# Sathya Sai Baba. Supernatural Experiences and Divine Transformation. Book Three

Svyatoslav Dubyanskiy

In this book, I want to share with you my memories of the greatest spiritual teacher, philosopher and miracle worker of our era, Sathya Sai Baba (1926 – 2011). He has been a mentor to tens of millions of spiritual seekers. His love and wisdom was boundless, the miracles he performed were beyond human capabilities. People from all over the world came to his ashram feeling at home. Sathya Sai Baba was surrounded by an atmosphere of love and joy, happiness and creativity. He taught ancient meditation techniques and mantras, commented on traditional Vedic and Biblical texts. With the help of his supernatural abilities, Sathya Sai Baba healed serious illnesses and changed destinies, helping people to embark on the path of spiritual exploration of the eternal essence of their souls.

Sai Memories and Experiences.

Sathya Sai Baba about Jesus Christ's and

Krishna's Life and Message.


Author's Preface

Sathya Sai Baba – the miracle of a blessed life


In this book, I want to share with you my memories of the greatest spiritual teacher, philosopher and miracle worker of our era, Sathya Sai Baba (1926 – 2011). He has been a mentor to tens of millions of spiritual seekers. His love and wisdom was boundless, the miracles he performed were beyond human capabilities.

People from all over the world came to his ashram feeling at home. Sathya Sai Baba was surrounded by an atmosphere of love and joy, happiness and creativity. He taught ancient meditation techniques and mantras, commented on traditional Vedic and Biblical texts. With the help of his supernatural abilities, Sathya Sai Baba healed serious illnesses and changed destinies, helping people to embark on the path of spiritual exploration of the eternal essence of their souls.

Between 1993 and 1999, I translated from English into Russian during personal meetings of Sathya Sai Baba with Russian speaking groups. During such meetings, I had the opportunity to observe how Sathya Sai Baba communicated with followers and visitors, gave spiritual instructions, answered questions, and performed amazing miracles.

After Sathya Sai Baba passed away in 2011, I was asked by friends to write about the amazing events I had witnessed. This is how my books were born.

Sathya Sai Baba was a divine teacher who helped at all levels of human life, from the very heights of spiritual self-realization, to simple and everyday problems related to family life and children. A special role in his communication with students was occupied by the questions of finding and realizing their destiny in life.

Sathya Sai Baba guided every person to explore the nature of the eternal soul. He proclaimed the divinity of every person, this was the essence of his spiritual message. Sathya Sai Baba helped to open the infinite space of the Spirit and make his dream come true.

Sathya Sai Baba was the messenger of a blessed life. He poured out Divine Grace on everyone who has opened his heart, and blessed him to the successful realization of his destiny in life.


Gratitude


I express my deepest gratitude to all my friends and relatives who took an active part in the work on this book. Thank you all for your kind and helpful advice, valuable information, technical, and financial support.

Special thanks to my wife Svetlana Dubyanskaya, as well as to my parents Igor Grigoryevich and Tamara Alekseevna.

Special thanks to Anupriya Wijayaweera for arranging the publication of this book. Thanks go to Alexander Bukreev for the cover design.

## 1. The power of spiritual communication


The events described in this book took place in the ‘90s, more than 20 years ago. For a long time, I deliberated over whether or not to share about the mystical and spiritual experiences that happened to me over the years.

In various spiritual traditions, such as yoga, Buddhism, and Christianity, it is considered highly undesirable to talk about your inner spiritual experiences and encounters, because this can lead to a loss of the new and precious energy. When something amazing and divine happens within you, it is better to keep the memories of such experiences a secret for the purpose of storing the resulting energy received from the mystical experiences.

When people thoughtlessly talk about their mystical encounters too soon after experiencing them it can lead to a loss of the energy. After such stories are shared it can sometimes take a long time to restore one's harmonious state back to the peace and calm of the experience. Divine energies need time to take root in the inner world and become an integral part of your life.

Later, when the energies and awareness have taken root, then you can share your spiritual experiences, divine encounters and new awareness, but only if you clearly understand and feel into how, when, and to who you will tell about the amazing events that happened. That’s when sharing about them becomes spiritual service.

Service happens at different levels: helping an elderly stranger cross the road, helping friends move furniture during a move, helping a neighbor with their garden. However, the highest level of service is associated with the manifestation of your genius and the embodiment of your destiny. Having found spiritual treasures in your heart, you must share them with other people. Service is the highest point of the spiritual path and it also manifests in telling people about your spiritual discoveries and insights.

Sathya Sai Baba said that Satsang, spiritual communication, is one of the most important elements of the spiritual path. When a person tells about their innermost experiences to friends, divine vibrations are transmitted because the word has great power.

Consequently, I have decided to share with you some of the mystical experiences that took place during my communication with Sathya Sai Baba. I wish not to impose my vision of Sathya Sai Baba but believe that every person should find his or her own Sai in their hearts and build their own image and understanding of this great and mysterious world teacher. For me, I feel the need to share his love and wisdom and the miracles I have been fortunate enough to witness. This book, then, is the story of my personal experiences.

## 2. Sai-boy sat in the center of the altar


I learned about Sathya Sai Baba at the very beginning of the ‘90s, when I was twenty years old. Almost immediately after that, I arrived at his ashram in southern India. This meeting was preceded by a long spiritual journey. About ten years earlier, I became very interested in meditation and yoga. I learned about Sathya Sai Baba from one of my acquaintances, and then I met a few more people who also told me unusual stories about an Indian philosopher and miracle worker.

One of my friends went to the USA and met several American devotees of Sathya Sai Baba there. Returning from America to Moscow, my friend told me with great enthusiasm about an amazing Indian saint, Sathya Sai Baba. At some point, information about Sathya Sai Baba began to filter into my life literally from all sides.

At that time, I had little information about the life and teachings of Sathya Sai Baba, and so everything I learned about him was fascinating and powerful, alluring and enchanting. I received photographs and the first videos, as well as amazing stories about his fabulous life, incredible miracles, and the deepest philosophical teachings.

One of the stories I remember hearing happened to Sathya Sai Baba when he was a teenager. I learned this amazing story from a Hindu who came to Russia as part of an Indian trade delegation, his name was Kumarji. He was seriously interested in yoga and knew quite a lot about Vedic philosophy. During the conversation, I discovered he was a devotee of Sathya Sai Baba.

One day, the Sai boy went with a teacher from the school and other students on a trip to the ancient city of Hampi to visit the famous temple of Lord Shiva, called Virupaksha. The whole group entered the ancient temple, but the Sai boy, unexpectedly, decided to stay near the entrance. He pleaded that he had an upset stomach. When the clergy in the temple were finishing the service, all those present saw the Sai boy sitting in the center of the altar instead of the deity. The teacher was angry because he did not expect the boy to behave in this way.

The teacher furiously left the temple, but then was suddenly surprised to see the Sai boy standing calmly in the shadows at the entrance. He was puzzled. It was strange to see the boy standing under the tree as he had clearly seen him in the center of the altar just a moment ago. Astonished, he left a few students next to Sai, while he himself went inside the temple to see if he could grasp what was going on.

Upon entering the temple, he saw the Sai boy once again sitting in the center of the altar. The teacher couldn't believe his eyes. He went back and forth several times. Finally, he realized the Sai boy was not an ordinary boy because he could manifest physically in two places at the same time. This happened years before Sai even announced he was a divine incarnation.

Subsequently, I read this story in several books describing the childhood miracles of Sathya Sai Baba, but at that time I heard it from the mouth of a person who knew the direct participants in those events. After hearing this amazing story, I didn't know how to react. My mind was highly doubtful, but my intuition was clear that this was a true story. My inner world was split in two and I was torn with doubt and curiosity.

## 3. Materialization of holy ash from Sathya Sai Baba's photo


After listening to the story of the Sai boy told to me by Kumarji, I could hardly believe it. At first, I treated this story as an ordinary Indian fairy tale. I did not want to upset my new Indian friend and decided not to tell him that I strongly doubted the reality of his story. However, the events that took place just a few days later completely changed my attitude to such stories. The next time I met Kumarji was at the subway. It is difficult to say, but perhaps he sensed my distrust of his amazing story about the Sai boy, because I was about to encounter my first miracle. These events are imprinted on my memory in every detail.

I met with Kumarji in the center of the Moscow metro station and we headed toward the exit. Going up the escalator, his friend looked into my eyes and took out a small photograph of Sathya Sai Baba from his pocket. It was the most common calendar, and I later discovered that such calendars with photographs of Sathya Sai Baba are often carried by many devotees.

Kumarji showed me this photograph, and said, “all photographs of Sathya Sai Baba are absolutely extraordinary. They are literally alive.”

After that, Kumarji silently chanted a simple mantra. His voice was soft and gentle. Quietly, he said, "Om Sri Sathya Sai Ram, Om Sri Sathya Sai Ram, Om Sri Sathya Sai Ram."

Immediately, in the very center of the Moscow metro, I noticed sacred ash materialize from this small photo of Sathya Sai Baba and a fragrant aroma appeared around it.

I already knew several stories about the materialization of sacred ash, but this miracle was now unfolding right in front of me. I couldn’t believe that I was watching the miracle of the materialization of sacred ashes. I couldn’t comprehend it. I was surprised, too, that the appearance of the sacred ash came accompanied by fantastic divine smells.

Sacred ash in Sanskrit is called "vibhuti," this word is translated as "revelation." It is very interesting that seemingly ordinary ashes symbolize divine revelation. Sacred ash is used in almost all the temples of India. It is applied to the middle of the forehead and sometimes diluted with water and drunk in order for a person to be healed of illnesses or receive a blessing.

Sacred ash is a symbol of the impermanence of this world and the eternity of the Divine Consciousness. In the Vedic tradition, it is customary to cremate the body after a person dies. In ancient times, sacred ashes were obtained from cremation. Of course, in our time, ashes are prepared by burning various ingredients but its symbolic meaning remains the same.

Ash symbolizes the illusory nature of the body and the entire physical world. On a deeper level, sacred ash also signifies the impermanence of the entire universe. Sacred ash is a deeply positive symbol of the eternal reality of divine consciousness. By applying sacred ash to your forehead, you remind yourself of the eternal divine essence of your soul.

The ashes that Sathya Sai Baba materialized were quite unique, as they possessed great healing power having appeared from the power of the divine thought of the Avatar. Quite often, Sathya Sai Baba materialized the sacred ash directly from his hand. Sometimes sacred ash materialized from his photographs.

The materialization of sacred ash still takes place today and not only in India, but in all countries of the world, in the homes of true devotees, or in temples dedicated to Sathya Sai Baba.

## 4. Sathya Sai Baba answers the prayers of sincere devotees instantly


I met Kumarji a few years later in India at the ashram of Sathya Sai Baba. I tried to find out from him about the incident that happened at the Moscow metro. For a long time, I did not know how to ask the question of how he managed to acquire the ability to materialize sacred ash. After listening to my naive question, Kumarji smiled and explained that the sacred ash is the great grace of God, which is given only to sincere devotees and that he had no idea how it happens.

“I just pray to Sathya Sai Baba,” Kumarji said, “and a miracle happens if Sathya Sai Baba considers it necessary and useful. Sometimes it doesn't happen unless it's spiritually necessary.”

He explained that when he began to chant the mantra in the Moscow metro, he did not know, for sure, whether the sacred ash would appear or not. It became clear that not only Sathya Sai Baba could perform the miracle of the materialization of sacred ash, but also devotees who found a deep spiritual unity with God. Being in a state of perfect devotion to the Lord, genuine devotees are able to perform amazing miracles, such as foreseeing the future and healing other people. I realized that deeply devoted people were pure instruments in the hands of the Avatar.

In dealing with Kumarji, I was struck by his deep modesty. He had a number of abilities, including clairvoyance and the gift of healing, however, he completely denied his talents, arguing it all happened solely by the grace of God.

Comparatively, some people try to assert themselves and convince others of their alleged greatness, but those who are truly in the deepest inner oneness with God always show gentleness and modesty.

Sathya Sai Baba instantly answers the prayers of his sincere devotees. Of course, not everyone can receive answers to their prayers immediately, but if a person is in a state of perfect trust in the Almighty, the answer to prayer can be prompt. In unity with the divine, a false sense of egoistic authorship dissolves and a person embarks on the path of perfect service, which is only possible when the small ego dissolves in the infinite wisdom of God.

As a result of these amazing events, I was able to understand the colossal power of the Holy Names of the Lord. Mechanically pronouncing mantras, even if you pronounce them for a very long time, will not give you spiritual self-realization and abilities beyond reasoning. The holy names of God uttered with the deepest devotion and love will not only do this but also perform a miracle, instantly.

## 5. Russian yogis in the Soviet era


Almost ten years before my meeting with Sathya Sai Baba, I began to practice yoga and meditation. Even as a child, I had all sorts of mystical experiences, such as astral travel in the subtle body and memories of past lives. For a long time, it seemed quite natural for me to come home from school, lie down on the sofa and in my astral body go for a walk in the neighboring park. With age, it became clear that such experiences do not happen to everyone.

I was very lucky with the social circle that has been around me since childhood. Among my parents' acquaintances were people who were seriously interested in esotericism, meditation, and yoga. It must be remembered that these were Soviet times during which yoga and meditation were banned.

At that time, it was not possible to go to India – there was no free sale of books on the topic of spiritual practices. Despite all the difficulties, there were enthusiasts in Russia engaged in practicing meditation and yoga underground. Now, it sounds very strange, but such was the reality of Russia in the mid-twentieth century.

Quite a few people practiced yoga in Moscow, Leningrad, Novosibirsk, Kyiv, and other cities, and it was a very interesting and difficult time. Now we have many opportunities to find necessary information instantly, but at that time, there was no such option.

Russian yogis of the Soviet era drew information about meditation practices either from the few books they managed to bring from abroad or from internal mystical experience. They very quickly developed many supernatural abilities in themselves and entered deep meditative states to quench their spiritual thirst by immersing themselves in the inner space of the spirit first of all.

The era of underground Soviet yoga was both strange and tragic, but its raw strength was revealed in how people learned to trust their intuition and their feelings, foregoing their attention to logic and common sense. Some of the first Russian devotees of Sathya Sai Baba came from the Russian underground yoga environment.

## 6. How to understand that he is an Avatar?


How can one understand that Sathya Sai Baba is an Avatar? Can we be sure that he is a divine incarnation? What are the criteria by which it is possible to identify an Avatar?

First of all, it is possible to realize this, but only personally and independently. Experience gained by other people can only prompt you to think on your understanding and help you in your spiritual practice. Realizing the truth can only happen within your heart. In order for awareness to occur, it is necessary to independently go through the path of reflection, possible doubts, and ultimately, deep contemplation.

It is impossible to understand the truth about the Avatar "for the company." The desire to focus on the opinion of a large number of people is associated with the desire to shift responsibility to someone else. There is a naive belief that if many people think something, then it is definitely true; after all, millions cannot be wrong, can they? They can. The history of world culture gives us numerous examples of when the opinion of the majority did not mean the truth, at all. The most important decisions on the spiritual path must be made on your own, not hiding behind the backs of others.

Are there criteria by which it is possible to determine that Sathya Sai Baba is an Avatar? There are no logical criteria and there cannot be because logic is powerless to understand the mystery of the divine incarnation.

The Vedic and Biblical traditions have tried for thousands of years to develop such criteria, but in vain. Every time an Avatar comes into the world, those people who have an open heart recognize him, and those who try to understand with their minds always make mistakes.

In the time of Krishna, some could understand he was an Avatar, and some could not. Even after several millennia, the divinity of Krishna is not obvious to everyone. The same thing happened with Jesus Christ. Many centuries before the birth of Jesus Christ in the Biblical tradition, the Messiah was expected and numerous criteria were developed for how to recognize him.

The real Messiah does not live according to the rules developed by the clergy. That is why the real Jesus Christ was recognized only by those who went beyond the formal criteria developed by the priests. Jesus Christ was and still is accepted only by disciples who intuitively feel his divine vibrations. In Biblical accounts, it is clear that those who tried to rely on logic did not accept him.

It should be understood that saints and yogis are people who, following the path of long practices of meditation and prayer, have reached a high level of spiritual self-realization, whereas the Avatar is the highest teacher who comes to earth with a special global mission.

Who is this Avatar? And how is the Avatar different from the saints? The Avatar is a great being who consciously incarnates on planet Earth in the world of people. His goal is to help people in the process of divine evolution and his motivation is always compassion and love. The Avatar does not have the karma of incarnations in this world. He consciously comes to this world in the name of love and service.

Since the Avatar does not have the karma of being born in the human world, he incarnates through a virgin birth. In Christianity, it is believed that only Jesus Christ came into this life through the immaculate conception. In some areas of Christianity, it is believed that the Mother of God was also conceived through the descent of the Holy Spirit; that is, as a result of an immaculate conception.

Each Avatar is incarnated through an immaculate conception. For example, this is how Krishna and Buddha were born, similarly like Sathya Sai Baba’s incarnation. During his lifetime this fact was kept secret for a long time, and only when Sathya Sai Baba was forty years old, did he consider it necessary to reveal this great secret. At that time his mother, Easwaramma, was still alive and at the direction of her divine son, the secret of his birth was revealed.

Easwaramma said that one day she went to a nearby well to draw water when, suddenly, a dazzlingly bright blue ball appeared in the sky. Descending above the astonished woman, the ball of light then entered Easwaramma’s stomach. After that, Easwaramma lost consciousness and lay on the ground for some time in a state of absolute bliss. Upon waking, she quickly returned home and told her mother-in-law who strictly forbade her to discuss the topic with other relatives.

How can you recognize an Avatar? This is a very complex question, the answer to which cannot be found with the help of logic. It is not possible to prove or disprove that Sathya Sai Baba is an Avatar – one can only feel it.

## 7. Holy Night of Shiva and materialization of the Lingam


By the time I first met Sathya Sai Baba in ‘90s, I was already aware of various yoga traditions and spiritual teachers. I was seriously practicing meditation and studying Vedic philosophy. Back in Moscow, when I saw the video recording of Sathya Sai Baba and learned the stories of his amazing life, I instantly felt his colossal energy and power.

Several of my friends told me he is the Avatar of our age. It was difficult for me to understand what this meant, but it was clear that Sathya Sai Baba was a supreme being incomprehensible to my mind.

At that time, I was a Shaivite. Lord Shiva was for me the personification of all higher realizations and transcendental wisdom. When I first saw videos of Sathya Sai Baba and heard stories about his life, I felt he must be the incarnation of Lord Shiva.

One of the most important holidays celebrated in the ashram is Shiva's sacred night, Shivaratri. The exact date of this holiday is calculated according to the lunar calendar. That is why in different years the holiday is celebrated on different days. Most often this happens in the second half of February or in the first half of March.

