The Belgian Princess from childhood has always been a devout Christian.
She had always followed her individual duty and duty towards the society i.e. what Baba termed later her Dharma. She used to regularly have Baba's dream where He used to tell her repeatedly to visit him in Puttaparthi. She was not very inclined to do so since she thought going to Baba would be against the Christian faith, which she had been following for so long. She was of the opinion that her dreams may not have anything serious to think about since she was nothing even remotely connected to India and she had never heard of Sai Baba and hence no question of going to India.
An old friend of hers once met her during one of her outings. Meeting after a long time they both talked for a long time. During this conversation, her friend mentioned to her in passing that she had met a spiritual teacher in India whom she had accepted as her Guru (preceptor). Having heard her friend mention India, the princess asked her as to whether she had heard of someone called Sai Baba in a village called Puttaparthi. Looking a little surprised, she said, “Well, He is the one I am talking about. Sai Baba is my master, my Guru.” So saying she showed the princess His photograph. She looked at it and was aghast. The features of the man in the photograph were exactly the same as that of the person, who in her dreams was asking her to visit him. Were the dreams leading her to something? She didn't know.
A week later the Belgian princess was on her way to India, with her friend accompanying her. All through their journey, the princess and her friend talked about nothing but Sai Baba. The more she heard about him, His miracles (which Baba often says are his visiting cards) and His work, the more curious she became. The princess alighted in India and as she moved closer to Puttaparthi, her heart beat faster and she asked herself, “Who is Sai Baba? And How on earth does He know about me?”
As she alighted in Puttaparthi, she checked into an accommodation generally provided to people coming from an ordinary background. But being the princess of a nation, she was entitled to the government of India 's hospitality. Moreover, the princess herself never informed the accommodation authorities of her royalty status. But the foreign affairs ministry received a phone call from the Belgian High commission (who were told of the visit by a royal palace communiqué) that Her Highness, The Princess of Belgium was in India to visit Sai Baba. The foreign ministry informed the concerned authorities at Puttaparthi and the princess was moved to the VIP guest house, where she stayed until her return home.
Seated in front, the next morning , along with her friend, the princess waited for Baba. As the music started (generally every darshan at Puttaparthi and Brindavan begins with Indian Classical music being on the Audio system and continues till the end of darshan), her heart fluttered in anticipation. Will He recognize her? Will He speak to her? -- All sorts of questions came on to her mind.... Baba walked slowly along the ladies side. As He came near her, He stopped and spoke.... to a lady next to the princess. As He was speaking to the lady, the princess bowed to touch His feet. Baba turned, placed his hands over her head and said. “So, You have come.”
Baba called her into the interview room along with her friend. They went in and took their place. As Baba came in, He asked them to come nearer to Him and materialized two medallions of Jesus and gave one of each to them. These materializations are normal for a regular visitor to Puttaparthi but for the princess this was something she never expected, let alone the impossibility of ... a medallion out of thin air!
The medallions were similar with a slight difference. The one given to the princess' friend showed the full picture of Jesus on the crucifix. The one the princess had showed the image of Jesus only up to His waist. Both ladies looked at Baba , who smiled and said ---
“Princess, you have been a sincere devotee of Jesus right from childhood. You have followed righteousness through out your life. That is why I called you here.”
He stopped for a while and said again ---
“Princess , Do you remember, at the age of five, you saw a movie called “Jesus of Nazareth” ? That was the movie, which attached you to Jesus so much. The scene where Jesus was crucified made you cry. Especially when His legs were nailed, You burst out and cried for two days. It has since then left an indelible mark on your life.”
As Baba mentioned these words, that phase of her life passed through her memory. But that was the phase about which only she alone knew. How did Sai Baba come to know of it?
He stopped for a while and spoke again --
“I never give what people don't like. You love Jesus, so I gave you a medallion of Jesus Himself. But your medallion doesn't 't show the His nailed legs. That made you cry a lot. I don 't want you to cry now.”
