“Your belief is not wrong; keep it up!”
Thursday, October 4th, 2012
However high a bird may soar, it has sooner or later to perch on a tree top, to enjoy quiet. So too a day will come when even the most haughty, the most wilful, the most unbelieving, even those who assert that there is no joy or peace in the contemplation of the Highest Self, will have to pray: “God grant me peace, grant me consolation, strength and joy.” The experience of B. P. Kombrabail who denounced Bhagawan’s Divinity has a parallel to the above saying of Bhagawan, where Bhagawan Himself showed Him up to prove Who He is and how He had been serving and saving him all along. Extracted from Sanathana Sarathi archivals.
The glory of Baba was, for years a fairytale for me. My wife was an ardent devotee and believed in His Divinity with her entire heart. But, she was not free to worship Him in my house, since I had no faith in Him. I did not allow her to keep His photograph or even the Vibhuti given by Him, in my house. Whenever I saw His picture or that of the Sai Baba of Shirdi, I used to tear it and throw the pieces out of the window.
During the month of May, 1960, I fell seriously ill and was bedridden for about 60 days. One day, my wife summoned enough courage to apply the Vibhuti given by Baba on my forehead and to put a pinch on my tongue! I resented her action and told her, “I cannot believe that your Baba is an incarnation of God or of any Saint. If He is really so, why does He not make me believe in Him?”
Years rolled on. My wife was sad, because she could not worship Baba in freedom, as she liked. She used to keep His Photograph in her jewel box and worship it whenever she could seize the chance. She knew that I was not interested in her personal belongings. Baba’s picture was safe from me, there.
In May 1963, I fainted all of a sudden while in my office! I was removed to the hospital. My condition was declared bad and my wife was permitted to stay near my bed, for the night. Around midnight, my wife saw a vision of Sai Baba of Shirdi. He told her, “Your husband will not die. Don’t weep in vain.” He then became Sri Sathya Sai Baba and vanished. My wife woke up in astonishment and awakened me and related to me this incident. I brushed her story aside, saying, “This is but the reflex action of your own subconscious cravings and desires. I cannot believe that Baba personally came to this hospital to bless.” A few minutes passed. It was around 1 o’ clock. I saw a strange face, the head with a thick growth of hair like a lion, clad in a long red gown, standing before me, with the right palm raised in a blessing gesture. I heard Him say, “Your belief is not wrong; keep it up!”
The vision vanished suddenly. I fell fast asleep. In the morning hours, I started worrying who granted me that vision, and why He said that my belief was not wrong! I could not get the answer. When my wife awoke from sleep, I asked her to show me the photograph she was carrying in her purse. She replied that she had no picture with her. I assured her that I will not tear it to pieces. I only wanted to confirm whether the face I saw in the vision was that of Baba. Then, she produced the small photo of Baba in the blessing posture. My illness was beyond all the doctors of Bombay. I used to faint, suddenly, at all odd moments, in all sorts of odd places. One peculiar circumstance aroused my curiosity: Whenever I fainted, I recovered without any help from outside and I was saved miraculously. When I fainted in the busy Queen’s Road, opposite Churchgate Station, there was a long traffic block at both ends and the road was free from vehicular traffic. When I fainted while entraining or detraining the Bombay Suburban Electrical Locals, I used to feel someone pushing me back into the coach, and I carried safely on.
In March 1965, my daughter was admitted into hospital for suspected Thrombophlebitis. It was the same hospital, where I had the Vision, and the same cabin. After pathological investigation and long deliberation, the doctors decided that she must be operated on, to examine one of the glands on her thigh. The day and the hour came; my wife opened the handbag and took a quantity of Vibhuti granted by Baba; she smeared it over her daughter’s leg, with all the faith she had. The patient was removed to the theatre; the surgeons could not find anything wrong; the Chief Surgeon was immediately consulted; on his revised advice, the operation was cancelled and the patient was discharged.
I attended the Birthday Celebrations at Puttaparthi in 1966. I was blessed by Baba, during the interview. Since then I have had not a trace of fainting or giddiness. I can boldly assert, I am perfectly healthy. I am just one among the countless millions who have been blessed by Him and led on to the path of glory, by His omnipresent Grace. May His blessings be shared by all, for all time to come.
Posted in Sai Spiritual Showers |
