Advice i Discarded

“Go slowly on Sai Baba, because people here are very Catholic,” I was advised, upon arriving in Mexico City after an absence of eight years to conduct a Sai Baba Seminar. Luckily i didn’t follow this advice, as the two public lectures i gave on Bhagavan were received with unexpected enthusiasm by the audience in the crowded hall.

Before showing the film about Sai Baba i introduced Kamala Devi, whose husband is with the Indian Embassy. As a devotee of Bhagavan, she was the only person who could testify to the truth of what i was saying. Her story, which i translated into Spanish, greatly moved the audience.

In an interview, Bhagavan told her not to worry about her son. “I just saved his life,” He added. Unsure of what He meant, Kamala Devi returned to Delhi, to learn that her son had almost been killed by a shot‑put when he was standing on the sports field. The metal ball was about to strike his head when someone pulled him away. The ball landed on his foot. The injury was not serious, though he was hospitalized.

According to all the witnesses, the boy was standing all alone. He himself did not step aside, for he had no knowledge of the ball coming in his direction. He had been forcibly pulled away quite suddenly.

The boy’s heart was filled with gratitude and devotion when Kamala Devi told him that, in an interview, Baba had said he had saved his life. The son’s faith was further strengthened after he saw Bhagavan cure a paralyzed boy during His visit to Jaipur [a city in India].

Since most of my 300 students [from the workshop] had seen the film and heard about Bhagavan from us, they wanted to touch the japamala (rosary with 108 beads used for reciting the Lord’s name) He had given me and/or get a mantra. We set up an improvised altar in the corner, near the platform, with candles, agarbatti [incense] and flowers surrounding Bhagavan’s picture. At His feet i placed the pearl japamala that He had given me for healing the sick, to allow people to use it. Kneeling down, they reverently kissed it; a few crossed themselves at the end of their prayers to “Mataji’s God”—as they called Him.

Belief in Baba swept the entire seminar when several students later reported the miraculous healings by the mala and the vibhuti [sacred ash], one from a chronic headache, another from an excruciating back‑pain, a third from a nervous tick and eye trouble, and so on.

Everyone became eager to hear more about Bhagavan. Thus, they learned not only of the miracles of the japamala, the ring, and the vibhuti‑filled kamandalu [box] that never became empty (as Baba assured me when Heplaced it in my hands), but also about many other miraculous happenings at our Yoga Center in Tecate, including the flood and the fire that had occurred in the house, both of which were stopped by Bhagavan.

A miracle took place on the last day of our October seminar. A young man dropped in while we were saying our goodbyes. Seeing that we were all busy, he walked into `Baba’s room’ and sat down to meditate in front of Bhagavan’s photo, which started producing vibhuti three years ago.

After a while, someone came in silently from behind him, put both his hands upon his head, and left through the door on the side, permitting the young man to see the stranger clearly. A few minutes later, a group of students from the seminar walked in and switched on the electricity.

“Does He stay here?” asked the young man, pointing to Bhagavan’s pictures, hanging on all the walls. Learning that Sai Baba was in India and had never been here, at least in His physical form, the youth could not believe his ears. “But he was here, only a few minutes ago; he put his hands on my head, which made me feel so very good and then he went out through the door on my right, passing so close to me that I could see his handsome features, dark skin, the crown of black hair, and long orange gown. Is there someone here who resembles him?” “No. There is no one like Him here,” they answered in utter bewilderment.

Then they told him who Sai Baba was. Quite shaken by the experience, the young man asked me for a mantra; he was still unable to explain all that had happened.

“Why didn’t Baba come to me?” enviously asked some of the student devotees. “I would give anything to see Him that way.” “Wait a little longer for your turn,” an old‑timer assured, and your wish may be fulfilled. He has been seen here, in this room, by many. His presence is often acutely felt during meditation.”

Hearing this story, my Mexican class was glad to learn that one doesn’t necessarily have to be a `long‑time devotee’ in order to obtain Bhagavan’s grace.

I also told them about how we were once driving from Anantapur (city in India) to Prasanthi Nilayam (Sai Baba’s ashram in southern India). Bhagavan had left a few minutes earlier. We were driving on a long lonely road far away from any village when our taxi stopped suddenly; the fan‑belt had broken and we could not continue the journey. “Bhagavan! We are in trouble,” i said. No sooner had i spoken those words than a car appeared. The driver stopped to inquire what the trouble was.

When our driver explained the situation, the man pulled out a brand new fan belt and gave it to him; we were speechless. “Do people here always travel with a spare fan‑belt?” asked a surprised American woman. I replied, “Did you ever carry one? Or heard of any one who did?”

When we finally arrived at the Nilayam, bhajans (devotional songs) had already started and we sat down outside the temple. As soon as Bhagavan came out, He walked straight to me and asked what the delay was about. “We had car trouble,” i answered. “Yes… Yes. I know… the fan belt.”

The farewells on the last day of the seminar  are hard to describe—kisses, flowers, tears, requests for a swift return—all mixed in one emotional good‑bye scene. i was almost choked by the japamala, which was being pulled from my neck by people who wanted to touch it or press it against their lips, while i was sitting on the floor autographing books.

“Didn’t you tell me, i should go slowly on Sai Baba?” i asked the couple who had suggested this upon my arrival. They only shook their heads, witnessing all that was going on.

“You won, Mataji, they said.” Not me, Baba did,” was all i could say.

Jai Bhagavan!

~Indra Devi, Tecate, Mexico
Source: Sanathana Sarathi, March 1974