interpretations of truth as per convenience. I saw what motivated people to commit crimes, where the subtle line of distinction between right and wrong, good and bad was so thin that people justified every act they committed on various grounds, morality being brushed aside completely. I was also exposed to various methods of policing and control, and I learnt to differentiate between what was right for me and what clearly wasn’t, what I should or should not do, and at the same time while doing my duty how not to judge other people

Continuing the Journey from Me to Myself  An IPS (Indian Police Service) officer of the 1996 batch, Ms. Charu Sinha served in different capacities in the state of Andhra Pradesh. Later, she also went on deputation to the U.N. Peace Keeping Mission in Kosovo for a year. After working as DIG (Deputy Inspector General of Police), Anantapur Range, for almost three years, she was posted as the Secretary, Andhra Pradesh Public Service Commission in Hyderabad (at the time of publishing of this article). In September 2020, she created history becoming the first woman IPS officer to take over as the Inspector General (IG) of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) for the Srinagar sector in Jammu and Kashmir, a highly critical position. The dream DIG job In April 2010 came the day I had been waiting for all my life. I was promoted and posted as DIG (Deputy Inspector General of Police), Anantapur Range! The next day I was asked not to join, as I was politically unacceptable! I prayed to Swami. A few days later, one night at 10 I was told to join by 9 AM the next morning. I rushed and travelled by road the whole night and joined on April 28 at the appointed hour, and immediately after taking office, went in the evening to Puttaparthi for Swami’s blessings. He took the flowers I offered and blessed me with padanamaskar saying, “Very happy, very happy”. My dream of being posted in Anantapur had finally come true, but little did I know that I had been called to witness one of the most important periods in spiritual history.  Then started a series of beautiful interactions and experiences with Swami. Every weekend after work and on every holiday I would go to Puttaparthi from Anantapur. I would wait outside His residence with my heart beating eagerly. And then the door would open and He would come out with a smile. Several times I would tell Him something or ask a particular thing or at other times just be in His presence. Many days I would just watch Him interact with other Godselves (read ‘people’) and derive vicarious pleasure out of the opportunities with Him. I would look at every expression on His face, the way He would smile, acknowledge the devotees, talk to them softly, listen with full attention, the way like little children they would run up to Him when called, or wait for Him literally holding their breath, their reactions, their joy, their overwhelming tears, as if this was the day they had been waiting for all their lives. Each interaction would become a lifetime memory, which the Lord had gifted to them. As days progressed, my spiritual learning, too, progressed through Swami and some of His old devotees. What is the mind, how does it control us, what are the games it plays, how does it create doubt and fear, how does it create lifetime after lifetime, what is the ego, what is the personality that I am, how the mind-body-personality-ego complex does not allow us to be our divine selves and what is the way out? These questions were addressed by Swami. The learning was beautiful, in perfect response to my yearning for the truth. But was I willing to practice this truth every day? Swami kept testing that again and again. And slowly I learnt the most beautiful truth that I am Swami and He is me; there is no separation. I was thrilled the day I learnt this. I was at the ashram and when I went for darshan I waited for Swami thinking, “Thank you Swami for giving me the most beautiful truth my soul has ever known”, and then He came out for darshan and looking straight at me, nodded His head in acknowledgement and said ‘YES!’ Only He and I knew the secret of what was going on in my mind. It was our secret! Swami always said that if we don’t finish every interaction in love, we have to come back again lifetime after lifetime till we learn to finish in love. And the only thing that matters is—how much love we have shared with the whole of creation and not what and how much we have achieved and acquired in life. As a part of wrapping up all my relationships so that I don’t have to come back again and again to finish them with the same people, I was trying to finish every relationship in love, mentally forgiving myself and others. Once when Swami came out of His residence, I asked Him to help me finish an extremely difficult professional relationship, in love. And then since I asked for it, I had it! What followed was like a virtual bomb blast. The whole thing just ruptured. It was probably the most difficult lesson I had to learn. But I did hold onto my lesson and practiced it fervently. Whether I got through or not, only He knows; but then, hasn’t the Lord promised that we only need to make the effort and that He will take care of the results? Several times He asked me about my parents. One other time He told me to come for darshan on a particular day. Once He even discussed the family problems of a home guard at home, a young widow, and gave Vibhuti [sacred ash] for her! Whenever I went to Him with an issue about family or friends, before I even finished talking He would have the exact number of Vibhuti packets in His hands for the number of persons I spoke to Him about. Like a child, I wanted to and several times did discuss every issue that came up in my life and the people around me with my Swami. What a treat to have an issue and go run to the Lord to discuss it! Just being able to talk to the Lord about it was enough. Who was bothered about what ultimately happened! Everything I ever wanted to talk to Him about, share with Him or just tell Him,

