Our Humanity Is Being Absorbed In His Divinity - By Tajmool Hosein

Sri Sathya Sai addressing a sea humanity at Kurukshetra - April 1972

It is generally acknowledged that we are on the threshold of a new Golden Age. Bhagavan Baba has spoken of this Golden Age. When the Golden Age dawns, the planet will be flooded with love, and the present negative emotions will disappear. Bhagavan Baba's mission is concerned with the spiritual regeneration of humanity in order to prepare mankind for life in the new Golden Age. 

Bhagavan Baba Says: 

"When the Golden Age dawns there will be harmony throughout the world and love will flow everywhere. Today you cannot visualize such a state because there is chaos everywhere, fighting, scheming, hatred, evil; all the negative emotions are in the ascendant. But eventually change will come.

"Today the seeds are still in the ground, slowly germinating, as the teachings of the Lord begin to spread throughout the world and infiltrate the mind of man. Soon those seeds will begin to grow and what emerges will brighten the world as the beauty of the absolute truth begins to reach so many people. It is a process which takes time and the new Golden Age will evolve gradually... Let the Divinity within shine forth and become one of the beacons to light up the world and hasten the arrival of the new Golden Age. It is there now for some, those enlightened souls who have already reached the state of God realization, it is that awakened state that will lead to the new Age." 

(Sai Messages by Lucas Ralli, Vol. 2, pp. 70-71). 

We as Bhagavan's spiritual workers have been allotted the task of assisting in the universal dispensation of truth and love which will transform humanity. The undertaking of spiritual work for a Divine Master is the noblest task that a spiritual aspirant can be engaged in; and while serving the Master the aspirant himself becomes spiritually uplifted. 

As Meher Baba says in one of his Discourses: 

"Through the untiring activities of spiritual workers, humanity shall be initiated into a new life of abiding peace and dynamic harmony, unconquerable faith and unfading bliss, immortal sweetness and incorruptible purity, creative love and infinite understanding." 

As one of Bhagavan Baba's spiritual workers, it has been my pleasant task over the years to develop and implement the programs of the Organization in the West Indies in the fields of Sai Service, Sai Education and Sai Spiritual activities. 

I was born in a Muslim family and my parents were devout Muslims. I have, however, always been interested in the teachings and philosophy of the other great religions of the world, and at one time or another have been associated with a Christian Mystical Order, the Kabir Organization in my country, the Muslim Organizations, and with a great Sufi Master for a few years. I have always found it easy to take part in the religious activities of all faiths. 

It is against this background that I developed a keen interest in Bhagavan Baba when I began reading about Him in 1975. In 1959 I had read a book about Shirdi Baba which had left a deep impression upon my consciousness. When I discovered that Bhagavan was an incarnation of Shirdi Sai, my interest in Bhagavan Baba developed to the point where my wife and I decided to visit His Ashram in 1976. 

Sri Sathya Sai Darshan at Prasanthi Nilayam - early-1970s

My first visit was short. I had Darshan of Bhagavan, and my first Darshan stirred up deep emotions within me. My initial impression was that Bhagavan Baba was from another world; He was, I felt convinced, a great Spiritual Master who had come for a divine purpose, and I thought that my yearning to meet such a Master was at last being realized. 

On my second visit to the Ashram in 1977, Bhagavan Baba graciously granted my wife and myself a private audience or an 'interview' as it is called. We were naturally overjoyed at the opportunity of meeting and speaking with Him. His first words were: "I am your Guru". I had been in search of a true Guru for years, and had approached a number of holy men from India whom I had met, but all of them had politely declined. At last I thought that my search had ended and my Divine Guru had declared that He had accepted me as his disciple. Bhagavan Baba told me many things about myself, mainly about my spiritual past, and gave us His Blessings. 

The experience of my first interview was so overpowering that my wife and I continued to visit Bhagavan Baba's Ashram at least once per year since then. On each occasion Bhagavan Baba graciously granted us at least one interview. In the course of the various interviews, it has been my privilege to receive from Bhagavan a lot of spiritual instruction and all the benefits that flow from physical contact with a Divine Spiritual Master. I have experienced His great love and compassion, and his concern for both my spiritual and material welfare. 

I was able to witness a number of Bhagavan Baba's miracles at these interviews. He manifested various objects such as rings, malas, sweets and other articles which He gave to the devotees. He listened to their petitions and promised to look after their needs. I also witnessed a number of His healing miracles - He sometimes effected instant cures.

In the course of one of my interviews in 1982, Bhagavan Baba told me that he was preparing me for 'higher responsibilities'. I was unaware of the nature of these responsibilities and I did not feel impelled to inquire. However, in 1983, I was appointed the Chairman of the Organization in Trinidad and in 1984 I became a member of the World Council of the Sai Organizations. It has been my responsibility to supervise the activities of the Organization in the region which embraces all the English speaking countries from the Bahamas in the North, to Guyana and Suriname in the South. It is an area in which can be found people of all the religions of the world, all races and all cultures. Doing Sai Work in such an environment has not always been easy. Yet the Organization has expanded progressively by Bhagavan's grace, and people of all races and religions have joined the Organization and become devotees of Bhagavan Baba. By the grace of Bhagavan it has been possible to establish units of the Organization doing service activities and promoting educational programs in most of the Caribbean countries. There are strong Organizations in Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Barbados and Jamaica, and some representation in the smaller territories. 

