A Visitor:
It would be of interest if Baba would do a large creation.
Sai:
Since Swami has taken a body, He has imposed certain proper limitations on himself. Swami
has created idols of gold, and could just as easily create a mountain of gold.
H:
Swami, people are thinking that after His 60th birthday, Bhagavan Baba will step away from
contact with the world and that His devotees
will no longer have access to Him.
Sai:
No, not at all. Sai is not separating from the world, nor will He separate from His
devotees. The course of an Avathar goes invariably through the same stages. It is the
same for every Avathar at all times. The first 16 years are characterised by constant
leelas, then leelas and teaching up to age 45. >From age 45 to 60 the emphasis is
almost wholly on teaching. At age 60 there is a very big change. (J.Hislop.
Conversations with Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, SSSB&PT, India, ch.XXVIII, p.91,
edition after 1995)
What
is the most surprising is that in the first Russian edition there is a third version of
this passage. Instead of an idea of a big change that will take place at 60, it says about
a restricted access to his devotees.
Sai:
<...> In Baba’s life until 16 there were lilas, divine sports, from 16 till 35
“miracles”, from 35 till 60 - teaching and “miracles”, after 60 He
will not be available to public. (translated back from Russian) (J. Hislop.
Conversations with Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, SSSB&PT, India, ch.XXX?)
It
seems that this version was the original one which was later corrected. I could not find
an English version of this original and would be grateful to the concerned reader if
he/she could supply me with the proper English quotation. The idea of a restricted access
to Sai Baba after his 60th birthday was widely known to devotees, so many of them rushed
to Prasanthi Nilayam in November 1985, ensuring a huge gathering for this important event.
Going
back to a very big change, it is not quite clear from the text what kind of change it
would be and whether it would concern only Sai Baba personally, his relationships with
devotees, the Sai Organisation or even a global situation. The last should have been quite
probable because Sai Baba had proclaimed he had come to save the whole world. Anyway,
“a very big change” could not happen without being acknowledged by people in
general, and first of all, by his devotees. It is a bit confusing however, that the time
periods given in these two texts are different.
Looking
for the evidences of a predicted big change I have come across the following words of J.
Hislop in his book “Seeking Divinity”:
Swami
told me a couple of years ago that the sixtieth birthday would mark a big change in the
life of the Avatar. He says that every move made by the Avatar is predetermined. Although
it appears to us to be accidental and transient, yet everything is predetermined. He said
every Avatar passes through the same stages, the same changes. At age sixteen, age
thirty-two, age forty-eight, and sixty, and so on. But sixty is a point of a major change.
He said that as a great wind comes up at harvest time and blows away the chaff and the
dried wheat kernels and leaves only the solid, healthy kernel; in like manner, a great
wind is arising now and will sweep away many, many devotees. Only the firm kernels will be
left. So if you are left, you are a firm kernel. (talk on 4.02.1986. San Diego.
California. J. Hislop. Seeking Divinity. SSSB&PT, p.15)
As
Hislop said this after the 60th birthday of Sai Baba it looks as if the prediction was
interpreted in regard to the events that had happened, and Sai Baba’s words got a
different meaning. Now the change relates not to the Avatar’s life but to the lives
of his devotees. Sai Baba arranges a global examination for his devotees, and the number
of his devotees is going to diminish after that. Unfortunately, the Sai Organisation does
not publish any statistics concerning a number of its members, so it is impossible to
present any official data about the change of the membership for this period. It is worthy
to note that the time stages in the last quotation differ from those given in the previous
two versions.
The
60th birthday celebrations took place in Prashanthi Nilayam alongside the 4th World
Conference and the 11th All-India Conference of the Sai Organisation in 1985. So it is
quite natural to suppose that an expected change would impact the Sai Organisation’s
activities.