The symbolism of the holiday is very deep. On this sacred night the wedding of God Shiva and Goddess Parvati takes place. The wedding of the Gods means the unity of Absolute Consciousness and Cosmic Energy, as well as the unity of the spiritual and material in the life of every person. In various yoga traditions, this is considered the most important night for the practice of meditation.

For many years on the sacred night of Shivaratri, Sathya Sai Baba materialized from his mouth a golden Lingam. A Lingam is an egg-shaped object made of stone or metal alloy. It’s a symbol of cosmic egg, source of the entire universe.

There are many videos of Sathya Sai Baba performing this miracle of materialization. Outwardly, it looked as if a golden egg inexplicably popped out of his mouth, but in fact, at first it materialized in his stomach as a clot of divine light. Then the energy rose up through his body and only in the mouth it turned into an egg-shaped golden Lingam.

In the early 70s, on the sacred night of Shivaratri, Sathya Sai Baba again materialized a Lingam. After that, he said, “this is the great Lingam, which was described in ancient times by the sage Kapila.” He then addressed the audience and affirmed all the people present, saying they were there at the time of the birth of this Lingam because they had reached the highest point of their development and were now freed from the cycle of birth and death.

I heard this amazing story from those who were directly present at this event. Think about it, people came to this Shivaratri festival with nothing foretold about such an unusual event about to happen only to become witnesses to Sathya Sai Baba materializing a wonderful Lingam from his mouth and being told they each had reached the highest point of their development upon seeing this great object of power and had now found liberation from the cycle of birth and death.

How to relate to these strange and mysterious words? Is it possible to just attend the Shivaratri festival and gain complete liberation? Such statements can only be made by Sathya Sai Baba, who is the highest divine incarnation. His words possess absolute divine power.

## 8. Mystery of the Cosmic Egg


In many parts of India there are temples of Shiva, in which Lingams of various shapes and sizes are placed on the altars, from the smallest that can fit in the palm of your hand to gigantic ones, the size of an entire house.

Lingam worship is one of the most mysterious aspects of Vedic mysticism. There are many speculations and misunderstandings around the symbolism of the Lingam. The Lingam outwardly looks like a golden egg. The egg is a symbol of the "cosmic source" from which the entire universe emerged.

Probably in the symbolism of the Lingam, we can see the simple and uncomplicated figurative thinking of those ancient people who first noticed how life appeared from a chicken, ostrich, or crocodile egg. Birds and reptiles produce offspring from the egg, so it is obvious that this reproductive form has become a prototype of the great cosmic source of vitality. The symbolism of the cosmic egg has manifested into the framework of many cultures of the world, including ancient Slavic legends and myths.

Over the years, Sathya Sai Baba has materialized many different Lingams for the Shivaratri festival, thereby proclaiming the significance of this tradition.

Quite often, after Sathya Sai Baba materialized another wonderful Lingam, he made a speech in which he explained the deep symbolic meaning of this greatest object of power.

The egg-shaped form of the Lingam is the absolute divine consciousness. Of course, God cannot be limited by form, but it is the perfect form of the Lingam that can serve as an image of absolute perfection.

Sathya Sai Baba performed all sorts of amazing miracles; the birth of Lingams was one of them. I so often saw the manifestation of his supernatural power that after a while, it began to seem that it was all completely natural. Having become accustomed to repeated miracles, a person gradually begins to think more about the essence of the spiritual path. Perhaps getting used to miracles was part of his divine plan.

The Lingam is a symbol of the divine source of all things in the universe. The Lingams materialized by Sathya Sai Baba were of different materials, and they appeared as gold or silver. It would be a big mistake to assume that these objects are metal in the usual sense of the word. These Lingams were not man-made, they appeared from the depths of the divine consciousness, therefore they could be made from materials not of earthly origin at all.

When I first saw a materialized object, I was extremely surprised. Subsequently, when I managed to see a huge number of such objects and a large number of times to witness the very process of materialization, I ceased to be surprised at this. I think it is necessary to keep the amazing miracles of Sathya Sai Baba in your memory, but first of all, you need to see in them their deep, symbolic meaning.

Let's ask ourselves why Sathya Sai Baba materialized various objects so much? What was their meaning? It is unlikely that anyone will be able to understand the Avatar's intent – we can only speculate. All the objects that Sathya Sai Baba materialized first appeared in his mind as thought forms.

Thought is primary and matter is secondary. Through his miracles, Sathya Sai Baba showed us the infinite power and potential of our consciousness. Sometimes he himself openly said that every person can perform the miracles that he performs. The only problem is that people mistakenly perceive themselves as limited and weak beings, therefore they cannot show the fullness of their energy potentials. He also said that every person can perform the same miracles that he can.

It is impossible to fully understand the process of the birth of the sacred Lingam. I tried to find out from some older devotees exactly how this happens. Interestingly, two people told me the same version, referring to the fact that they themselves learned this directly from Sathya Sai Baba himself. One of those who told me about the process of the birth of the Lingam was Padananda, and a little later, Subba Rao told me the same version.

According to these two, the Lingam originates in the stomach of Sathya Sai Baba as a powerful energy clot and then the energy flow rises through his body and acquires an ovoid shape once in his mouth. Then, the Lingam literally pops out of the mouth. Consequently, the people present see only the last stage of the birth of the cosmic Lingam.

## 9. The golden years


I prefer not to call Sathya Sai Baba, Swami, as many do, but Bhagavan. In my life I have traveled to different ashrams and studied in different esoteric schools. For me, Swami is a title that is not significant enough for Sathya Sai Baba.

Swami is the word for any man on the spiritual path, especially if he is a monk of one of the traditional Vedic monastic orders. Bhagavan in Sanskrit is a title that is only used to address the supreme divine teacher. Bhagavan is one who is an Avatar and the embodiment of absolute truth.

After I learned about Sathya Sai Baba, I was able to go to him almost immediately. My trips were not by decision or choice and I did not make any effort; they just seemed to unfold before me – everything happened easily and naturally. Events simply turned out so that I was suddenly able to go to India. My first trip happened so spontaneously I did not have even the slightest illusion of free choice; the same could be said about all other trips.

I lived for a long time in all three ashrams of Sathya Sai Baba – in Puttaparthi, Whitefield, and Kodaikanal. Sathya Sai Baba spent most of his time at Puttaparthi, which is the main ashram located in his home village. During the hot season, April and May, he moved to two additional ashrams, Whitefield and Kodaikanal.

It's funny to think about it now, but during the ‘90s it seemed, to us, Sathya Sai Baba already had too many people in the ashram. Sometimes he would say, "you don't understand, the time will soon come when there will be so many people here I will turn into a small orange dot for you."

This is what happened at the beginning of the 2000s, the number of visitors increased dramatically. People could hardly fit in the main temple. Due to the huge influx of people, Sathya Sai Baba became very inaccessible.

In the ‘90s, it was effortless to have direct contact with Sathya Sai Baba, or so it seemed to us. When we came to the program, it was not difficult to find a position in the front rows allowing us to see Sathya Sai Baba up close every day.

In those years, Sathya Sai Baba quite often invited me for personal conversations; this time is now remembered with joy. He interacted especially with Russian-speaking groups. People in the ‘90s believed with enviable confidence that if they came to the ashram, they would definitely have the opportunity to personally communicate with Sathya Sai Baba. These were truly golden years!

Quite often, groups visiting for just a month would get several face-to-face meetings with Sathya Sai Baba. These conversations were called interviews.

When I arrived in India, I already knew English; most Russians did not speak English, which is why I began to translate during personal meetings between Sathya Sai Baba and Russian-speaking devotees. In addition to me, there were several other people who also translated during personal meetings.

## 10. Frequent personal contact with Sathya Sai Baba


When I was given the opportunity to be Sathya Sai Baba's interpreter for the first time, I was happy and could hardly believe it. A couple of weeks later, when the next interview took place, I was also a translator. After this, such chances began to present themselves more and more often. It was a divine and unique opportunity for close and direct communication. My prayer to Sathya Sai Baba was that he would allow me to communicate with him personally as much as possible, and he fully satisfied my desire.

As an interpreter for Sathya Sai Baba, I often had the opportunity to communicate with him closely. In addition, during the audiences, as a translator, I always had the opportunity to sit very close to him, next to his chair, from where I would enjoy his vibrations of love and universal harmony.

Frequent communication with Sathya Sai Baba allowed me to witness many interesting situations. People came with a variety of questions and problems. Sometimes they were questions related to difficult life situations, and sometimes high philosophical topics were discussed.

It was very interesting to see how people asked their questions and how Sathya Sai Baba reacted to them. Sometimes he could give completely different, even opposing answers, to very similar questions. Each time, his reaction and answers depended on the spiritual level at which the person who asked the question was located. Sometimes, he refused to answer questions at all. These questions were usually not sincerely asked or were simply far-fetched.

From watching Sathya Sai Baba communicate with different people, I was able to accumulate great and valuable spiritual information. When he gave amazing lectures to an audience of thousands, he knew those present were at various levels of spiritual development and had different life interests. His lectures were varied and designed for the vast levels of understanding across the audience.

After the large gatherings, conversations were usually held with a small group in a private, intimate room. These meetings were deeply personal. That is why Sathya Sai Baba could individually respond to people's questions and behavior, wisely consider their situations, and give them detailed and personal instruction.

During communication, Sathya Sai Baba could be quite tough on those who tried to be smart and make a good impression. Some visitors tried to ask difficult spiritual questions, but Sathya Sai Baba's reaction to such visitors was very harsh. This happened if the person was not sincere. Sathya Sai Baba always saw through such people who aimed to show their alleged spirituality and instead pointed out the hidden vices to the clever men.

In his presence, people fell into the purest divine vibrations of love and goodness, and their spiritual transformation took place instantly. Sathya Sai Baba's stern and, at the same time, loving gaze was enough to turn a person from pretension to instantly realizing his ignorance and modestly falling silent in the bliss of God's closeness.

## 11. Manifestation of great love


People often ask questions about items materialized by Sathya Sai Baba such as rings, rosaries, amulets, earrings, watches and more. Why did he do it? Why did he give rings and rosaries to some, and not to others? Is it true that only weak and insecure people received gifts from Sathya Sai Baba, or vice versa, only high souls of advanced spiritual understanding?

I think everything is much more complicated but at the same time also much simpler. It is difficult to say for sure why he materialized rings or rosaries for some, yet not for others.

One of the greatest American mystics of our time, Wayne Dyer, who highly revered Sathya Sai Baba, jokingly said one of the greatest mantras in the world that destroys the small ego and reunites us with eternity is the seemingly simple phrase: “I don’t know.” Indeed, it is extremely difficult for the ego to say, in the presence of other people, these simple words, "I don't know."

When we reflect on the life of Sathya Sai Baba, it is important to say these golden words, “I don't know” as often as possible. In fact, this is true, we do not know anything about him and cannot know. Who can understand the mysterious craft of the Avatar? Who can realize the infinite reality of God?

It is impossible to fully understand the behavior and intention of the Avatar. Each of his actions has deep meaning and he knew exactly what was useful and necessary for whom. People expressed all sorts of suggestions about why Sathya Sai Baba gave materialized objects to some, and not to others. There can be no logical explanation for it.

It can hardly be argued that Sathya Sai Baba materialized items only for weak people who needed his constant presence. It would also be irresponsible to assume that only those who were at higher spiritual levels of development received such gifts from him.

Ordinary human logic is powerless to understand such subtle divine intention. We understand the events of life from our limited understanding, while the wisdom of Sathya Sai Baba remains limitless and perfect.

There are many videos showing how Sathya Sai Baba materialized many treasured items. In most cases, he made materializations in his room, but sometimes they happened among a large crowd of people.

It is difficult to say why, but at different times the process of materialization outwardly took place in different ways. Perhaps it depended on the energy that Sathya Sai Baba wanted to put into this or that object. Quite often materializations were accompanied by bright flashes of light and sometimes popping sounds similar to that of electricity discharges.

Sathya Sai Baba materialized objects from his right hand. Before creating another object, he made circular movements with his right palm. Then it became clear to everyone present that a miracle was about to happen.

After several rotational movements of the right hand, the object did not just appear from the center of the palm, it quickly jumped out of it. Sathya Sai Baba deftly caught the object when it was already flying from the middle of his palm. After that, he showed the object to everyone present. At that moment it was not yet clear to whom exactly he would give it; momentarily, he’d turn to the future lucky owner and present the gift.

## 12. Divine calling cards, greatest artifacts


Sometimes Sathya Sai Baba called his miracles "calling cards." These are strange words that sound quite unusual – what did he mean? How is this possible?

The essence of Sathya Sai Baba's teaching was to remind us about the personal God who dwells in the depths of the spiritual heart of every person. Sathya Sai Baba carried the good news to humanity that absolutely every person is a divine incarnation, but people, under the influence of ignorance and illusion, forget about it.

Each person has unlimited spiritual possibilities. We perceive the miracles of Sathya Sai Baba as something supernatural because we have forgotten our true divine nature. That is why he called his miracles "calling cards," because they are designed to remind everyone of the latent dormant possibilities and potentials of consciousness.

All items materialized by Sathya Sai Baba are completely unique. Imagine, right in front of your eyes, he created objects with the power of his thought that never existed until now. This is an amazing miracle that hardly fits into the human mind.

Sathya Sai Baba clearly saw who exactly needed his blessing and how it should happen. To receive a materialized “object of power” from the hands of an Avatar is a great blessing.

The Avatar knows and understands in detail all of your previous births. He is fully aware of all the Karma that you have accumulated both in this incarnation and in previous lives. That is why only the Avatar can fully understand what will be useful and can help you develop harmoniously in this life and realize your destiny.

The objects materialized by Sathya Sai Baba are not just gifts or souvenirs. Such an attitude toward items given by him would be a manifestation of ignorance. It should be remembered that all the objects materialized by him are the greatest artifacts and the most powerful objects of power.

These are magical items that contain special divine energy and information. People who wear his rings, amulets or rosaries sometimes may not be fully aware of their meaning. It is probably even impossible to fully understand this, and it is important to understand and feel these amulets are a manifestation of great divine mercy and love.

## 13. Unity of all religions, miracles of Jesus and Krishna


Sathya Sai Baba was born into a Hindu family in the Kshatriya caste. This caste has united warriors and politicians since ancient times; however, one should not think that the family and relatives of Sathya Sai Baba were warriors or politicians. His parents were quite modest inhabitants of a small village.

In modern India, belonging to a caste means a family tradition, and does not guarantee financial well-being. These days, representatives of the higher castes can be very poor, while people from lower castes are successful and rich.

The philosophy of Sathya Sai Baba goes beyond the Hindu religion. Teachers of all world religions, such as Krishna, Buddha, Jesus Christ, Zarathustra, and the Prophet Muhammad, are revered in the ashram. Every year the ashram celebrates the most important festivals of all world religions, such as the Nativity of Jesus Christ and Buddha's birthday, Jewish New Year and Chinese New Year, all Vedic festivals such as Shivaratri and Guru Purnima.

Sathya Sai Baba never asked his devotees to change their religion. His teaching was to proclaim the spiritual significance and authenticity of all religions.

The mission of Sathya Sai Baba included communication with people from different countries of the world who belonged to different world religions and different ethnic cultures. His philosophy was not limited to the Indian tradition. Of course, most of all he commented on the Vedic texts such as the Bhagavad Gita and the Upanishads. He also commented, quite often, on the Gospels.

One of the accusations that is often made against Sathya Sai Baba by some spiritual schools is that he allegedly performed miracles too often in the presence of a large number of followers and devotees.

This all sounds rather strange, because all the world's great spiritual teachers have always performed miracles in the presence of a large number of people. Remember Krishna, Buddha, and Jesus Christ? They all performed numerous miracles as part of their divine mission on earth.

Krishna and Jesus Christ are best known for their deepest spiritual messages. They preached the doctrine of direct communication between man and God – the quintessence of which is the revelation of God in one's own heart. In addition to philosophical teachings, they also performed a huge number of miracles.

The Buddha also performed numerous miracles despite the fact the essence of his teaching was the practice of meditation. He preached compassion and love for all living beings. Studying his biography, we find multiple evidence of the manifestation of his miraculous power.

All the great teachers of mankind such as Krishna, Buddha and Jesus Christ preached philosophy and taught disciples through action. These actions could sometimes be a manifestation of supernatural forces. Thus, miracles performed by great teachers are a natural element and an important part of their spiritual mission.

Every miracle created by the Avatar has a deep spiritual meaning. The Avatar gives instructions in words, but also in every action, some of which may include manifestations of the supernatural.

## 14. Sathya Sai Baba on the Life of Jesus Christ in India


Sathya Sai Baba spoke quite a lot about the life and spiritual path of Jesus Christ. He delivered numerous lectures about Jesus Christ that were completely unusual and unique, and they often shared information that cannot be gleaned from the canonical Gospel texts.

If you perceive Sathya Sai Baba as an ordinary person, then the question arises: how can he know all the secret details of the life of Jesus Christ and the features of his spiritual path? However, if you realize that Sathya Sai Baba is a divine incarnation, then his stories about the inner spiritual quest of Jesus Christ and his life path become precious.

The sayings of Sathya Sai Baba about the life, teachings and spiritual path of Jesus Christ are an invaluable treasure. In fact, this is the most reliable source of information about the most hidden details of the inner world of Jesus.

Throughout his life, Sathya Sai Baba gave public lectures and communicated with individuals. His books contain his lectures given to university students and devotees from around the world. The philosophical heritage of Sathya Sai Baba includes dozens of volumes. In his lectures, he covered a variety of topics; in particular, he spoke often about life and the philosophical heritage of Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ preached the unity of all mankind – love for one's neighbor, direct communication between man and God, and the original unity of the soul with God. Jesus Christ taught his disciples that true worship of God takes place in the depths of the spiritual heart.

Every year in the ashram on December 25th, Christmas was celebrated in Western style. In Greek Orthodox Christianity, Christmas is celebrated on January 7th. Since Christians from Europe and America began to arrive much earlier than the Greeks and Russians, the tradition of celebrating Christmas in the Western style was established in the ashram.

During the celebration of Christmas, Sathya Sai Baba delivered the most interesting lectures, which were dedicated to Jesus Christ. During his long life, he left a vast amount of invaluable information on this topic.

Sathya Sai Baba said that in the Tibetan manuscripts, which are kept in the monasteries of the Himalayas, there is information that Jesus Christ spent several years in the northern Himalayas in Kashmir. In those days, Jesus was called Issa, which means the Lord of all living beings.

The fact that Sathya Sai Baba confirmed the version that Jesus Christ lived and studied in the Himalayas is extremely important for a deeper understanding of the teachings of Jesus Christ and his world divine mission. These facts lead us to the realization that Christianity has not only Biblical roots, but to a great extent came out of Vedic philosophy and Buddhist moral principles.

Where did Sathya Sai Baba get his information about Jesus Christ from? Sometimes he spoke in detail about Jesus, as if he himself had witnessed all the events of the distant past. Sathya Sai Baba is an Avatar, and therefore all, even the most hidden events of the past, present, and future are open to his all-pervading consciousness.

