Mystery of the Divine Name In speaking about the life of Sathya Sai Baba as a researcher and one of the many editors of Love is My Form (the Pictorial Biography of Sathya Sai Baba) this article will make a careful distinction about the names used to refer to Sri Sathya Sai Baba. That distinction divides events pre-revelation of the Sai Avatar in Uravakonda, and post revelation. If this article speaks about events in Sri Sathya Sai Baba's life before his revelation as Sai Baba, then it will refer to Sai Baba as Raju. If this article makes reference about the life of Sathya Sai Baba post Revelation, then the terms used will be either Bhagavan or Sathya Sai Baba.
The same could be said of the life of Jesus. Sathhya Sai Baba has told us that Jesus' name was Isa, and this was the name by which he was known in his earlier days. Christ, which means the Anointed of the Lord, upon his return from Tibet and India to Palestine, came out of the desert proclaiming, "The time has come, and the Kingdom of God is within you". Divine Births, Divine Parents Easwaramma annoints the head of her son, Sathya Sai Baba For many Sathya Sai Baba devotees, the first song they sing daily begins with the name of God's Mother - You greet the Lord Sai as Son of Easwaramma. In the first part of the Sunday Liturgy, Jesus is greeted as "Lord Jesus, you are Son of God and son of Mary, Lord have mercy". These divine incarnations are hailed as sons of human mothers, and this is both gift (form of the formless absolute) and purpose: the gift shows the way to the Divine in and of itself. Both Mothers knew that they were to have special births. Easwaramma's mother in law, Lakshmamma, had a dream which she could only interpret as auspicious for Easwaramma; perhaps an extraordinary son. Easwaramma had an experience at the well when she went to obtain water; a blue ball of light entered into her and she fell unconscious. Sathya Sai Baba has revealed that his conception and birth was not ordinary, but immaculate. Swami was nursed in milk, in his mother's womb. For all others, the placental fluid is water. The Immaculate Heart of Mary Christians venerate the Annunciation to Mother Mary. Mother Mary was foretold the birth of Jesus by the angel Gabriel. This is celebrated to this day in a devotional exercise called The Angelus, which begins: The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary And she conceived of the Holy Spirit. A prayer is then led. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. This prayer, is in fact, the greeting of the Angel Gabriel to Mother Mary and comes directly from the New Testament, the Gospel of Luke. So you will understand that devotion to God the Mother, in the Christian Church, centres around Mother Mary and the divine revelation she received. In the solemn teachings of the Church, Mary was declared Theotokos, Mother of God, in the fourth Century. Christians honour Mary as the Virgin, and declare that the Birth of Jesus was an immaculate conception. The doctrine of the Assumption of the Virgin points to Mary a chosen and honoured vessel to be the Mother of the Lord. In this manner, you will understand that the Church is giving expression to the same truths that Sathya Sai Baba has revealed, surrounding his own birth, and they are a.. that he chose his parents, b.. that his birth was immaculate, c.. and that his mother, Easwaramma, has immortality Karana Janma, Birth for a Purpose Sathya Sai Baba has described the time of the birth of Jesus. He has said, it was "thick with ignorance". When the darkness of ignorance overwhelms the world, the practice of righteousness declines, and devotion to the Lord is scoffed at and ridiculed, the Lord takes human form, for the welfare of mankind. In the normal course of events, the human body is antah-karana, the instrument taken up for the consumption, the burning up of the store of karmas which have to be exhausted. None can escape the cause of birth and rebirth. Karana-janma, Birth for Purpose Both Sathya Sai Baba and Jesus are karana-janmas, births taken up for the welfare of the world, not because of any previous karma that needed to be exhausted. Sathya Sai Baba has told that Jesus was one such Master, born for a purpose, the mission of restoring love, charity and compassion in the hearts of mankind. Swami has said that Karana-janmas belong to the whole human race. They should not be confined to a single country or community. In saying this, Sathya Sai Baba is indicating that Jesus, and other great Masters such as Buddha, Moses, Mohammad and Zoroaster, belong to the World, not to any one religious faith or worshipping community. Image materialised by Sathya Sai Baba of the young Jesus (Isa), aged 29, immediately before beginning his mission Early Life of Jesus Little is known of the early life of Jesus. We know more about the early life of Sathyanarayana Raju. All that is known is that Jesus' father was named Joseph, and he followed the profession of a carpenter, and Jesus learned this trade. It is said that Joseph passed away when Jesus was in