The
Awakening Continent
"I
have resolved to enfold the people of the
world in the fostering care of Universal Love
as laid down in the Vedas. For the world is
My mansion and the Continents are the halls
therein. I have come to inscribe a golden
chapter in the history of humanity, wherein
falsehood will fail, truth will triumph, and
virtue will reign. Character will confer
power then, not knowledge or inventive skill
or wealth. Wisdom will be enthroned in the
Councils of Nations."
"Do
not be misled. It is not my purpose to strike
men dumb by the display of miraculous might!
I have come to confer the boon of
blessedness, the benediction of bliss, as the
reward for genuine spiritual endeavor, and to
lead mankind into Liberty, Light and
Love."
With those
words, Baba concluded His revelation of Himself
and His Mission on Earth, which thrilled the
1700 delegates privileged to listen to
Him.
On the last
day of June, barely fifty days after this
announcement, Baba emplaned the Boeing leaving
for East Africa from Bombay. This was His first
voyage beyond the confines of India, that is to
say, accomplished physically, announced in
advance, and undertaken with members of His
entourage.
He was going
to the infant Republics of a continent that was
just emerging into the dawn. He was to confer
courage and consolation, to knit hearts and
quicken the circulation of Love! Baba always
rushes to where aspiration calls, or anxiety
gasps.
The citizens
of Bombay at a mammoth public meeting convened
at Dharmakshetra bade Him farewell on the 29th
of June. Later, at the airport, crowds spilled
over the terrace, pushed through to the tarmac
area in thousands and used every atom of
enthusiasm to cheer Him as the plane took
off!
Flying at 590
miles an hour at altitudes of over 35,000 feet,
Baba was busy in the Boeing, granting the
passengers, (many of whom had boarded the flight
on purpose) signs of Grace, such as autographing
a book or photograph, materializing a handful of
curative ash, or furnishing illuminating answers
to solve personal problems of every
kind.
Bob Raymer of
Los Angeles, a member of the party, saw Baba
keep both His feet pressed on the slanting back
of the empty seat just ahead of Him; he did not
miss the chance; he clicked twice and got two
pictures of the Lotus Feet, which millions
adore. At this Baba pulled out one of the cards
from the pocket behind His seat and wrote an
affectionate admonition, sending it to "Bob,
Boeing 707!" Bob responded with apology cum
adoration, through another picture card; "The
sky is blue, the ocean too; our wish has come
true, we are flying with You!"
In fact, the
sky was not always blue. It was mostly murky,
what with the huge concourse of slow-moving
monsoon clouds on their way to India. The sea
mirrored the sky; there was an occasional zigzag
of silver ripple upon its surface. One felt as
if the plane hung in mid-air, while sea and land
were pulled away from underneath by an unseen
hand. Soon, gleaming streaks of rocks and
boulders and blotches of greenery were visible
as far as the eye could see. But fluffs of cloud
soon hid the ground. Mount Kenya was announced!
We saw only its jagged crown of blue, over the
sea of milk.
In a moment,
that sea was over us! Below us, scintillating
in, and reflecting the sun, was a quilt of red
and brown roofs, Nairobi! The clock showed four
minutes to twelve, while our watches insisted it
was already 2.24 p.m.
Baba at the
door was greeted -
"Nandalala! Yadu
Nandalala!"
MP3
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(**)
spontaneously
from the yearning hearts of thousands perched on
all available vantage points. While we of the
party waded past the counters and through the
corridors, filling forms, and having
certificates stamped and signed, climbing over
the routine hurdles, Baba was whisked away in
floral automobile by Dr. C. G. Patel into the
gathering from which the welcoming Bhajan had
emanated.
"It was a
feast for the eye and ear - the scene where they
showered flowers, and waved lights, when they
sang melodiously and from the depths of their
hearts," Baba said, "I was reminded of the days
when Jayadeva and Gouranga sang the Glory," He
wrote.
We had to
proceed to Kampala, the capital city of Uganda -
the State known as the 'Pearl of Africa.' The
road was 407 miles long. The cars sped on,
encouraged by the fine unbending road through
miles of delightful scenery.
