Lamps Without Oil

In those days, Sai Baba would light lamps in the mosque every evening. For this, he would go around the village and ask the shopkeepers for a little oil. It was a simple and familiar routine, and the villagers had grown used to seeing him do this without any fuss.

One day, however, a few shopkeepers decided not to give him oil. Some felt he was asking too often. Others refused without much thought, as people sometimes do in small matters. Baba did not argue or question them. 

He returned quietly to the mosque. There, he took the small vessels used for the lamps. Instead of oil, he filled them with water. He placed the wicks as he always did, with the same calm attention. A few villagers, curious about what might happen, followed him at a distance and stood watching. Baba then lit the lamps.

To their surprise, the lamps began to burn, steady and clear, just as they did every other evening. The flames did not flicker or fade. They continued through the night. Those who had refused him earlier stood silently, unable to understand what they had seen.

The next day, the shopkeepers came to Baba, ashamed of their actions, and asked for forgiveness. Baba did not speak much about it. He simply continued his routine, as though nothing unusual had happened.

Moral

True power does not depend on outer means.