Rating *****

171 pages
published by Leela Press
ISBN 1887906002

In this book Howard Murphet traces his experiences with Sathya Sai Baba over the past three decades. Sai Inner Views and Insights is rich with inspiring and entertaining anecdotes told by a master storyteller.

«A Jewish rabbi wrote a very readable book, Why Do Bad Things Happen To Good People? Many people have pondered this question and the related one: "Why do good things happen to bad people?" The rabbi could find no answer to these questions in theology or philosophy. Nor, I suspect, can the majority of Christian ministers. The only satisfactory answer, I think, lies in the doctrines of rebirth - reincarnation and karma.»

- A Light from Rebirth and Karma, 3

«I happend to be standing nearby when a very determined young Indian asked Swami point blank: "Are you God?" Swami could have simply answered, "Yes," as he had done on many occasions. But instead, pointing his finger at the young Indian, he said, "You are God." Then he began to elucidate the deep teaching that has been known to the few over the centuries, but not to the masses. In a nutshell, the teaching is that at our innermost core, each of us is divine, but this core is covered up like an onion with many layers of mayamic ignorance and, until those layers of the onion of illusion are peeled off and we reach the very center of our being, we have not the slightest notion of our true identity.»

- Finding and Guarding the Priceless Pearl, 51

«In the early days at Prashanti Nilayam ashram, I was puzzled by the fact that most people spoke of Sai Baba as an Avatar of Siva, whereas the Hindu religion states that the early great Avatars, such as Rama and Krishna, were incarnations of Vishnu. One day when I asked Swami about this, he said, "There is only one God." I said no more but contemplated a great deal on the question. I know there is but one God and that what is called the Trimurti - that is Brahma, Vishnu and Siva - may manifest as separate forms although they are only facets of the one Being. The one Being, when without form, is known as Brahman; when with form, it is generally called Easwara. So it seemed to me that, though Sai Baba is an Avatar of the one God, he manifests the facet of Siva much more than the other two facets, Brahma and Vishnu.
Each of the three God forms of the Trimurti has a consort who, although in the deepest sense is an aspect of God, also manifests as a separate female form. The consort of Siva, for example, is known generally as Parvati, although she has other names depending on the function she performs. When merged with Siva as his feminine aspect, she is known as Shakti.
During his former life at Shirdi village, Sai Baba was considered to be mainly an incarnation of the Siva facet, with very little of his feminine - or Shakti - aspect in evidence; but in his present form of Sathya Sai Baba, he is considered to be a good balance of the male and female aspects, or a union of Siva and Sakthi. To put it another way, both Siva and his consort, Parvati, seem to be merged in our Swami, Sathya Sai Baba.»

- The Remarkable Story of Dr. Bhatia, 104

Synopsis: Who are you? Cross; A Light from Rebirth and Karma; Stepping Across the World; Living Stones; He has Come Again; Why Fear? Finding and Guarding the Priceless Pearl; Do we need a Guru? The Rebirth of Vivekananda; Life as One in Truth and Practice; At the Broken Heart of a City; A Distinguished Scholar and Devotee; Godmen and Mothers; The Remarkable Story of Dr. Bhatia; Health, Harmony and Healing; Bangaroo; Forgiveness, Love and Liberation; Epilogue; Glossary.

Last Updated Monday, January 11, 1999