his fourteenth year, and that Jesus went to Persia with his uncle, Joseph of Arimathea. What narratives we do have in the Bible are accounts of events surrounding the birth of Jesus. The Annunciation, the birth in the manger among animals, the visit of the Magi, the three wise men; there is the flight into Egypt, for Joseph had a dream in which he was told to take the child to Egypt. There is the slaughter of all children under the age of two years by King Herod, which is celebrated every year on 27 December. This is called the Feast of the Holy Innocents. There is the legend of Jesus playing with children in the mud, and he made some birds of clay, which he called to life and they flew away. The Temple: Gradual Revelation: Preparation for the Ignorant The Municipal Chairman of Bellary, Ramaraju, along with Raju's Headmaster and a large party visited Hampi, with Raju and his brother, Seshama Raju. This story is told from a number of different perspectives. Some say Raju was told to stay outside and watch over the luggage. Some say Raju faked a stomach-ache and would not enter the temple, even when the Municipal Chairman pleaded with him. But when the arathi was offered to the Virupaksha deity, Raju was seen in the shrine. His brother got suspicious, and went outside to verify that Raju was sitting under a tree. He sent one boy inside who came back and reported that Raju was standing in the shrine. Seshama Raju was thrilled and kept this experience to himself. The Finding in the Temple was an early episode of the life of Jesus. It is so far the most well-known event during Jesus' childhood. One year, Jesus and his parents, Joseph and Mary, happened to go to a Jewish festival in Jerusalem. In the jostling crowds Jesus got separated from his parents. Not finding him anywhere, Mary sat under a tree and prayed to God to come to her help. At that moment, a thought flashed in her mind that Jesus was perhaps in a nearby temple. They went there and found Jesus sitting in a comer of the temple listening to the words of the high priest. That scene reminded her of the prophetic words of one of the Arabian kings who visited Jesus at the time of his birth, who said that he would love God. Mary affectionately rushed towards him and embraced him. When Mary told Jesus about the anxiety that they felt when they missed him, Jesus replied: "Mother! Why should you have any fear? Those who believe in the world will have fears. But why should anyone believing in God fear at all? I am in the company of my Father. You taught me that God is everything for us. How, then, can you worry like this? This is the temple of God; it is my Father's mansion. Nothing will be lacking here. In this eternal and sacred home, I am perfectly safe and protected." This shows that even by his twelfth year, Jesus was full of Divine qualities and was imparting the Divine message to those around him. He had learnt his lessons from his mother and developed his spiritual faith. In these words Jesus revealed that he regarded himself as the Son of God. Jesus (Isa) with St Luke and St John the Beloved. St Matthew can be seen holding the staff at the extreme right of the image Beyond the ken and understanding of Human Beings: Family Attachments Once Jesus was teaching a large crowd near his home. The crowd became so large that the family could not eat. They went out to restrain Jesus, to take custody of him, and take him away from the crowds. They said, "He has lost his senses". They said Jesus was crazy. They wanted to take control of him, The people told Jesus, "Your mother, your brothers and sisters have come for you. Jesus replied, "Who are my mother, brothers and sisters? Those that hear the word of God and keep it, they are my mother, brothers and sisters." So also, Raju's family set out to take control of Raju. Raju was taken home by his parents. There was a family enclave. He was taken to occultists for exorcisms many times. In that time, in the Rayalseema district, there was common belief in temporary possessions by spirits. Raju was a problem in the village, tongues wagged, they said he was a crazy-crazy; the villagers did not know what to do with him. Venkama Raju was to protest one day. Raju was materialising sweets and confections, there was a crowd around him. He went with a stick and walked up to his son, and asked the spirit in his son, "Who are you? The reply came, "Sai Baba". Venkama Raju was addressing the spirit in his son. He said, I don't care if you are Hai Baba or Sai Baba, you leave my son. Raju threw flowers on the ground, which gave the name, Sai Baba. Sathya Sai Baba, 1948 Parental Obedience Sathya Sai Baba tells us that when Isa was fourteen, he had the awareness that he had a divine mission to perform. Sai Baba also tells us that when Isa returned home to Palestine from Tibet and India, Isa went to his mother. His mother told him he had to work and earn their livelihood. Isa sought her permission to speak to the people about God. Mary gave that permission to her son, Isa. Isa was obedient and respectful to his