The motto of
the State of Kenya (through which we passed
until night enveloped us), is 'Marambee': "Let's
pull together," and this spirit was evidenced
all along the route in wheat-fields, cattle
plantations and groups of village-folk on the
way side, brimming with vitality. They were
merrily dancing along with leafy boughs in their
grasp, which they shook vigorously at the
sky.
The tedium of
dreary hours of travel was made less monotonous
by the beautiful avenues of trees through which
we passed. Their restful green together with the
coolness of air as we climbed higher and higher,
was comforting. The rains that come upon this
land all the months of the year have mothered a
succession of gurgling streams and fresh water
lakes.
We had a
glimpse of the Rift Valley about which I had
read when teaching Anthropology in my college at
Mysore. Two thousand feet below us it gaped,
with sheer escarpments for its banks! We saw the
soda lake, Nakuru, and the town bearing its
name. A sizeable gathering of eager Africans and
Indians awaited Baba there; they were rewarded
with Darsan. Baba moved among them, and
discovering a few who needed Vibhuti, He created
it and blessed them.
From Malaba,
on the border of Uganda, an impressive pilot car
preceded the car of Baba, as a sign and symbol
of His being welcomed by the rulers of that
State. The cars drove on to Jinja, where the
Nile emerges out of the womb of Lake Victoria,
and, channeled through turbines, flows on the
North to fulfill its vow of a 3500-mile
pilgrimage to the Mediterranean Sea.
Kampala was
reached at 1-30 a.m., hardly the hour for a
hearty welcome by a cheering throng. But Baba is
a category by Himself. Wildly waving banners of
silken welcome stretched across the streets;
every few yards a floral arch (someone of the
party counted exactly 108) beamed with lights as
Baba passed through. Outside Dr. Patel's
bungalow, 2000 people continued their Bhajan,
singing with unabated ardor in the hope that
Baba would give them the coveted Darsan. And
Baba did not disappoint them. Alighting, He
walked slowly amidst them, feasting the eye and
delighting the heart. Their restraint and
reverence were exemplary.
Never had
Kampala yearned so excruciatingly for daybreak
as on that night! For the city knew that Baba
had arrived and would be granting Darsan when
the sun rose. Baba came out early next morning;
He stood facing the unprecedented massive
gathering. He moved, lithe and lovely, along the
passage between the barricaded blocks of people,
showering upon everyone His supreme
compassion.
When He saw a
sad face, or heard a groan of distress, He stood
for a moment, waved His hand gently, and created
for the person the Divine Cure. He went up to
the lines of standing Africans on the margins of
the assembly; He held many by the hand and
brought them Himself into the shade among the
others so that they may sit in comfort,
listening to the community singing of the
Bhajans. We felt that those were the devotees
who prevailed upon Baba to fly across the sea
and give health and happiness by personal
ministration.
"I
have no need to see places. I am everywhere,
always!"
Baba told us.
"You may drive around. I have my work, work for
which I have come."
But Dr. Patel persuaded Him to visit the Hindu
temple, the Bahai House of Worship and the
television tower hill. While driving down, He
summoned the six-foot police constable acting as
motorcycle escort, and created for him a
charming locket with the picture of Christ, to
be worn around the neck. He knew the man was a
Christian.
Baba has come
to fulfill, not to destroy or to disturb, man's
faith in God. His love brooks no barriers, no
boundaries, no walls separating 'ism from ism.'
During the Bhajans, He selected the sick and the
disabled, the deaf and the dumb, the blind and
the maimed, and, taking them into the bungalow,
He spoke to each one with love and tenderness.
He spoke in Swahili, in English or Hindi, and
gave each some token of Grace - holy ash,
talismans, lockets with His own portrait or the
picture of Christ or some sacred design.
Everyone who came out of the room had a smile on
the face, a twinkle in the eye, a ray of
sunshine in the heart, and firmness in the step.
A person who was stone deaf when he went in,
came out wonder-struck at the amazing world of
sound. A polio-affected boy came prancing
outside; a patient who was wheeled into the
'Room of Hope' walked out, his hands on the
shoulders of his companions, while a volunteer
pushed the empty chair out of the
gate.
The third day
of July was a memorable one. First, the flight
to Ngorongoro Crater. It is the largest
concentration of wild life in Africa. Reaching
the Entebbe International Airport by car, Baba,
with some members of the party boarded a
twin-engined aircraft at 9 a.m., while three of
us having full faith in Him, brushed aside the
fear aroused by overzealous friends who warned
that a single engine plane was not the craft
that one would choose to fly over a jungle,
teeming with wild life!
