Modern Miracles

I reviewed an earlier edition of this book as Miracles are my Visiting Cards well over 15 years ago. This new edition is updated with a further 12 chapters and more interviews. It covers experiences with Sai Baba since the 1950s until his death in 2011. The author himself has witnessed many extraordinary feats, as have many other people reported in this book. It is clear that Sai Baba possessed a full range of siddhis including the capacity to appear and disappear as well as extensive and well-documented healings and materialisations. Some of this data are summarised in an interview table. The author considers a number of possible explanations for the range of phenomena reported. The most plausible is that Baba did indeed possess psychic powers that were under his control, although this explanation would not appeal to hardened sceptics.

When he died in 2011, his body lay in state the two days, and he was accorded a full state funeral attended by some 500,000 people including the Prime Minister and Sonia Gandhi. Some readers may be unaware of the extent of his charitable work, including schools and two hospitals with a staff of 290 people who treat 160,000 patients every year for free. His teaching is also inspiring, focusing as it does on love and service: 'the sign of a person of wisdom is infinite love'; 'love should be considered as the very breath of life.' This is certainly the most comprehensive and balanced treatment of Baba and his work.