It is eighteen years since India attained independence. The warped slavish mentality of Indians now shows the proper improvement. Ignorance about Truth, lack of faith in God or saints, and scepticism about incredible (supernatural) powers of the Poorna Jnanis, all resulting from wrong or incomplete Western education, are reduced to some extent. Dr Connan, Monsieur Coho and the researchers of the National Laboratory of Psychical Research show that a divine Master or adept can exercise control over matter and living beings. This was recognised by our ancestors from time immemorial, but the belief was lost in the sands of time, and is now regaining ground. I wish to tell the readers that the living personification of this belief was Sai Baba who had attained union with the Brahman. Going one step beyond even the dicta propounded by scientists and by researchers, I have attempted to establish that the individual who attains this state never perishes. On the other hand, he manifests himself even now for those with firm faith and also for the world-weary, the seeker of knowledge, the seeker of something he treasures and the man of vision or spiritual discrimination, and helps them.
Out of crores of people who inhabit the globe, even if a few seekers of knowledge persevere on the path and attain self-realisation, they will be blessed and the writer will have the satisfaction of knowing that his objective in writing this book has been fulfilled.
This book is based on the writer's own experiences (which are true to his knowledge) and the published experiences and references to the sources, have been given wherever necessary.
Finally, I dedicate this sixth edition of the book to Lord Sai for inspiring and directing me to author this book.
In June 1974, when I visited Shirdi for the second time, I was in search of a Mahatma who was closely associated with Sai Baba. There, I heard from K.S. Pathak, the then Court Receiver of Shirdi Sansthan, the name of Swami Sai Sharan Anand of Ahmedabad, a living link with Sai Baba. So, my wife and I went to Ahmedabad in November 1974, in pursuit of our objective. We called on Swamiji, then eighty-four plus, who received us warmly and with loving kindness. In our morning and afternoon sessions with him lasting for three days, he answered all our queries candidly and with utter frankness, and removed all our doubts and misconceptions. He also enlightened us about the true nature, mission and powers of Shri Sai Baba.
At the end of our marathon discussions, he placed in my hands as Sai-prasad, a copy of the book in Gujarati on Sai Baba, authored by him, which had run into six editions by 1966 since its first publication in 1946. My translation of the book into Marathi was published in 1982.
Since Swamiji had been moulded, shaped and guided in the prime of life between 1911 and 1918 by Sai Baba, his testimony is of great significance to Sai devotees all the world over. Even after Sai Baba's mahasamadhi in 1918, the Master continued to guide him and reveal himself in many ways, which has been documented by Swamiji in his other works in Gujarati, published posthumously. Moreover, as I discovered, Swamiji was an adept in spiritual matters and was utterly truthful in his speech and deeds. He had been a witness to many extraordinary phenomena of Sai Baba as averred by him in his preface to the book. As such, his testimony about Sai Baba is first hand and authentic.
Being desirous of sharing this precious treasure with a wider audience, I have translated this book into English for the benefit of readers all over the world. How far I have succeeded in my efforts I leave to the readers to judge. Before I close, a word of thanks is surely due to Dr. Marianne Warren but for whose invaluable help this translation would not have seen the light of day. I, therefore, acknowledge my immense debt of gratitude to her.
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