Over the years, during the Christmas lectures, Sathya Sai Baba told several stories about how, after the death of his earthly father, Joseph, the teenage Jesus worked for some time as a carpenter. Sathya Sai Baba said that Joseph died when Jesus was a teenager. At an early age, Jesus worked as a carpenter in and around Nazareth. Because of his spiritual quest he made his journey to India.

Sathya Sai Baba repeatedly mentioned the high spiritual level of Mary, the mother of Jesus. Several times, Sathya Sai Baba touchingly shared about Mary’s dedication to the spiritual education of her son, and that as young man, when Jesus decided to leave home and go to India for spiritual education, he received the blessing of his mother.

Nowadays, quite a few spiritual seekers mistakenly believe that family responsibilities are an illusion thinking instead that it is possible to engage in the practice of yoga and meditation, but at the same time neglect their family duties.

Sathya Sai Baba spoke about the fallacy of such a point of view and cited, as an example, the relationship of Jesus Christ with his mother. Mary showed deep concern for the spiritual development of her son and was active in encouraging it.

## 15. From an early age, Jesus walked the spiritual path


Sathya Sai Baba, with the help of his clairvoyance, could look into the details of the life of any person and learn about every event in history, even if it happened a long time ago. Clairvoyance can be demonstrated by saints and healers; however, it must be understood that their capabilities are limited, but this did not apply to the capabilities of the Avatar.

Sathya Sai Baba's stories about the life of Jesus Christ are amazing with their incredible details. He told stories about Jesus’ life as a teenager. One such story was set in Nazareth when Jesus lived with his mother, brothers and sisters. By this time, his earthly father, Joseph, had already died.

According to the story of Sathya Sai Baba, the teenage Jesus took himself away to a nearby hill. His mother, Mary, soon became worried about the long absence of her son and began to look for him. Eventually, she found him at the top of the hill, sitting on the ground, in a state of deep meditation. He practiced solitary meditation while on the hill for 12 days.

This is a truly amazing story that describes the mysterious details of the inner world of Jesus Christ. We know, at the age of 30, Jesus Christ received an initiation baptism, from his cousin, John the Baptist. After this baptism, he retired to the desert for 40 days in order to practice meditation and prayer. According to information from Sathya Sai Baba, Jesus Christ began to practice solitary meditations and prayers as a teenager.

Sathya Sai Baba stressed that Jesus Christ came into this world with a special divine mission. He was a unique personality, however, Sathya Sai Baba said that Jesus Christ was not born perfect right away but went through the path of spiritual development before fully realizing his oneness with God.

Sathya Sai Baba said that Jesus Christ was Karana Janma, which in Sanskrit means, "born with a special divine mission." There are several excellent lectures by Sathya Sai Baba about this. He said that Jesus Christ, as a young man, practiced many days of meditation in a secluded area on the outskirts of Nazareth.

Sathya Sai Baba said that Jesus Christ went through several stages in his spiritual quest. From a very early age, he followed a spiritual path – the essence of which was the contemplation of the one divine consciousness and the search for God in the depths of his heart.

Nowadays, quite a few spiritual seekers naively assume there is no need to practice any yoga techniques and meditation. Many people mistakenly think that it is enough to attend a few lectures and learn the great teachings of Vedic philosophy, and then, in some incomprehensible way, instant enlightenment should occur.

Using the example of Jesus Christ, Sathya Sai Baba shows that even the greatest souls who came into this world with a special spiritual mission must go through very serious and intense spiritual practices in order to know the truth.

## 16. Jesus Christ in India – a history of enlightenment


The canonical gospels give few details about the childhood years of Jesus Christ. They describe in more detail the amazing story of his birth and then give a couple of stories about Jesus Christ’s adolescence, after which there is a void in the narrative. What did Jesus Christ do between the ages of 15 and 30? There is no information about this in the canonical Gospel texts.

Perhaps Jesus Christ did not consider it necessary to talk in detail about exactly where he lived and studied for many years. Perhaps for the early Christians this was not essential information, and perhaps those who wrote the Gospel texts quite consciously hid this information.

For modern people, learning as much as possible about the life of Jesus Christ is very important because the more we know about his life, the more we can understand his spiritual message. Most likely, Jesus Christ told his closest disciples exactly what he did and where he lived in the period of those unrecorded years.

Perhaps the priceless information about his life in India was not included in the canonical Gospels because this information was not very clear to some of his students and followers. The first generation of Christians came from a Jewish background, and subsequent generations of Christians consisted primarily of Greeks and Syrians.

The information that Jesus Christ studied in distant India would hardly please and be understood by the early Christians. Perhaps the evangelists considered it more correct to remain silent about these mysterious years in the life of their teacher.

At the end of the 19th century, a Russian of Jewish origin, Nikolai Notovich (1858-1916) became one of the first to openly speak about the life of Jesus Christ in India. Notovich was born into a Jewish family, but later decided to convert to Orthodox Christianity. At the end of the 19th century, Notovitch went to India in order to try to discover the mystery of Jesus Christ. He visited distant monasteries, temples, and ashrams. He managed to visit different parts of the Himalayas, including Kashmir.

Why did Notovitch go to India in search of information about Jesus Christ? Did he have preliminary information that Jesus Christ lived and studied in India prior to his trip? There are suggestions that such knowledge could exist in the Theosophical Society founded by Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, as well as in some esoteric societies of Western Europe.

It is quite possible that Notovitch did not just go on this expedition but was sent by "someone" to search for important information about the mysterious years of the life of Jesus Christ in India. He confidently headed for India, as if he already knew what to look for and where to find it.

During his expedition to northern India, Notovitch interacted with Hindu and Buddhist teachers. His goal was to find evidence of Jesus Christ in India.

As a result of his research, Nikolai Notovitch was able to find written evidence that Jesus Christ had studied in the Vedic and Buddhist ashrams of Kashmir. Notovitch was shown the original of an ancient text that described the life of Jesus Christ in India. The researcher could not remove the original document from the Himalayan monastery; nevertheless, he was shown the text and was allowed to make copies of some chapters.

Returning to Russia, Nikolai Notovitch wrote a famous book called The Unknown Life of Jesus Christ. It was impossible to publish the book in Russia, so he published it in France.

Returning to Russia, Nikolai Notovitch was immediately arrested. Two years later, he was released from prison. In Russia, he was banned from publishing books, after which Notovitch left the Russian Empire and moved to Europe.

In Europe, Nikolai Notovitch met with several hierarchs of the Catholic Church, in particular with Cardinal Rotelli. Representatives of the Catholic Church also asked Notovitch never to publish materials about the life of Jesus Christ in India.

Interestingly, the representatives of the Catholic Church were not surprised by the very facts presented in Notovitch's book. The subject of their concern was only the disclosure of secrets. It is a known fact that the Catholic Church offered a large sum of money to Nikolai Notovitch so that he would refrain from further publication. It is difficult to say whether Notovitch agreed to accept the money, but subsequently he refrained from active public activity.

One of the remarkable Indian spiritual teachers of the early twentieth century, Swami Abhedananda (1866 – 1939), having read the materials of Nikolai Notovitch, was shocked by the information about the life of Jesus Christ in the Himalayas, and he decided to personally verify the authenticity of this amazing information.

Swami Abhedananda was a Hindu expert in the philosophy of Vedanta. He had no personal interest in confirming or refuting this version. All he wanted was to know what the truth was.

In the early 1920s, Swami Abhedananda organized an expedition to northern India to Kashmir. He confirmed he was able to personally see an ancient text describing the life of Jesus Christ in India. It was the same text that Nikolai Notovitch had held in his hands thirty years before.

In the late 1920s, Swami Abhedananda published his materials under the title Journey to Kashmir and Tibet. Swami Abhedananda was also unable to obtain the original text – all he testified was that he held the ancient manuscript in his hands.

## 17. Spiritual Masters about the life of Jesus Christ in India


Nicholas Roerich (1874 – 1947), the greatest Russian mystic, artist, philosopher, and explorer of the East, referring to materials he received from a variety of sources, said that Jesus Christ underwent spiritual training in the ashrams of India.

Nicholas Roerich was initiated into a number of Western and Eastern mystical orders. He was a close student of the Mahatmas, the high spiritual teachers of the Himalayas, and also studied with the Tibetan Lamas.

In the 1920s, Nicholas Roerich made several expeditions to India, Tibet, Mongolia, Central Asia, and Altai. For about thirty years he lived in the Himalayas, in a place called Kulu Manali. He published some materials about his eastern expeditions, in which he mentioned he came into contact with numerous testimonies that Jesus Christ traveled through India and the Himalayas, where at that time he was called Issa.

Nicholas Roerich did not hide the fact he received information about the life of Jesus Christ in India not only from the Himalayan teachers, but also from the secret esoteric societies of the West.

Traveling through the places of power of the East, Roerich came into contact with a large number of legends that Jesus Christ lived and studied in Kashmir. It is difficult to say, perhaps the teachers with whom Roerich met in the Himalayas provided him with the original manuscript. It is only known that Roerich preferred only to refer to the existence of information about the life of Jesus Christ in India, but never provided the general public with more accurate evidence.

Unique information about the life of Jesus Christ in India was also confirmed by Yogananda (1893 – 1952), the greatest teacher of Kriya Yoga. In his lectures and commentaries on the New Testament, Yogananda shared many details about the life of Jesus Christ in India.

According to Yogananda's information, Jesus Christ studied at several mountain ashrams in Kashmir and eastern India, in the holy city of Puri, where one of the most important temples of Krishna, called Jaganath, is located. At the time of Jesus Christ, Buddhism was actively developing in India and numerous ashrams of the Vedic tradition continued to exist in parallel.

Yogananda did not refer to the fact that he saw the ancient texts; rather, he based his understanding on his inner experience of clairvoyance, as well as on the information he received from high teachers from the Himalayas. Yogananda said that Jesus Christ studied the practices of Kriya Yoga in the Himalayas and was a member of the inner circle of disciples of the Himalayan Masters.

Of course, for some, Yogananda's clairvoyance may not be a convincing proof of the truth of the information, but for me it is quite a convincing reason to recognize this information as genuine.

## 18. Yogi Ramaiah about the life of Jesus Christ in India


The unique information about the life of Jesus Christ in India was also confirmed by my teacher of Kriya Yoga, Yogi Ramaiah (1923 – 2006), with whom I studied for many years. He was a direct student of Mahavatar Babaji, an immortal teacher from the Himalayas. I wrote in more detail about the life of Yogi Ramaiah in my books: Babaji – Eternal Consciousness in an Immortal Body and Babaji – the Mystery of Divine Potential.

Yogi Ramaiah spoke not only about the fact that Jesus Christ studied in India, but also revealed details about who exactly he studied with. Yogi Ramaiah said Jesus Christ was a close disciple of Mahavatar Babaji.

In India, Jesus Christ was called Issa. In some cases, this name is pronounced as Ishsha. This name comes from the Sanskrit word Ishvara, which means the supreme Lord.

Yogi Ramaiah received information about Jesus Christ and his spiritual practices in India from his great Teacher, Mahavatar Babaji. Once I tried to find out from Yogi Ramaiah if he had seen a mysterious manuscript with the story of the life of Jesus Christ in the Himalayas. In answer to my question, Yogi Ramaiah replied he had not seen this text and did not even try to look for it, because he heard all the information about the life and practices of Jesus Christ in India directly from the immortal Mahavatar Babaji.

Jesus Christ was trained by Mahavatar Babaji in the practices of Kriya Yoga. Returning to Palestine, he taught some of his students these great meditation practices. Various elements of Kriya Yoga were practiced in the early Christian communities by the Gnostics.

The worldview of Jesus Christ was strongly influenced by Vedic philosophy and the moral foundations of Buddhism. Of course, Jesus Christ was born in a Jewish environment and his preaching was subsequently based on Biblical terminology, but the essence of his teaching clearly points to the Vedic and Buddhist tradition.

The question may arise as to how in those ancient times could Jesus Christ get to distant India? In that distant era, not only numerous caravans with goods went along the Silk Road, but also manuscripts were transported. Philosophers and mystics traveled with the help of the well-functioning system of the Silk Road.

People living in different parts of the ancient world could exchange not only goods, but also knowledge. No one is surprised that at the time of the birth of Jesus Christ, three Magi with a retinue came from Persia in order to greet the divine child. Why do people doubt the possibility of Jesus Christ traveling to India?

The importance of the information that Jesus Christ studied in India lies in the fact that the main source of the teachings of Jesus Christ was precisely the Vedic tradition. This impressive discovery includes the realization that Christianity, first of all, has Vedic roots.

The materials presented in the previous chapters indicate that Sathya Sai Baba was far from being the first to proclaim the truth about the life of Jesus Christ in India. Sathya Sai Baba confirmed what was already known a hundred years before him and added numerous important details about the inner path and spiritual quest of Jesus Christ.

## 19. Spiritual Path of Jesus Christ


Sathya Sai Baba said that Jesus Christ went through the path of intensive meditation and contemplation practices before he gained perfect wisdom. As a result of the practice of meditation, Jesus Christ gradually drew closer to God. Finally, he was able to realize that he was the Son of God. After that, he continued to strive for the knowledge of God even more intensely and gained the highest experience of oneness with God.

In order to advance deeply in the process of knowledge of God, Jesus Christ went on a distant pilgrimage to the Himalayas. There he practiced meditation, constantly thinking about God.

Sathya Sai Baba said that Jesus Christ practiced in a remote part of the Himalayas for several years. During this period of his life, Jesus Christ practiced various spiritual techniques. Finally, he fully felt the presence of his Heavenly Father's divine love. Jesus Christ realized that God is the original nature of the soul. Then he was able to proclaim: "I and My Heavenly Father are One." This is how Sathya Sai Baba described the spiritual path of Jesus Christ.

In the information that Sathya Sai Baba reports, it is important to note several fundamental points. First of all, again and again, he confirms the fact that Jesus Christ spent almost half of his life in India, including the Himalayas.

From the story told by Sathya Sai Baba, we learn many astonishing details; in particular, that Jesus Christ practiced for five long years in seclusion in the Himalayas. Perhaps during this period, he was in some cave, or in one of the ashrams. Such solitary retreats are a traditional form of spiritual practice for Himalayan yogis. Practitioners of various traditions retire to small ashrams or caves in order to immerse themselves in contemplation and study sacred texts in depth.

Speaking about the spiritual path of Jesus Christ, Sathya Sai Baba reminds us that even the greatest souls must go through the path of spiritual practices before they can realize their inner divine potentials.

In one of his lectures, Sathya Sai Baba said that after gaining in the Himalayas the experience of oneness with God, Jesus Christ received the presence of the Holy Spirit. After that, he decided to return from India back to the west, to Palestine. All the years spent in India, Jesus Christ lived almost alone, communicating with a narrow circle of Teachers and Yogis. Finally, it was time for him to begin teaching disciples. Jesus Christ returned to Palestine to show his disciples and followers the way of salvation.

We know that Jesus Christ was taught by superior teachers. In his open lectures, Sathya Sai Baba never gave the exact names of those Gurus who taught Jesus Christ, and he has not yet revealed this secret.

## 20. There are no any intermediaries between God and devotees


When I came to the ashram of Sathya Sai Baba for the first time, I understood very well that theoretical knowledge is one thing and inner experience is quite another. Theoretical knowledge is very important, but this is just the first stage as philosophical concepts, themselves, give only the illusion of implementation. The essence of the spiritual path is the inner experience gained through meditation.

People come to the ashram to have Darshan. What is this? The word Darshan comes from the word Darsh, which means to see. Darshan then, is the opportunity to see the divine teacher directly and physically.

Darshan with Sathya Sai Baba is the moment of the descent of divine grace, colossal vital energy, and the consonance of the inner world of a person with the vibration of divine love. In the physical presence of Sathya Sai Baba, people entered deep, divine states. People froze in perfect concentration on his form as he slowly walked through the huge hall, softly between the rows. Everyone's eyes were directed to Sathya Sai Baba.

The greatest miracle occurred during eye contact. How can you describe the look of eternity? Photos can only give a glimpse of it. In his presence, we felt unity and grace, and everyone present would immerse themselves in silent prayer and contemplation.


Over time, there has been something that amazes me more and more about Sathya Sai Baba. One of his greatest miracles was that even though he had tens of millions of devotees, he personally associated with everyone.

He often repeated: “There is not, and cannot be, any intermediary between me and the devotees. I communicate with everyone, only, personally.”

Therefore, both during his lifetime and now, one must be very careful when people appear to broadcast allegedly on behalf of Sathya Sai Baba. He himself warned us against falling into the traps of such swindlers. One must try to independently establish a heart-centered, spiritual connection with God.

Of course, it is easy to understand the principle of face-to-face communication for someone who is fortunate enough to be invited for personal talks in Sathya Sai Baba's room many times. But not everyone was given such a unique opportunity. What if a person did not have the opportunity to talk to Sathya Sai Baba physically, and what of those who could not even come to India in order to see Sathya Sai Baba?

Even if you did not manage to communicate with him on the physical plane, this did not change anything because Sathya Sai Baba is beyond time and space. Through meditative experiences, intuitive sensations, lucid dreaming experiences, Sathya Sai Baba always communicates directly and personally with everyone.

## 21. Photography with God


I can honestly say I never wanted to take a picture with Sathya Sai Baba, although during personal communication I had such an opportunity. I had the opportunity to take pictures with Sathya Sai Baba many times, but I did not want to physically imprint my closeness with him as it was always enough for me that he resides in my heart. I do not think that taking a picture with Sathya Sai Baba as a keepsake was bad, of course not. Several times I took pictures of him with devotees at his own request.

I always wanted to communicate with Sathya Sai Baba as much as possible and being near him was my highest happiness. Communication with him was invaluable for me, and I understood that as an interpreter I was given a great opportunity to realize the dream of direct communication.

Constantly, I mentally asked for as many interviews as possible, and Sathya Sai Baba answered this inner request of mine, in full. Sometimes I got interviews with a group of friends, and sometimes I went as a translator with groups I didn't know, and then there were cases where I was personally invited.

Being Sathya Sai Baba's interpreter was a great opportunity, because I always sat right next to his chair, which gave me consistent opportunity for close, direct communication. Even though I translated for the group, there were always moments for personal questions.

I once attended an interview that included an Indian family from Delhi; the parents and two children, a boy and a girl. Sathya Sai Baba materialized a watch for the girl as a gift. Her little brother looked especially annoyed as he stared upon the beautiful watch. His expression showed so much sadness as if he would soon burst into tears because he had not received a gift too.

Seeing the boy's distress, Sathya Sai Baba instantly materialized a camera and presented it to the astonished child. The happiness of the child was boundless! He enthusiastically held the gift and carefully examined it. A moment later, Sathya Sai Baba took the boy's camera and gave it to me, asking me to take a picture of him with this Indian family.

