14. Sathya Sai Baba helps before a person knows about the danger
This story I was told by Mr. Subba Rao. It shows how Sathya Sai Baba sometimes knew of people’s troubles before they even did. Sathya Sai Baba did not get ill very often, but when he did, his illnesses had a deep meaning associated with complex energy processes. Once, he had a very high temperature and everyone in the ashram got scared and urgently called the doctors. I was always surprised and even amused when Sathya Sai Baba’s assistants called doctors for him. It was strange to watch how these excited assistants invited doctors to treat the one who treated everyone else. On this particular occasion, he listened to the advice of his doctors but refused to take their medicine. A few minutes after the doctors left, his temperature returned to normal.
In the evening of that same day, Sathya Sai Baba had a meeting with a group of devotees. This meeting was organized as a small open-air dinner. A beautiful starry sky shone overhead, and the atmosphere was relaxed. Everyone was happily talking with Sathya Sai Baba when suddenly he turned to one of those present and in a serious voice said, “tomorrow I will warn my mother to be more careful with fire.”
Hearing these strange words, the people asked Him to clarify.
He said, “today this woman was practicing prayer and meditation in her room and did not notice how the candle set fire to her clothes … the woman could have suffered because she was in a deep meditative state. I felt this and sent her my blessings – this is why my temperature rose for a short time.”
The next day, it was discovered that his mother really had practiced meditation so deeply that she did not notice her clothes catch fire and the flame suddenly go out. She was left with only a slightly charred sari.
I know of quite a lot of cases where Sathya Sai Baba came to help before people could realize the danger. Similar situations happen to me as well. This was another amazing ability of Sathya Sai Baba – his absolute clairvoyance and powerful energy allows him still to carefully follow the fate of his devotees.