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Sai Baba the Holy Man and the Psychiatrist
Book by Samuel H. Sandweiss
- GenresSpirituality
240 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1975
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
August 14, 2018
It is seriously hard to believe much of this, and most of us truly know much about him.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 13, 2012
Sai Ram
After reading the Holy Man and the Psychiatrist by Samuel Sandweiss in the early ninties I was compelled to find out more about this mysterious personage known as Sai Baba. This launched me on a magical journey that is still ongoing. Sai Baba started appearing in my dreams offering guidance, comfort and the ecstatic experience of His Cosmic Love. I am forever grateful to the author of this magnificent book.
Lots of Prema
sonya ki
After reading the Holy Man and the Psychiatrist by Samuel Sandweiss in the early ninties I was compelled to find out more about this mysterious personage known as Sai Baba. This launched me on a magical journey that is still ongoing. Sai Baba started appearing in my dreams offering guidance, comfort and the ecstatic experience of His Cosmic Love. I am forever grateful to the author of this magnificent book.
Lots of Prema
sonya ki
March 23, 2013
Mind.blown. Regardless of what I believe about the holy man, his miracles or even my own concept of spirituality, this book is worth 5 stars. It is fascinating and has well and truly sparked my interest.
September 16, 2024
A WESTERN PSYCHIATRIST BECOMES A FOLLOWER OF SAI BABA
Sathya Sai Baba (1926-2011) was an Indian guru who claimed to be the reincarnation of Sai Baba of Shirdi (d. 1918), and was considered by his followers to be an avatar and miracle worker. He was reported by his followers to regularly perform miracles (most often "materialisations" of "holy ash," but also small objects such as rings; also healings, etc.), although he was considered by skeptics to have been a fraud, and to have been "caught in the act" more than once. Accusations of sexual transgressions were also made against him, though he strongly denied them. His Sathya Sai Organisation performs a wide variety of charitable works.
Author Samuel Sandweiss also wrote books such as 'Spirit and the Mind,' 'With Love Man Is God,' etc. He wrote in the Introduction to this 1975 book, "I first met Satya Sai Baba three years ago. I went to India as a Western psychiatrist to study the psychology of religion at first hand and left with a deep sense of mystery about a being I could not comprehend... My own search for meaning and understanding led to a medical education and then into the field of psychiatry. But nine years of psychiatric training and practice, and a comprehensive investigation-by-participation of what one might call the 'human-potential movement' provided few answers...
"I was beginning to be convinced that such a search was an exercise in futility. In such a mood I turned to the East... and came upon Sai Baba... This book is an attempt to describe my direct observations and personal experience of some of [Baba's] powers. It is the outcome of a soul's struggle to comprehend phenomena in which the West does not generally believe." (Pg. 11-13)
He says, "Baba has amazing energy. He handles almost all functions on his own, in this instance giving out clothing tirelessly himself." (Pg. 43) He adds, "I clearly saw a miracle---a materialization... Matter appeared out of thin air---right before my eyes... I was sitting there awaiting the program when the speaker announced that Baba would say farewell to a visiting professor. Baba arose about eight feet from me, turned in my direction, made a few circles in the air with his hand, and out came a very large religious necklace." (Pg. 45)
He observes, "I am witnessing in live color and in the flesh an experience a million times more astonishing than the fairy-tale stories I have been telling my four sweet children. In fact, now I believe that these stories about witches and angels, monsters and gods probably refer to a dimension of being more real than the physical world we consider real life. I am aware now that there really are such things as black magic and evil, angels and gods." (Pg. 80)
He suggests, "It is more apparent to me now that Baba's appearance on earth is to give people faith in the existence of a higher reality and the truth of spiritual laws, so that we may have the strength to turn toward righteousness and steadfastly work to better our condition." (Pg. 121)
But he admits, "'Could it be that Baba is really just a cheap magician, who hides objects behind his back all the time...?' But even as my mind attempted to argue away its own doubt, I could feel my heart sinking. No, I would not let him trick me into thinking he is just a bad magician. He continued to talk to us, smiling blissfully, and I continued to watch his left hand carefully. Back it went behind his back, then out in front again... Then all of a sudden... there appeared a beautiful japamala [necklace]." (Pg. 137)
He says in response to the question, "How long is Baba going to live?" that "He says he will leave his physical body at the age of ninety-five. He will come again, he says, and in his next form be called Prema Sai Baba." (Pg. 166)
He notes, "The question of how to tell the authentic from the false is crucial... It is true that a misguided spiritual-like surrender to a cause can be absolutely dangerous and destructive... Recognizing this danger and the far-reaching implications of dedicating oneself to an individual or a cause or movement, one must make such a decision only after the most careful deliberation and with a great sense of responsibility in the matter. How, then, is one to measure a being or movement to determine its authenticity and whether or not it is indeed worthy of one's total surrender? Since that first early fright I have gained tremendous trust and love for Baba... I have come to believe that we have an intuitive capacity to sense whether something is good or bad." (Pg. 178-179)
Devotees of Baba, or those wanting to know more about him from a "positive" perspective will enjoy this book.
