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Controlling the elements
In the
summer of 1965, which, to me, was the first of my sixteen
spiritual summers, I was in Bangalore once to visit a friend.
During an informal conversation one morning, my host asked me
whether I would like to see Sri Sathya Sai, who was to address a
meeting at Malleswaram, in the heart of Bangalore City, the same
evening. I had heard about Sri Sathya Sai and also read about him
in some Bombay newspapers, but had never seen him before. I had,
till then, no particular urge to read either his biography or
discourses. My immediate response to the question from my host,
therefore, was somewhat casual and uncertain. However, on second
thoughts, I felt that I should attend the meeting and so, later in
the day, accompanied by my wife, Sarla, I went to Malleswaram
where a mammoth gathering was listening to Sri Sathya Sai with
rapt attention. We sat in a remote corner of the big maidan. I was
swayed by a nameless feeling, a strange inquisitiveness or
curiosity, as though I was adventuring into the unknown. Then
suddenly, the sky became rather dark with thick clouds fast
gathering overhead. The large crowd became visibly restless, as
people feared an impending rain. We ourselves were in a quandary
and my host hastened to take us back to his car. Just then, we saw
Sri Sathya Sai raising his hand and saying something aloud to the
crowd in the local South Indian language which, however, I could
not grasp. My friend said that he was asking the crowd to sit down
and that he was assuring them that it would not rain. As he said
this, we saw that the rain clouds started disappearing and the
gathering darkness was giving way to bright sunshine. I remained
spell-bound. I could not believe that one could disperse
moisture-laden heavy clouds by a mere wave of his hand. And yet,
our eyes were a witness to this strange phenomenon, the like of
which I had read about only in Puranic stories.
So begins the book
"Sixteen Spiritual Summers" by Indulal Shah in which he tells how
he met Sai Baba and began his life of service within the Sri
Sathya Sai Seva (Service) Organization. Published by Sri Sathya
Sai Books and Publications Trust. |