We followed
Baba in that frail super-wagon, piloted by a
veteran Britisher who oozed confidence all the
time. For an hour and a half we flew over the
immense inland sea of fresh water - Lake
Victoria - which the Nile attempts in vain to
drain. We could see hundreds of gazelles,
zebras, and wild beasts while our vehicle flew
slowly over the Serengeti National Park. The
Crater is a huge circular plain, over 127 square
miles of grassland, bush and forest, sheltering
large masses of wild life. A few Masai
Manyattas, stock full of fat cattle were to be
found in this fantastic milieu.
As we drove
from the airstrip, to the Crater Lodge, a family
of wild elephants received us with the gentle
flapping of broad ears and an array of ivory
tusks gleaming in the pre-noon sun. Landrovers
took us into thick shoals of wild buffaloes,
zebras and gnus. Soon we entered the haunts of
the Simba (lion). From within the safety of the
cars we admired a heavyweight male yawning on a
mound, and very nearly ran over a pair of fat
females having their siesta amidst the grass! We
came upon more such families, and soon they
endeared themselves to us. Baba had come to
bless them, we felt. Rising up almost from
nowhere, a stately dowager lioness walked
majestically towards a group of sleek giraffes.
This onset of danger was communicated to the
long-necked fraternity by some birds, and they,
in their turn, alerted the buffalo, zebra and
gnu! In a few seconds, they disappeared into the
distance and the distinguished lady stood,
sniffing the empty air!
Baba drew our
attention to this demonstration of mutual
service. He said man is highlighting the
advantages of competition and the struggle for
survival, but the beast is teaching him
cooperation and service as the ideal means for
survival.
We took off
from the Crater at four o'clock in the
afternoon, and when we neared Lake Natron, the
planes flew perilously over a newly formed
volcano, emitting incense to the God of Fire!
Our 'mini' wagon hovered a while, awaiting a
signal from the airport over the Nairobi
National Park giving us a bird's eye-view of
giraffes and ostriches, before landing at
Embakasi.
Baba's car
crawled through the crowded roads of Nairobi to
the park where He was to address His first
public meeting in Africa. The rush of listeners
was without parallel in the annals of Kenya, for
no visitor until now had such universal appeal.
People loyal to a single faith, or to all
faiths, skeptics and Sadhaks, scientists and
spiritualists, men, and women from all walks of
life were there, filled with eagerness to see
Him and hear Him, and if possible, to be
accepted by Him. Baba builds His shrine in every
heart with the brick of Truth and the mortar of
Love.
His
discourse stressed that each human being, in
fact each being, was "a spark of the Divine
Effulgence, a wave of the Divine Glory." He
advised all to see beneath the skin, within the
physical, mental, and even intellectual
encasements.
"This habitation of flesh and bone, of fear and
feeling, of doubt and desire, is the residence
of the One Indivisible, All-pervading
God." Baba
knows that this vision is the strongest basis
and the surest means for ensuring racial and
regional harmony.
Baba returned
to His residence and blessed the enormous
gathering that surged around it. Later, He sat
before the television set which some members of
His Party were seeing for the first time. The
programme that was then on led to a discourse by
Baba on the evil sown by that medium. Baba said
that it blunted the higher impulses and
activated the lower.
"The aim of the sponsors is to bring more and
more people before the receivers; so standards
get more and more vulgarized and this valuable
instrument of education is reduced into
televisham
(tele-poison!),"
He said. Baba is a relentless opponent of films,
comic strips, and horror serials that sow the
seeds of sensualism, anarchy, greed and
bloodthirstiness in virgin minds.
Nairobi is the
only City in the world which has a suburb owned
and inhabited by Lions! It awakens every day to
the full and free roar of these regal cats. On
the 5th of July, early in the day, we went into
the National Park and proceeded to the Hippo
Pool. There was a busy school of these monsters,
and also a few crocodiles basking quite near.
This led Baba to point out to us how the beast
is wiser than man in the art of living.
"We slaughter our own kind, for the greater
glory of ourselves!"
He
said.