After Baba spoke, there was silence for a while.. The princess now spoke, “All along I thought my dreams were from my imagination. Never did I think that they would lead me to where I am today. How do You know about all these things concerning me? I still have to understand You but from what I have experienced here so far, I can say that whatever You are, You are remarkable...” Baba spoke again - “Child, You have a pure heart. That is why you are here. You have never reneged on your duty. I am pleased by your steadfast adherence to duty and dharma. Ask me what you want, anything and I shall give.”
The princess remained silent for a while. Her thoughts flew to her sons at Harvard. They were good children but she had one problem, they never believed in God. They never accompanied her on her visits to Sunday mass or regular sermons at church. She wanted to ask Baba about them but something stopped her and she kept quiet.
Nothing in any corner of the world is hidden from Baba. Baba, as He does on so many occasions, here too, read her mind. He asked, “Ok, so you want to ask me about your sons -- at Harvard, isn't it? So why don 't You just ask?”
Withholding nothing more from Baba and convinced of His omniscience, the princess spoke with a mother's concern,
“Baba, My children don 't believe in Jesus. I am quite concerned about them. Please change them, Baba. I know You can do it. I've faith in You.”
“Alright , speak to them about Me tonight and tell Me about their reaction,” replied Baba. The interview then drew to a close.
The next day, They were called for interview again. As soon as Baba came in, He asked her -- “Did You speak to them?.” The princess replied hesitantly “Yes, I did. But ..... but .... but they were not interested. They said, you keep your Sai Baba with you. Don 't involve us in it.... and hung up the receiver.”
Baba said, “Never mind , speak to them again tonight...(silence for a while) and tell them I will give them an experience.” She did as was commanded. Her sons, however, refused to take any serious view of Sai Baba, who for their mother was a phenomenon not different from the kind Jesus was. The princess informed Baba about her talk with the two princes. Baba said, “Good. Now, wait until tomorrow.”
The next day at Darshan, Baba inquired from the princess about her children again. “Speak to them again today and then tell me what they spoke abou,” Baba commanded. After darshan, the princess and her friend went towards the telephone centre to call her sons , without the least indication of what had happened in Harvard with her sons after she made the last phone call to them two days before. What happened stunned not only the princes and their mother but the entire classroom in which the princes were attending.
As the Class of Harvard sat for class that day, an orange light (Baba 's robe is orange in colour!) appeared from nowhere and stuck to the shirt of the eldest of the two princes. As the prince got up to find out what it meant, the Light chased him out of the room and followed him vigorously. Seeing something very astonishing the whole class of Harvard ran out of the room.
The scene--The Light behind the prince and the rest of the class behind the Light. How far could they run? They finally fell exhausted. The Light too stopped for a while. It encircled the entire lot of students and disappeared.
The following evening the princess waited for Baba to tell Him all that happened. Baba came and as he came towards her asked, “Did you speak to the princes? (silence for a moment) Did they mention anything about an.. (halts for a second).. an orange light?” The princess looked at Baba with eyes wide open.. and.. smiled! Baba smiled back and went into the interview room.
The princess spoke to her children again that night and informed Baba that the entire class of Harvard wanted to come for Baba 's darshan. Baba said. “Good .. But not now, later. I will call.” The princess was disappointed but left it to Baba's will. When the princes will actually come to India only Baba knows. But they will come some day .. today or tomorrow. Baba's will shall prevail.
The princess left India some time around the first week of February. Before meeting Sai Baba, she had been full of doubts but with the kind of love and attention that Baba had showered on her, she left India with Baba firmly embedded in her heart.
The Princess left as a highly contented woman. We students, still remember her as a very benign personality, full of love and compassion. Her face radiated an extraordinary brilliance, which to a great extent reflects the strict spiritual discipline and endurance she had developed in her pursuit of the TRUTH, which she did find in form of our loving, Lord SRI SATHYA SAI.