Sathya Sai Baba playfully embraced the children, while the happy parents stood nearby. I found a good shot and tried to take a picture, but the camera didn't work. Sathya Sai Baba laughed and ordered me to give the camera back. I did so and he easily took a few pictures of everyone present. After that, he again gave the camera to me and asked me to take pictures. Despite all my attempts to take at least one picture, the camera would not work.

I felt uncomfortable with my helplessness. It seemed in my hands, the camera wouldn’t work, but as soon as I gave it to Sathya Sai Baba, it took pictures normally. Sathya Sai Baba hilariously joked, “all this modern technology is solid magic – sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.”

Finally, I realized that everything happening was a joke of Sathya Sai Baba. With a smile, I turned to him and said that in order to take a picture I needed a blessing. Sathya Sai Baba shook his head approvingly and raised his right hand in blessing. After that, I was able to easily take some good shots.

## 22. Sathya Sai Baba appeared on the photo


This story was told to me by Mr. Subba Rao, one of the oldest devotees of Sathya Sai Baba. Not far from Bangalore there is a comprehensive school founded by Sathya Sai Baba. In the early ‘90s, the school celebrated its anniversary. Teachers and students invited Sathya Sai Baba to attend the event and he gave his consent promising to come without fail. The day came, but Sathya Sai Baba did not come, despite the fact that teachers and students were waiting for him.

The whole day there was a lavish music and dance program, in which all the students at the school participated. The children hoped they would be able to demonstrate their skills in front of Sathya Sai Baba, but, alas, he was absent. By the end of the holiday, the children were deeply upset and disappointed by the absence of their beloved Sai.

During the holiday, several photographers took numerous pictures. To everyone's surprise, one of the pictures taken during the program clearly showed that Sathya Sai Baba was standing on the stage next to the children, although he was not physically there.

When Mr. Subba Rao told me this story, I asked if the photograph had survived. I did not want to offend my interlocutor with distrust, but I still wanted to get confirmation of the wonderful story. Mr. Subba Rao silently got up from his chair, went to the closet, took out a photograph and showed it to me. I carefully held the priceless photograph in my hands. Outwardly, it was an ordinary photo in which there were dozens of children on the stage with Sathya Sai Baba as if he were actually there in person. This shot was something special. Joy shone in my heart as I carefully peered at the photo, which was a manifestation of the love and omnipresence of the Avatar.

A similar incident happened in the mid ‘90s in Moscow in the home of some devotees. One day about fifteen devotees gathered together. They’d practiced mantras all evening and after that merrily drank tea and ate cakes. Some of those present took some pictures. After the pictures were printed, everyone saw that Sathya Sai Baba appeared in several pictures standing between the people.

## 23. Born from the Light


Sathya Sai Baba was born from an immaculate conception. This was told many years later by his mother, Easwaramma. A luminous ball descended on her and entered her stomach. Easwaramma lost consciousness, but it was not an ordinary swoon – it was the highest divine trance. She then realized that she was pregnant.

No one knew about this for a long time and it was only in the ‘60s when Sathya Sai Baba allowed his elderly mother to tell the residents of the ashram that he was born as a result of the descent of divine energy.

The miracle of the Immaculate Conception in Christianity is attributed exclusively to Jesus Christ. In fact, a number of high teachers were incarnated through an immaculate conception, because they did not have the karma of birth in the human world. This is how Krishna and Buddha incarnated.

This is a very complex topic beyond human understanding. Avatars come in different levels. The complexity of the theme of Avatars lies in the fact we look at the physical body of a divine teacher and see in front of us, it would seem, an ordinary person.

The physical body of the Avatar creates a colossal illusion that it is an ordinary person, just like you and me. The physical form of Sathya Sai Baba created a huge delusion. At times, it was difficult to understand that a divine being was embodied in this human body.

Most people who came to Sathya Sai Baba felt the most powerful energies, but there were also those who came, looked at him, and disappointedly said, “so what? he walks, communicates with people, we don’t feel anything!”

There were cases when people were given the unique opportunity to personally communicate with Sathya Sai Baba, and after an hour of talking with him, left the room and asked me, “what is so special about it? We talked to him for an hour, and we didn’t feel anything.” Alas, there have been situations like this.

One must be completely insensitive in order not to feel the great and purest energies. One does not need to have special psychic abilities in order to feel the radiance of divine love in the presence of Sathya Sai Baba.

It is impossible to prove or disprove that Sathya Sai Baba is the highest divine incarnation. Logic and reason are powerless to determine the infinite inner nature of God. All attempts by people to argue, prove or disprove the divinity of Sathya Sai Baba are completely meaningless.

There are devotees and followers who sincerely try to prove to their friends that Sathya Sai Baba is the Avatar. However, their arguments are completely unconvincing, because against any argument there is always a counterargument.

There are people who consider Sathya Sai Baba to be a cunning swindler and deceiver, and they also try to prove their point. Their arguments are also completely helpless.

Only intuition and subtle inner spiritual experience can reveal the deep realities of the Avatar. That is why any discussion is useless. In this chapter, we recalled one of the greatest miracles of Sathya Sai Baba, which is that he was born as a result of an immaculate conception. How can we prove or disprove this fact? Of course, it is logically or scientifically impossible to do so.

What we have as information is the testimony of Sathya Sai Baba's mother. He who wants to doubt will always find a reason to doubt. The very life of Sathya Sai Baba proves he is the greatest teacher of mankind. Even now, many thousands of years after Krishna, Buddha and Jesus Christ lived, there are people who doubt the authenticity of the spiritual message of these divine teachers.

There are even people who generally doubt that Krishna, Buddha, and Jesus Christ lived on this planet. Some people try to claim that Krishna, Buddha, and Jesus Christ are just fictional characters.

In this book, we recall amazing events, some of which I have personally witnessed. Some of the stories I tell in this book I have learned from other devotees. How can you trust my stories? How can one trust the stories of other people who personally knew Sathya Sai Baba and witnessed his divine play? Only your intuitive feeling and inner spiritual experience can give an exhaustive answer to all questions.

## 24. Blessings and trials, the story of Vasudevan


People asked Sathya Sai Baba for blessings and help in solving all sorts of life problems, but sometimes exactly the opposite result turned out when, temporarily, the situation worsened or became more aggravated. How to relate to this – why did this sometimes happen?

The true blessing of the Avatar does not mean the instant fulfillment of your momentary whims. The task of the Avatar is to guide you on the path of spiritual growth. It is the quality of spiritual evolution that is the most important criterion, even if one has to go through some difficulties, trials, and crises.

Sometimes, it may seem to people the Avatar, allegedly, did not help in some situations. When you come to a healer or psychic, you expect mandatory help in solving your problems, especially since most often you pay the healer for his services. People often try to shift their problems onto a healer or psychologist, expecting them to solve all their problems for them.

Any healer or psychologist, any yogi or psychic is within certain limitations. The forces, knowledge and energy capabilities of each person are limited, but the wisdom and energy of the Avatar are unlimited. It may seem to you that the Avatar has helped someone but not someone else; this is only your limited understanding. The Avatar helps everyone, only in different ways.

Let's remember another story that Mr. Subba Rao told me. In the city of Chennai, in southern India, there lived a man named Vasudevan. He worked as a manager in a large company. When he was in his early 20s, his health began to deteriorate rapidly. The main problem was the deterioration of kidney function.

Vasudevan went to the doctors, but the medicines did not help. Vasudevan's mother-in-law was a devotee of Sathya Sai Baba. She advised the young man to pray to Sathya Sai Baba and ask him for healing.

Vasudevan came to the house of his mother-in-law, who had a large home altar, in the center of which hung a large and beautiful portrait of Sathya Sai Baba. At the same time, several relatives were going on a trip to the ashram. The young man took advantage of this opportunity and gave a letter to Sathya Sai Baba asking for healing.

Despite all the requests to Sathya Sai Baba, the young man's condition worsened. Friends and business partners began to laugh at Vasudevan and advise the young man to stop being involved in such nonsense and try to find real doctors who could help him recover from the disease.

The young man was in a difficult situation. Some of his relatives advised him to pray more intensely to Sathya Sai Baba, while his friends ridiculed him for his naive belief in the strange miracle worker.

Finally, Vasudevan's mother-in-law was able to persuade him to pray again in front of the photograph of Sathya Sai Baba that hung in her house. After that, the young man's health deteriorated even more.

## 25. Living presence in the photo, continuation of Vasudevan's story


After a sharp deterioration and instead of healing, Vasudevan became very offended by Sathya Sai Baba. The more he prayed, the more his health deteriorated. He concluded that Sathya Sai Baba was most likely a swindler, and perhaps even a practitioner of magic. The inner world of the young man was filled with doubts and fears.

The complexity of this situation was compounded by the fact that he learned about two cases which occurred about the same time. Two other people also prayed in front of the photo of Sathya Sai Baba and received a fairly quick recovery from their illnesses. Vasudevan could not understand why he was being pursued by serious setbacks.

Finally, getting very angry with Sathya Sai Baba, he literally ran into his mother-in-law's house and went into the room where the large photograph of Sathya Sai Baba hung. Vasudevan started talking to the photo as if Sathya Sai Baba was present right in front of him.

He directly stated, looking into the eyes of Sathya Sai Baba, who was depicted in the photograph, that he was a swindler and engaged in magic. After that, Vasudevan stated that if Sathya Sai Baba is indeed a divine teacher, then he must immediately prove it.

At that moment, several relatives were present in the house, all of them devotees of Sathya Sai Baba, and upon hearing such words from the lips of Vasudevan, they froze in horror. Before the young man had time to angrily utter his words, he suddenly felt a strong flow of energy pass through him like an electric discharge.

Vasudevan understood that it was a mystical experience because there was no source of electricity nearby. At that moment he felt, with horror, as if he was losing control of his arms and legs. After that, he fell to the floor. The relatives immediately called the doctors, who made the terrifying diagnosis of partial paralysis. Almost at the same moment, when the doctors left the house, sacred ash began to materialize on the large portrait of Sathya Sai Baba.

Relatives understood that everything happening had a deep meaning. It was obvious that Sathya Sai Baba, who is the embodiment of divine love and compassion, could not "punish" the foolish young man. These strange events were intended to give Vasudevan a deep lesson and lead to spiritual realizations.

The relatives felt that all of this was actually the blessing of Sathya Sai Baba. The feeling of the invisible blessing presence of God was also confirmed by the fact that the sacred ash began to appear from his photograph.

Vasudevan did not know what to do next. His state of health was extremely tenuous. Thankfully, the paralysis was only partial and with difficulty he could still move around in a wheelchair.

The fact the paralysis occurred instantly after the young man stood in front of the portrait of Sathya Sai Baba and challenged him speaks of Sathya Sai Baba's colossal superpowers. At that time, Vasudevan could hardly understand what was happening to him and what the deep meaning of these strange events were.

It was so improbable that at times it seemed to him everything happening was a strange dream. Most importantly, Vasudevan began to understand that photographs of Sathya Sai Baba are not ordinary images, but the living presence of the Avatar.

## 26. Inscrutable are the ways of the Lord, the end of the story of Vasudevan


Vasudevan’s relatives were able to convince him to go to the ashram. The trip was organized within about six months while the young man remained in his wheelchair and needed constant help. The journey from Chennai to the ashram was relatively close and relatives were able to arrange everything necessary.

When Vasudevan arrived at the ashram, he was very worried because he did not know how his meeting with Sathya Sai Baba would go. If a photograph of the Avatar had such strong energetic power, what would be expected at a direct meeting?

Sathya Sai Baba slowly approached the young man and looked at him intently. He called him by name and also said he knew he had come from the city of Chennai. Vasudevan was surprised as this was their first meeting. Since the young man was unknown to anyone, it was simply impossible to assume a forgery. After that, Sathya Sai Baba invited the young man to a private conversation in his room.

Being alone, Sathya Sai Baba immediately told Vasudevan about all the details of his medical history. He also told the astonished young man he knew well how his health gradually deteriorated each time he prayed near the photo. After that, Sathya Sai Baba repeated word for word all the harsh words and accusations that the young man had made in the house of his mother-in-law in front of the photograph.

Vasudevan was completely shocked by everything and wept with shame and joy. He felt the colossal, divine love emanating from Sathya Sai Baba.

After listening to this amazing story, I decided to ask Mr. Subba Rao what happened to the young man after that. Mr. Subba Rao smiled and said it would be easy enough to find out because Vasudevan was going to visit the ashram again in a week.

My meeting with Vasudevan actually took place exactly one week later in Mr. Subba Rao's room. Vasudevan no longer showed any signs of paralysis. After his first visit to the ashram, he was healed and moved to the USA with his wife.

I was interested to know Vasudevan's opinion about all the events that happened to him. For example, I was curious to know his thoughts on why, instead of healing him instantly, Sathya Sai Baba subjected him to quite severe trials in the beginning.

Vasudevan said he was able to realize the greatness of the divine plan of Sathya Sai Baba. We, ordinary people, perceive life within the framework of duality, the essence of which is the constant change of happiness and suffering. We are constantly striving to avoid suffering and to find happiness. But happiness is just as fleeting and impermanent as suffering.

When we ask the Avatar for help, it would be naive to assume he will fulfill our whims in accordance with how our ignorant ego would like them to be achieved. The Avatar views our life from the point of view of the divine evolution which the soul of each person goes through.

If it would be more beneficial for a person to pass tests that will lead him to deep spiritual insights, then this is exactly what will happen according to the Avatar's plan. Blessings of the Avatar are aimed at spiritual growth and not at the satisfaction of momentary desires.

Sometimes trials are more beneficial for spiritual development than simply solving trivial problems. Awareness, insight, and spiritual growth are what is truly important for the soul. It may seem more important to us to gain fleeting luck, but God, who is in the depths of the spiritual heart, leads everyone along the path of self-knowledge.

Sathya Sai Baba often said, "I give my devotees what they want so that later they will be spiritually transformed and ready to accept from me what I really want to give them."

What amazing deep words! Sathya Sai Baba sometimes joked that people came to him and asked for simple material things, not realizing that all of “this” is not permanent.

He also joked that people couldn't understand that he was like a "heavenly wish-granting tree." Human fantasies are sometimes too primitive. People asked the Avatar for trifles, while the "cosmic tree of wish fulfillment" can fulfill all desires and bestow beyond what can hardly be imagined.

Sathya Sai Baba sadly joked that often people came to him and asked for only "one cup of coffee, maximum two," even though he could give them the eternal bliss of divine consciousness.

## 27. Sathya Sai Baba on the resurrection of Jesus Christ


In our time, there has been some doubt that Jesus Christ was crucified. There is such a point of view that supposedly someone else was crucified instead of Jesus Christ. In his lectures, Sathya Sai Baba clearly confirmed that Jesus Christ was crucified on a Friday and resurrected on a Sunday. Thus, Sathya Sai Baba confirmed the authenticity of the greatest miracle of the resurrection of Jesus Christ described in the New Testament.

Sathya Sai Baba said the resurrection of Jesus Christ has a deep symbolic meaning, which is the revelation of the eternal and divine essence in the heart of every person. Jesus Christ proved his power over death by resurrecting his friend, Lazarus. Having resurrected another, he could resurrect himself, and this happened after the crucifixion of Jesus Christ himself.

Many people ask why was Jesus Christ crucified? Was he really so "weak" that he could not resist his enemies? Of course, the question is not the "weakness" of Jesus Christ, but what was his great mission? He was not a victim in the usual sense of the word, he allowed himself to be arrested and crucified, in accordance with the Divine plan.

Let's remember the famous words of Jesus Christ, himself, that if he needed to, he could ask his Heavenly Father to send twelve legions of Angels who would easily free him and punish the offenders. Consider these amazing words. Jesus Christ was truly a King on a universal scale – his royal power exceeded all conceivable possibilities of any earthly ruler.

The fact he was crucified was by no means a manifestation of his "weakness," but was his free will, which embodied his divine mission.

Another important event that happened on the cross was that Jesus Christ completely forgave and blessed those who executed him. Now, many centuries after the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, some Christians are trying to look for those responsible for his suffering and death. What is the point of looking for the guilty when Jesus Christ, himself, forgave everyone and consciously ascended his cross?

Sathya Sai Baba also said during his lectures that Jesus Christ, after the resurrection, went to his disciples to preach the greatness of the Lord God. He appeared before some of the disciples, among whom were both men and women. He first appeared to Mary Magdalene, who was his closest student.

In the canonical Gospels, the role of the main disciple is assigned to the Apostle Peter, however, the real history of the community of disciples was much more complex. After Jesus Christ left this world, the main Jerusalem community of the first Christians was headed by Jacob, the brother of Jesus Christ. Jacob was the elder half-brother of Jesus; for Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus, already had children as he was a widower before he married Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ.

The resurrected Jesus Christ first appeared in front of Mary Magdalene, thereby highlighting her special role among his disciples. Appearing after the resurrection before his disciples, Jesus Christ showed the victory of the Spirit over death.

Sathya Sai Baba said about Jesus Christ that at the beginning of his spiritual path, he realized he was "a messenger of God." Jesus Christ saw himself as a messenger of the good news. He knew he was "an instrument in the hands of God."

After long intensive spiritual practices, Jesus Christ realized he was the "son of God." He awakened in himself the qualities of a "son of God." For modern Christianity, it is considered an axiom that only Jesus Christ is the "son of God," while other people can only be "slaves" of God. This is a rather late and absurd point of view and is in fact completely contrary to the Gospel teaching.

In accordance with what Jesus Christ himself preached, each person can and should, as a result of spiritual practice, reveal in himself the qualities of a son or daughter of God. That is why he preached the great "Our Father" prayer. Think about it, in this prayer each person addresses God as his Heavenly Father.

## 28. "I and My Heavenly Father are One"


The Gospels describe a story of when Jesus Christ was walking with his disciples and noticed a man blind from birth sitting by the road begging for alms. The disciples said this man was born blind because of sin and then asked Jesus Christ about who sinned: was it the man, himself, or his parents?

Jesus Christ answered with strange words, saying no one has sinned, neither this man, nor his parents. After that, Jesus Christ added that this man was born blind so that the power of God would be manifested on him.

With these words, Jesus Christ proclaimed that all suffering and problems are given to a person in order to force him to practice and develop more actively. All problems, even the most difficult ones, are a wise and loving providence of God aimed at improving the quality of the soul's evolution. Any problem and difficulty in your life is a lesson you must go through and realize, thus you get the opportunity to reach a new level of your spiritual development.

Each person is divine and the idea of sin is a product of ignorance and the desire to manipulate people. If a person is convinced that he is sinful, then he can be easily controlled, and if the secret of his original divinity is revealed, then such a person becomes free.

Sathya Sai Baba said that Jesus Christ often retired to the desert, where he practiced meditation and contemplation. He constantly explored the inner divine nature of his soul. At the highest stage of his spiritual path, Jesus Christ realized unity with God before declaring, "I and My Heavenly Father are One."