Mother, who played a critical role in his preparation for his mission. Let us look at Raju's story from the point of view of his brother. This story concerns the events immediately after Raju threw his books down. Seshama Raju tells that he ran home from School and saw a striking brilliance in his brother's face. Raju said, "That boy is myself. I am that boy". Seshama Raju asked, "How long will you remain a boy?" Until Maya has come, Raju replied. Misunderstanding this, Raju made clear, "until mother has come. Raju did not speak again until his parents arrived. Three days after Raju threw his books down, Pedda Venkama Raju borrowed 200 rupees and rushed to Uravakonda to the aid of his son. When the parents arrived, they entered to find Raju among a crowd of people. Raju refused to eat, he took no water, no food, until, he told, until "Maya has come". In divine grace and revelation, Swami is obedient to his parents for the last time. The parents arrived. Raju took some water, and washed their feet. A distressed Easwaramma wanted to make things normal for her son. She prepared a meal and presented it to Raju. Raju took the rice, tamarind soup, pickles and chutney and rolled it into three balls; he sprinkled tirtha, holy water, on it and handed the plate back to his mother. He then put his hand out to receive food from his mother for the last time. Easwaramma, within, understood that her son was taking sanyas and this meal was the separation ritual, the cutting of ties. Quickly, she handed three balls of food to Raju. Raju sat and ate; thereafter, Seshama Raju saw a brilliant line of light leave Raju's body, run up the wall, and exit the house. The familial cords of attachment had been cut. Sathya Sai Baba with his mother, Easwaramma Easwaramma told Raju, "We are in Maya, We are in Maya, but you are free from Maya". She pleaded with her son not to take sanyas in the Himalayas but to remain with the family in the village; the family would care of him. He announced, "Puttaparthi is my kshethra. Three days later, on Thursday, Baba left Uravakonda, and departed to Puttaparthi. Sathya Sai reveals the Param Jyothi It is known that Sathya Sai Baba revealed the Param Jyothi to devotees on the banks of the Chitravathi. Many people report different experiences. Some also say that this happened on more than one occasion. Devotees who told their story tend to tell their own experience, so the reports are different. What is common is that Sathya Sai baba told devotees that he would show them the eye of Shiva. Others tell that Swami told he would show the param-jyothi. Swami ran on ahead, to the top of a hill. He called out to the devotees, and then a brilliant light was seen. All fell down at the brilliant light, totally overcome with the divine splendour. Sathya Sai Baba at temple complex Gungamatta Subba Rao gives his account. As we were looking at Him intently, His forehead split, and from there, embers of red fire could be seen coming out in flames. We were amazed, and the light was so bright that our eyes got blurred for a moment. We were even frightened. We were anxious as to what would become of Swami. The fire went on coming, in sparks. When we turned around, we saw many had fainted. We were terribly scared. When we looked up, we could not see Swami. Then, He appeared among us. He patted our shoulders and asked what had happened. "Why are they crying? Why have they fainted?" When He was showering questions on us, one after the other, we began crying more. "Are you all right, Swami?" "We could not see your body there." "You are crazy, see I am perfectly all right." Saying so, He materialised vibuthi and applied it on our foreheads. Those who had fainted were later found to be slowly coming to their feet. They experience, as if new blood were gushing through the veins. The sweet feeling lingered. Jesus reveals the Param Jyothi In its liturgical calendar, the church celebrates an event called the Transfiguration of Jesus. This event occurred at a place called Mount Tabor, in Palestine. The Gospels state that Jesus led three of his disciples - Peter, John the Apostle, and James the Great - to pray at the top of a mountain. Once at the top, Jesus became transfigured, his face shining like the sun, and his clothes a brilliant white. They say that Elijah and Moses suddenly appeared with Jesus and talked with him. Once they had spoken with each other, the Gospels state that a bright cloud overshadowed them (Luke also says they entered into the cloud), and a voice from the cloud proclaimed, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased" It is clear the Church and the disciples of Jesus do not have the same terms to understand what has happened on this occasion, the divine revelation of the Divine Light itself. Atma recognises Paramatma, buy seeing figures from their own sacred narratives; hence, Moses and Elijah are seen by the disciples of Jesus. Jesus the Christ, known as Isa -- --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "saimsg" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