The Caribbean Islands

The service activities that are performed are wide ranging. Public institutions such as hospitals and prisons, and the poor and needy in our societies and school children are the main targets of our service. The enthusiastic response to various activities has convinced us that Baba Himself is at work. 

At the personal level, my wife and I have experienced many miracles of Bhagavan Baba, some of which we naturally regard as personal and cannot discuss. We have witnessed many of His healing miracles and been the recipients of his Grace in this respect. Many devotees in the West Indies have also experienced miraculous cures of various ailments. 

A few years ago Bhagavan Baba materialized a Lingam and gave it to my wife, Shalimar, instructing her that she should bathe the Lingam with water and give the water to any sick person who may wish to have it My wife has since that time given the water to numerous persons throughout the West Indies, and many of them have reported that their various illnesses have been miraculously cured. The following are few instances of such reports: 

A lady in Jamaica was suffering from a severe heart ailment and had to restrict her activities considerably. My wife gave her some water in 1988. About a year later we met her again and she reported that she was completely better and had discontinued taking her medication. 

A devotee in Trinidad was also suffering from a heart condition and frequently visited a neighboring country for medical attention. He had been advised that surgery would be necessary at a later date. He received and drank the water for some time and then returned for surgery. On examination he was informed that his condition had improved and that surgery was no longer necessary. Another lady in Jamaica (she was not a devotee) took some of the water for a short time and has reported that a long standing allergy had subsided. 

I had suffered for years with severe muscular pains in my shoulders. During my first audience with Bhagavan, He got up from His chair and walked over to me as I was standing in his room, and he firmly placed both His hands on my right and left shoulders. I was surprised and wondered what the purpose of it was. I realized later that the pain had disappeared - it has never returned. 

One of my grand-daughters had major heart surgery at a foreign hospital when she was but two years old and her mother was told that another operation would be necessary about two years later. I asked Bhagavan Baba whether He could relieve her of the necessity of such surgery, and He said — "Not necessary, I will fix". The child's mother took the child back to the foreign hospital and the child was prepared for surgery and actually admitted to the operating theatre. The doctors discovered that the condition had healed completely and that no surgery was necessary. The child was discharged later. 

On one of my visits to the Ashram, I saw Bhagavan Baba command a female devotee seated in wheel chair to get up and walk, and she (somewhat hesitantly) rose and walked and abandoned her wheel chair. 

Bhagavan has also manifested Himself to my wife in different countries: for example, in a Canadian hospital where she was a patient and in Saudi Arabia while we were on a visit there. He has materialized many articles (rings, pendants, bangles, malas, etc.) which He has graciously given to my wife, my sons and myself at various times. In our daily lives we experience miracles even in small things, which are intended no doubt to remind us that He is always there and that we have no need to fear.

Meher Baba describing the characteristics of an Avatar says: 

Avataric periods are like the springtide of creation. They bring a new release of power, a new awakening of Life as a whole is stepped up to a consciousness, a new experience of life - not merely for a few but for all higher level of consciousness and is geared to a new rate of energy. The state of perfection in which the Avatar dwells is beyond all forms of duality and opposites. It is a state of unlimited freedom and unimpaired completeness, immortal sweetness and undying happiness untarnished divinity and unhampered creativity. Those who consecrate their lives to Him gradually become identified with Him in consciousness. Little by little their humanity is absorbed in His divinity and they become free." 

These are powerful words. I, like many others, have experienced these Divine qualities of the Avatar in Bhagavan Baba, and have dedicated our lives to His service. I have come to realize His constant presence and feel His guiding hand in all that I do. As I follow the path that He has laid down for me, I am certain that my humanity is gradually becoming absorbed in His divinity, and that liberation will eventually come. 

About the author:

Mr. Tajmool Hossein, B.A., LLB. (Honors.), London was a towering and authoritative figure in the legal fraternity. He qualified as an English Barrister at Lincoln's Inn, London, in December 1964 and was appointed Queen's Counsel (Q.C.) in 1964. He was awarded the Trinity Cross by the Government of Trinidad and Tobago in 1982, the highest award of the country in the field of law and public service. He was Member of Parliament, Member, Law Reform Commission; Member, University Council of the University of the West Indies, Trinidad. He also served Sathya Sai International Organisations in various capacities - Chairman, Central Council of the Sri Sathya Sai Organization of the West Indies, Member of the World Council of the Sri Sathya Sai Organization, and Central Coordinator for Canada and West Indies. A deeply spiritual individual, during his professional career, he declined offers to become chief justice and president of the Caribbean Court of Justice. He merged at the Lotus Feet in 2013.

Source: Sai Vandana 1990