Jesus Christ reached the highest level of spiritual self-realization, which in the Vedic tradition is called "non-duality" or Advaita. This experience is described in the Biblical writings as the indulgence of the Holy Spirit and the attainment of a mystical experience of oneness with God.

Rereading Sathya Sai Baba's great words about the spiritual path of Jesus Christ. I never cease to be amazed at their depth. This is a truly unique message that cannot be read about in any of the canonical Gospels. Not one of them tell, in such detail, about the inner world and the sacrament of the spiritual path of Jesus Christ.

Everything we know from the Gospel texts to a greater extent concerns the external events of the life of Jesus Christ, as well as his spiritual message in that period of his life after he became a teacher. How can we learn about his inner world and the spiritual path of meditation that he went through? The only one who can help uncover this great secret is the Avatar.

## 29. Only an Avatar can narrate the inner experience of Jesus Christ


The spiritual path of Jesus Christ, which Sathya Sai Baba talks about, fully corresponds to the classical texts of Vedic mysticism. At first, any spiritual seeker realizes the simplest truths about what is a "servant of God." At this stage of spiritual development, a person perceives himself as separate from God. God is perceived as an external force.

Even when Jesus Christ realized that he was the "son of God," it was still not the final realization. Of course, the son carries the qualities of the Father, but they still remain separate from each other.

The highest self-realization of Jesus Christ was that he understood God as his True Self. God is the True "I" of each person. This is the essence of the famous words of Jesus Christ: "I and My Father in Heaven are One."

Jesus Christ was a unique person, a world teacher, but it cannot be said that God is exclusively in the heart of Jesus. God dwells in the heart of all people as the true Creator and Father and as the original source of wisdom, love, and bliss. God is not only the higher self of Jesus Christ, but also every person.

When Jesus Christ proclaimed his oneness with his Heavenly Father, he spoke not only of himself; he proclaimed the divinity of every person. As a result of the practice of meditation, every spiritual seeker can reveal the greatest treasure of his spiritual heart and find God as his Heavenly Father, and at a higher level, reveal God as his Higher Self.

The philosophy of Christian Gnostics is that each person carries within himself the divine potential of the Christ Consciousness. Intense spiritual practice is necessary to unlock the potential of the Christ Consciousness in your heart.

Jesus, who was born with a special spiritual mission many centuries ago, awakened the Christ Consciousness in himself and became Jesus the Christ. The Christ Consciousness is universal. It is the foundation and essence of the soul of every person. Christ Consciousness is manifested in every sage and saint, and in every person who knows the truth.

At every moment, Christ Consciousness is waiting for its awakening in your Spiritual Heart. In the depths of your meditation there is a manifestation of the Christ within you.

Sathya Sai Baba spoke about Jesus Christ in a completely different way from what is preached in all of the variants of Christian churches. In this world there are a huge number of branches of Christianity and they differ from each other by having their own views and comments on the Gospels. Churches are diverse, and they each understand the essence of the Christian life differently; as such, they offer their own interpretation of the biography and teachings of Jesus Christ.

Unfortunately, many churches try to convince people that God is an external force. Some religions sometimes block people from having a direct experience with God. If God is somewhere out there, far in the sky, then the need for religious organizations as mediators between people and God is quite understandable. However, if you see God as the basis of the soul, as an internal source, then the need for intermediaries disappears.

Nevertheless, across all Christian churches, Jesus Christ is the originally perfect teacher, who from the very beginning of his earthly life was completely enlightened. The view of Sathya Sai Baba is very different from this point of view.

If Jesus was indeed born already enlightened, then why did he begin his preaching activity only at the age of thirty? He could have fulfilled his task from an early age and shown the way of salvation to his disciples and followers. Why did he have to wait for his thirtieth birthday?

Sathya Sai Baba said that Jesus Christ practiced various spiritual disciplines throughout his life, as a result of which he gained perfection and only after that he became a world teacher.

## 30. In the Christ Consciousness we are all one


Sathya Sai Baba perceived each person as the embodiment of Divine Consciousness. Each person for him was the embodiment of the Christ Consciousness. Christ is not only a historical person, but a symbol of the divinity dormant within each person.

In the comments to the Bhagavad Gita, Sathya Sai Baba said: “People should never forget God, for he is the true nature of the soul, one should not believe in the world, in fact, the manifested Universe is an illusion, never be afraid of death, for you are immortal.”

Speaking about the resurrection of Jesus Christ, Sathya Sai Baba pointed out that it was not only a historical fact, but also a symbol of the immortality of every person.

Enlightenment does not mean that a person receives "something;" on the contrary, there is a loss of false self-identification and the feeling of separateness of one's existence disappears. Enlightenment is the return home, the awakening of the original and true divine reality of one's soul – the Christ Consciousness.

I would like to warn against misunderstanding Sathya Sai Baba's teachings about Jesus Christ. Once again, I want to repeat that Sathya Sai Baba considered Jesus Christ to be one of the greatest spiritual teachers in the history of mankind.

Sathya Sai Baba said that Jesus Christ came into this world with a special mission. The essence of understanding his life and mission lies in the fact that one should not perceive Jesus Christ only as an object of worship, but as an example of the spiritual path that everyone has to pass through.

Those steps of the spiritual path that Jesus Christ ascended are the same steps that everyone has to go through. The divine potential inherent in Jesus Christ is absolutely in every person. As individual human beings we are all different, but in the Christ Consciousness we are all one.

## 31. God helps those who help themselves


A huge number of books about Sathya Sai Baba are being written now. As a rule, the books describe stories that tell about the manifestations of his fantastic supernatural power. Often these stories begin with a person coming to Sathya Sai Baba with some problems, of which Sathya Sai Baba blesses and liberates this person from, and then the “problems” are instantly solved.

Difficulties and sufferings are different. They can be associated with illness, family life, financial failures, the search for one’s destiny, spiritual crises, and deep religious issues.

In most of the stories about Sathya Sai Baba, there is an involuntary self-deception, which consists of the Avatar solving the problems of all people and doing this, supposedly, instantly. Such ideas give rise to numerous illusions and leads to disappointment because, in reality, there is almost never an instant solution to problems.

An Avatar can help you overcome difficult situations, but you still need to solve them yourself because you created them yourself. Of course, there were cases when Sathya Sai Baba helped instantly, but this depended on many factors; in most cases the process of getting rid of problems took time.

I have always enjoyed studying the biography of Shirdi Sai Baba (1835 – 1918), the previous incarnation of Sathya Sai Baba (1923 – 2011). I have some wonderful books about Shirdi Sai which I reread all the time. Studying his biography, I noticed a very interesting thing. Suppose you open a book and read a fascinating story about a certain person who came to Shirdi Sai Baba and asked for help in solving problems and difficulties in life. Shirdi Sai Baba recommended this person to chant the mantra or make a pilgrimage. After fulfilling the prescription, all problems disappeared and the person was freed from suffering.

These stories usually fit onto half a page of a book. To read half a page, you need to spend about a minute, at which point the illusion is created that the problem of the person about whom the story is written was solved in one minute.

If you begin to study the same story more carefully, you gradually realize the story being described can be several years long. A person could suffer for ten years, then come to Shirdi Sai Baba, receive instructions, then practice mantras or prayers for several years, and only then solve all their problems.

## 32. It is important not to forget to take a step toward God


Divine love requires nothing in return. Sathya Sai Baba carefully directed his energy to absolutely everyone. However, the manifestation of his great love and blessings still required serious efforts on the part of the person himself.

At times it might seem to us that Sathya Sai Baba helped one person and ignored the suffering and difficult life situations of another. From the point of view of ordinary perception, we could sometimes assume that he loved someone and not someone else.

As human beings, we are limited in time, so we expect instant healing from the Avatar. But, according to the divine plan, you may have to learn lessons along the way and overcome many difficulties. By overcoming difficulties, you get the opportunity to develop new qualities in yourself, come to high awareness, acquire important knowledge and skills, learn new things, and reveal your hidden reserves.

By carefully reading the stories in this book, as well as in my other books dedicated to Sathya Sai Baba, you will be able to see that behind every miraculous healing, there is always a person's spiritual efforts, even if it may seem that the healing happened almost instantly.

I often quote simple folk proverbs that say, "God helps those who help themselves." Another folk wisdom recalls that "if you have taken one step toward God, then God will take ten steps toward you." It is important not to forget to take your step.

Yes, I have witnessed some devotees' problems being solved almost instantly, but most of their difficult life situations were solved only over time, and usually after a long and intense practice of meditation, prayer, and deep awareness.

When you read my books, in which I tell all kinds of amazing stories about Sathya Sai Baba, you may get the mistaken impression that he was like a kind magician who instantly solved the problems of all people.

Yes, of course, Sathya Sai Baba was a good magician, and everyone who came to him received blessings. He showed boundless love toward every person, whether that person was his follower or not. However, it should be remembered that behind all miraculous healings there was a time of self-practice, and those who lazily waited for Sathya Sai Baba to solve all problems for them, unfortunately did not receive healing and solutions to difficult situations.

The boundlessness and unconditionality of Sathya Sai Baba's divine love was so significant that he blessed even those who hated him. The greatness of his love did not cancel the personal responsibility of each person for everything that happens in life.

As Divine consciousness we are eternal, but as human beings we are limited in time. Until the age of fifteen or sixteen, a person goes through a period of childhood and adolescence. Mature life is short enough, and after that comes old age. Sometimes you have intellectual, financial, or family problems. When you ask the Avatar for help, the most important question, “when will healing occur?” subconsciously arises.

If your problems are solved in a month. Good. What if in a year? This is already causing tension. What if it takes twenty years to solve your problems? Within the framework of human life, this is a lengthy wait. Time is the highest price.

## 33. Sathya Sai Baba on the teachings of Krishna


Sathya Sai Baba's spiritual message is universal. He easily quoted, analyzed, and commented on the sacred texts of various traditions. Of course, first of all, in his lectures and books, he commented on the most significant Vedic scripture – the Bhagavad Gita.

In August and September 1984, Sathya Sai Baba gave a series of lectures on the spiritual heritage of Krishna. This course consisted of thirty-four lectures. In my opinion, these commentaries are the most important part of the philosophical heritage of Sathya Sai Baba. Over time, these lectures were published as a book.

This book is divided into three major parts. The first part is devoted to the "path of devotion," the second part is devoted to the "path of wisdom," and the third part is devoted to the "path of action."

In the philosophy of the Bhagavad Gita, a large role is assigned to the performance of wise action. The spiritual path consists not only of the practice of meditation, prayer, and the study of sacred texts, it also includes actions performed in society as a service to people.

These actions have an important place in the spiritual life because it is in the performance of wise and noble action that a person reaches the highest point of the spiritual path. It is in action that a person becomes like God and becomes a Godman. Performing an action means the manifestation of one's talents and the embodiment of one's destiny.

Nowadays, generations of people are wondering what their purpose in life is? A successful person is one who has realized his destiny and organized his life in such a way as to actualize that destiny. Of course, an important element of a successful life is a good family, good health, and financial well-being.

There is a very important term in Sanskrit: Dharma, which has many meanings. One of the meanings of the word Dharma is "philosophical teachings," another translation of the word Dharma is "righteousness." What is righteousness? This is the fulfillment of the will of God and the correct disposal of the talents given by God. In essence, Dharma is the embodiment of one’s destiny. To live life in accordance with Dharma means to embody your talents and be a creator.

God is the Creator, but man is also a creator, only on a more modest scale. To fulfill one's Dharma means to be a Creator and to become a worthy son or daughter of God, our common Heavenly Father.

If you do in life what corresponds to your genius, then this action becomes Dharma. Creativity can be any action that suits your talents. Quite often, creativity in our time is associated with the work of artists, poets, and musicians.

But in fact, creativity is any kind of activity that allows you to reveal your potential. It can be any scientific discipline, pedagogy, sports, finance, art, social activity and much more. This is one of the most important aspects of Krishna's teaching, which Sathya Sai Baba constantly pointed out.

## 34. God is the Creator


Krishna, realizing that God is the original source of talent and creativity, spoke about the need to act. The ideas that arise in your mind come from the divine consciousness. All the energy you receive to achieve your creative projects also comes from the Lord. You are an instrument in the hands of God.

One of the most important qualities of God is, the Creator. God is in the eternal process of creation. Every person is also a creator. The Lord's work is vast and varied. Human creativity is much more modest in scope, but in both cases the quality of this creativity is identical.

Human creativity is similar to God's creativity, only in miniature. It is like comparing the whole ocean to one small drop; they are different in scale, but identical in quality. Both the ocean and the drop are equally water.

Realizing his destiny, a person embodies his creative potentials, reveals the nature of God, and becomes a Godman.

Society may seem dark and imperfect to us, but it is also a part of God's plan. Society is a manifestation of the divine consciousness; it is a space of endless development and knowledge.

Almost always, people read sacred texts, such as the Vedas or the Bible, from the point of view of human consciousness. Many perceive this approach as the only possible one. For the majority, the idea that the Bible and the Vedas are books about communication between man and God sounds absolutely natural.

The great mystic and philosopher, Nisargadatta lived in the twentieth century. He lived in the city of Bombay, which is now called Mumbai. Sathya Sai Baba highly appreciated the level of spiritual self-realization of Nisargadatta and advised his own devotees to carefully read his philosophical books.

Once Nisargadatta advised his students to try to read the Vedas and the Bible from the point of view of God. This sounds more than strange. Imagine being the God who created this universe and giving instructions to the sages and prophets while performing great miracles.

The Bhagavad Gita is a dialogue between Krishna, the divine teacher, and Arjuna, his chief disciple. Unconsciously, most people, while reading the Bhagavad Gita, associate themselves with Arjuna, a disciple receiving spiritual instructions from Krishna. What if you associate yourself with Krishna?

Who do you recognize yourself as? Basically, you are what you think you are. If you are aware that you are small and weak, then that is what you are. If you are aware of yourself as an individual "I", then you are an instrument in the hands of higher powers. If you are aware of yourself as the Higher "I", then you will discover the truth that in fact it is you who is the original source of all wisdom, ideas, knowledge, and energy.

Of course, this is a very complex and subtle situation because it is easy to confuse the real Higher Self with the small ego that is entangled in megalomania. That is why one should be extremely careful when trying to feel like God. Remember that where the ego begins, the idea of being chosen and superior always arises. The awakening of the Divine Self always goes hand in hand with kindness and awareness of the subtle interdependence of all things.

What is the meaning of Krishna? Krishna is your True Self. The highest source – the source of the entire universe – is within you. You contain all the greatest potentials and resources, all knowledge and information, all cosmic energy and infinite wisdom in your inner world.

For those who have discovered God in their hearts, fear disappears because God and fear are incompatible. Stop trying to be divine, just be who you already are. There is no need to call God into your heart, he is already there. There is no need to invoke the Cosmic force in your heart, it initially resides in your inner world. There is no need to try to be God, for you are God in the first place.

You should not try to reach God, instead try to discover the truth through practice and awareness that God is your true nature.

Realizing the presence of the cosmic source in the Spiritual Heart, you must take action, show creativity, and embody your talents for the benefit of all. One who is in awareness of his true nature is naturally in the vibration of love and compassion. Such a person embodies in the manifested world, in social space, a divine action that is pure service.

## 35. Krishna and Jesus Christ – similarities and differences in their teachings


In his lectures on the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita, Sathya Sai Baba said that as soon as you start constantly thinking about Krishna, fixing all your thoughts on Krishna, while simultaneously doing your job in society, then Krishna will take care of everything else in your life.

Sathya Sai Baba said very similar words about the teachings of Jesus Christ, who preached that man should do his best and God will take care of everything else.

In his greatest instructions on the purpose of the Christian life, St. Seraphim of Sarov spoke about the importance of not just doing good deeds but doing them in the name of Jesus Christ. Only such an approach can bring about the acquisition of the extraordinary gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Of course, one can interpret the instructions of St. Seraphim in different ways. Doing good deeds in the name of Jesus Christ means doing an act in the spirit of serving God while realizing that you, as human beings, are perfect instruments in the hands of Divine Providence. In fact, Christ Consciousness and Krishna Consciousness are one and the same. They are both symbols of the Supreme God.

If you do an action for the glory of Jesus Christ, then Jesus Christ will take care of the results. Once you have trusted Jesus Christ and asked him to bless you, then you should recognize his divine control and authority over the results of your labors.

Speaking about the teachings of Krishna and Jesus Christ, Sathya Sai Baba pointed out their similarities. Comparatively, people look for the differences between the philosophy and teachings of these two great teachers. Of course, there are differences. The reason for the differences is that Krishna and Jesus Christ lived in different eras and in different parts of the world.

Krishna lived in India, whereas Jesus Christ preached his teaching in Palestine. The time difference is also important: Krishna lived 3000 years before Jesus Christ. Historically, both are great world teachers who lived in different eras in different parts of the world, but at the same time, they are both symbolically identical.

Krishna and Jesus Christ are symbols of the Absolute Divine Consciousness – the one God, present in everything, who is the infinite cosmic life-affirming force. God cannot be in one person and absent in another person. If God is everywhere, it means that God is also inside of you.

By dedicating all of your actions to the glory of God, you do quality work. Do your best and God takes care of the rest. The one who truly trusts God always overflows in abundance.

Even though there were certain differences in the teachings of Krishna and Jesus Christ, Sathya Sai Baba showed the core identity of these philosophical systems. In his lectures on the teachings of Krishna, Sathya Sai Baba said that the essence of the teachings of Krishna is that by opening God in the heart, you gain bliss and peace. This is also the essence of the teaching of Jesus Christ.

In one of his lectures, Sathya Sai Baba said the most important part of the spiritual message of Jesus Christ is that God is the fundamental nature and ultimate reality of every human being. When comparing the most important teachings of Krishna and Jesus Christ, they are found to be completely identical in essence.

The cause of all suffering is that tense feeling of separateness from one's existence. This is what gives rise to the small ego that is filled with fear. Feeling fear, the ego becomes aggressive, and the struggle for survival begins.

The source of happiness is a relaxed feeling of oneness. Unity dissolves fears and anxieties. The small and neurotic ego disappears like a cold morning mist. The sun of wisdom shines brightly in the mind of one who has relaxed in the flow of divine providence. Life becomes perfect for those who trust God and are in the flow of divine providence.

## 36. You don't have to reach God, you already are


In his lectures on the teachings of Krishna, Sathya Sai Baba said that lack of attachment does not mean the need to give up all of one's property, leave one's family, retire to the forest and become a hermit. Genuine spiritual practice begins when you experience deep spiritual suffering from being separated from God. The desire to know God should not be just a beautiful idea, but a deep desire.

Sathya Sai Baba said the wonderful words that you should start your life with the question: "Who am I?" and end your life with the realization that you are God. You must realize your inner divinity and discover in your heart the greatest treasure, which is God, your true reality.

