An introduction to religious and spiritual experience

Sai Baba (1835–1918)
He was revered as an avatar of Shiva, mainly among Gujeratis. Having 
been abandoned by his parents, brought up by a Muslim couple and later 
handed over to a spiritual master by name Gopalrao Deshmukh (also 
known as Venkusa), Baba made his way to Shirdi. He eventually settled 
there for the rest of his life, becoming known as Shirdi Baba. There he 
taught and performed miracles, such as lighting lamps with water instead 
of oil, stopping a storm and saving a girl from drowning in the well. 
Pilgrims were drawn to him and gave him gifts and ‘Dakshina’ money. He 
redistributed everything to those in need and ended each day as poor as 
he had begun it. Before his death, Shirdi Baba told some of His devotees 
that He would reappear in the Madras Presidency in eight years’ time. 
Satya Sai Baba
Satya Sai Baba was born in South India near Puttaparthi in 1926, eight 
years after the death of Shirdi Baba. As a child, he was exceptionally spiri-
tual, full of compassion and different from the other children. In 1940, at 
the age of 14, he announced that he was a reincarnation of Sai Baba of 
Shirdi, and an avatar (incarnation of the divine). 
Nowadays devotees flock to his ashram at Prasanthi Nilayam, near 
Puttaparthi, where he teaches and performs miracles. When asked about 
his identity, he explains that he is God, as is everyone else, for we all are 
embodiments of the Divine Atma, but he also explains that in a previous 
body he was Shirdi Baba. He does not require renunciation of other spiri-
tual paths, aiming to make the Christian a better Christian, the Muslim a 
better Muslim and the Hindu a better Hindu through his teaching of love, 
universal brotherhood and the five-fold path of Sathya (Truth), Dharma 

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Religious and Spiritual Experience
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(Righteousness), Shanthi (Peace), Prema (Love) and Ahimsa (Non-
Violence). It is believed that there will be a third incarnation as Prema Sai.