I MET THE MAN OF MIRACLES
Darshan with Sai Baba

Article from Craig Hameilton-Parker's column in the Western Daily Press

On the 29th October I told the story in this column (Guru of Gurus) of the remarkable spiritual teacher from Puttapharti in India who performs miracles and is having a tremendous influence on many Westerners. In response to the article a number of readers wrote to say that they have met Sathya Sai Baba and even witnessed his miracles

I had read somewhere that Sathya Sai Baba had said some time ago that he did not want people who were interested in him to promote him or publish articles in the newspapers about his teachings and miracles I am not a devotee myself but have a great respect for his teachings. He claims to be omnipresent so if this really is the case, I argued to myself, then he would be able to give me an answer as to whether I should write the article.I closed my eyes and randomly opened a pile of papers about him that had been given me from off the Internet. I struck the page with a pin and read part of a quote of his 'It is time the world knew'. I picked up the phone to interview Joan Brake from Porishead in Somerset.

"It's all right to talk about Sai Baba now you know" said Joan " He says 'It is time the world knew'."So with the hairs standing on the back of my neck I began the interview with this lovely spiritual lady. Joan and her husband Richard first heard about the miracles and teaching of Sai Baba over eleven years ago. Their search for spiritual truth began within Spiritualism and says Joan "we found that without a shadow of a doubt that life goes on after death". Joan and Richard's search continued and they researched healing, clairvoyance, meditation, reflexology, crystal therapy and Native American teachings. "If anything came along with a spiritual aspect, Richard and I would look into it and share what we found with others" Inevitably perhaps, Joan and Richard opened their home and once a month invited experts and lecturers to talk to her growing group. "One by one they started to talk about Sai Baba- even though it was not the subject they'd come to talk about""I listened to the talks and saw videos of Sai Baba performing miracles and although it was plain that he was a wonderful man, he was not doing or saying anything different to what Christ said and after all magicians like Paul Daniels can perform similar 'miracles' on television. This type of thing has to be real for me. I can't accept everything people say is true"

But Richard and Joan became more and more intrigued. "The people who spoke or wrote about Sai Baba weren't 'wild' or 'hippy' types they were professional people such as doctors so we decided that if Christ was alive today then I'd want to go and see him. And if, from what I'd read and heard, Sai Baba was doing the same things as Christ then we would have to go and find out for ourselves. "Joan and Richard Brake joined a party of 90 people who had made the same decision and flew to India. Nowadays Sai Baba is surrounded by so many followers that it is almost impossible to get near him. On his 70th birthday (Nov 23 rd) last year he had over one million visitors to his ashram (Spiritual Centre) yet every one of them was housed and fully fed for free.

Joan and Richard were lucky. They were invited to meet Sai Baba for a private audience with him."Years and years ago there was a song in the hit parade called 'Open the door Richard'" says Joan "A family joke, that continued for years, was to change the words and sing 'Close the door Richard' every time Richard entered a room. Richard was the last to enter Sai Baba's private chambers. With a twinkle in his eye Sai Baba looked at him and in the correct tune actually sang the words 'Close the door.....Richard'! Sai Baba then turned round , looked at me, and roared with laughter."Nobody else in that room knew what was going on but for Richard and I it was incredible that Sai Baba should know this little family joke from so long ago. It was absolutely fantastic."Joan and Richard have since had a number of private interviews with Sai Baba over the years. "On many occasions we've seen him materialise objects from thin air" continues Joan "On one occasion he materialised a silver medallion with his image imprinted on it which was passed round. He then blew on it and it changed into a little golden statue of the Hindu elephant god Ganesha with three rubies hanging from it. This again was passed around.

Sai Baba then looked at one of the visitors and said 'What do you want?' 'You Swami was the reply' so Sai Baba blew on it again and back came the medallion.""I've seen him materialise rings with pictures of Christ on them, vibhuti ash, silver boxes.. a whole list of things." But Joan stresses that the phenomena Sai Baba displays are unimportant. "When he looks at you know that he knows everything about you. I cannot explain the feeling of overwhelming love you feel in his presence. It's not hysterical, it's a silent, inward transformation."

So what is the message that this Eastern teacher can give to the West? "His teachings are simply profound" answers Joan "Everyone can identify with what he says. It's like he's brought all the ancient wisdoms up to date. Yet he's not trying to convert people or make them change their faith. A Christian should remain a Christian a Hindu a Hindu etc. Perhaps it can best be expressed by quoting his words: 'There's only one religion- the religion of love. There's only one language- the language of the heart. There's only one cast- the cast of humanity. And there's only one God- and he is omnipresent."