For most people, such words of Sathya Sai Baba may seem extremely strange. How can you say that I am God when the whole world around us reveals our limitations and weakness?

The path of deep meditation can unlock infinite potential and lead to the revelation of the God within. All that can be said in words is philosophical concepts, but in order for this to become your actual experience, it is necessary to practice meditation in depth gradually leading you to the actual experience of your true inner reality of God.

During one of the Christmas lectures, Sathya Sai Baba said that once a student asked Jesus Christ, “teacher, when I have problems, how should I solve them?”

To which Jesus Christ answered, “you of little faith, love the God who dwells in your heart.”

Sathya Sai Baba continued the story saying, “Jesus Christ told his disciple that he should love even those who hate him, because God also dwells in their hearts.” The cause of suffering is artificial division.

If you love everyone, how can you suffer? Love and suffering are incompatible. Your heart is filled with bliss. You love everyone because in the eyes of everyone you see the Christ Consciousness. In order to see the Christ Consciousness in another person, you must first discover the Christ Consciousness within yourself. Open God in your heart and learn to see him in every person you come in contact with throughout your life.

Sathya Sai Baba said that Jesus Christ told his disciple he did not need to invite God into his heart, for he was already there. What you have to do is realize that God is in your heart at all times; only then will you become God. You don't have to reach God – you already are.

The Vedas say, "knowing God, become God."

What does it mean? How can one know God and how can one become God? You can know God only by knowing yourself. Having discarded all false self-identifications, only God remains. It is, in fact, impossible to become God, because you already are God. “This” can only be “discovered” in the process of deep meditation.

## 37. Why are Avatars born only in India?


When Sathya Sai Baba said that Avatars come to this world exclusively in India, many were surprised by these words and asked why in India? Why cannot the Avatar incarnate in other countries?

India is a unique country in which there has been a continuous spiritual succession for tens of thousands of years. Modern historical science thinks only in terms of a few millennia. However, the spiritual history of India considers tens of thousands of years of tradition of transmission of yoga practices, philosophical knowledge, mathematics, astrology, medicine and much more. Vedic knowledge has been passed down from generation to generation since ancient times.

Indian society is ideally suited for the Avatar to incarnate and be able to fulfill his divine mission. Of course, this does not mean there are no problems in India. In Indian society, there are a huge number of difficulties and problems, which are not hidden. However, it is Indian society that is designed in such a way that it is able to recognize the Avatar and provide the necessary conditions for the fulfillment of his mission.

If the Avatar had incarnated in any other country, he would have been stoned, crucified, or sent to a science lab for research. Incarnating in India, the Avatar receives the support of the social environment itself. Both the government and ordinary people immediately begin to respectfully help him in his spiritual task.

This is exactly what happened to Sathya Sai Baba. From a very early age literally everyone began to help him, from politicians and businessmen to ordinary villagers. Of course, there have always been those in India who denied the divinity of Sathya Sai Baba, but Indian society is arranged in such a way that such people have no opportunity to interfere with the good work of the Avatar.

## 38. God in human form


Sathya Sai Baba once stated that people are often deceived by his ordinary human form. He walked among us and he talked with us. One could mistake him for an ordinary person. If we temporarily made this mistake, we could instantly be plunged into the deepest delusions.

Sathya Sai Baba said that one should be vigilant and avoid the danger of delusion that he is an ordinary person. This confusion sometimes arose as a result of the seeming normality of his human form. He could eat rice with vegetables, drink tea or coconut juice, talk to us, participate in festive events, and thereby create the illusion that he was an ordinary person who walked, breathed, and talked like all other people.

However, at any moment, he could suddenly manifest his divinity. His true cosmic form encompasses all Dharmas and the powers of all gods. Sathya Sai Baba reminded that one should keep oneself in awareness and be ready for the great moments of the manifestation of his divinity.

When God descends to earth in human form, it can be very difficult to see his ultimate reality. People looked at the appearance of Sathya Sai Baba and sometimes could not recognize the Avatar in him, being deceived by the illusion of his physical form. This led to the erroneous conclusion that the Avatar's body is an ordinary human and, therefore, his consciousness is also human. However, in his body is the Universal Divine Consciousness.

Even if all people practice meditation for millions of years, performing intense and severe austerities, it is impossible to understand the fullness and true essence of the consciousness of the Avatar.

We are all extremely lucky that we had the rare opportunity to meet the divine teacher. All the great saints and sages of the past dreamed of such an opportunity. It is difficult to realize this. Sometimes communication with Sathya Sai Baba seemed so natural and even ordinary that sometimes the illusion overshadowed our consciousness and we lost awareness of the uniqueness of the moment of communication with him.

## 39. Human effort


It is karma that determines all the events of your life in the present. Karma is information about your thoughts, words, and actions that you have done in the past. It is important to understand that a thought saturated with the strongest emotion also creates karma. Any word spoken with strong intention creates karma because the word has great power.

Basically, there is no positive or negative karma. Karma is just information and it is neutral. People, in contact with the events of life give assessments and call these events good or bad. Most often, human appraisal categories are sometimes based on a superficial understanding of the situation.

If you have difficulties, trials, and crises, most likely you will declare all of these things are the result of bad karma. Looking back a few years later, it may turn out that the crises were actually blessings.

If you are currently suffering from illnesses, this can help you start intensive yoga and tai chi practices. If you are currently in the process of a divorce, this may help you to create a healthier and happier family in the future. If today you are experiencing bankruptcy, then in the near future, you will be able to start a better and more successful project.

Communication with the Avatar has a strong influence on karmic processes. For example, you have accumulated karma according to which you must suffer over the next few lives, but Sathya Sai Baba can reduce this to a few years. Yes, you suffer, but not for a few lifetimes, only for a few years.

People sometimes expected that Sathya Sai Baba should solve all of their life's difficulties and hardships for them. Over the years, I have watched a large number of people come to Sathya Sai Baba for help and healing. I have seen this mistake made by a huge number of people. They were waiting for the great Sathya Sai Baba to solve their problems, moreover, instantly; yet, in these cases people were not ready to make any efforts of their own.

People came to the "omnipotent" Sathya Sai Baba and were sure he would instantly solve all of their struggles. Some naively assumed if they came to the ashram, then automatically he should help.

Sometimes people came to the ashram with tremendous pride. We even joked that it was not Sathya Sai Baba giving them Darshan, but they were giving Sathya Sai Baba Darshan. Some thought that if they came to Sathya Sai Baba, then he simply had to do everything for them.

The way your life looks now is the result of your karma. Why do you think that someone, such as Sathya Sai Baba, should correct for you what was done by you? Of course, he was born into this world in order to help everyone who is open to accepting his help. However, your steps are always yours, and only you must take them.

## 40. "Resist not evil," said Jesus Christ


Jesus Christ said one should not resist evil. Numbers of people have tried to understand these strange words across centuries and discussions have not subsided. What can this all mean?

We are accustomed to the fact that good ultimately wins over evil. The struggle between good and evil largely shapes the life of our society. If we look at the history of any country, or in the history of any religious tradition, we find there are continuous struggles between good and evil. In this whole situation, it is curious that everyone considers himself the personification of exclusively "good," and his opponent exclusively "evil."

The struggle between good and evil also takes place in the inner world of every person. How then do we understand the teaching of Jesus Christ about not resisting evil? Non-resistance of evil can be summed up as simply not concentrating on your problems, as what you focus on is where your energy is directed. Therefore, do not resist evil because by doing so you become evil and strengthen it.

Instead, concentrate on doing positive and kind actions. This increases goodness. Fighting anger, you increase anger; showing love, you increase love.

The one who endlessly struggles with trials has no chance of becoming rid of life's difficulties because they consciously direct the strongest energy toward feeding the problems. Instead, focus on positive goals such as happiness and abundance, creative success and great health.

Once you focus on what you want to achieve rather than on what you want to get rid of, then your energy will be directed toward positive development. It sounds simple enough, but how often do people forget this great principle.

If you are sick and begin to constantly focus on the disease, you will not be able to heal because unconsciously you will direct energy to increase the disease. Instead, concentrate on perfect health; only then will the vital energy be directed there. It is about changing the paradigm and changing your style of thinking.

If you are focused on solving family troubles, financial and business issues, intellectual difficulties, then you will fall into a vicious circle of endless suffering and struggle. Instead, focus on building correct and harmonious relationships in the family, transforming and improving your business, finding the right information to solve intellectual issues, and discovering new resources. Start thinking in the direction of development and creativity, as this is what will transform your life.

If you perceive yourself as a representative of "good" and the other person as "evil," then you begin to deny the omnipresence of God. It is easy to say Divine Consciousness is present everywhere and in everything, but it is more difficult to embody this principle in everyday life. It is easy to accept the divinity of Sergius of Radonezh and Francis of Assisi, but it is more difficult to see divinity in the soul of bloody dictators and demons. Of course, there are people who have become the personifications of evil in our culture, but God still lives in the very depths of the soul of any demon.

In fact, absolute evil does not exist at all. What happens to some people is a temporary clouding of consciousness due to ignorance. Sometimes ignorance makes people forget their original divinity and gives rise to an ego that tries to satisfy its own interests at the expense of everyone around. The idea of fighting "evil" is also a product of an ignorant ego.

If you still think and concentrate on problematic situations, then do it exclusively with gratitude. Gratitude is completion. If you feel grateful for sickness, divorce, conflict, bankruptcy, layoffs, ruin, loss, and more, it means you have passed these life lessons and are ready to move on in your divine creativity of life.

Sathya Sai Baba incarnated in this world out of love and compassion in order to help everyone, but this does not negate the efforts of the person himself.

If your car breaks down, you can delegate the repair of the car to another person. If you have a toothache, you do not need to fill it yourself, you go to the dentist. If you need information, you can ask someone to collect the necessary information. However, there are things that you should only do on your own, regardless of your social status and financial capabilities.

Only on your own can you meditate; only on your own can you realize the divine nature of your soul; and only on your own can you follow the path of spiritual development.

In the Mahabharata and Ramayana, most of the acting heroes are kings and princes, but even for great kings, the process of inner realization can only occur as a result of independent spiritual work.

## 41. The Paradox of the Divine Plan and Free Choice


Sathya Sai Baba said that every person who comes to his ashram can come only because there is a divine will. Everyone who came to the ashram could come there only at the personal invitation of Sathya Sai Baba himself.

When I heard such words for the first time, I was extremely surprised. Millions of people came to the ashram; how could this be? I came to the ashram every year and it seemed this happened completely according to my desire. It seemed easy and simple. The thought never arose that in fact every time I came to the ashram was actually because it was part of the higher, subtle, divine plan.

What could be easier than buying a ticket to India, flying for a period of time, and staying at the ashram as my circumstances allowed. It seemed like it was my own choice.

There were many people who very much wanted to come to the ashram, but many obstacles prevented them from doing so. At the same time, there were people who could hardly imagine who Sathya Sai Baba was and ended up in the ashram, as if quite by accident.

One woman I know of was invited by a group of friends to go to India, to which she gladly agreed. On the plane she was informed that the group was going to see Sathya Sai Baba. The woman did not know who he was, and so her friends showed her a small photograph of Sathya Sai Baba and briefly explained where she was flying to. Sometimes, people got to the ashram in strange ways.

One of the most important paradoxes of human life is the interconnection of an omnipotent divine plan on the one hand and free human will on the other. The omnipotent Divine plan does not cancel the free will of a person, and as a result, the responsibility for decisions made and actions taken fall on the shoulders of each man.

Some of my acquaintances had the opportunity to go to India and see Sathya Sai Baba, but sometimes people thought there were more important things to do and so put off going to the ashram. As you know, what can be done today can only be done today, and then the next day comes and the opportunity is gone. It seemed to some they could easily go to Sathya Sai Baba in a couple of years, but life circumstances changed and the possibility of taking the trip disappeared.

In life, we are constantly met with the problem of choice and prioritization. Sometimes people put all their affairs and worries into the background in order to be close to Sathya Sai Baba, as soon as possible. Basically, it's a matter of priorities. If the most important thing in life is to see the Avatar, and if your priorities are spiritual development, then you are taking the right steps.

For the most part, people learned about Sathya Sai Baba from their acquaintances who had already been to India. Sometimes information came through books, and sometimes information about him literally burst into their lives in the most unusual and mystical way. Everyone reacted to their introduction to Sathya Sai Baba differently.

People who prioritized spiritual knowledge did everything possible, and sometimes, impossible to see Sathya Sai Baba as quickly as they could. For some, the immediate concerns of this life seemed more significant.

Sometimes people do not notice when a chance appears; as such, their unique opportunity is lost forever.

## 42. People saw Sathya Sai Baba in their dreams before they knew about his existence.


Several people told me stories about how they learned about Sathya Sai Baba through mystical dream experiences. There were cases when people saw him in a dream, not understanding who he was. Later, when they saw a photograph of Sathya Sai Baba, they realized this was the unusual Indian mystic who visited them in their dream.

At the ashram I met an elderly lady from Hamburg, Helga. She told me an amazing story about how she found out about Sathya Sai Baba and came to the ashram for the first time. Helga lived most of her life in northern Germany and was never interested in Vedic philosophy and meditation. She was a sincere Christian and performed daily prayers in accordance with Christian tradition.

One night, she had a mystical dream. In the dream, an unknown oriental man in a long orange dress came to her and invited her to come to visit him in India. Within the dream, the woman felt frightened, but at the same time, she understood she was sleeping and seeing him in a mystical dream. At that moment, Helga did not know who this strange oriental man was and where exactly he was inviting her to go. Right during the dreaming experience, Sathya Sai Baba took the frightened woman in his strong arms, and they flew away.

They flew high in the sky, flying fast enough to end up in southern India. Right in the dream, Helga visited the ashram. All the events of this dream were very real, and she felt everything as if quite physically.

Upon waking, the woman could not come to her senses for a long time. When she did, she tried to make inquiries about various contemporary spiritual teachers. The Oriental man who visited her in her dream was so unusual in appearance that Helga easily recognized him as Sathya Sai Baba, whose photo her friends showed her. There was not the slightest doubt that in the dream she had been traveling with Sathya Sai Baba.

A few months later, she was able to arrange a trip to India. Arriving at the ashram, she was shocked that she had already seen all the details of the ashram during the mystical dream. Thus, Helga was able to understand that mystical dreams, received with the blessing of Sathya Sai Baba, are not just fantasies, but absolutely real events taking place on a subtle plane.

When we consider such a case, there certainly is not the slightest doubt that the woman from Hamburg actually received a personal invitation from Sathya Sai Baba. However, it must be understood that not all people are invited through such supernatural events. For most people, invitations from Sathya Sai Baba come in the form of intuitive sensations and subtle inner spiritual insights.

A book falls into the hands of someone telling them about the life and philosophical teachings of Sathya Sai Baba; some, as if by chance, come to a lecture at which people who directly communicated with Sathya Sai Baba tell amazing stories about him. All these events may seem like a series of accidents. However, it is these events that cause a surprisingly subtle resonance in the heart.

Initially, it was necessary to have a blessing from Sathya Sai Baba in order to come and meet him, but the will and choice of the person himself played an important role. God gives you a chance. He provides opportunities and the doors of space open. Then, the choice is up to the individual.

Sometimes there are obstacles that need to be overcome in order to do something important in life. That is why it is very important to always prioritize correctly. You see a video or a photo for the first time, and suddenly there is a deep feeling that you are connected by subtle spiritual threads with a divine teacher and should immediately see him. Listen to your intuition and immediately start taking steps toward realizing your dream.

## 43. A Christian is one who follows the teachings of Jesus Christ


During lectures, Sathya Sai Baba often quoted from Vedic and Gospel texts. Sometimes he quoted texts verbatim, and sometimes he spoke about the teachings of sacred texts and gave free paraphrases, conveying the essence of the teachings. He easily moved on to the philosophical teachings of various world traditions, spoke about the teachings of Krishna and Jesus Christ, Zarathustra, and Buddha.

Once Sathya Sai Baba quoted words from the Gospel: “Addressing those present, Jesus Christ said that whoever wants to be his disciple must follow his teachings” (paraphrase of Mark 8:34). What simple and, at the same time, complex words.

After citing this wonderful saying of Jesus Christ, Sathya Sai Baba further noted that by practicing the teachings of Jesus Christ and acting in accordance with his instructions, we become true Christians. It was wonderful to hear these words from Sathya Sai Baba, who was not a Christian but was born into a Hindu family.

At all times, people easily and quickly create a cult of great spiritual teachers, but at the same time they are little interested in what is the essence of their teaching.

A huge number of people worship the images of Krishna, Buddha, and Jesus Christ. However, few people are interested in the depth of their teachings, and even fewer people try to embody these teachings in their daily lives.

What is the essence of the teaching of Jesus Christ? The only prayer that Jesus Christ gave to his disciples was a prayer to the Heavenly Father: "Our Father". This amazing prayer contains great philosophical meaning, in fact it is a formula for each person to engage in direct and personal communication with our Heavenly Father.

The teaching of Jesus Christ was that absolutely every person is a son or daughter of God. Initially, every person is a child of God, for everything in this universe came from God. But due to ignorance and conditioning, people forget their original spiritual connection with God the Father.

In the Lord's Prayer, Jesus Christ proclaims that every person has the right to call God their Father. By this, he emphasized that not only he, but every person can establish an equally close relationship with God.

## 44. Unity of Self and God


The essence of the teachings of Jesus Christ is love for one's neighbor. In the famous words of Jesus Christ about the need to love your neighbor as yourself, there is an important detail, which consists in the fact you should first accept and love yourself. Only the person who can first love himself can show love for others.

In order to love yourself, you need to see God not somewhere far away in heaven, but in your spiritual heart. Hating yourself means hating the God that is within your heart. To hate your neighbor is to hate the God in his heart.

A person who hates himself cannot show love to others. That is why it is first necessary to reveal God in your own heart and love yourself; only then is it possible to take the path of service and truly show love to others.

The highest part of the teaching of Jesus Christ is the realization of unity. Jesus Christ said that not only was he able to gain unity with the Heavenly Father, but absolutely every person who follows the spiritual path can have this experience.

Only he who follows the teachings of Jesus Christ and who embodies the principle of direct communication between himself and God and who loves himself and shows love to others is a true Christian.

The highest manifestation of a true Christian is the realization of God in one's own heart. Jesus Christ told his disciples: “you will know that "I" am in my Heavenly Father, and you are in me, and "I" am in you” (paraphrase John 14:20). In these words, he once again confirmed that as a result of passing through the spiritual path, each person will discover the greatest treasure, which is unity with God.

## 45. Sathya Sai Baba on the three stages of the spiritual path of Jesus Christ


Sathya Sai Baba said that only a few were able to realize the most important part of the spiritual message of Jesus Christ, which he preached to all mankind. The most important part of the teaching of Jesus Christ is that God is the original nature of the soul of every person – God is the True Self of every person.

Sathya Sai Baba also said that people should accept Jesus Christ as their spiritual guide, follow his example, and go through the same stages of the spiritual path that Jesus Christ went through.