From Death’s Cold Hold Whatever science sets its seal upon is believed as truth and the rest is discarded as false by the educated, that is the situation today. When a man of science cannot explain or accept any happening as possible, it is dismissed as either superstition or as impossible. But in medical science (with which I am at present concerned) there is even today a large region that has remained inexplicable. Why some diseases are caused, how they have to be treated, by what means can they be prevented—these are yet not placed beyond conjecture by scientists spending millions of dollars and years of research. There­fore, one is compelled to admit that there is a higher power, all-knowing, all-accomplishing, all merciful, without change and free from blemish, a power that is beyond human understanding: That Higher Power is God. It is beyond the capacity of science to explain It. If this is branded superstition, he who brands it so is ignorant of facts, is unaware of the experience. “An ant cannot bite except under direction of Shiva”, it is said. All movements and happenings in the Universe are prompted by that Almighty Force. The span of human life is no exception. For, have we not read in the Puranas of people who got a new lease of life through grace? It was my good fortune to witness through the grace of Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba the emergence of a patient from the cold hold of death. Last March, from the 9th of the month, during the Shivaratri festival I was privileged to serve in the Sri Sathya Sai Hospital under the direction of Baba. The day after Shivaratri, on the 10th, a “serious case” was brought and admitted into the hospital. His name is, C. Chagan­lal, Proprietor, Damodar Envelope Factory, Madras, a devotee of Baba. He was suffering since some years from cirrhosis of the liver. His age is 58. He is also afflicted with diabetes. He had fallen unconscious on the 10th and was brought in a stretcher to the hospital. On examination, I found that another complication had intervened on the cirrhosis of the liver from which he was suffering. He had developed hepatic coma, a condition which is fatal in almost all such cases. In hepatic coma, the liver, the kidneys, and other organs do not work effectively. So Chaganlal had contracted urine secretion, also. His pulse was beating dangerously fast. He was a long-standing sufferer from high blood pressure. His respiration indicated that he might collapse any moment. He was unconscious in deep coma. The only “treatment” we could give was the administration of two liters of intravenous glucose. When Bhagavan was informed that the patient was in a very critical condition, He smiled and said, “You treat him as best you can; nothing will happen to the patient.” The best we could do at the time and place was the IV Glucose and we did it. But we knew that it was not the treatment at all. The only other treatment we knew of was to sit beside the bed and watch him, praying to Sathya Sai Bhagavan to save him. We found that his condition was becoming worse and worse. Still, Bhagavan’s words, His assurance that `nothing will happen to the patient’ gave us some courage and confidence. We administered him just one specific: the Vibhuti (sacred ash) that He created by the wave of His hand and gave us to be given to Him. At about 2 a.m. on the 11th, I noticed some improvement: the respiration rate improved and became less fast. The patient slowly opened his eyes before sunrise; it appeared that he was slowly recovering from coma. He passed urine. He started swallowing a little of the water that was given. At 8 a.m. on the 12th, respiration became normal, and we heard the patient repeat unto himself in low tones, “Sai Ram, Sai Ram.” At about noon, he started becoming aware of the need to pass urine. By evening, he began recognizing those around him. Very soon, his talk, too, became normal. On the morning of the 13th, he sat on the chair placed in the verandah of the ward. That evening, he came down the Hospital Hill and was able to stand with the group of devotees waiting for a chance to have the darshan of Bhagavan. Chaganlal was born again. He had a new lease of life awarded to him. Chaganlal’s case is a miracle in medical science. Even when the latest drugs that are not easily procurable are administered, it is seldom that a patient comes out alive from hepatic coma. So the recovery of Chaganlal, so dramatic, so sudden, and so complete is certainly due to Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba’s grace, represented by the Vibhuti He created and gave. To question the veracity of His leelas [Divine play] and to try to explain the miracles He works serve but to expose our ignorance. As Baba advises us, let us understand ourselves first. Then we can reach one step nearer to Him. If we perform our duties, if we rid ourselves of lust, anger, greed, attachment, conceit, and hate and if we surrender to the Lord completely, thinking only of Him always at all places under all conditions and circumstances, we secure forever the guardian grace of Sri Sathya Sai Baba. ~Kommareddi Bhaskara Rao, M. B. B. S., Eluru