While driving
back from the pool, we saw two magnificently
maned lions, and three well-groomed lionesses
basking indolently in the sun. They did not
wince at all when a dozen cameras clicked.
Instead, they preened themselves like stars
surrounded by fans! We also watched many
ostriches, and giraffes hurrying in uncouth
haste to some mysterious rendezvous.
After lunch,
Dr. Patel took Baba and the party in cars to
Nanyuki, 6400 feet above sea level - a town
where, if you have the poetry in you, you can
experience the thrill of having one foot in the
Southern Hemisphere, and the other in the
Northern, for the Equator passes through the
place! In fact, a hotel here boasts that the
Line passes through its veranda.
The road to
Nanyuki showed us coffee and sisal plantations;
thatched huts of the Kikuyu peeped furtively at
our cars. In Secret Valley, we stayed at 'Tree
Tops,' built on high stilts, from where at
night, under an artificial moon, we could see
leopards mauling meat, bisons licking salt, and
elephants, gazelles and other beasts showing
themselves off and generally enjoying
themselves.
It was
Thursday; so, Baba turned us away from
elephantine fantasies, and the antics of
animals. He took us, instead, into the jungle of
our own minds and described how the wild beasts
sheltering there could be trapped. He told us
about the discipline that can quieten and
domesticate them. Suddenly, with a circular
gesture, He created a jewel with the imprint of
His portrait, and placed it in the hands of the
person sitting by His side. Here! Wear it! For
many years you have longed for this. Then
turning to us He said, "Oh, each of you wants
something, don't you?" And the hand waved again.
There was a golden vessel in His Hand now. When
He unscrewed the lid, it was full to the brim -
Divine Ambrosia! Fragrant beyond imagination -
thick, sweet liquid Grace!
Next morning,
on the road back to Nairobi, Baba alighted at
Nanyuki and many other towns and villages, where
crowds were waiting for Him. He wondered, "Who
has informed these people that I would be
passing this way?" They must have sensed it
through His compassion; that was the only
explanation we could offer. About noon, Baba and
others boarded the waiting aircraft, and flying
over the Rift Valley, the famous Kenya
Highlands, and the inland Port of Kisumu on Lake
Victoria, reached Entebbe.
Baba's
Presence at Kampala was utilized by many for
receiving blessings and counsel. The High
Commissioner of India, Shri K.P.R. Singh, the
Chief of Staff of the Uganda Army, General Idi
Amin, the Minister of Defense, Mr. Onama, the
Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Mr.
Ojira, the Minister of Internal Affairs, Mr.
Bataringaya, the Inspector of Police, Mr.
Oryema, and other African leaders met Him at Dr.
Patel's residence and obtained a glimpse of the
Glory of Baba. During His stay He addressed
gatherings of lions and rotarians, doctors,
businessmen, and members and workers of service
organizations. He replied with His natural
gentleness, sweetness and sense of humor, even
intimate personal questions from those who
participated. Towards the close of each of the
meetings, He moved among the participants
creating and distributing to those around Him
portraits in enamel or gold, of Christ for the
Christians, Guru Nanak for the Sikhs,
Zarathustra for the Parsis, and of Himself for
those who yearned for them. He spoke lovingly
and for long to a group of students from Makrere
University and stood amidst them, when they
wanted a photograph with Him.
During the
group meetings, a variety of questions were
asked.
"If there is a God, why cannot we see
Him?" Baba
replied,
"Why should you seek to see God? You are God.
There is nothing that is not He. Experience Him
that way." "How can we be happy
always?"
Baba said,
"Derive joy from within. You are the Atma, the
eternal spring of Ananda. Love all; no one will
then hate you or envy
you." He
said to the doctors:
"Jealousy is the professional disease of doctors
and lawyers! Be glad when another doctor earns a
good reputation or remuneration; honor the
affirmations you made at the Convocation where
you took your degree."
On the 7th,
Baba addressed the first public meeting at
Kampala. He told the multiracial, multi-credal
gathering,
"Just as the same bloodstream circulates in all
the limbs of the one body, the One Divine
Principle activates the entire Universe. Do not
get too involved in the turmoil of living and
ignore the kinship in God that you have with all
beings around you. Do not overemphasize
individual variations, but fix your attention on
the universal kinship. Ignore the beads,
contemplate upon the unifying eternal
ever-present
thread."