Some
statements of Sai Baba during the years before 1985 may be considered as indirect evidence
that some significant change was expected during (or after) the 60th birthday. The
following words of Sai Baba which were said at his birthday on 23rd November 1982 can be
an example:
Embodiments
of the Divine Athma, you may not be able to see it, but it is clear before my eyes. As
days pass, even those who are now not able to recognise the truth of Swami will have to
approach with tears of repentance and experience Me. Very soon, this will be worldwide.
Swami is now restraining this development. When once it is allowed to manifest, the whole
world will be transformed into Prashanthi Nilayam. (23.11. 1982. Sathya Sai Speaks
v. XV, p.313)
Other
examples can be found in J. Hislop’s book “Conversations with Bhagavan Sri
Sathya Sai Baba”, SSSB&PT, India, ch.XI, p.39; ch.XXXIV, p.111, edition after
1995.
At
that time (i.e. November 1982) in Prashanthi Nilayam the 10th All-India Conference of the
Sai Organisation was held. The Conference adopted a programme of “Ceiling on
Desires” which was aimed at increasing the devotees’ control of desires and
using saved resources (i.e. money, time, etc.) for the programmes of service to the needy
people.
At
this Conference Sai Baba addressed his devotees and appealed to start a new unprecedented
project to help Indian villages.
On
this birthday I have only one desire. I am desiring this only to promote your ananda. You
are planning programmes for the coming 60th Birthday. Even before the 60th Birthday, you
must adopt at least 6000 villages and improve them through proper means into ideal
villages. (23.11.1982. Sathya Sai Speaks v. XV, p.310)
What
really happened during the 60th birthday of Sai Baba that might be considered as a
“very big change”? Let us look for some evidence of this expected change in Sai
Baba’s discourse delivered on 23rd November 1985 on the day of his 60th birthday and
during the period of work of the 4th World and the 11th All-India Conferences of the Sai
Organisation.
Sai
Baba began his discourse with poetical introduction where he confirmed his status of the
Lord of all the worlds. Among other things Sai Baba mentioned that some people left him
but that would not influence his mission. He described quite clearly the motives of those
people:
Those
who have left have done so, not because they do not like me, but because they did not get
from me what they desired. Or, they could not receive here the status and respect
available in the outer world. When they are questioned, they invent other reasons to
explain their conduct. (23.11.1985. Sathya Sai Speaks v. XVIII, p.160)
Then
he emphasized his outstanding moral qualities:
No
one, in fact, has the right or reason to point a finger at any blot in me. My total
selflessness, my compassionate heart full of eagerness to serve and save, my resolve to
establish peace and prosperity, my determination to shower Ananda on the world - these are
being manifested more and more from day to day, and I am at all times in immeasurable
Ananda. (23.11.1985. Sathya Sai Speaks v. XVIII, p.161)
Then
he made comments about the “Ceiling on Desires” programme and said that the idea
of this programme was not properly understood by his devotees.
The
message of placing a ceiling on desires and utilising the money thus saved into a fund was
to use the money for social service among the villages, for the poor and the illiterate.
But the underlying principle was generally neglected. What was offered to the fund was not
saving derived by desisting from desires. The old, deleterious habits were not given up.
Smoking, drinking, etc., continue undiminished. The object of the programme was to put a
brake on harmful desires and not the collection of money. (23.11.1985. Sathya Sai
Speaks v. XVIII, p.162)
In
regard to the project of adoption of 6000 Indian villages he appealed not to be involved
in fund-raising activities and promised that his Divine will would provide the necessary
spontaneous inflow of funds.
He
mentioned also that due to the devotion of his followers and his Divine Grace a natural
calamity in southern India did not happen.
To
the end of his discourse Sai Baba announced that from that day he started testing of his
devotees. This test would be like winnowing chaff from kernels. Those who would pass this
test successfully would be considered as “real humans”.
As
part of the sixtieth Birthday Celebrations, I am prescribing a test which you have to
accept. When you undergo it and emerge victorious, you can be pronounced as real humans.
