Sai Baba
 

Millions of people in the world today believe that he is the only God to come to Earth in a human body. Millions of people throughout the entire world come to the south of India every year to visit his temple, the ashram Prashanti Nilayam, whose translation means “house of supreme peace”.

Those who have seen him confirm that this young man who happens to be 82 years old is able to create precious jewels, rice, or fruits from thin air, to bring about the rain, to make the wind blow, to cure illness and also bring the dead back to life. Such things are far beyond the current capacity of human comprehension. It is estimated that over 50 million people consider him their spiritual guide. He, however, accepts neither money nor gifts. He lives in extreme simplicity, in one of the rooms of his ashram. Whereas according to Mohammed’s prophecy, “the last twenty years of his life, he will become the king of the world”, according to Shri Sathya Sai Baba, the words of Christ “He who has sent me shall return” precisely apply to him.

People say that he was born, though he would said that he ‘materialized’, on November 23, 1926 in Puttaparthi, a village in the south of India. He was born under the sign of deeply contemplative Scorpio, when the Sun was just a few seconds away from entering the sign of philosophical Sagittarius. This phenomenon was undoubtedly intentional, with the goal of uniting the deep mind of Scorpio with the broad visions of Sagittarius. His ascendant is found in the sign of the eternal explorer of life’s secrets, death and transformation, Scorpio. His Moon, symbol of intuition and the soul, is found in its home, in the sign of intuitive Cancer.

At the moment of his birth, there was a remarkable concentration of planetary energy in the highest point of the sky, around the Ascendant. The Sun, symbol of individuality, embraces Saturn the professor in the sign of mystical Scorpio. Together, both are in close contact with Venus, planet of love, as well as with Mercury, planet of reason, in the sign of spiritually evolved Sagittarius. This indicates strong individuality and reveals that Sai Baba would have a strong influence on humankind through his gentle approach and his spiritual work. Moreover, Neptune, antenna of Universal Love, is near the Zenith, which confirms that Sai Baba is truly charismatic. Pluto, instigator of transformations, is closely linked to the Moon, symbol of the soul, in the house of transformations (8^th). This reveals his great intuition, on the verge of clairvoyance, as well as his capacity for regeneration. Expansive Jupiter is found in the sign of the future, Aquarius. All this indicates a person who is hardly ordinary, a person who would be the antenna of Universal Love, who would take care of humanity and who would announce the arrival of a new age, the age of Aquarius. This will be the age of love, humanism, and spirituality. An age during which humanity would be ready to make contact with other civilizations, worlds, and dimensions.

From the moment of his birth, the life of Sai Baba was marked with mysticism. His parents, Peda and Ishvarama Raji, confirm that before he came into the world, objects in their house would begin humming in the middle of the night, as if someone was playing music with them. For those who believe in the symbolism of numbers, he was the fifth child, which means the child of harmony, particularly if born at dawn. His parents gave him the name of Sathya Narayana. Sathya means “truth” and Narayana means “he who is the dwelling place”. Although it appears he was born to Peda and Ishvarama by chance, chance does not exist in the Universe: as Einstein once said, God does not play with dice. As he needed to be born again, he probably chose his parents specifically so that he could grow up in a very religious family that followed the truth. This is in fact a quicker way to know God and His love.

Thus, very mature and intelligent for his 12 years, Sathya Narayana went to lyceum. However, his fellow students affirm that he already knew more than his teachers and that he had the power to see the past and the future. It is perhaps because of this, or perhaps upon becoming conscious of his mission, that one day in October 1940, Sathya Narayana, just 14 years old, threw his backpack to the ground and told his parents:

“I am no longer your Sathya. I am Sai. I don't belong to you, my devotees are calling me. I have my work, I cannot stay any longer.”

Then, he added that he was the reincarnation of Shirdi Sai Baba, who had lived from 1838 to 1918 in the village of Shirdi, near Bombay. Shirdi Sai Baba preached that all religions were really just one, practically two centuries before the coming of the age of Aquarius. At the end of his life in 1918, he revealed to some of his disciples that he would be born again in Andhra Pradesh, eight years after his death. In fact, Sathya Narayana, who later took the name of Sai Baba, Sai meaning “divine mother” and Baba “divine father”, was born eight years later, in Puttaparthi, in the region of Andhra Pradesh.