This was a heartening message, and it was
received with enthusiastic approval by Muslims,
Christians, Bahais, Hindus and Parsis
alike.
On the 8th of
July, Baba addressed another vast gathering at
Kampala. He said, "Here in Kampala, I shall
pinpoint the basic requisites for a good,
contented and happy life." He elaborated the
discipline essential for it, like
Dhyana
and Prema,
meditation
and love.
"Love is Power; Love is Bliss; Love is Light;
Love is God," Baba said.
These
discourses bound Baba close to the hearts of the
Africans. People recognized in Him a friend, a
guide, a leader and a light. But word had spread
that Baba was leaving on the 10th for India,
since that was the day of
Guru
Poornima.
So that evening when Baba moved among the
thousands, seated in the Pandal, rows of
Africans knelt, handing notes and letters to
Him, some with tearful pleas. Looking through a
window of Dr. Patel's bungalow at the faces
filled with adoration, I could not suppress my
tears. I was overcome by a delightful sense of
gratitude for the opportunity Baba gave me to
witness this spontaneous surge of devotion in a
new continent. I was awakened from my reverie a
by light tap on my back from Baba who enquired,
"Why the tears?" The notes and letters were
filled with sorrow, for the Africans had learnt
that Baba planned to leave for Bombay on the
10th. "Father, do not leave us so soon!" was the
plaint in every prayer.
India was
informed by cable that the return was
postponed.
The full moon
day, when spiritual aspirants dedicate
themselves anew at the Feet of the Master, was
on the 10th. Baba had told Bombay that He would
reach that city by plane at 9-45 p.m. leaving
Kampala at 11 a.m., so that both Africa and Asia
would have the thrill of His Darsan on the same
day! But, yielding to the yearning of the
Africans, He decided to spend the whole day at
Kampala, granting devotees in other continents
other evidences of His Omnipresence.
More than
25,000 persons gathered that morning for the
Bhajan. The Africans joined the chorus led by a
Tanzanian, Mr. Zoodoo. For over two hours, Baba
walked slowly among the lines of lonely,
love-seeking eager hearts, giving each person a
handful of sweets and a packet of Vibhuti. To
the amazement of the recipients, most of them
discovered inside the packet, lying ensconced in
the midst of the holy ash, enamel or metal
portraits of Christ, the Cross, Krishna or Sai
Baba Himself. The "Uganda Argus" published an
article, announcing that Baba had brought the
message of Unity and Service, to the peoples of
that continent. Baba's discourses as well as
activities were also televised and broadcast, so
that the entire population could share the
inspiration of the Gospel.
On the evening
of the tenth day of July, Baba talked to about
200 young men and women, who served as
volunteers at the Bhajan gatherings and at
public meetings. The constables on duty as well
as the chauffeur of the pilot car were also
rewarded by His Grace. Baba appreciated the
spirit of service and the intelligence of the
youth of Kampala. He spoke about them later at
Bombay on His return. "They had no previous
experience in controlling and guiding such vast
congregations; they had no training; they were
their own guides, but they behaved with
exemplary patience and alertness. They worked
tirelessly, round the clock, with smart team
work," He said.
On the 11th,
besides the Bhajan sessions, for which, as days
passed, more and more people from far and near
flowed into the capital, Baba met groups of
Sadhakas and active workers in service
organizations, from the far flung States of
Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. Later, Baba visited
Dr. Patel's clinic and also the residences of
many ardent devotees. Wherever he went, throngs
of people, eager to win one more glimpse of the
Radiance, rushed in and stood at the gates or on
the pavements for hours.
On the 12th,
Baba proceeded to the Murchison Falls National
Park, one of the most beautiful and
fauna-stocked regions of East Africa. The
straight road, leaping over the shoulders of a
series of hills, tempted the person who was at
the wheel of our car to race and overtake every
car that moved in front. We were catapulting so
fast, that a sudden turn of the road found the
car rolling madly over and over, finally coming
to rest on its jammed wheels in agonized
silence.
Baba's car had
gone on beyond Masindi which was some 30 miles
distant. He said to the people in His car, "The
second car has trouble. They will resume their
journey in a taxi!"