Passive worship of the Savior, following the formalities of church tradition, or using outward symbolism is not enough to be a genuine Christian. Jesus Christ himself told his disciples that they should follow him.

Sathya Sai Baba explained that in the beginning Jesus Christ realized he was "the messenger of God." After that, he realized he was "the son of God." At the highest stage of his path, he realized his oneness with God. These three stages of the spiritual path are universal; every spiritual seeker passes through them.

Sathya Sai Baba advised people to stop perceiving Jesus Christ as the greatest object of worship and accept him as their spiritual guide and example on the spiritual path. It may seem that this is too strong a statement. We are accustomed to think that Jesus Christ is the greatest world teacher, the only son of God, originally perfect and divine.

How can we accept him as an example for our spiritual path? The philosophy that Sathya Sai Baba expounded may be difficult for some Christians to accept. Quite a lot of people tend to perceive Jesus Christ as the originally perfect Godman.

Sathya Sai Baba pointed out that Jesus Christ was a truly unique person, and that he was born with a special divine mission. However, Sathya Sai Baba showed that initially Jesus Christ did not have the fullness of self-realization; he gained it as a result of the path of meditation and prayer.

Having gained the highest spiritual realizations as a result of intense spiritual practice, Jesus Christ set a great example for everyone by showing with his life that in order to gain spiritual experience intensive spiritual practice of meditation and prayer is necessary.

In order to uncover the greatest treasure of the spiritual heart, it is important to practice, and not just philosophize on spiritual topics. Jesus Christ said that the Kingdom of God is taken by force. This famous phrase signifies the need for intense spiritual practice. He also proclaimed that the kingdom of God is in the hearts of people. This means that the vector of spiritual movement is directed exclusively to the inner world.

## 46. The real Jesus Christ who walked the earth


In our time, "Biblical Science," which studies the life of Jesus Christ and the first Christian communities from the point of view of historical science and archaeology is actively developing. This is a truly unique and interesting topic. Who was the real Jesus Christ and who were the first Christians?

In many ways, the image of Jesus Christ, and the information about him that we have now, was formed under the influence of the development of church tradition. The important question is: what were Jesus Christ and the early Christians of the early centuries really like?

It is very important for modern people to know about the real life of Jesus Christ, and to collect as much information as possible about his life and teachings, as well as about the spiritual life of early Christians. The ideas we have about Christianity today took shape several centuries after the life of the historical Jesus Christ. In a later era, churches began to form, which sometimes created their own concepts about the life and teachings of Jesus Christ.

What was the real Jesus Christ like? What was his life, spiritual path, and true philosophy?

In modern Christianity, there is no knowledge of reincarnation, while in the early centuries, Christians knew perfectly well about the process of reincarnation of the soul. Another important fact in the life of Jesus Christ was that he lived part of his life in India, where he studied philosophy and meditation, but later this invaluable information was hidden from people.

Now we know quite well about the male disciples of Jesus Christ, but among his disciples there were also women, in particular Mary Magdalene. What role did she play in the community of disciples? Was she a chief disciple, or perhaps even the wife of Jesus Christ?

What difference does it make for us as Christians to assume the family life of Jesus Christ? Is his mission diminished if it turns out he was married and perhaps even had children? Of course not. The great spiritual message of Jesus Christ about love and searching for God in one's own heart does not change in any way, even if we can find evidence about his family life.

Another big topic is the relatives and especially the brothers of Jesus Christ. Perhaps his main student was his older brother, James, whose life and work was later silenced. After all, it was Jacob, the brother of Jesus Christ, who led the Jerusalem church and the first community of disciples.

## 47. Jesus Prayer


In his lectures, Sathya Sai Baba often spoke about the spiritual power of the practice of chanting the holy name of Jesus Christ. During one of the Christmas lectures, Sathya Sai Baba quoted wonderful words from the Apostolic Letters, which say that everyone who prays with the name of Jesus Christ will be heard and saved.

Sathya Sai Baba said there is a wonderful and simple way to practice the prayer of Jesus Christ, which is the constant repetition of his name: "Jesus, Jesus, Jesus."

Sathya Sai Baba said at the very beginning of the spiritual path, it is difficult for a person to repeat a short prayer, i.e., just the name of Jesus, because the mind requires something more complex. Therefore, you can practice a longer version of this prayer: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me."

Sathya Sai Baba said if any other words of the Jesus Prayer appear in your heart, then trust your feeling, for God will guide you along the right path through intuition. The prayer that is more suitable for you can resound in your heart.

There are various assumptions about what the prayer to Jesus Christ looked like at the very beginning of the development of the Christian tradition. There is an assumption that the first generation of Christians prayed to Jesus Christ by saying his holy name: "Jesus, Jesus, Jesus," or "Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ."

This original form of prayer and meditation in the name of Jesus Christ is identical to that which Sathya Sai Baba spoke about. It is this simplest form of meditation that invokes presence and blessing in the strongest way. In this version of the prayer, you do not ask for anything, you simply chant the holy names.

In later times, a prayer arose that sounded like this: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me." Much later, the last words: "Have mercy on me a sinner," were added to this great prayer. This completely absurd phrase that speaks of "sinfulness" is contrary to the teachings of Jesus Christ himself, who preached the divinity of every person.

Of course, on the path of life we all make mistakes, but fixing our attention on sin is extremely wrong. We make mistakes, which we learn from, and then we move on in our spiritual development. All possible mistakes made on the path of life are experiences from which lessons are learned with gratitude. If you fix your attention on the fact that you are allegedly sinful, then by doing so you direct your energy there and create an even greater opportunity for aggravating sin, thus forgetting about your original divinity.

One of the greatest spiritual teachers of India in the 19th century, Ramakrishna, said the greatest sin is to consider a person a sinner, because every person is divine.

Sathya Sai Baba also preached that every person is divine and can discover his nature as a son or daughter of God and even reach the same level of union with God as himself.

## 48. Simultaneously God and Man


Some people ask, why in the Jesus Prayer do we say, "Lord Jesus Christ" and then add "son of God?" Some see this as a contradiction. But there is no contradiction here because this phrase points to the dual nature of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ was a man, but at the same time he is God. He is a historical figure, but at the same time a symbol. That is why his name consists of two parts, Jesus and Christ. Jesus is a symbol of human nature, and Christ is divine nature.

It is important to understand these two natures: human and divine, are present not only in Jesus Christ, but absolutely in every person. Everyone carries in his mind the divine and human nature.

The practice of repeating the names of God is very ancient and is used in both the Vedic and Biblical traditions. All the power of God is contained in His Holy Names. That is why the Lord's Prayer says: "Hallowed be Thy Name."

In the science of Kabbalah, there is a practice of repeating seventy-two names of God, and in the Vedic tradition, the practice of repeating one hundred and eight, as well as one thousand and eight names of God. The name of Jesus Christ has great spiritual power, as do the names of the other greatest teachers of the world, such as Krishna and Buddha.

I pay great attention to the practice of lucid dreaming, as it is an important source of spiritual information and experiences. Sathya Sai Baba came to me many times in my dreams and gave me various spiritual instructions and blessings. These experiences are extremely vivid and they profoundly transform the spiritual state. I know many people get the opportunity to meet Sathya Sai Baba in dreams and receive blessings and answers to important questions from him.

During one of my mystical dreams, I heard a prayer to Jesus Christ, which was different from how this prayer is written in prayer books. This prayer began to resound in my dreams more and more often, so I began to practice it during the day: "Lord Jesus Christ Son of God, I am grateful to You for Your Grace.”

In this prayer we turn to Jesus Christ both as God and as the Son of God. It is important to realize that within each of us there is simultaneously a divine and human nature.

This wonderful prayer is in gratitude to Jesus Christ for the personal experience of receiving Divine Grace, which he bestows on every person. What you thank God for happens fast. This prayer is not a request for Divine Grace, but gratitude that we have already received the greatest gift of Divine Grace. We thank God for already blessing us.

This prayer is just my personal, mystical experience. Everything I say on the pages of my books about the spiritual path, all my stories and thoughts are my personal experiences and opinions. I share only my observations, experiences, and insights. If any of my discoveries and realizations seem useful to you, use them. If something seems doubtful and unnecessary, just leave it.

The practice of this prayer has transformed my spiritual state and changed my energy. By repeating this prayer, I feel the presence of the Christ Consciousness, both in the depths of my heart and in every person with whom I come into contact in life. The Christ Consciousness is impersonal and present in the hearts of all, shining in the eyes of every person.

## 49. Sathya Sai Baba had breakfast at Robin's house


This story was told to me by Robin, an American whom I met at the ashram. By that time, he and his family had long been devotees of Sathya Sai Baba and had visited India several times. In America, in his homestead, Robin decided to make a meditation hall. When friends who were also devotees of Sathya Sai Baba came to him, they practiced meditations and mantras together.

Many helpers worked on their large country estate, including one elderly woman from Mexico, who had worked for the household for several months. She worked as a maid and knew nothing about Sathya Sai Baba. The woman believed that Sathya Sai Baba was the best friend of the owner of the house, because his photographs hung in almost every room.

One day, the elderly maid, asked Robin, the owner of the house, some strange questions. She wanted to know how long their Indian friend would be visiting them for, and if she should prepare a room for him.

Robin did not understand the meaning of these strange questions, because there were no guests in the house, especially from India. After some questioning, Robin realized that an amazing incident had taken place.

The maid said that very morning she met Sathya Sai Baba in the dining room. It was early morning when she entered the dining room and saw Sathya Sai Baba sitting at the table. She immediately recognized him because she had seen his photographs many times.

The elderly maid talked with Sathya Sai Baba for about half an hour, during which time she treated him to breakfast and answered some of his questions. Robin was shocked and quickly realized Sathya Sai Baba had materialized in their house that morning.

Robin immediately ran to the dining room, assuming he was still there, but he no longer was. Evidence of his presence was an unfinished cup of tea and an empty plate after breakfast. Stunned, Robin knelt down and bowed in front of the chair where Sathya Sai Baba had been sitting a few minutes ago.

During a conversation with the maid, Sathya Sai Baba asked how her daughter was doing. The woman was surprised how the Indian friend of the owner knew about the problems in her daughter's personal life. Sathya Sai Baba stated the problems would end soon, and that everything would be fine, and her daughter would be very happy.

After that, Robin and his relatives decided they should go to India as soon as possible to meet Sathya Sai Baba. Naturally, they took their maid with them, paying for her trip.

Robin confessed to me this miracle was an important lesson for him, personally. Even though he had been a devotee of Sathya Sai Baba for several years by then, he still retained an arrogant attitude toward people who were of lower social status. He had little interest in the lives of his workers and did not consider them equal to himself.

Sathya Sai Baba appeared in front of the Mexican maid, whom Robin arrogantly treated as if she were an ordinary servant. This incident showed how necessary it is to respect all people, regardless of their social status. Sathya Sai Baba appeared not in front of the owner of the house, but in front of what seemed to be an ordinary maid.

To be honest, I am not sure what her name is, although I met her in the ashram, I think her name is Isabelle. Of course, it was clear this was actually a great blessing not only for Isabelle, but for everyone.

I met Robin and his family at the ashram and I was just as interested to meet Isabelle, who was lucky enough to see the materialization of Sathya Sai Baba, and even treat him to breakfast.

In truth, the ways of the Lord are inscrutable. The greatest miracle of Sathya Sai Baba is the spiritual transformation of people. Sometimes it happens in the most unusual way.

## 50. In ancient times, Shiva promised that he would incarnate as Sai Baba


The great sage Bharadwaja lived in ancient times. He devoted many years to the study of Vedic philosophy. Bharadwaja felt that a mere study of philosophy would not be able to help him gain true wisdom, and so he decided to start practicing meditation and yoga.

The gods regularly appeared before the sage and gave him spiritual instructions. Finally, Bharadwaja decided to perform Homa, the fire ritual. He wanted Lord Shiva and Goddess Shakti to personally attend the ceremony. Bharadwaja went to the sacred mountain Kailash in order to personally invite Shiva and Shakti.

Approaching the sacred mountain, the sage saw that Shiva and Shakti were dancing enthusiastically and were completely absorbed in circling in the dance. The sage could not find a convenient moment to interrupt the dance of the Gods and invite them to his ceremony.

Seven days passed, and Bharadwaja was still waiting. He could only get a look at Lord Shiva, while the Goddess Shakti, in her beautiful dance, constantly hid her face from him. On the eighth day, the Goddess only allowed him a glimpse of herself. She smiled softly, and then quickly turned away and continued her divine dance.

The sage Bharadwaja thought that the Goddess was offended by him. He sadly left the sacred mountain Kailash and headed home to the ashram. While the sage was descending the mountainside, he suddenly felt as if his left leg and arm were paralyzed while his left eye became instantly blind.

Suddenly, Shiva appeared. He approached the sage and consoled him with kind words: "do not worry, Goddess Shakti blesses you. I will also come to your ceremony." Having said these words, the Lord sprinkled holy water from the jar of Kamandalu on the left side of the body of the sage, and he was immediately healed.

Sage Bharadwaja successfully completed his ceremony in due course. Lord Shiva and Goddess Shakti were present during the entire ritual of worship. This was a joyful event for the sage because he not only worshipped Shiva and Shakti, but also had the opportunity to enjoy their direct presence.

As a token of his pleasure, Lord Shiva made a promise to the sage that he, along with the Goddess, would incarnate in the world of people in the dynasty of the sage Bharadwaja.

Shiva also said he would incarnate in the dynasty of the sage Bharadwaja three times. Shiva fulfilled his promise. His first incarnation took place in the city of Shirdi, in western India, his name was Shirdi Sai Baba. The second time Shiva and Shakti incarnated together in one body as Sathya Sai Baba, this happened in the village of Puttaparthi. Finally, for the third time, Shakti incarnated as the third Sai Baba, who is called Prema Sai Baba.

We may wonder to what extent this story is historical or is it deeply symbolic? Is this story real or is it a beautiful Indian myth? Very often, the stories of Vedic myths are a complex interweaving of symbolism with completely historical events that actually and physically occurred in the deepest antiquity.

In the Vedic myths, there are a huge number of stories about the great sage Bharadwaja. I am sure this sage was quite a historical figure. We do not know exactly what era he lived in. Over time, the stories associated with his life acquire a legendary connotation. It is difficult for us to distinguish the real events of his life from the symbolic interpretation of the presentation of internal energy processes.

What does it mean to travel to the sacred mountain, Kailash? Did it happen quite physically or is it a symbol of a deep spiritual processes in the inner world, as well? Everyone can interpret this story in their own way. Perhaps the sage went to the sacred mountain quite physically, or perhaps it was a figurative description of his meditation.

The sacred mountain, Kailash, is located at the top of the Himalayas. Kailash is revered by all the spiritual and religious traditions of the East. Representatives of all directions of Vedic mysticism, as well as Buddhists, reverently make a pilgrimage to Mount Kailash.

In the tradition of yoga and Tantra, a journey to the sacred mountain Kailash symbolically means the deepest mystical experience gained in meditation. Kailash is the symbol of the Sahasrara Chakra. Perhaps this famous story about the sage tells us about the deep insights and realizations that the sage received as a result of the practices of meditation and yoga.

## 51. Meeting with Shiva and Shakti


What is the meaning of the mysterious meeting of the sage Bharadvaja with Shiva and Shakti? What does this meeting on the sacred mountain Kailash mean? In different traditions and schools, the image of Shiva itself is perceived very differently. Some perceive Shiva as the supreme God the Father, for others Shiva is a symbol of the greatest teacher of yoga – the very teacher who preached the practice of meditation and yoga since ancient times.

The inner esoteric meaning of Shiva is the True Self. If we consider this story from the point of view of the highest Vedanta, then the meeting of the sage Bharadvaja with Shiva means the inner mystical experience of the Higher Self.

Who is Goddess Shakti? When we say that the Gods have spouses, it would be a mistake to take it in the usual human sense. Goddess Shakti is a symbol of great cosmic energy.

Shiva is Consciousness and Shakti is energy. Their beautiful dance is the eternal development of the universe – the unity of Consciousness and Energy.

At first, Goddess Shakti paid no attention to the sage. Why? Symbolically, this may mean that at the beginning of his spiritual practice, the sage could not gain control over his energy. Cosmic energy is not in outer space – it is in the human spine. In fact, the Goddess is the energy that is in the inner world of every person.

The fire ritual performed by Bharadwaja symbolically signifies the practice of Kriya Yoga. The fire ritual is work with the Kundalini energy that moves along the spine. The sage made a pilgrimage to the sacred Mount Kailash, i.e., he meditated on the Sahasrara Chakra.

The sage invited Shiva to his fiery ritual. This speaks of the awakening of the Divine Consciousness. Goddess Shakti agreed to attend the fire ceremony, which means deep work with Internal Energy. Shiva and Shakti attended the ceremony together, manifesting the unity of Spirit and Matter.

Perhaps the sage Bharadwaja, in the depths of his meditation, saw the coming three incarnations of the Avatar and symbolically described them as a meeting with Shiva and Shakti.

Some of the mysterious texts of Tantra, for example Tripura Rahasya and Saundarya Lahari, speak of the highest divinity as the Mother Goddess. That is why the third incarnation of Sai Baba is the manifestation of the Goddess in the human world. The Mother Goddess personifies the transforming divine energy as an active creative principle and a symbol of the highest divine transformation.

This story says that Shiva and Shakti promised to incarnate in this world three times. But also, in this story there is a very important caveat, which is that he will be incarnated at least three times. This means that the number of incarnations could be much greater.

The first incarnation of Sai Baba was from 1835 to 1918 and his name was Shirdi Sai Baba. He was the incarnation of Shiva, that is, Absolute Consciousness.

He lived in the city of Shirdi in western India, hence he was called Shirdi Sai Baba. In this incarnation, he prepared the groundwork for his universal spiritual mission.

The second incarnation of Sai Baba was from 1926 to 2011 and he was called Sathya Sai Baba. Sathya means "truth." In this incarnation, he included the qualities of Shiva and Shakti, the principle of Consciousness and the principle of Energy. That is why he was called the full divine incarnation. Communicating with Sathya Sai Baba, people felt in him both the Divine Father and the Mother Goddess.

The third incarnation of Sai Baba is Prema Sai Baba. In Sanskrit, Prema means divine love. According to this mythological story, Prema Sai Baba is the embodiment of the Mother Goddess, which is the highest life-affirming and transforming Cosmic Power. In this incarnation, he will actively transform the spiritual state of all mankind.

## 52. Freedom is the original nature of man


Sometimes people thought if they came to Sathya Sai Baba and expressed their request for help, then that was enough. In fact, just indicating your request is not enough, you must then act and take independent steps toward overcoming difficulties and achieving goals.

In order to convey your request to Sathya Sai Baba, it was not necessary to speak with him physically, it was enough to internally concentrate on him and formulate your question mentally. This was enough because he was absolutely clairvoyant and omniscient.