Turn Him Over to Me The Cowans “Why can’t we know God? If we must have Self‑realization, why don’t we?” wailed the Cowans—Walter and Elsie. “We followed one belief after another; each step gave some little wisdom, but no security, no actual knowing how to reach the Goal. We felt discouraged. We talked it over and made an important decision: Pray loud and sincerely for the Highest Living Master to come and take us to the Goal. We did so; the next day a friend came and gave us a book, the book on the Life of Sathya Sai Baba. We knew our prayers were answered.” Their wish was fulfilled. The Cowans have been visiting Prasanthi Nilayam and Whitefield every year since then; their shrine at Tustin, California, is known to many as the Jasmine Shrine, since the fragrance of jasmine that pervades it is an indication of Bhagavan’s Presence. The Picture in that shrine was mysteriously placed there by Bhagavan, in answer to the prayer of Mrs. Cowan for that particular Picture, which she could not get in India. An eight-rayed star jewel appear­ed on that picture once, for all to see for many days, when the Cowans prayed for some sign that Baba was with them. Vibhuti showers from the pictures of Bhagavan at Tustin even as it does in the homes of count­less devotees in India and elsewhere. Hundreds have seen the shower and returned convinced that Baba is a Divine phenome­non, transcending the laws of science. The Cowans are happy in the lap of Baba’s love. Elsie Cowan writes, “He gives us strength and power. He is compassionate. In time of need, He wraps His grace around us like a very warm blanket, soft and love­ly, to soothe us into a state of bliss. With­out Him, there would be no one to turn to.” The astounding news In April 1972, when the Cowans return­ed from Brindavan to Tustin, Elsie Cowan told the Sai Group, “We have come back from India, my husband and I, brim full of the most astounding news that can happen to anyone. It is so fantastic that many of you may doubt it, because hardly any of us realize the great importance and the tremendous Power of this Great High God, who not only walks the Earth, but cares for all the planes from earth to eternity. Walter died at Madras; Sai Baba resurrected him.” Dr. John Hislop, himself an ardent sa­dhaka [devotee] for many years, who like the Cowans travelled through many gurus to the Pre­sence of the Highest Living Master, was at Madras, Whitefield (Brindavan), and Pra­santhi Nilayam, throughout almost the entire Experience. So Elsie Cowan asked Dr. Hislop to tell the story to the American Sai group. He recorded his narrative on tape with the words, “Walter and you arrived in Madras on December 23, 1971, and came to the building where Sri Baba was holding a conference with some 3000 presidents of His Seva Samitis. Sri Baba at once came to you and gave Walter and you a warm and affectionate greeting. Walter was obviously not feeling well, and ushers provided chairs as soon as you arrived. On the morning of the 25th of December, news spread quickly that an elderly American had a fatal attack of what was thought to be heart trouble and had passed away. My wife and I at once went to your hotel. You confirmed the news. You told us how the attack had felled Walter in the hotel room. You had prayed to Sri Sathya Sai Baba at this most trying moment of your life; but with great self-control and recollection of human mortality, you had ended your prayer with, `Let God’s Will be done’. Mr. and Mrs. Ratan Lal were staying almost next door; you remembered this, and when you called her she came immediately. With her help, you summoned a room boy, and Walter was lifted from the floor to the bed. It was soon evident to you that Walter had indeed passed away from the body. Someone called an ambulance to take Walter to the hospital, but it was your experience that Walter had died in your arms soon after having been lifted from the floor to the bed; and you were so exhausted that you could not accompany the then lifeless body into the ambulance. These events took place in the early morning hours.” Baba visits the hospital Sathya Sai Baba with Walter and Elsie Cowan “At 7 A.M., you had recovered sufficient strength to go with Mrs. Ratan Lal to Sri Baba’s place of residence to tell Him the news and ask for advice and help. (Sri Baba, we learn, told the devotees around Him in Telugu that it would be a great pity if the old lady had to return to the States with the corpse of her husband, after their long longed–for visit to Him. Ed.) Sri Baba said He would visit the Hospital about 10 A.M. At 10 A.M. Mrs. Ratan Lal ac­companied you to the Hospital, but you were told that Sri Baba had already been there and had left just before you arrived. Upon entering the Hospital, you found Walter alive.” “The attending physician of the Hospital is well known to Sri G. K. Damodara Rao, Retired District & Sessions’ Judge. He told the Judge that Walter was indeed dead when he examined him shortly after arrival. There was no sign of life. He said that he pronounced Walter as dead, that his ears and nose were stuffed with cotton, and that Walter was covered with a sheet and moved into an empty room. The doctor had then left the hospital on some professional duty and had missed seeing Sri Baba when Sri Baba was in hospital. When the doctor returned to the hospital, Walter was alive.” “I saw Sri Baba at His place of residence, after He had returned from the Hospital,” continues Dr. Hislop. “He told me and others within hearing that Walter Cowan had died, and that the