We four were
thrown against roof and floor, receiving knocks,
bumps, hits and cuts, we did not know where! The
man at the wheel fell out; the friend on his
left struggled to open the stuck door with his
uninjured left arm. The cushion from the back
seat was on my head, wedged between it and the
caved-in top! I found myself sitting astride on
the chest of my companion, with blood trickling
on his shirt from a long gash upon my forehead,
caused by my glasses getting broken there when I
knocked myself against I do not know
what!
The third car
came up in utter bewilderment, and friends
gently pulled us out. There was a hospital right
where the car had presented us with this
surprise item - "Kasturi Falls" - not included
in the original programme! I went in there on my
own, despite the bleeding gash, the black eye,
the cut on the left leg, the huge lump on the
right! I was the man who was worst hit, thank
Baba! The entry, as made by the African doctor
on the hospital O. P. Form (which I still have,
though it is clearly printed thereon 'This Form
is the property of the Hospital') is dated
12-7-1968.
Name: Kasturi. O.P. No. 11112/68. Diagnosis:
Minor cuts. (Baba's Grace!) Treatment: Surgical
Toilet. Inj. Anti-Toxoid 1500."
I lived to
laugh at myself for so helplessly bouncing
inside a speed-intoxicated car, and landing on
my neighbor's chest! Speed goeth before a fall!
Baba always advises,
"Start early; drive slowly; reach
safely!"
The fatal
corner in front of that hospital I shall
remember until memory lapses. The name of the
place is as potent as a charm; its charisma is
remarkable. Repeating that name might avert
future automobile misadventures for me.
Nakkasongola! That is the word for the place. It
is a thaumaturgical polysyllable! I wish some
day to plant a stone on that spot inscribed -
"Here four men called out Sairam! They were
saved."
We packed
ourselves thick in the third car and reached
Masindi. From there, we hired a taxi and moved
on towards Baba. When we neared the Park, we saw
the welcome poster: "Elephants have the right of
way!" It meant that we could see some herds
during the day.
We found a
pair of gigantic bisons eyeing us rather
wickedly, munching roadside grass. Our cars were
ferried across the wide green Nile, and passing
between two live Tembos (Swahili, for elephant)
with sharp white tusks about five feet long, we
rushed into Pra Safari Lodge; Baba came forward
to pat us and pet us, while listening to our
description of the accident of which He already
knew.
Oh! it was
worth all the panic and pandemonium inside the
car! No mortal mother could have been more
compassionate towards her injured child. The
curative Vibhuti was ready. He applied it
Himself on the cuts. He used His own
handkerchief as a bandage for my eyes. He
created ointments and tablets out of nowhere. He
pressed, or rubbed the spots of pain gently. He
drew us near with affectionate consolation. He
gave us the strength to dismiss the picture from
our minds. I thanked Nakkasongola and the person
who drove our car, for this unique gift of
Divine Tenderness.
Within minutes
we went for a motorboat ride up the Nile, for
over fifteen miles, towards the Murchison Falls,
and back. The boat passed through 'schools' of
hippos lying close together, showing just their
eyes, ear tips and occasionally their noses,
above the water! Some of them were on land, with
red, barrel-like hippolets behind them peeping
through the thick papyrus reeds. There were
crocodiles too, with open jaws, but the vicious
tail and voracious jaw did not frighten the
juicy Hippos in the least.
We saw
crocodiles in the water and hundreds on the
shore, perhaps even thousands, for the shore
seemed alive with crocodiles from one end to the
other. Winston Churchill, who had plodded,
through these jungles and boated along this
stretch of the Nile in his youth, fired a shot
from his gun at one of the sleeping saurians.
"At the sound of the shot," wrote Churchill,
"the whole of the bank of the river, which
before was a long brown line of mud, rushed
madly into the Nile. At least a thousand of
these crocodiles had been awakened and
astonished by that single shot." Baba noticed
many plovers hopping about the crocodile area, a
few daring even to perch inside the horrible
teethy traps! He said, "Look at the mutual
service that bird and beast are rendering to
each other!" Yes, the plovers are the only
species of the birds that are tolerated and even
welcomed by the crocodiles; they eat the
parasites off their scales and pick the decaying
bits of food from between those deadly
teeth!
