Theos-Talk Archives (October 2003 Message tt00201)

Hi
I forgot to include the tale in my last e-mail.
Sorry for that.
Although I pass on the text, it doenīt mean that I believe his claimed avatarhood.
It was written by a devotee, thatīs why the style is so enthusiastic...
I consider it pseudo.
............................................................................................................

Just a change of matter:
Many claim S S Baba to be an avatar, He himself does.
There is an article telling a story of how Sathya Sai Baba discovered or was " enlighted" with this conception of his avatarhood.
It is otherwise a nice tale and has been told to everybody who seeks and researches about his holiness conditions.
Any comments will be welcome.
In peace

Krishtar
........................................................................
The Shirdi Connection

May 23rd 1940. The hamlet of Puttaparthi. A young lad of fourteen, 
with a face radiant with compassion and love, was surrounded by the 
village folk. He was apparently materializing sugar candy.out of 
thin air! His father too, skeptically looked on. This was not the 
first time his Sathya was putting up such a 'show'. Sathya had been 
behaving strangely for quite some time, exhibiting supernatural 
powers. He lectured on sublime spiritual topics, way beyond a boy of 
his age. The father, and in fact, Sathya's entire family was 
perplexed and worried at the same time. That day, the father could 
no longer tolerate this behaviour. He was convinced that his son was 
possessed. May be by some evil spirit. He took hold of a stick and 
demanded, addressing the so-called spirit. "Who are you? Are you 
God, Ghost or Devil?".

"I am SAI BABA" came the reply. 

That was the first time the world was made aware of the Shirdi 
Connection.

Sathya went on "I am Sai Baba of Shirdi. I have taken birth in your 
family because of the prayers of your ancestor Venkavadhootha".

Everyone present was stunned. They hadn't heard anything, either of 
Shirdi or of Sai Baba! 

Someone challenged Sathya "If you are really Sai Baba, show us some 
proof!" Sathya picked up a bunch of jasmine flowers and threw them 
on to the ground. When they fell to the ground, they neatly arranged 
themselves into the words SAI BABA, in the Telugu script. 

With passing days, Sathya only reinforced this revelation.

On October 20th, 1940, at Uravakonda, He came back from school, 
threw his books and declared, "I am no longer your Sathya! I am Sai 
Baba. I do not belong to you. I have my work. My devotees are 
calling me." He walked into the neighbor's garden, sat on a rock and 
gave His first message, to the faithful who had assembled there, in 
the form of a bhajan: Manasa Bhajare Gurucharanam...

A bystander photographed the young Sai Baba sitting on the rock and 
leading the bhajan. The image that was developed had a small statue 
of Shirdi Baba in front of the young Sathya. Nothing strange, except 
for the fact that there was never a statue in front of Sathya in the 
first place! Sathya had reinforced His identity. The world now 
hailed Him as Sathya Sai Baba.

The word soon spread that the Sai Baba of Shirdi had come again, as 
Sai Baba of Puttaparthi. 

Sai Baba born again? At, what's that place... Puttaparthi? Many of 
the Devotees of the Lord of Shirdi were curious. Some came to 
Sathya, in humility and faith, to see and hear their Lord again. 
Others came to challenge this 'young upstart' who claimed to be 
Shridi Sai. They stayed back, as believers. 

Ask Sundaramma, 105 years old, living at Prasanthi Nilayam. Back in 
1910, when she was 13 years old, her husband was working as a 
stationmaster at Manmad. Manmad was just a few hours from Shirdi, 
the abode of Sai Baba. The husband was a devotee of Baba and he, 
along with his wife, went to have the darshan of Shirdi Baba. In 
that trip, Baba called the husband and gave him a silver coin with 
his padukas (feet) embossed on it. He told the husband, 'Worship 
these Feet everyday' (In other words 'Manasa Bhajare Guru 
Charanam'!).

