Mr. Peter Rae (65), a documentary filmmaker from Australia, has been a devotee of Bhagavan for the past 30 years. A frequent visitor to Puttaparthi, he has been blessed with many mystic experiences of which he relates a few in his own words.
'During 1998, I underwent full medical checkup, which revealed that I was suffering from bowel cancer. I was admitted in a Hospital in Melbourne where Doctors conducted surgery. Though I had just returned from Puttaparthi, I did not call on Swami for help. After the surgery was over, I was placed in observation. Soon I was shifted back to my Hospital-bed where I awoke and realized that the operation was over. The next thing I noticed was that Bhagavan Sri Sri Sathya Sai Baba was standing at my bedside. At that time, I was not dreaming, but was wide-awake. I slowly lifted my hands in reverence. Swami, smiling at me, bent over very close to me. Thus He gave me the opportunity to put my arms around Him. I could feel the soothing soft touch of His hair on my face. A soft sweet fragrance enveloped me. As His ear was near my mouth, I whispered: 'Swami! Please! You hug me! This is a serious business!' Baba put His arms around me. Instantaneously I was filled with bliss. Tears rolled down from my eyes. Then He vanished. My arms, which till then were hugging Swami, were holding air (empty space). He had gone! Ever since, I have felt like a thirty year old young man. Cancer has not bothered me again. Once I was conducting the shooting of a film in Nepal. I was put up in a friend's house and, as a parting gift before returning to Puttaparthi, my friend gave me a small empty vibhuti container. That night I kept the gift in front of Baba's Photograph. Next morning, while packing away my things, I was very much surprised to find my new 'empty' vibhuti container overflowing with vibhuti. Once Swami called me for an interview along with some others at Puttaparthi. We all went and sat in the interview room. Swami came and said, 'any questions?' There was a few minutes silence. Then, suddenly, we began to hear the squeaks of several types of birds in the room. We were all surprised and began to look in all directions, but could not find any bird in the room. Swami smilingly said: 'Not only you, but several other beings like birds will always be making requests and representations to Swami.. You have now just heard a few of them.' - As narrated to Mr. B.Parvatala Rao on March 30, 2004 at Prasanthi Nilayam. Om Sai Ram