Returning
to Pra Safari, and re-crossing the Nile, our
cars took us through elephant-land to the Nile
above the falls. Herds of thirty or forty
elephants looked from a distance like flocks of
sheep grazing on the downs, but when we neared
them, the sight filled us with awe and
amazement. A bull stood a few yards away from
the car wherein Baba was, and to give him a good
Darsan, Baba stood on the footboard! It appeared
as if he was highly grateful, for, he stood
there gazing a few minutes, filling his little
eyes with the loveliness, then turning back,
quickly joined the herd.
We could hear
the loud incessant hum of the falls at many a
turn of the road; as we neared, it became a
thunderous roar, and suddenly - there were the
falls! Small groups of Africans were dancing on
the river bank in wild ecstasy. The Africans are
seldom still. They trip it as they go to the
tune of some lilt.
The Murchison
Falls are furious and fascinating. The Nile
comes foaming and rapid, down a continuous
stairway until the bed contracts suddenly into a
gap in the rock, barely six yards wide; through
this strangling portal the tremendous river is
shot in one single jet, down a depth of 160
feet, into a chasm of terror and beauty. Baba
was happy that we could see the sublime scene.
Bob Raymer got a series of lovely pictures of
Baba before these waters. Returning to Masindi
through a road rendered slushy with a thick
shower of rain, we had to slacken speed to avoid
skidding. Elephants crossing the highway were
another cause of delay.
From Masindi
we proceeded to Kikondo, 80 miles away, where a
Bhajan Mandir, in authentic Afro-architectural
style built by a devotee, was to be inaugurated.
It was a large estate, growing paddy, sugarcane
and bananas. The Mandir was full of squatting
African laborers, who venerated Baba as the
God-man from the East. Baba sat on the special
seat arranged for Him, but soon He was among the
Kisans, creating and distributing sweets and
curatives.
He told the
gathering of Africans and Indians that man alone
among the animals had strayed from his allotted
tasks; the rest struck to their Dharma, whatever
the obstacle. The tiger will never stop to
eating grass; the elephant can never be tempted
to have a meal of fish or flesh. But man, the
crown of creation, is groveling in the mire of
bestiality and, withal, proud of it.
Kampala was
reached at 1 p.m. The lateness of the hour only
whetted the appetite for Darsan of the thousands
who were waiting there, busy with Bhajans, Baba
gave them the much coveted gift, walking among
them and standing on the decorated dais long
enough to satisfy them.
The 13th of
July was a day of growing gloom, though everyone
had the chance of
Darsan, Sparsan,
Sambhashana
(seeing, touching the holy feet, and listening).
From Mwaza, Daressalam, Mombasa and Eldoret
people came to persuade Baba to visit their
places. The Mayor of Kampala pleaded for a short
extension of the stay. Baba is always
everywhere. He reveals His Presence to all who
call on Him, or even to many who are unaware
that God is amidst them for their sake. So, for
Baba there is no going or coming, no arriving or
leaving. Still, the physical presence wins such
indelible loyalty that one feels an orphan
without it.
On the 14th,
hours before dawn, half of Kampala was at Dr.
Patel's door. Streams of cars and planes,
brought people from Jinja, Mbale, Kakira,
Kabale, Ikaye, and Kapila where Sathya Sai Seva
Samithis and Bhajan Mandalis were active.
"I have no desire to stun or shock people into
submission or adulation; I have come to install
Truth and Love in human
hearts,"
Baba declared. Therefore, thousands prayed that
He should stay on, or if that was not possible,
at least come again very soon.
When He got
into the car, even the hefty constables on duty,
keeping back the surging rows of citizens, wiped
the tears streaming from their eyes! Baba patted
their backs, but that only sharpened the pang!
The road to Entebbe was choked with cars,
trucks, scooters and cycles. The East African
Airways Plane which was to take Baba to Nairobi
(where the Air India International Boeing was
waiting) developed a small trouble while moving
on the runway; so Kampala got a bonus of two
more hours with Baba on its soil! The motto of
the State of Uganda is "For God, and my
country." And Baba blessed the people who bore
it.
Nairobi was
reached at 2.30 p.m. and the thousands who
acclaimed the plane were rewarded by a quick
Darsan, since the delay prompted the airport
officers to set the Boeing on its way
immediately. We flew over Ethiopia and
Somaliland, ferried across the Red Sea at a
height of over two miles and a half, and landed
at Aden at 5.15 p.m. Bombay was 1910 miles away
and two hours and forty minutes
ahead!
