A miracle baba is in the news for all the wrong reasons. First the media, then the public and now the police are accusing him of spreading superstitions, charging money for his “blessings,” and cheating. On the other hand his faithful followers swear by his magical powers.
What is the truth? Does this miracle baba have the ability to see the past, predict the future, heal the sick and give mercy through his supernatural powers? Or is he a crook?
Our answer may surprise you. He might possess supernatural powers, as many others like him. Mystic powers that are beyond you, me, and modern science do exist.
So what?
Does it make these people god? No. God is God, the supreme controller, enjoyer and proprietor, the most beautiful, the all-attractive Krishna.
But then why do people decide to turn to these godmen and not to God? Lord Krishna explains this psychology in Gita 4.12, “When people are in distress they run to demigods or these godmen for instant relief and quick solutions. And they do get immediate results.” Nothing wrong here, we may feel; it’s a simple case of demand and supply. But surprisingly, Lord Krishna calls this approach less intelligent (Gita 7.20). Because there is a catch these boons and solutions are temporary, barely lasting for a while. They are not eternal and surely not powerful enough to help us cross the cycle of birth and death.
If we are sick and we eat some magical ash, we may find benefit. But if this simple cure turns us into swooning followers of these miracle men, we are in for a rude shock. Either their powers will dwindle or being mere mortals, they will have to succumb before the all-powerful time and death. What, then, will be our shelter?
Surrender to Lord Krishna
If we are still in awe of these mystic powers, let’s see how Srila Prabhupada responded to such cases. When told about someone’s mystic feats like levitation, he dismissed them by saying that even cockroaches fly. When someone claimed to heal the sick, he asked, “Can you stop death?” When someone charged money for giving mantra or mercy, he asked, “Why not give it free?” When someone claimed to be god, he asked, “Why god is suffering from physical illness?” Srila Prabhupada’s point was simple instead of surrendering to these fallible miracle men, surrender to Krishna. Krishna is infallible. He is Yogeshvara, the master of all yogic powers and the original source from whom all these powerful personalities derive their power.
Therefore the Bhagavatam (2.3.10) implores us to be prudent and turn to Krishna, “A person who has broader intelligence, whether he be full of all material desire, without any material desire, or desiring liberation, must by all means worship the supreme whole, the Personality of Godhead.”
But we may have our doubts. “Will Krishna free us from our terrible sufferings?” Lord Krishna may remove our miseries like these miracle men or He may not, but He will surely make us strong enough to bear them. One may also have reservations due to apparent lack of direct access to Lord Krishna. But thanks to a mentorship process prearranged by Lord in the Gita (4.2), we can access His wonderful teachings through His bonafide representatives. These spiritual masters can guide us to live a holistic and harmonious life even in these turbulent times. The process is simple a mindful meditation on the holy names of the Lord: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare/ Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare. You can chant this mantra anytime, anywhere, anyhow. It can deliver us from this world of miseries and take us to Vaikuntha, the place of all peace and love.
Try it. It’s free.
Murari Gupta Dasa is a member of the BTG India editorial team.