My Experiences of the Omnipresence of Sri Sathya Sai Mr. Victor Kanu, J.P., M.A. (Oxfordshire) is former High Commissioner of Sierra Leone, Africa, to Great Britain, with further accreditations to Norway, Denmark, and Sweden. Being an avowed spiritual seeker, he became the first African to be elected as President of the Spiritualist Association of Great Britain; Magistrate in the Inner London Magistrate courts for nine years. He worked for the Education in Human Values program in the United Kingdom. He has authored “Sai Baba: God Incarnate Vol. I and II”. Victor Kanu is also the founder of the Sathya Sai School for Boys in Ndola, Zambia, Africa, which in 2005 received an International Gold Trophy in Paris for quality in terms of leadership, innovation, training, and excellence in education. He held several senior positions in the Sathya Sai International Organizations. He merged at the Lotus Feet on September 3, 2011. Issa Vassyam Idam Sarvam. “All this is enveloped by God. All this is soaked in God, saturated by God. Everything is the substance of God.” Some of the wonders and mysteries of the universe, this marvelous creation of God, were made known to me partly by parents and elders of my country of first domicile, Sierra Leone, and partly by my early teachers and missionaries. The instruction, as might be expected, was contained in legends and stories, music, dance, and folklore in oral transmission of a direct nature, and in quasi-secular and spiritual textbooks. That Sierra Leone is rich both in traditional life and in matters of the spirit cannot be seriously disputed. Yet, despite this richness neither my experiences gained in traditionalism nor those in modernism, as exemplified by Christian education, ever taught me that all that our senses can or cannot perceive is “enveloped by God…. soaked in God…. saturated by God…. is the substance of God.” It was [through] Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba’s coming into my life that I came to learn not only this indisputable and absolute truth but have also, by His Divine grace, become a living witness of the Omnipresence of God. Not even Oxford University where I studied Philosophy, could enlighten me on this all-important subject. Perhaps, it could be argued, though, that my statement is an over-exaggeration. For, surely, Philosophy as taught at Oxford must contain elements of God’s existence and Omnipresence. Even if one were to make a concession to this point, it would still be restrictive and circumscribed within the confines of a particular philosophical school of thought. So, by receiving spiritual enlightenment from Bhagavan Baba, the veil of ignorance and intellectual prejudice have, at the same time, been destroyed—never to return again. Bhagavan Baba is in Africa, a continent that was once described the “dark continent”. How can Africa be dark when He who is Eternal Light has always been present there? Speaking to a section of our London group at an interview in July 1989, Bhagavan Baba pointing to Himself said: “Sai Baba is not this body. Sai Baba is a spirit, I am everywhere.” The evidence of His Omnipresence will not be based on what other people say or have said or what I have read from books on Bhagavan Baba, but rather on my own first-hand personal experiences at different levels of consciousness viz. the working, sleep, and dream states. Personal experiences cannot be underestimated, ridiculed, ignored, or thrown away in preference to teachings only. Baba was present in the pub one evening in December 1974 where He watched me drinking without any limit. No sooner had I gone to bed late that night than He sent two angels to bring me to Prasanthi Nilayam for soul-cleaning. That night I dreamt I was floating in a deep blue and incredibly calm sky with the two young and amazingly handsome boys (angels), one on either side of me. We were floating in silence, eastwards, to a distant land. We began to descend as we approached our destination, until we finally passed through an arch, along a narrow village road where I was left at the Gopuram (above the main wooden entrance that leads to Bhagavan Baba’s Mandir at Prasanthi Nilayam). Here all the nations of the world were assembled, and among them were my ancestors, who spoke to me in Temne (our tribal language). The assembly was solemnly engaged in healing and spiritual teaching. This dream resulted in a profound change in my social habits and mode of thinking. I also became aware of His Omnipresence four years later, on 21st February 1978, in my room at another address. I prayed to God that morning for assistance in my newly acquired gift of spiritual healing, which involved the laying of hands on the sick. I wanted this gift to develop for two reasons: Firstly, for the glory of God, that He may be praised; secondly, for the benefit of mankind. Moments later Bhagavan Baba responded in an enthralling vision, the first vision ever in my life. I had neither prior knowledge of, nor contact with, Bhagavan Baba at that point in time. He was again present at my new address at 50 Longley Road, London SW17, on 3rd February 1980, when after offering ourselves (my wife and I) to Him in prayer as His devotees, and asking Him to give me a sign if He accepted us, He appeared in my dream that night and confirmed His acceptance. He woke me up in a loud clear voice on 15th March 1980 and said: “United Worship”. That command thereafter removed my slothfulness and led me to the habit of rising early for morning prayers. Events leading to our first visit to Bhagavan Baba were other occasions when He demonstrated His Omnipresence. My wife and I could not raise the necessary funds to visit Bhagavan Baba (both fares cost 700 pounds sterling). Reluctantly, we had to withdraw our names when the time for payment was due in mid-May 1980. However, on the first Monday of June, the postman delivered two letters addressed to me at our