Though Baba
did not disembark and though the date of the
flight had been postponed while at Kampala, we
were surprised to find a long line of devotees
and admirers (Indians and Arabs) filing into the
aircraft and touching the Lotus Feet. Baba spoke
to them with sweet affection; He created holy
healing Ash for their sake.
At 12.45 a.m.,
Indian Standard Time, the plane, which had the
unique good fortune of carrying the most
precious cargo that the world offers in this
age, touched ground at Santa Cruz, starting off
a chorus of Jais from over ten thousand quickly
pounding hearts.
On the 15th,
Baba addressed a mammoth gathering at
Dharmakshetra which was presided over by Dr.
K.M. Munshi. Dr. Munshi could not suppress his
tears of joy and gratitude, when he said, "I was
pained to see around me the quick decline of
faith in God and earnestness in religion, and I
was on the brink of despair when I contemplated
the future of this ancient land. But, as I look
upon Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba and witness
the transformation He is effecting in the hearts
of millions, I am heartened and happy." Baba
declared that racial conflicts and animosities
spring from sheer ignorance of the basic
brotherhood of man.
He related the
heart-rending story of Karna,
(*)
the eldest of the Pandavas. His mother cast her
first-born into the Ganges; it floated
downstream and was rescued by a charioteer who
fostered the child as his own. He took him to
the court of the Kaurava cousins, who had vowed
eternal vengeance on the Pandavas. Karna grew up
as the very right hand of the Kaurava group. The
Pandavas hated him and fought him, determined to
destroy him, no matter what the cost. They
succeeded at last. It was only then that they
learnt that Karna was their eldest brother born
of the same womb! O how they lamented, repented
and cursed themselves!
All men are
brothers; they owe love, service and reverence
to one another; but they are not aware of this
Truth, and so they hate, they fight, they kill,
they poison themselves by revenge. "Triumph over
another is only another name for
self-humiliation," Baba said.
"It
was this Truth, this Unity, often misunderstood
as diversity when seen through ego glasses, that
was propagated by Me in East Africa," declared
Baba. "The people whom I met there and those who
listened to my discourses and talks had a
glimpse of the Reality upon which the waves of
joy and grief, of gain and loss, of travail and
triumph, alternately rise and fall."
"Many
of them told me that the vision of the Indian
Sages alone can save them and fill the heart
with Peace. The splendor of the genuine culture
of India will spread in this manner from
continent to continent, from country to country,
from community to community, continuously in the
days to come. That is my Task. That is my Will,"
He said.
Months later,
a Muganda teacher wrote from Africa, "Baba!
redeem me, deliver me from grief! One of my best
friends was fortunate to touch the hem of your
robe, while you walked near him. He directed me
to pray to You and to save myself from sorrow."
An aspirant from Mukono wrote, "O Lord! Give me
the strength to forgive those who harm me; make
me forget the injury I receive from them." A
Roman Catholic from Sierra Leone writes, "Many
of His sayings I have inscribed in a little
notebook and I often refer to it when I am in
need of consolation or guidance. Some day, if it
is His will, I may have the good fortune to come
to Prasanthi Nilayam. Or perhaps it may never be
- but I shall continue, in my own way to try to
cultivate an ever-increasing awareness of
God."
These are
intimations of the wonderful transmutation of
urges, the sublimation of impulses, inclinations
and attitudes, the touch of His Robe, or the
touching of His Feet - a chance perusal of a
book by Him, or about Him - a word or two from
Him, or the grateful acceptance of a glance from
His Eye can bring about in man.
May the Light
of His Love illumine our hearts too, and may the
whole world shine in that eternal
effulgence.
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Bhajans
(*)
In Srîmad Bhâgavatam Karna is
mentioned in C1:15,
C3:1
& C3:3
and in the Bhagavad
Gîtâ
Ch1:8
&
Ch
11:34
(**)
Nandalala Yadu Nandalala
Brindavana Govinda Lala
Radha Lola Nandalala
Radha Madhava Nandalala
Chant
the name of the loving son of Nanda
Lord Krishna of the Yadu dynasty
The Lord of Radha
Who resides in Brindavan
(in the heart of the devotee)
