Sathya Sai Baba was born on November 23, 1926, in the small South Indian village of Puttaparti. On the day of his birth, musical instruments in the family home played melodies and rhythms on their own, untouched by any hands, and a large cobra, a sacred sign of divinity, was found under the baby's bed. These and other mysterious events surrounded Sai Baba's birth and led witnesses to suspect that this was no ordinary child….

At the age of thirteen, Sathya left his books and announced to his family that he was the reincarnation of a holy man named Sai Baba of Shirdi. "Yes," he said, "I am not your son." He told his parents that he no longer belonged to them, that his devotees were calling, and that it was time for him to go. "My work," he said, "is waiting." When he was twenty, he wrote to his older brother, "I have a task to foster all mankind to ensure for all lives full of bliss. I will not give up my mission or my determination. I know I will carry them out." Now that gives you a little idea who he was.

I'm going to read a tiny bit of a letter that I received from Baba when I first started these classes. I'm just going to read a line or two. It says: "Hilda, my blessings. I know all about the classes in jnana [knowledge] and pranayama [breathing] which you are holding in New York. Convey my blessings to all who are attending and to all devotees there. Sadhakas [spiritual aspirants] must also cultivate love and the spirit of selfless service. Success in jnana and pranayama is to be measured not only by the betterment of physical and mental health, but more by the depth of equanimity gained and the extent of sympathy that wells up from the heart. My blessings are with all those who are making such spiritual effort. I bless them that they may have steadfast faith. With blessings, Baba.”

…. Well, I was about to leave India on my way home after all those many, many years, almost 20 years there, and I heard somebody say, "There's a Sathya Sai Baba who does miracles down in South India." So I went to the stationmaster in this little town and I took that old train. Back then I used to get down to the station very early and go third class and sleep in the luggage racks. I was thinner then. The luggage racks are very narrow. I wouldn't make it now, I'm telling you. I said to that stationmaster, "I want a ticket back in three days because I am going home to my America." And he said, "I can't give you a return ticket. You haven't seen the Master yet." The Master was Sai Baba — the stationmaster knew where I was going. I said, "You give me that ticket." I got a little on the tough side. But he shook his head and said, "You haven't asked for permission yet from the Master.”

I didn't come home in three days. I stayed a long, long time over with Baba. He was very, very kind to me.

With Baba, miracles are innumerable. My first one was when I arrived. The ashram lights go out at 9:30 p.m., and my bus got there at 11:30 p.m. Somebody said, "Come, I'll take your luggage. You sleep on the hospital veranda." So I went up there. In the morning, I had a companion in bed with me — a mangy dog. And they could be mangy there, too, I'm telling you, thin as rails. It was cuddled up with me so sweetly. And then, it was about four o'clock in the morning, still dark, and a vibration came swooshing from what I learned later was Baba's house. He must have been sending a wonderful vibe to the hospital, and I was in the way and I got it. I thought it was electricity going through me, and I said, "Wow! I've hit the jackpot here!" It was really good. And that was the start of my divine love affair with Sai Baba.

I got dressed, and I went down and stood outside. That was in 1965, you see. It's all different now. If you go over there now, you won't find this. You may find something better, but you won't find what I found. You understand? Because I'm one person and you're another. You may find something much superior to what I found. But my experience is what I would like to share with you.

That day the door opened and out came this person. He wore an orange silk robe and his hair was in a perfect Afro. When I heard he was coming to America, I thought, my God, what are people going to think about that hairdo? And about that time, that hairdo became very popular over here. It prepared the way for him to come! Unfortunately, he didn't come. I guess our hearts weren't calling him enough.

So anyway, he was looking at me and gesturing, and the people said, "Go in. Go in. He's called you." And I went in. He looked at me and he called me over to a corner. We were so close — our noses were a few inches apart. And I thought, "Gee, I didn't think I'd get this close to this Master." He said — his English wasn't as good then as it is now — he said, "What you want?" And I said, "God!" I tell you, from out of my inner self came this word, ppppssssshhh. I didn't have time to think that I'd like a ring or a necklace or a mala. This darn thing came out of me: "God!" He looked at me and he said, "You come back at four o'clock." He turned his hand in a nice circle and he went wwwoooossshhh and he said, "Put out your hand." I did, and he put in it some sweet raisin halvah. I looked at it, and he said, "Eat. That is heat." He said as he turned to everybody, "She has a yogic heat from doing so much yoga." I'm telling you I had yogic heat, all right. It used to burst out of my pores. I used to go home, open the fridge door, put my feet in the fridge and read a book. If that was yogic heat, I had it. So he said as he turned to the people. "She has yogic heat. This is sweet. You eat." And so I ate it, and I cooled off very nicely. I didn't have to use my fridge for my feet after that.

I went back at four o'clock and he started my training. He started a wonderful relationship that lasted until I came back here. It was a very wonderful thing.

Whenever he went somewhere, he would call me and say, "Hilda, what are your plans?" And, of course, I had none. I hadn't had any plans for twenty years. I'd just been roaming. I said, "No plans," and he said, "You come. Be ready at seven o'clock in the morning." So I'd be ready at seven. By ten o'clock we would leave. He'd say, "I know about ladies and getting ready. We tell them to get ready early.”

I had the privilege that wherever he went, he took me into the home where he stayed. One day I was staying in a room that had little windows looking onto an altar on an indoor patio. And I was sitting there thinking, "Who is this guy? He's like a star in the sky." And he walked in. He didn't even look at me. He just looked at the wall and he said, "Twinkle, twinkle, little star, how I wonder what you are. Up above the world so high, like a diamond in the sky." Then he walked out. Ah, he used to play these games with me. He would let me know that he knew what I was thinking all the time….

You’ve just read an excerpt from Saints Alive, Chapter 2 ~ Sathya Sai Baba.