The farmer ploughs the field, sows the seed and watches the crop grow, until the grain is
harvested. The next process is winnowing. The light chaff will then be carried away by the
wind and the hard grain will stay. I shall start winnowing from now; the test will remove
the chaff. (23.11.1985. Sathya Sai Speaks v. XVIII, p.166)
It
is not quite clear what kind of testing Sai Baba’s devotees would face. J. Hislop
interpreted that test as some serious problems of health which would check firmness of
devotees’ faith in Bhagavan Baba. (talk on 4.02.1986. San Diego. California. J.
Hislop. Seeking Divinity. SSSB&PT, p.14). A careful reader has probably noted the fact
that Sai Baba announced the test after some people had already left him.
Sai
Baba finished his discourse with the words that, obviously, nobody could expect:
A
misgiving has spread, and it is causing confusion in people’s minds, that after the
sixtieth birthday, Swami will not be available and that there will occur a change in
Swami. Mine is not a changing nature. I will never be distant from devotees. I will be
available to devotees more and more from now. Sathya Sai is Sathya (Truth). How can Truth
change? So, give up all such guesses and imaginations and engage yourselves in the service
of your fellowmen. (23.11.1985. Sathya Sai Speaks v. XVIII, p.167)
Conclusion
This
article has appeared as a result of researching in the history of the Sai Organisation.
The materials that are given in this article, of course, sound differently to those who
believe in Sai Baba as in his/her Master and for those who consider themselves as
ex-devotees. However, as this material is based on facts, it should be significant for all
those to whom truth is much dearer than their own likes and dislikes. I have deliberately
tried to restrain from evaluation of the facts presented in this article. Every person can
evaluate them according to his/her values and belief system. Nevertheless, I feel
responsible to make some conclusions which are logical inferences from presented facts.
This
case of the cancellation of the predicted change makes one be very careful and rather
skeptical in regard to other of Sai Baba’s predictions. For many devotees this turn
of events might be just another example of absolute freedom of God even in regard to his
own words. Sai Baba’s devotees like mentioning a famous Sai Baba’s saying:
“love my uncertainty”. Many devotees have no doubts that Sai Baba has absolute
knowledge of all (i.e. omniscience), never makes any mistakes, and believe that nothing
can hamper realisation of his goals. However, taking into account his
“uncertainty” we have to accept that his words can’t have a high prognostic
value, one cannot rely on them with 100% guarantee.
Some
extra information about other unkept promises and unfulfilled predictions can be found on
site http://www.exbaba.com, English section, button “news”:
September 2, The “Golden Age” of Sai.
Appendix
During
the years following the 60th birthday celebrations some significant events have taken
place in the life of the Sai Organisation, which can hardly be evaluated as progress. So,
in 1987 the World Council, then probably the supreme collective body of the Sai
Organisation, was dissolved. In 1989 the programme of spiritual education (SSEHV),
conducted by the Sai Organisation in governmental schools in India, was halted. No
information has appeared about the project of help to 6000 Indian villages for a long
time. It is quite possible that this project does not exist any longer.
Quite
recently a prediction has been spread among Sai devotees that Sai Baba’s mission has
come to its crucial stage. In a metaphorical way it has been described as follows:
(translated back from Russian)
“Bhagavan told the group of his students, that His mission can be
compared with an aeroplane that is going to take off. Up to 70th birthday his mission
would be like an aeroplane going along the take-off track and gaining speed. These days
the aeroplane is rushing and speeding up and will take off at the 75th birthday.”
(Sai Reflections: The UK Sai Organisation. Quarterly Magazine: February, 1997, p.15.)
The
75th birthday of Sai Baba, which was observed with magnificent festivities in 2000, has
already passed. The aeroplane must have taken off, but apparently nobody is able to
recognise it.
I invite all concerned readers to help me and to
supply me with the original English quotations for the stages of Avatar from J.
Hislop’s “Conversations...” and the “Sai Reflections” quotation
which were translated back from Russian for this article. Your comments and any extra
information are welcome as well