Clearly conscious of his mission, he opened his first ashram in Puttaparthi at the age of 18 and devoted himself to spiritual seeking and to the transformation of his physical body until he had reached the feeling of unity with Universal Love. This comes as no surprise if one considers that in his chart, Pluto, symbol of transformation, closely linked to the Moon, symbol of the soul, in the house of transformations (8^th), indicates a person with two possible choices in life. The first choice is to become a jealous being that robbed love from others. The second and more difficult choice is to defeat human urges and weaknesses and transform into an instrument of Universal Love. Neptune, magus of illusions, at the Zenith during the moment of his birth, brought him not only his name change, but also an alternative. The first option is to lie to himself and others, getting lost in the illusions of alcohol and drugs. The second is to open himself to the truth and to again become an antenna of Divine Love.

From an ordinary man’s point of view, whether predestined by the gods or raised in religion, since his childhood he chose the most difficult path, the true path. Nevertheless, there could be no other path if one recognizes that he is the reincarnation of a most perfect soul, an avatar. Thus, at the age of twenty, Sai Baba wrote in a letter to his brothers:

“I act but in the outer world; I talk and move about for the sake of the outer world [...] I act and move only for the sake of mankind. No one can comprehend my glory, whoever he is, whatever his method of inquiry, however long his attempt.”

This is entirely understandable if one understands the nature of an avatar. This is why we try hard to only reveal one side, the human side of his nature, without seeking to discover that which is not visible to human eyes.

However, Sai Baba is conscious that beings in the third dimension (the world as we know it) do not believe in anything that they cannot see, hear, taste or touch. In order to show people how they can develop if they work on themselves, he performs rituals of materialization of different objects, such as rings, necklaces, and other things. From thin air, he materializes the spiritual symbol of India, the holy ash Vibuti, which people say has the power to heal. Although scientists and skeptics from around the world have come to his temple to explain or contradict his powers, they most often cannot discover anything questionable, and they transform into believers.

One of them said: “He is love, who comes to you and pushes you to tears, whether you are tough, strong or not.” And Sai Baba preached:

“There is only one religion, the religion of Love. [...] I answer to whatever name you use. I respond to whatever request you make with a pure heart and a sanctified motive. [...] Then, after having been with me or to have read in connection with me [...] the Christian becomes a better Christian, the Muslim, a better Muslim, and the Hindu, a better Hindu.”

Those who doubt him, warned by the Bible that towards the end of times on Earth the number of false prophets and antichrists would multiply, become followers of Sai Baba after meeting him, for they are conquered by his actions. In fact, Saint John, through the Bible, advised people to recognize false prophets by their actions.

Sai Baba predicted that he will live in his current body until his 95^th year, after which he will be reincarnated a few years after his death, for the third and last time. This last time as Prema Sai Baba in the village of Gunaparthi, in the south of India.

In order to help people to connect to their inner-selves and find God, he had other ashrams built across India, such as in Bombay and in Madras, in addition to the central ashram built about fifty years ago. Lodging and food are free in these places. In the spirit of the humanism and equality that he preaches, he has built hundreds of schools all over India, for all levels of education, where everything is free. Students come to these schools, not just from India but from all over the world. Similarly, the ill come to his ashrams from all over the world.

Sai Baba continues to speak for the unity of all religions:

“Wherever you are,” he says, “do not tolerate religious intolerance! Do not abandon your religion! Nevertheless, do not forget that love and love only is the main motor of life! For this reason, help it to grow from day to day!”

Perhaps does he seem controversial, and perhaps some would explain the miracles he performs to be illusions, but no one can yet explain the unshakable faith that people have in him. This can only be explained by Universal Love and his words:

“My life is My message, expansion is My life,
No season for Love, no reason for Love;
No Birth; No death.”

 

 
 

 
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