In
January 1968, Dr. John Hislop taped interviews he had with Sathya
Sai Baba. This ever-uncritical and naively trusting 'seeker of truth',
who had gone from guru to guru his whole life, asked SSB:
"Swami, something has happened here. Water is around this box.
These saris will get wet. (Swami removed the cover of the box and
those of us who were standing there could see that the edges of the
saris were wet. The cardboard box with four saris in it was lying
on a table at the Dharmakshetra in Bombay. Swami had selected 96 saris
for distribution to some lady volunteers, and of the 100 brought for
His insepction, four were replaced in the box to be returned later
to the merchant. The table was not close to any source of water, and
Hislop, several other men, and Swami had been standing there from
the time the saris were examined one by one, by Swami.)
Sai:
"The saris are weeping because Swami has rejected them. Now,
I will take them."
Hislop:
Swami! "How could that be? Does Swami say that inanimate onjects
have injured feelings and can weep?"
Sai:
"Inanimate objects are also capable of feeling joy and grief.
When the bridge towards Lanka was built by the monkeys so that Rama
could march to Ravana's kingdom where Sita was held captive, one last
mountain peak was carried to the bridge site. But it was too late.
There was no need for it. At this circumstance the mountain shed tears
of anguish, and news of this was quickly taken to Rama. His compassion
was great, and he sent word that the mountain should no longer sorrow,
that he would surely use it on a future occasion. In the Avathara
of Krishna, it was this very mountain peak, the Govadhana Peak, which
the youth, Krishna, lifted on his finger to shelter the cowherds of
Gokul from Indra's deluge of rain."
Hislop:
"Swami! This great drama of Rama and Krishna and the mountain
peak has been recapitulated here in Bombay on this day before our
very eyes... (etc..)
Sai:
"Yes. And it is also the self-same Rama and the self-same Krishna
who is here this day."
Do
these 'animated saris' tale need any comment? It certainly seems it
does, if only because many devotees believe it, especially those misguided
Hindu Sai-devotees! Not only does this conflict with other 'teachings'
of SSB about the differences between the various realms of beings,
but it makes one think that SSB is seeing just how far he can push
the credulity of a man who held a Western Ph.D, as did Dr. Hislop.
Hislop retold the story with relish and naive faith! One would think
that such a person must at least have passed the test of 'blind belief'
that SSB has set up for a true devotee etc. and qualified for 'liberation'?
But no, we are told by Hislop in his last book that SSB told him he
must be reborn again, even though he had seen the so-called 'lingodbhava'
many times and had worked ceaseless for SSB for decades! A dis-grace!
