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the dead. I heard of his godlike, unconditional love and of an unending stream of profound wisdom, qualities that could only be aributed to divine beings, such as Rama, Krishna, Buddha, and Jesus. I heard that Sai Baba could change people for the beer, and they would not change back. I heard that he took away pain and suffering, and asked for nothing in return but love.
I decided to meet him to find out for myself. As I made preparations to go to India, my belief system was severely challenged by followers of Sai Baba. They said that all my best laid plans for the trip were actually orchestrated by Sai Baba, whom I had yet to even meet.
I laughed at this primitive way of thinking. In psychiatry, this type of thinking is considered paranoid or delusional, and is referred to as “ideas of reference.” Events are misinterpreted as having special personal meaning, such as believing a TV commentator is giving one special instructions to carry out. Nevertheless, I was compelled to continue.
Upon arrival in Bombay, I learned that Sai Baba would be appearing at a large stadium in Bombay at about 6:00 p.m. I was invited to the apartment of a devotee for lunch so I could rest before the event. The apartment was in a nine-story building in an outlying suburb of Bombay, many miles from the stadium. Aer eating lunch and taking a rest, it was time to leave for the stadium.
How surprised I was when upon my exiting the building, Sai Baba arrived by car to this very same apartment building! As he entered, I turned back and ran aer him. Was this meeting just a chance occurrence? As it was happening, it seemed almost natural, but still my scientific mind was jolted.
Confusing thoughts ran through my mind. Bombay had a population of about fieen million, and the chance of our paths crossing just before I was to see Sai Baba at the stadium was almost incomprehensible. It would be like unexpectedly running into the Pope in an outlying suburb of Rome just before
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