Sathya Sai Baba (1926-2011) was an Indian guru who claimed to be the reincarnation of Sai Baba of Shirdi (d. 1918), and was considered by his followers to be an avatar and miracle worker. He was reported by his followers to regularly perform miracles (most often "materialisations" of "holy ash," but also small objects such as rings; also healings, etc.), although he was considered by skeptics to have been a fraud, and to have been "caught in the act" more than once. Accusations of sexual transgressions were also made against him, though he strongly denied them. His Sathya Sai Organisation performs a wide variety of charitable works.
Author Samuel Sandweiss also wrote books such as 'Spirit and the Mind,' 'With Love Man Is God,' etc. He wrote in the Introduction to this 1975 book, "I first met Satya Sai Baba three years ago. I went to India as a Western psychiatrist to study the psychology of religion at first hand and left with a deep sense of mystery about a being I could not comprehend... My own search for meaning and understanding led to a medical education and then into the field of psychiatry. But nine years of psychiatric training and practice, and a comprehensive investigation-by-participation of what one might call the 'human-potential movement' provided few answers...
"I was beginning to be convinced that such a search was an exercise in futility. In such a mood I turned to the East... and came upon Sai Baba... This book is an attempt to describe my direct observations and personal experience of some of [Baba's] powers. It is the outcome of a soul's struggle to comprehend phenomena in which the West does not generally believe." (Pg. 11-13)
He says, "Baba has amazing energy. He handles almost all functions on his own, in this instance giving out clothing tirelessly himself." (Pg. 43) He adds, "I clearly saw a miracle---a materialization... Matter appeared out of thin air---right before my eyes... I was sitting there awaiting the program when the speaker announced that Baba would say farewell to a visiting professor. Baba arose about eight feet from me, turned in my direction, made a few circles in the air with his hand, and out came a very large religious necklace." (Pg. 45)
He observes, "I am witnessing in live color and in the flesh an experience a million times more astonishing than the fairy-tale stories I have been telling my four sweet children. In fact, now I believe that these stories about witches and angels, monsters and gods probably refer to a dimension of being more real than the physical world we consider real life. I am aware now that there really are such things as black magic and evil, angels and gods." (Pg. 80)
He suggests, "It is more apparent to me now that Baba's appearance on earth is to give people faith in the existence of a higher reality and the truth of spiritual laws, so that we may have the strength to turn toward righteousness and steadfastly work to better our condition." (Pg. 121)
But he admits, "'Could it be that Baba is really just a cheap magician, who hides objects behind his back all the time...?' But even as my mind attempted to argue away its own doubt, I could feel my heart sinking. No, I would not let him trick me into thinking he is just a bad magician. He continued to talk to us, smiling blissfully, and I continued to watch his left hand carefully. Back it went behind his back, then out in front again... Then all of a sudden... there appeared a beautiful japamala [necklace]." (Pg. 137)
He says in response to the question, "How long is Baba going to live?" that "He says he will leave his physical body at the age of ninety-five. He will come again, he says, and in his next form be called Prema Sai Baba." (Pg. 166)
He notes, "The question of how to tell the authentic from the false is crucial... It is true that a misguided spiritual-like surrender to a cause can be absolutely dangerous and destructive... Recognizing this danger and the far-reaching implications of dedicating oneself to an individual or a cause or movement, one must make such a decision only after the most careful deliberation and with a great sense of responsibility in the matter. How, then, is one to measure a being or movement to determine its authenticity and whether or not it is indeed worthy of one's total surrender? Since that first early fright I have gained tremendous trust and love for Baba... I have come to believe that we have an intuitive capacity to sense whether something is good or bad." (Pg. 178-179)
Devotees of Baba, or those wanting to know more about him from a "positive" perspective will enjoy this book.
February 29, 2024
This book changed the entire course of my life. I made many trips to stay at his Ashrams in 2 different parts of India. I was blessed enough to experience the completely incomprehensible phenomenon that Sathya Sai Baba was while inhabiting his physical form. One had to dig deep & be willing to face truths about oneself that the majority of us would not have the guts to even contemplate. One had to look honestly at the tricks one own mind can play on so called reality & find a new reality. Sathya Sai Baba was capable of seeing one’s innermost being and reflecting that true self back in the gentlest and subtlest ways unimaginable to the so called educated minds of the world. He leads you beyond mind to your truest self & even beyond that. This is the 1st of 3 books written by the Author over a long period of investigation & experiences over many years. I have heard him speak too. To have gone & seen & heard & witnessed the truth & love which is in these pages is what the world needs if it wishes to save itself from one knows not what. Drink these pages & know that they are True but to truly know one needs the experience 1st, on that note notice where it talks of Prema Sai Baba yet to come.
February 27, 2012
Awesome!
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews