God Goes Home

Posted on September 3, 2026 by Author Richard F Holmes

Here is a bit of nostalgia… I realised that I’ve been writing this blog since 2011; where has the time gone? I’m not the best when it comes to IT and social media etc. but I’ve stumbled along to the best of my ability and I find myself where I am today, over 15 years later. I thought it would be a good idea to look back through the archives and retrieve my very first post, and what a poignant post it was. I’ve decided to give it a fresh airing. So my dear friends, for your interest (maybe) here is, once again, my first ever blog post from Sunday 24th April 2011, untampered with, word for word in all its glory.

Laideeeeez an’ gennelmen… I give to you…

God Goes Home:

Easter Sunday 24 April 2011 started off as a normal day. I was in no hurry to get out of bed, eventually doing so at around 09:20. Whilst having my first cup of tea of the day I went about my morning routine of going online and posting my thought for the day on Facebook and checking other online stuff. I went into one of my email addresses and there was one solitary email, from my friend V in South Africa. It was very short and to the point; it said quite simply “Swami has left”. I was quite numb at first. My beloved Swami, Sri Sathya Sai Baba had left his physical body. There had been signs for some time that Baba was getting ready to go, and in recent weeks it became increasingly apparent that devotees were going to have to accept that this was the case. It was still hard to believe though; you don’t expect Swami to go, simply because he has always been there. For a number of hours I cried intermittently; not out of grief, for I know there is no such thing as death, but for the sheer love of Baba and the realisation that he gave so much to us, yet took nothing for himself. His love was, and still is, boundless and I am truly blessed to have been touched by Baba’s love on many, many occasions.

I count my blessings that I received the call to go to Baba’s ashram, Prasanthi Nilayam (abode of the highest peace), on two occasions in the 18 months preceding his physical departure. It was during my second visit in February 2010 that I got my first hint that “Divine Mother Sai” may be preparing to leave. I was chatting to an American guy who had an apartment in Puttaparthi, where the ashram is situated. He was saying how Swami’s physical health had been going rapidly downhill and that he had made an unprecedented gesture. Baba had made an announcement formally inviting devotees from all over the world to attend the ashram during 2010, on a pilgrimage basis. My friend told me that this had never been done before in all the years that Baba had been resident at Prasanthi (since the 1940’s). My friend went on to say that he felt Baba was getting ready to leave his body and this was his parting gesture of love to devotees worldwide. Because of the sheer volume of people the pilgrimage was organised with the utmost precision and only so many countries at a time could attend, for periods of ten days only. Of course, this only applied to the organised pilgrimages; anyone can go to Prasanthi as long as they receive the inner calling

“not even 20,000 horses can bring you here if you are not called” ~ Baba

A Visitation

Posted on February 27, 2021 by Author Richard F Holmes

I had an experience recently that was a classic case of rolling back the years. I find it interesting that the experience has a different meaning for me today than if I’d had it 10 years ago. For the first time in ages Swami Sri Sathya Sai Baba appeared to me in a dream. As expected, it was like being in the presence of a doting mother and best friend. Swami let me touch his face, and we had this moment where we were just in each others’ presence before the egoic mind brought me back to the land of objective reality.

Swami always used to say that if he comes to us in a dream, it is not a dream but a visitation. He also used to constantly remind us that he was not the body, and did not encourage devotees to follow him as a physical being, or look on his form as an object of worship. Nonetheless, it was very difficult not to; especially if you had the grace (as I did) to witness Swami’s amazing smile first hand and experience his awesome presence. A few years ago I would have relished a visitation from the loving “God man” and would have felt so lucky and privileged that he’d blessed me in such a way. Even though my recent visitation was an unexpected and wonderful experience; received with equal relish, I interpret the meaning differently. Back then, if Swami the physical being would have been visiting me; I would not have seen his form as a symbol of the one eternal Self. Yes it’s true, that I would have known this, but confronted with Swami’s beautiful form, all thoughts of the formless would have flown away.

With regard to my recent experience, I enjoyed immensely basking in the presence and having my personal darshan of Swami’s form. But today, I understand what it represents and my interpretation of the visitation is that “The Higher Power” used a method that I would be able to relate to, to let me know that my little individual, egoic self has not been forgotten about. That for however long I have left in this body, and for whatever work I have left to perform, I am not alone; the loving bliss of eternal spirit will always be enfolding me.

It’s What Being An Author Is All About

Posted on June 4, 2014 by Author Richard F Holmes

I’ve been back from my working trip to West Wales for just over a week now and thought it was about time I checked in. Ah.. the trip; well, it started off quite spectacularly; during the early hours of my first night there I had two (yes, two) out-of-body experiences AND a visitation from Swami, Sri Sathya Sai Baba. It was quite unexpected to embark on astral adventures, especially during the first night, but they were not the kind of adventures that I felt necessary to write about. The second one in particular was a little strange to say the least, but neither held any significance for me, hence I decided to confine them to the annals of time. However, it was lovely of Swami to pop by.

I’ve got an article brewing in my mind for publication in the near future, but what I want to particularly share today is, for me anyway, what really makes being an author worthwhile.

Being an author can be a frustrating old life, but somehow, we simply keep going; even if we do take the odd sabbatical here and there. The other day however I got a real boost. A lady thousands of miles away in America contacted me and told me my books have put her son back on the right pathway. She said that he was going in the wrong direction until he read my work. She went on to say that I am an inspiration to them both. Then, later the same day I received an email from a man much closer to home, although I have never met him, who told me he had acquired some of my books via his mother and that they had helped him greatly. He asked permission for a poem that is in one of my older pieces of work to be copied and read at a friend’s funeral. I was more than happy to allow this (I’m sure most people wouldn’t have bothered to ask!)

It just goes to show, that sometimes we question ourselves and wonder if we are doing the right thing; and all of a sudden we get confirmation that we are! It is a really great feeling to know that I can make a positive difference, through my work, in other people’s lives; and little things, like those two messages, really are what being an author is all about.

By the way. The photo is of the harbour at Aberaeron; I took this pic on a previous trip a couple of years back.