6.2-Expansion of Worship

Kabir, Guru Nanak, and others attempted politics in the field of literature and religion. They tried to establish the bedrock of ideas on which Indian unification in religion could be accomplished. Each had some degree of success, but even their efforts fell short of that completion and perfection.

Sai Baba declared on one occasion that in a former janma he was Kabir, and it may be noted that Baba, as Kabir, was suiting the narrow views of former centuries, while Baba of the 19th and 20th centuries had broader views and more efficient means of reaching unity. Kabir brought under his own leadership Hindus and Muslims who gave up former labels and were called Kabir panthis. But after his demise, the spirit of division came in, and there were Hindu Kabir panthis and Muslim Kabir panthis separating each form the other. Guru Nanak also accomplished the same remarkable feat in bringing Islam and Hinduism Closer to each other. But the Sikhs, who now represent the fruits of his labours, cannot provide any basis for the religious unification of India.

Sai baba fully grasped the difficulties of the problem. The only thing that could bring Hindus and Muslims together was a weird, saintly personality acting as a Guru or god- man. He must be absolutely neutral, and must allow all Sections of religions to have their own ways. Sai Baba, having all these qualities, was bringing all people to a common platform, namely devotion to that saintly personality and enabling them to see that the differences are petty and ridiculous, unworthy of serious men of jnana or realisation. Divine qualities combined with super – human powers were in Sai Baba. Even-minded beneficence were so patently manifested that all alike. Hindus, muslims and Christians, who came to know about him felt that they were before a higher influence and that they could all approach and reach god through him; that he was the high watermark of saintliness, or godliness of god head and they willingly made him their Guru deva or protector. Some of them treated him as their God.