Japan Experience

This happened in Japan in 1994.  NB was to perform in Tokyo and Osaka in an International Jazz Festival. He had already done so a couple of times earlier and was looking forward to doing so again.  As before, he arrived at Narita airport armed with a visa.  He got a shock when the officer at the customs counter, after checking the passport, said that NB could not enter Tokyo city as his visa was "up to Tokyo Airport" and that he should go back and get a fresh visa to enter Japan.  This was ridiculous as no country issues visas up to the airport only.

NB tried to reason with the customs officer and showed him the previous visas and told him that he had travelled many times to Japan on the same visa to convince them, but his pleas fell on deaf ears.  According to the customs officer, the visa, written in Japanese, had a wrong visa stamp.  NB was in a quandary as his first show was at 7 p.m. and very little time was left.  He then called up the show organiser, who was surprised but said that he was busy with the arrangements and would only be able to come after 5 p.m.  Moreover he was 90 miles from the airport.  

NB was put in a separate lounge with a telephone at his disposal.  He called up the Indian Embassy in Tokyo, friends and contacts but all of them expressed their inability to help him.  After a futile and harrowing one hour or so, he sank back on the sofa, totally exhausted and disturbed and gave up all hopes of the concert.  Just then he happened to look up and his heart gave a leap with another shock.  There on the facing wall was a beautiful portrait of Bhagawan Baba, blessing with both hands in Varada-hasta mudra.  He ran there and kneeled under the photo, crying with sorrow, relief and joy.  He realised with chagrin that during the past distressful hour, he had not thought of Baba even once.  He was deeply hurt and ashamed of himself for neglecting to think of Baba.

After that, things happened quickly.  Within five minutes, the same customs officer came in and told NB that his visa was cleared and he could proceed.  That was the third shock of the day.  Everything went smoothly thereafter.

A few weeks later, NB came to Puttaparthi and was seated with the bhajan group, when Swami came to him and teasingly asked, "How was Japan trip?"

Bhagawan's love for His devotee cannot be measured but his taste for testing them, creates mental and spiritual turmoil in the devotees' mind and heart.

This is a perfect example of how we may forget God but God never forgets us.

(From the book "Mother Sai's Miracles of Love")