How I Came To Sai Baba
Thursday, June 16th, 2016
“Daddy, we call ourselves Christians, so why do we bow to Sai Baba?” “You are right Richmond”, “but how about finding a little about Him, then we can decide to pull out or throw in our lot with Him” … Dr Victor Krishna Kanu writes about his coming into the ‘fold’ of Bhagawan, extracted from his book “Sathya Sai Baba – God Incarnate”.
I was escorted to Swami by three conspirators: a terrible eye-trouble for which there is no known medical cure, frustration arising from the loss of all prospects of becoming a university don (university teacher) and craving for knowledge about the paranormal. At the end of our first bhajan, which was severely oriental and therefore thoroughly unfamiliar and uninspiring, little Richmond remarked, “Daddy, we call ourselves Christians, so why do we bow to Sai Baba?” “You are right Richmond” I replied. “But how about finding a little about Him, then we can decide to pull out or throw in our lot with Him,” I added.
Our friend, who introduced us to the bhajan group in Sekondi, Ghana, readily obliged with a copy of “Sai Baba Avatar”. Since I could not read it was little Richmond who picked up the book and started reading. Not long after he came rushing to me exclaiming, “Daddy, Daddy, this man is wonderful. This man must be God.” I became interested and little Richmond avidly read to me from the book. Both of us were caught by the “Sai Baba fever”. It was the Christ-like miracles, performed by Sai Baba, that so much overwhelmed us.
Soon after joining the bhajan group our leader complained to me about the difficulty of procuring flowers for worship. He sometimes had to buy them. I readily offered to help. During the lean season, little Richmond and I had to cover a distance of about five miles, collecting flowers. We were really filled with the zeal to serve. Nearly every moment, outside meal times and sleep, were spent searching the scriptures on Swami. This must have won for me the loving heart of Sai Baba.
I began to see a flowing yellow gown with a reddish tinge. Neither the head nor the feet of Him who wore the gown was visible. Naturally, I became worried. I thought I should consult my doctor the next day. Somehow I decided to complain first to my friend who introduced us to the bhajan group. He showed joy on listening to me. He had read a bit on psychic phenomena. It was he who diagnosed my condition first and put me at ease.
In spite of this I continued to yearn to see the face and feet of Him that wore the gown. One afternoon, as I was pacing up and down in my classroom a thought flashed up through my mind. Look up! it demanded. There, in mid-air was the sweetly smiling face of a “lady” – a smashing beauty with a crown of pitch-black hair on His head, positioned in an area of several tiny lights of different colours. It was Sai Baba.
II Samastha Lokah Sukhino Bhavantu II
Posted in Reflections |
