God Never Changes
I love miracles and I love to witness them. They make me feel happy. In the presence of a miracle, it seems there is nothing impossible for God in this world. When I see or hear of a miracle, I feel God is near at hand.
God can perform miracles; the rest of us can at best produce magic, which is only delicious impermanent illusion. Bhagavan’s miracles have enduring value; they create faith and hope to live by. If the universe is dominated by a divine spirit that is all love, truth, and joy then miracles that are all love, truth, and joy are also possible. When that spirit descends into flesh, and incarnates as the Avatar, that miracle itself would make further miracles a reality.
Throughout all the miraculous stories of Bhagavan, there is the unmistakable, positive note of His Divine authority. He takes upon Himself the pain and illness of sincere devotees who call out to Him in despair and then He seems to suffer it. But He is as great in His suffering for others as He is oblivious and majestic in supreme unconcern about Himself. He has to be His own healer; with one part He heals that part of His body that had gone numb with paralysis.
In India, miracles always follow in the footsteps of divine incarnations. The pages of the Ramayana and Mahabharata [two great Hindu epics] and the Bhagavatam [stories of Krishna] will bear eloquent testimony to the innumerable miracles wrought by the Avatars as object lessons for humanity. Consider the perfect example of a human television set [Sanjaya], who relayed the happenings on the battlefield of Kurukshetra to King Dhritarashtra [ruler of Hastinapura in the Mahabharata]. Krishna Dwaipayana endowed Sanjaya [Dhritarashtra’s charioteer] with clairvoyance and clairaudience, so that He could not only see what was happening on the battlefield, but could also hear what the heroes were saying. Sanjaya related the conversations between Lord Krishna and Arjuna including the immortal Bhagavad Gita [celestial song of God]. In an incident from the Bhagavatam, Narasimha, an incarnation of Vishnu emerged from a stone pillar, killed the demon Hiranyakashipu, and saved His devotee, Prahlada.
As we grow in knowledge of, and love for Bhagavan Sathya Sai Baba, we grow in the understanding of His miracles. They are meant to emphasize the supremacy of the Divine over nature, the power of spirit over matter. Bhagavan has come to uplift us spiritually, to save us from our misdeeds. He has come to convince us of the existence of God and His kingdom of righteousness. He showers blessings to heal us of bodily infirmity. He has come not only to heal the body but also to heal the heart that is sick, a far harder task. He has come to help save us from our own folly, from the powers of darkness and ignorance. Some people think that mere prayers and faith can perform miracles. But only the Divine Spirit of God can manifest miracles.
There is another aspect to Bhagavan’s miracles that has not received proper emphasis. I refer to the way He burns away the dross to evolve the pure personality. For example, how Baba convinced Kalpagiri, a murderer, to go to the police and surrender himself, confess His guilt and undergo the sentence. Baba said to him, ‘Go, confess, and undergo cheerfully whatever punishment they give you. You will not be hanged. I promise you that your neck shall wear a japamala [prayer beads] that I shall myself put round it. Come to me after the sentence is over.’ He drove Kalpagiri to atone for his evil deed. He went to the police and surrendered himself, confessed His guilt, was tried for murder, and sentenced to death in due course of law. Bhagavan’s assurance became a reality when the President intervened with His prerogative of mercy. Kalpagiri’s life was saved.
Once again the verse of the Gita has come to life “My devotees can never perish.” The Lord was as true when He uttered that on the battlefield of Kurukshetra in the past, as He is today. Then it was Lord Krishna who held out that assurance. Today it is Sathya Sai Bhagavan. God never changes.
~A. K. Das, Bar-at-Law
Source: Sanathana Sarathi, July 1969
