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My Baba and I
Who is Sathya Sai Baba of India? Who is this this holy man whom millions of "Indians believe to be an Avatar, an embodiment of God? The miracle witnessed by his devotees transcend the known laws of science and parallel the miracles of Jesus. And he comes with a similar message - to bring unity and love to a despairing world. Dr. John Hislop, professor and author, recounts his experiences with Sathya Sai Baba during the past 17 years abd tries to acquaint the reader with the depth and grandeur of Sai Baba's spiritual philosophy.nSai Baba has said that Dr. Hislop has had more face-to-face confrontations with him than any other Western person. In "My Baba and I," Dr. Hislop gives the reader a rare look into the life3, miracles, teachings, and writings of the most unique and powerful religious personage of the 20th Century - Sathya Sai Baba of India.
7 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 1985
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
April 12, 2016
Journey of a rare and genuine spiritual aspirant. One of the best books I have read.
September 16, 2024
A PSYCHIATRIST AND SPIRITUAL SEEKER FINDS THE "MAN OF MIRACLES"
Psychiatrist John Hislop has also written Conversations with Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba and Seeking divinity: Talks. He wrote in the Preface to this 1985 book, "Three years ago, I told Baba that a new book was ready, and I asked if it should be published now or ten years from now... Baba's response was immediate, 'Ten years from now!' So I put the manuscript aside. Last year, however... Baba said [to Samuel Sandweiss, author of Sai Baba, the Holy Man...and the Psychiatrist], 'Print Hislop's book now.'... A couple of months later I... was unsure about a title... Baba said... Use the title, 'My Baba and I.'"
He recalls that at age 16 he concluded, "I myself must find the truth within myself... The first sign-post came... in Tahiti, where as a young lad of 18, I had gone for a year of adventure. A man I met... told me about Theosophy, and as soon as I returned home I joined the Society in Los Angeles... The next sign-post... was Yoga, and my wife and I looked to yoga for an insight to truth. We met Swami Yogananda and would drive to Hollywood each week to listen to him and talk with him... The next opening in experience for us was the coming to America of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi... I told him that I would get the land and build the Academy [for meditation].
"By that year, 1958, I had my doctorate from UCLA, had resigned from an academic career after ten years as a college teacher, and was in business... yet the old tendency to leave all was as strong as ever, and I left the job and went to India." (Pg. 7-9)
After Hislop became ill while now living with Baba, "the surgeon saw that the situation was so bad there was practically no chance of survival... But Baba persuaded him... and a date was set for the operation... I was told later that from deep anesthesia I twice said that Baba was there and that I was talking with him... We all knew that Baba could have corrected the entire matter by his Grace when I first reported the trouble. Why the long an agonizing delays?...
"at the time of another visit, I told Baba that I had figured the matter out. My conclusion was that I had come to the end of my natural life, Baba had let me go down to the final step, and at the last moment, he had reversed my natural death by giving me rebirth. Baba smiled and confirmed that what I said was true; he had given me new life." (Pg. 51)
He asked Baba about using drugs, and was told. "At first, a drug may make the person feel strong and confident. But all drugs are unnatural in their effect on the mind, and they do positive harm to the brain and to the spiritual capacity. The spiritual aspirant, the devotee of God should not make use of drugs." (Pg. 185)
Baba also said, "Swami prefers that additional people come only through observing the virtuous lives of the Center members, and by word of mouth... Other Swamis have to advertise and even provide transport, but Sai does no advertising, yet thousands come." (Pg. 186)
He states, "Baba has told us explicitly again and again, that he, Baba, if omnipresent. I daresay that almost every person in this room has experienced the fact that Baba is omnipresent. Has Baba not come into your life at one time or another, in a very plain fashion, even though his body is far away in India?" (Pg. 286)
This book will be of keen interest to those looking for a very "positive" presentation of Sai Baba.
Psychiatrist John Hislop has also written Conversations with Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba and Seeking divinity: Talks. He wrote in the Preface to this 1985 book, "Three years ago, I told Baba that a new book was ready, and I asked if it should be published now or ten years from now... Baba's response was immediate, 'Ten years from now!' So I put the manuscript aside. Last year, however... Baba said [to Samuel Sandweiss, author of Sai Baba, the Holy Man...and the Psychiatrist], 'Print Hislop's book now.'... A couple of months later I... was unsure about a title... Baba said... Use the title, 'My Baba and I.'"
He recalls that at age 16 he concluded, "I myself must find the truth within myself... The first sign-post came... in Tahiti, where as a young lad of 18, I had gone for a year of adventure. A man I met... told me about Theosophy, and as soon as I returned home I joined the Society in Los Angeles... The next sign-post... was Yoga, and my wife and I looked to yoga for an insight to truth. We met Swami Yogananda and would drive to Hollywood each week to listen to him and talk with him... The next opening in experience for us was the coming to America of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi... I told him that I would get the land and build the Academy [for meditation].
"By that year, 1958, I had my doctorate from UCLA, had resigned from an academic career after ten years as a college teacher, and was in business... yet the old tendency to leave all was as strong as ever, and I left the job and went to India." (Pg. 7-9)
After Hislop became ill while now living with Baba, "the surgeon saw that the situation was so bad there was practically no chance of survival... But Baba persuaded him... and a date was set for the operation... I was told later that from deep anesthesia I twice said that Baba was there and that I was talking with him... We all knew that Baba could have corrected the entire matter by his Grace when I first reported the trouble. Why the long an agonizing delays?...
"at the time of another visit, I told Baba that I had figured the matter out. My conclusion was that I had come to the end of my natural life, Baba had let me go down to the final step, and at the last moment, he had reversed my natural death by giving me rebirth. Baba smiled and confirmed that what I said was true; he had given me new life." (Pg. 51)
He asked Baba about using drugs, and was told. "At first, a drug may make the person feel strong and confident. But all drugs are unnatural in their effect on the mind, and they do positive harm to the brain and to the spiritual capacity. The spiritual aspirant, the devotee of God should not make use of drugs." (Pg. 185)
Baba also said, "Swami prefers that additional people come only through observing the virtuous lives of the Center members, and by word of mouth... Other Swamis have to advertise and even provide transport, but Sai does no advertising, yet thousands come." (Pg. 186)
He states, "Baba has told us explicitly again and again, that he, Baba, if omnipresent. I daresay that almost every person in this room has experienced the fact that Baba is omnipresent. Has Baba not come into your life at one time or another, in a very plain fashion, even though his body is far away in India?" (Pg. 286)
This book will be of keen interest to those looking for a very "positive" presentation of Sai Baba.
October 30, 2022
An enlightening perspective from a Western aspirant - how an Indian Spiritual Teacher won the dry dull heart with charms of simplicity, LOVE and authentic heart to heart interactions. A worthy excellent read for curious sceptics or aspirants unto understanding another powerful, vibrant, effective path that Indic Civilisation had to offer to help in the spiritual journey of Truth seeking.
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June 15, 2016nice one but not given full details of baba's work for humanity
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews