An Awakening Beyond Art

Sathya Sai Baba

oi-Staff

By Super

Friday, October 7, 2011, 14:04

A New York artist painted a beautiful portrait of Swami in honor of Sai Baba's 6oth birthday, using gold paints to heighten the effect. During the celebration, he was disappointed when told he couldn't personally give the picture to Swami at that time because Swami was busy. The picture would be placed in a storage until an unspecified future date.

About two years later, the painter returned. After few days, while sitting on the porch of the temple, he was surprised to see Swami appear at the door of the temple and motion him inside.

There, propped up on a chair was his picture in its original wrappings. Sai Baba unwrapped it, revealing the beautiful portrait done in gold paints. The painter had set the painting in a strong wooden frame and had sealed the back with a protective wooden piece, firmly locking in the picture, A glass covering protected the face of the picture.

The painter was very happy with Sai Baba's personal acceptance of the picture. He began to talk about the picture mentioning his use of gold paint. Sai Baba told him that gold wasn't important but the feeling in his heart was.

This gift was acknowledged and accepted by Sai Baba. Then, inspecting the picture, Sai Baba told the painter that the hair wasn't painted properly. It had been painted as a solid piece, when each strand should have been painted separately so that you could see the individual details.

The painter said that this would be extremely hard, and that in general, hair was treated this way in most pictures. Sai Baba said that might be, but that it wasn't quite correct. The painter left the room feeling somewhat downhearted.

The next day at darshan, Swami again brought the artist into the temple. This time, Swami showed him a marvelously transformed picture. Each individual hair had been given personal attention, heightening the effect of energy and balance added earth tone of beige and tan enhanced the depth and richness.

The painter was amazed by this miraculous metamorphosis. The glass still covered the picture, and the back of the frame had not been touched. "Swami, how could you have done this? It would be very hard to paint the hair like this, and you didn't even open the frame or take the glass off to do the work.

"Swami looked at him lovingly and said, "Oh, this is nothing, I control all the paint brushes in the world. I can even change the course of stars in the sky"

Overwhelmed, the artist said, "Oh, Swami, how marvelous, how wonderful." and with a smile, "Perhaps we can do into business together." He overcome with such reverence that he fell at Swami's feet and holding to them cried, "Oh Swami, I love you so much. I want you to only be my private Swami.

Gently Swami replied, "But I am your private Swami, just for you. I am everybody's private Swami. I come to each and everyone personally, according to their need and in a form that is most pleasing.

Sai Baba is awakening not only individuals, but also entire nations. Over the years I have seen people from almost every country in the world come to him. At the time of his 75th birthday, 168 countries were represented at the celebration in Prashanthi Nilayam.