We Had The Vision!!!

We Had The Vision!!!

At the age of 14, as a student at the Uravakonda High School, young Sathya was a Divine Child for many and invariably Thursdays would wear special colours with the Little Divine turned up showing what He calls His visiting cards. Along with other devotees, one family, that of Sri Manchiraju Thammiraju, Little Sathya’s teacher at the Uravakonda High School, was immensely blessed by the ‘Little Divine’!

As a boy of fourteen, when Baba was still at the Uravakonda High School, every Thursday evening, between about 4 pm and 8 pm, He became Shirdi Sai Baba and gave Darshan to hundreds of devotees and answered their prayers. I was a teacher in the High School then and I too took advantage of those Thurs­days. “My Student” Sathya used to take even then as He does now, Vibhuti        by a wave of ‘His’ hand! My 22 year old daughter had died sometime previously and my wife was in great distress. Sathya used to come to my residence and give her long discourses on the problem of Life and Death, and, thanks to His wise ministration, she became normal soon, His words full of Prema pacified the agitations of her mind, and restored her devotion to the Lord. On the second Thursday that she offered worship He gave her “The Vibhuti” and said, “Ammayi! I appreciate your Bhakti; I Am pleased; next week, come, I shall give you a gift.”

That day, He asked her to rise from His Feet when she prostrated. He said, “Ammayi! I Am giving you a piece of the gerua I wore when  I entered Samadhi at Shirdi for the last time” and closing ‘His’ Palm for an instant, He opened it to show us a piece of cloth, 4 inches square.

“Take this and do Puja to My Name; come next week, I shall give you something more.” He said and sent us away, in great joy, for, while we took leave, He added: “Be happy henceforth for, I shall carry all your burdens for you.”

The next Thursday, we both went to Him and did namaskar. That day He closed His Palm and when He opened It, there had materialised a quantity of akshatha or rice grains. “Tie this in the cloth given last week and worship it.  You will get mental quiet,” He blessed. You will not have any cause for grief; I Am conferring on you full Bhakti.”

The 5th Thursday, too, another miracle hap­pened. He told my wife, “Ammayi! Keep a Peetha in your house, in the Puja Room, and I shall be giving you Darshan there itself,” and       He made us do it immediately.

We have all read how Krishna with His Brother Balarama went to the house of Arjuna and granted darshan to him and his consort and also showered blessings on them. This Sathya Sai too, who is the same Krishna and the same Shirdi Sai came to the house of this poor bhakta and blessed us with a vision of His Mahima; we can never forget the ex­quisite thrill of that experience. He came on two consecutive days, the Krishna Janmashtami and the Rohini Day. The wonderful experiences of those days have been described by my wife in a poem published over her name Kamesvaramma in the “Sai Sudha” of April 1944 printed by the All India Sai Samaj, Madras. I have also put them in verse and included it in the “Sainatha Sathakam” I published as a separate book in 1944.

He came and sat on the Peetha in the Puja room and asked us to come in and sit by His side; He then asked us whether we did not desire to see the various leelas of His preceding Incarnations. When we welcomed the idea enthusiastically, He agreed to show them to us and all the family collected around. He ordered us to watch Him and, (Would you believe it? You may not, until you yourself experience the same or similar miracles of Baba) we were thrilled by the Form of Narayana on the Ocean of Milk, reclining on the Vatapathra. We heard only word after word, announcing the next Form. The forms changed from one surprise to another in quick succession. We were given enough time to imbibe the beauty and splendour of each form and to be struck by the instantaneous power of Baba’s san­kalpa! And where was Baba, our Sathya, all the time? He became Gajendra raising his trunk to greet Vishnu on the horizon, Krishna the cowherd boy leaning on a tree and playing the flute, Gopala on the awe-inspir­ing Kalinga serpent, Radha-Krishna, Lakshmi-Nara­yana, Parvati-Parameswara and Saraswati-Brahma too; then , we saw Him as Sita-Rama and lo! we heard the name Sathyabhama and saw Her; we were blessed by a vision at Baba’s invisible call, of Mohini, the form that Vishnu once assumed, of Prahlada yearning for Narayana, and immediately thereafter, of Narasimha killing Hiranyakasipu, also of Vamana, Parasurama, and Buddha too; Baba showed us the killing of Sisupala, Saindhava, and of the Rakshasas, there was the scene of the Lord bringing the parijatha Flowers; the picture then changed to one of Pandu­ranga and then Narada and his ecstatic praise of the Lord; the next one was of Navanithachora, the Balakrishna stealing butter; and after that, the killing of Abhimanyu by the wicked Kaurava chiefs and, last, there was the magnificent Murthi of Shirdi Baba Himself! How can we ever forget those shining Forms, so full of vitality and life, that glowed before our eyes on those two sacred days?

II Samastha Lokah Sukhino Bhavantu II

We Had The Vision – A Sacred Experience of Inner Awakening

We Had The Vision is a title filled with devotion, wonder, and spiritual meaning. A vision is not always something seen only with the physical eyes. Sometimes it is felt deep within the heart as peace, faith, clarity, or a sudden awareness of divine presence. Such moments become unforgettable because they lift the mind above ordinary worries and remind the soul that life has a higher purpose.

Many people live surrounded by duties, desires, and difficulties. The mind becomes busy with work, family, money, health, relationships, and future plans. In this rush, the inner world often becomes neglected. But when grace touches the heart, even for a short moment, life begins to look different. What once felt heavy becomes lighter, and what once felt confusing begins to carry meaning.

We Had The Vision suggests a moment when the veil of ordinary thinking was lifted. It may have been a sacred glimpse, a divine dream, a deep experience during prayer, or a powerful feeling in the presence of a holy master. Whatever form it took, the real value of such a vision lies in the transformation it brings afterward.

A true vision does not make a person proud. It makes the heart humble. If someone feels spiritually superior after an experience, then the ego has entered quietly. But if the experience makes the person kinder, more truthful, more patient, and more devoted, then it has served its sacred purpose. Divine experiences are not given for display; they are given for inner growth.

We Had The Vision also reminds us that the Divine communicates in many ways. Some people receive guidance through silence, some through dreams, some through a saint’s words, and some through sudden inner strength during sorrow. God’s language is not limited to sound. Grace can speak through timing, intuition, compassion, and the quiet voice of conscience.

The beauty of a spiritual vision is that it often arrives when the heart is ready. It may come after longing, prayer, suffering, surrender, or selfless service. The mind may not understand why it happened at that exact moment, but the soul recognizes its sweetness. Such experiences become like lamps kept safely inside the heart, lighting the path during darker days.

We Had The Vision should not be treated only as a memory to be admired. It should become a responsibility. If the Divine has allowed us to feel something sacred, then our life should reflect gratitude. Our speech should become gentler, our actions more honest, and our attitude more compassionate. A blessed experience must become a blessed way of living.

Sometimes people desire visions because they want proof. They want to see something extraordinary before they believe. But spiritual life teaches that purity is greater than curiosity. The seeker should not chase experiences like possessions. Instead, he should prepare the heart through love, prayer, discipline, and service. When the heart becomes pure, whatever is needed will come by divine will.

We Had The Vision can also mean that we understood the deeper truth of life. We saw that the body is temporary, but the soul is eternal. We saw that wealth and status cannot give lasting peace. We saw that love is higher than ego and service is higher than selfishness. Such understanding is also a vision, because it changes the way we see everything.

A sacred vision may last only a few seconds, but its effect can last a lifetime. A single moment of divine nearness can give courage during years of struggle. A peaceful feeling in prayer can return again and again as inner strength. A memory of grace can stop a person from falling into despair. This is why devotees treasure these experiences quietly.

However, one must also remain balanced. Every vision should be tested by its fruit. Does it make us more loving? Does it reduce anger? Does it increase faith and humility? Does it inspire service? If yes, then it is guiding us in the right direction. If it increases pride, confusion, or attachment to special status, then we must return to simplicity and prayer.

We Had The Vision finally points toward the greatest vision of all: seeing the Divine in every being. It is beautiful to see God in a temple, dream, picture, or sacred place, but the higher vision is to see God in the hungry, the lonely, the elderly, the child, the stranger, and even the person who challenges our patience. This vision makes life itself holy.

In the end, a spiritual vision is not an ending; it is a beginning. It invites us to live more carefully, love more deeply, and serve more sincerely. When grace opens the inner eye, we realize that the Divine was never far away. He was present in silence, in faith, in compassion, and in every sincere movement of the heart. The true vision is fulfilled when our life becomes a reflection of that divine light.

“Tell Me! Do you believe in Swami or not?”