Years rolled by and the husband passed away. In the 1960's when 
Sundaramma was told by one of her friends that Sai baba had 
reincarnated again in the hamlet of Puttaparthi, she wouldn't 
believe it. But her curiosity got the better of her and she came to 
see the young Satya Sai Baba, who claimed to be 'her' Shirdi Baba. 
Quite some days went by and Sundaramma was not convinced that Satya 
Sai could be the same as Shirdi Sai. She remarked to one of her 
friends, who was a devotee "I will never bow down to this Baba. My 
lord is Shirdi Baba alone. I am going to leave this place soon". 
Word reached Swami about Sundaramma's plans. The time had come to 
prove to her, the Shirdi connection. One day, He quietly walked into 
Sundaramma's quarters. She was cooking something. "Sundaramma! Is it 
true that you want leave this place?", He asked. "Yes Swami, I would 
rather go to Shirdi than stay in this godforsaken village!" She was 
still cooking, her eyes not meeting Swami's.

"Do you want to see your Shirdi Baba?", Swami asked.

"I would love to!... But alas! He had taken Samadhi long, long ago", 
said Sundaramma, still facing the other side.

"Do you still want to see your Shirdi Baba?" , Swami persisted.

"But how is that... possible? He is no longer here!", she said 
turning back to see Swami.

And what she saw... opened the floodgates of memories from her early 
years. She couldn't believe it. Yes, He was there: Her Baba from 
Shirdi, in flesh and blood! With tears in her eyes she bowed down to 
His feet. Time stood still... space no longer existed... Shirdi had 
merged with Parthi... only she and her SAI BABA remained!

And she never ever left Prasanthi Nilayam. Even to this day, in her 
feeble voice, she tells the devotees, her marvelous story!

The Chaitanya Jyothi museum, at Puttaparthi, showcases today one of 
the greatest testimonials for the Lord's Shirdi Connection. When 
Swami visited it recently, He was shown a tonga, a horse driven 
cart. What was so special about this tonga? Well, this tonga was 
from Chincholi, a former princely state in South India. When the 
aged Queen of Chincholi met Satya Sai Baba for the first time, Swami 
remarked and described how He had visited Chincholi earlier, while 
in His previous body! This was in fact true! Shirdi Baba had indeed 
made an extra corporeal visit to Chincholi many a time! Swami went 
on to describe the quarters of the palace that He stayed in, the 
personal moments that He had spent with the Raja and the Queen and 
of course, the long drives He had, with the Raja, in the Tonga! The 
accuracy of the details, known only to the Queen, was unbeliveble! 
The evidence was impeccable. Here was the same Baba of Shirdi! The 
Queen was moved, and she presented to Swami, the tonga that He had 
used as Shirdi Sai. This was the very same tonga, which was shown to 
Swami at Chaitanya Jyothi. When Swami saw it, He casually remarked, 
that there used to be a small lantern holder, on side of the tonga, 
which was now missing. It was, as though He rode in it, just 
yesterday! 

On the morning of 15th October 2002, exactly 84 years after Shirdi 
Baba had taken Samadhi, yet another chapter was added to the Shirdi 
connection. On that Vijay Dashami morning, Swami went up the hill, 
adjoining the Vidyagiri stadium. Halfway to the hilltop, between the 
statues of Shiva and Krishna, was a tall statue, draped in silk, 
waiting to be unveiled. Swami pressed a remote controlled button and 
the silk veils fell down, to reveal the beautiful form of Shirdi 
Baba. The statue of His Previous incarnation stands today, amidst 
the 'Grand Gallery of Gods', in the Stadium. 

Whenever Swami refers to the Shirdi Avatar, He says 'Purva 
Sariramulo...' which means 'when I was in the previous body.' The 
statement awakens us to the fact that He is the one who was in 
Shirdi. And that now He has reincarnated in Parthi. But it also 
points to a subtler and more profound truth: He transcends both the 
places. He transcends time. He transcends bodies. For, He is the 
Spirit. The Immortal Spirit, that reincarnates from time to time, 
for the redemption of Humanity.




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