In order to change your life, you must definitely make your own efforts; in addition, you need to understand it sometimes takes time to solve problems and achieve results. You should not be offended by Sathya Sai Baba for the fact that in a day or a month he did not free you from suffering and did not solve your most difficult life situations. You have to be able to wait.

What is human effort? The highest effort is to work with awareness. Everything that happens to you today is the result of your thoughts and actions in the past. Everything is born in the beginning as a thought. Any new invention or architectural structure was originally a blueprint.

How to overcome difficulties, suffering, obstacles, and failures in life? How to achieve your creative and social goals? All situations in your life can only be transformed through spiritual awareness and systemic action.

One of the greatest truths about life is that a person attracts into his life not what he wants, but who he is. In order to change your life, you must first change yourself.

Awareness of one's original freedom is an important basis for the further process of spiritual development. Meditate on the truths of primordial freedom:

–

I am free because freedom is my original nature.

–

A free thinker is free.

–

I am originally free, no one can give or take away my freedom.

–

In any situation, I always have the freedom of choice.

–

I am free and I can say “yes” or “no” in any situation, or say nothing.

–

Even when it seems to me that I have no choice, I always have the freedom of choice.

–

Freedom is a state of consciousness that does not depend in any way on external circumstances.

Freedom brings responsibility. Every person is a soul, created in the image and likeness of God. Everyone has infinite potential and is the creator of their own reality. When creating your reality, remember you can only be happy if you develop harmony with other people.

All conflicts arise from an ignorant and false sense of separation. When you develop harmoniously, then all the people around you naturally complement you and the work that you do. You complete everyone and everyone completes you because everyone is interconnected.

You cannot solve difficult situations in your life simply by coming to Sathya Sai Baba and demanding him to solve them while you sit and lazily wait for the outcome. Liberation from problems occurs only when you do deep work on your inner world.

Who am I? What am I? What is my mission in life? What are my talents? What is my purpose in life? Why are my circumstances the way they are? What do I want to do in life? What spiritual and intellectual legacy do I want to leave behind for future generations?

Even if it seems you don't have a chance to realize your creative ideas, try to take at least a few steps in the direction of your dreams. A person who tries to take steps in the right direction and embody their talents receives the unconditional support of the universe.

Change the paradigm of your life. Move from the selfish demands of focusing on what is good for yourself, personally, and ask questions of a different quality. What can I do for the people around me? How can I help and serve people? How can I help the society in which I live?

Sathya Sai Baba paid great attention to service. He preached ministry, but more importantly he demonstrated it in his life. It was difficult for me to understand his philosophy of service, as it seemed to me that the most important thing to do was the practice of deep meditation and mantra.

I perceived Sathya Sai Baba’s talks about serving in society as meaningless moralizing. Much later, I gradually understood the meaning of these wise instructions. It was difficult for me to grasp his instructions on the importance of service because I perceived the spiritual path as being one of only meditation and prayer.

True service arises from a sense of unity. Much later, truths began to open up to me about the spiritual process being the whole of life. Everything we think, say, and do is an aspect of divine evolution.

## 53. Love and compassion


Christianity and Buddhism place great emphasis on the motivation of love and compassion. For example, meditation instructions in Buddhism are not based on describing meditation techniques, but on awakening the right motivation for practice. Real love and compassion are shown in service, not just in beautiful words.

You practice meditation in order to know the true nature of your consciousness. Spiritual practice is carried out not only in order to gain enlightenment for oneself personally, but in order to, after gaining perfect wisdom, help other people embark on the path of spiritual research and also gain liberation from suffering.

Practicing meditation in the name of gaining spiritual benefits for yourself is absurd. In meditation, the personality, which at first seeks to practice meditation personally for itself, dissolves.

In Christianity, enlightenment is called salvation. What difference does it make what word we use to label higher wisdom? All of it is a play on words. The path of personal salvation ultimately leads to service, because in the path of salvation the separately existing human consciousness disappears – it dissolves in the universal Christ Consciousness.

The original true motivation for salvation is service. A person who has received the gifts of the Holy Spirit embarks on the path of preaching the good news.

Change your train of thought. It is only the ignorant sense of a separate existence that creates ego, which creates all the problems. Stop trying to solve your selfish personal problems when the main problem is you, yourself – you, as a separate egoistic being. There are no problems around you. The main problem is you. No one is to blame for your suffering.

Sathya Sai Baba had a high regard for the Apostle Paul (Apostle of Love), which he spoke about in his lectures over the years. The Apostle Paul said in his Catholic Epistles that only love gives the greatest spiritual benefit and that only love is the greatest treasure. We do a lot of spiritual practices in life: prayers, meditations, charity and much more, but if there is no love in our hearts in the process of doing these practices, then there is no spiritual benefit for us.

We often tell stories where Sathya Sai Baba helped people in solving their life situations. We prefer not to tell the stories where Sathya Sai Baba did not seem to help. In fact, he helped absolutely everyone but his blessings manifested themselves in different ways and not always in the way people wanted.

For example, some were sick and not healed; some suffered because of family problems and did not overcome them; and some have been traveling for years, even decades, to Sathya Sai Baba, and there has been no obvious improvement or solution. Such cases are difficult to talk about, but it’s all a part of the story – people came with problems that were not solved, even after many years. How to deal with such situations?

People expect quick help over deeply working out the subtle plan of their consciousness. Prayers and mantras are a superficial but very important level of practice. It is possible to repeat the Gayatri Mantra several thousand times a day. It is difficult, but possible. It is much more difficult to transform the style of your thinking.

Of course, it is very important to practice mantras, but this is not enough. The mantra generates the strongest energy, but the question is, where does this powerful energy go? In order to work with the circumstances of life, simple volitional efforts are not enough; there must be the subtlest reboot of the subconscious.

Sathya Sai Baba sometimes joked that if the number of repetitions of a mantra or a prayer were the main factor, then one could simply turn on the tape recorder and the tape recorder would be the first to get enlightenment.

It is naive to assume Sathya Sai Baba should solve all your difficult situations for you, which were formed as a result of your own actions in the past. Man's effort must meet with the blessing of God. It is also naive to assume that the simple mechanical repetition of a mantra or prayer can change life for the better.

Once again, I want to repeat the golden words: “a person attracts into his life not what he wants, but what he is.” First you need to change yourself by rethinking your attitude toward yourself. The circumstances of life are just a reflection of your inner world.

It is necessary, first of all, to have a clear perception of oneself and to analyze one's lifestyle, one's thoughts, one's reactions to the surrounding people and events. In order to transform your life, you must first change yourself, because you attract not what you want, but what you are.

You may be wondering why I bring in this great wisdom once again. Isn't it enough to say those golden words once? In order for the prayer to work, it is not enough to say it once. In the same way, it is not enough to voice the great truth about your life once; it must be repeated many times and reflected on deeper and deeper. Then these words will become the basis of life.

So, in essence, what happens to a person who is not what he wants, but what he is?

## 54. Vedic roots of Christianity


In his conversations with John Hislop, Sathya Sai Baba said that when Jesus Christ was a young man, he went to India, where he traveled through the Himalayas for several years. He also visited Iran and Central Asia. In those distant times, Hinduism, Zoroastrianism and Buddhism were practiced in this part of the world.

Zoroastrianism has survived to this day in Iran, but it is more prevalent in western India. At the time of Jesus Christ there were many different schools of Buddhism in Central Asia and Pakistan, including the ancient Vedic tradition.

Sathya Sai Baba also told John Hislop that when Jesus Christ traveled through Iran and India, the locals sometimes mistook him for an ordinary vagabond, but some recognized him as a great spiritual teacher. Think about the amazing details.

Sathya Sai Baba said that during the journey, Jesus Christ did not have money, so he sometimes traveled on carts with trade caravans that helped him move from city to city. He had no money for food and he ate what the locals offered him. Again, what amazing details!

Only the Avatar could tell, in such detail, about the life of Jesus Christ and the circumstances of his journey. One gets the impression that Sathya Sai Baba, having overcome space and time, spoke about the travels of Jesus Christ, as if he himself was personally present during the journey of Jesus Christ to India.

In his lectures, Sathya Sai Baba said that the full spiritual awakening of Jesus Christ took place in India. Fully realizing his divinity, Jesus Christ returned to Palestine in order to begin to preach the spiritual path to his students and followers.

Sathya Sai Baba said that for five years Jesus Christ practiced meditation in the Himalayas, in Kashmir, where he met many high spiritual teachers. In Kashmir, Jesus Christ studied the depths of Vedic and Buddhist philosophy.

The founders of the Biblical tradition were the greatest mystics and prophets, such as Abraham and Moses. It would be a mistake to believe that they were the first to realize the unity of God and the first to formulate the doctrine of a single God – Monotheism.

Long before the emergence of the Biblical tradition, the oneness of God was the essential foundation of Vedic religious philosophy. A large number of gods and goddesses in the Vedic tradition do not contradict the doctrine of the unity of God. All the gods and goddesses in the Vedas symbolize various aspects and qualities of the Divine Consciousness and Cosmic Energy.

Throughout his life, Sathya Sai Baba repeatedly testified that Jesus Christ lived in India for many years, where he studied philosophy and meditation. The question arises, why is it so important for us to know that Jesus Christ spent many years in India? How important is it to know?

For me, this information is extremely important and invaluable because it points to the Vedic philosophical roots and Buddhist moral foundations of Christianity.

## 55. Jesus Christ – born with a special Mission


Knowing about Jesus Christ’s life in India reveals there is a profound unity which exists across all religions and spiritual traditions. The seeming contradictions between the Vedic and Biblical traditions disappear as soon as we know that Jesus Christ, the greatest teacher of mankind, belonged equally to both the Biblical and Vedic traditions. In fact, they preach the same eternal truths about the one God who dwells in the hearts of all people.

The fact that Jesus Christ studied in India and went through a long path of practice and meditation does not negate the fact that he was a unique divine personality from the moment of birth.

In my opinion, this new and important information reveals more deeply the essence of the spiritual message of Jesus Christ and builds upon our understanding of his spiritual path. We begin to gradually realize Jesus Christ was not born as an enlightened teacher, but rather went through a long spiritual journey before becoming a great spiritual teacher.

In different eras and in different countries, great teachers were embodied and each of them went through the path of meditation and prayer before gaining awareness of the truth. The Buddha went through the same path of deep investigation of the essence of his being before becoming a world teacher.

Unfortunately, in our time there are quite a lot of Christians who do not want to accept that Jesus Christ lived and practiced in India for many years. They deny the Vedic and Buddhist foundations of the teachings of Jesus Christ, not realizing that in fact the essence of his teachings was the ancient Vedic wisdom.

We are now discovering the knowledge of the true life of Jesus Christ. Of course, for many centuries, some Christian saints walked along the spiritual path without having complete knowledge about the life of Jesus Christ in India. The question arises whether this undermines the spiritual significance and authority of the Christian saints of the past, who knew nothing about the life of Jesus Christ in India?

For example, Francis of Assisi and Sergius of Radonezh did not have this understanding about the life of Jesus Christ in the Himalayas, but this did not prevent them from gaining high levels of divine self-realization.

Also, very painful questions arise regarding the authority of church communities, which for centuries based their teaching on the Old Testament foundations of Christian teaching completely unaware of the Vedic roots of Christianity.

In my opinion, new discoveries cannot cross out the bright achievements made in previous eras. We come into contact with new information about Jesus Christ and get a unique opportunity to understand him more deeply. This data only enriches the centuries-old Christian tradition.

Sathya Sai Baba deeply respected all world religions and traditions. He spoke of the high spiritual realization of Moses, Zarathustra, and Mohammed. In the numerous lectures of Sathya Sai Baba we find statements about the truth of Islam and Judaism, as well as all other world religions.

## 56. Wish fulfillment tree


Sometimes Sathya Sai Baba, addressing the people sitting right in front of him, sadly said: you are now sitting under the "heavenly tree of wish fulfillment," which is called in Sanskrit, "Kalpa Vriksha," and you have enough imagination to ask for only a cup of coffee, maximum – two.

These strange images show that most people have not realized the unique opportunity that comes with meeting the Avatar.

Sathya Sai Baba repeatedly said that people do not understand what chances and opportunities they have while being in such close proximity to him. Sathya Sai Baba, addressing the visitors who came to him, sadly stated that the majority had enough imagination to ask him, figuratively, for a kilogram of chocolate, and the most daring had the ingenuity to ask for only two kilograms of chocolate. For the most part, people did not realize the full scale and boundlessness of Sathya Sai Baba's possibilities and, therefore, asked for momentary trifles.

Society dictates certain and very naive standards to us. To be successful allegedly means to be rich, but it would be nice to be healthy, as well. Quite often it was with such standards and ideas about life that people came to Sathya Sai Baba.

Yes, having good financial opportunities is very important, but this is not a guarantee of happiness. How many rich people suffer from depression and hidden fears?

True success is the realization of one's purpose in life. There are many unsatisfied, suffering people in the world, but also a large number of truly happy people, and this has nothing to do with their social status and financial capabilities.

True happiness is a state of harmony and the absence of internal conflict. “Knock and it will be opened to you – ask and you will receive,” the Gospel says. Are your desires proper and good? In addition to good desires, there are also questionable ones that lead to negative results.

When we talk about negative desires, we mean situations when, under the influence of resentment or conflict, people begin to wish harm and suffering on others.

Sometimes, not realizing the consequences, people demand from God the fulfillment of their destructive desires. There were cases when visitors quite seriously asked Sathya Sai Baba to endow them with various supernatural abilities, clairvoyance, and the ability to materialize objects.

There are quite a lot of mystics in the world who can materialize objects and who have clairvoyant skills, but this is not the main thing. The task of the Avatar is not to endow someone with superpowers. His true mission is to spiritually transform a person.

Questionable desires are obvious and come in the form of wishing evil, condemnation, or cursing another. There are also desires hidden and formed under the influence of selfishness, like wanting the acquisition of supernatural abilities aimed at self-enrichment and unlimited power.

I remember interviews where some people asked Sathya Sai Baba to give them clairvoyance and the ability to fly in the astral body, at will. What we ask of God is a big and difficult question. Is it really necessary to ask God? Is it good to have desires? Jesus Christ said: "Ask and you will receive." Sathya Sai Baba also directed his devotees to formulate their goals in life more clearly and not to be shy in asking God for help in achieving their good aspirations.

Some suggest that by gaining a mystical experience of unity with God, a person loses all interest in the manifested world. Many people think that self-actualization leads to loss of motivation and apathy. There are traditions that preach the signature that a person has become a saint is, allegedly, the denial of society and all aspects of human life.

God is the supreme and original source of love and creativity. One who has truly awakened the inner God reveals infinite and great potentials within himself. The one who knows God perceives the manifested universe as a space for the manifestation of love. The one who has discovered God in his heart becomes a creator.

## 57. Vision and perception


People came to Sathya Sai Baba with various difficult situations. Sometimes he blessed them, and the difficult situations disappeared, but sometimes he refused to solve someone's problems. There were cases when, after his blessing, the situation escalated even more. How to understand it?

Sathya Sai Baba could heal any disease. We know of a large number of such cases. However, there were situations when people came with severe illnesses, but Sathya Sai Baba refused to heal them. After that, the person suffered and died at a relatively young age. How to understand such situations?

People came to Sathya Sai Baba with colossal financial collapse. Some he helped with his blessings and people solved their difficult business issues, and to some he gave a resounding, no. How can we understand such unpredictable behavior?

We understand that the Avatar sees the situation so deeply that we, as human beings, cannot comprehend it. There were rare cases when Sathya Sai Baba explained he did not give a person an energy flow of money because the person would not know what to do with it and would destroy his life, and possibly the fate of those around him.

I remember a case where one man was seriously ill and Sathya Sai Baba did not heal him. The man died at a young age. Sobbing relatives came to Sathya Sai Baba and he explained that based on the evolution of the soul of this person, it was good for him to die from diseases at a young age and in the next incarnation to reach a completely different level of spiritual development. Such situations are difficult to understand with the ordinary human mind.

We are often attached to our relatives and friends and such explanations are hard to accept. We love our close relatives and to understand that the body of a loved one has died, but the soul continues its journey on a higher level is complex.

There have been many similar situations where we think in human terms while Sathya Sai Baba perceives reality in perfect knowledge of the evolution of the soul. Problems and suffering are sometimes important factors in pushing a person to a more intense spiritual quest. Human evolution occurs as a result of regular practices of meditation and prayer and, most importantly, deep work to realize the primordial divine essence of the soul.

Some claim they do not want to make any effort in their personal development because it, supposedly, means they do not believe in the power of Sathya Sai Baba. That is why such people believe they need to completely entrust their life to Sathya Sai Baba, while remaining in complete inaction. Yes, trusting the Avatar is important, but that doesn't mean shifting the blame. Inaction is spiritual laziness and fear of taking responsibility.

Do happiness and suffering really depend on external circumstances? If this were so, then all socially successful and wealthy people would be guaranteed happiness. Happiness and suffering are two sides of the same coin. They are constantly revolving. Life is not permanent – it is a cycle of imaginary happiness and illusory suffering. Nothing is permanent in this world except the eternal Lord and his Holy Spirit.

## 58. Grace of the supreme light


Man strives to know the truth. The search for higher truth lies in self-knowledge. The greatest treasure lies in the depths of the inner world. In striving to know the truth, the spiritual seeker attracts Divine Grace.

It is important to realize your destiny and be able to build a life in such a way as to realize your talents. A successful person is one who embodies his destiny and gives people the fruits of his creativity. To understand the meaning of life, and then be able to realize their creative potentials, the Grace of God is needed.

Divine Grace is that which grants a person all the highest blessings. It is Grace that one must ask God for, for there is no greater treasure. When the Grace of God is upon you, you freely and joyfully create the creativity of eternal life.

Why did people want to have the opportunity of personal contact with Sathya Sai Baba as often as possible? Why did they want to be interviewed? During personal communication, there was a unique opportunity to ask personal questions and discuss important topics of both spiritual and life circumstances.

During such meetings, there was an amazing feeling of close and friendly communication. In moments of personal communication Sathya Sai Baba ceased to be a world famous and majestic teacher – he became a close friend.

Besides being able to get answers to important questions, I think there was another significant reason why direct contact with Sathya Sai Baba was so important. During direct communication, he completely concentrated on those people sitting in front of him. Imagine, the Avatar is completely focused on you for a whole hour.

During face-to-face interactions, visitors received tremendous blessings. People received unique experiences of direct energy interaction plunging them into the universal love of Sathya Sai Baba.

## 59. Devotion and love


I remember various stories that happened during personal communication with Sathya Sai Baba. The challenge for me as a storyteller is that the most amazing experiences are beyond words.

Often during personal meetings, Sathya Sai Baba performed miracles. He materialized objects and showed amazing superpowers. Sometimes he gave deep spiritual instructions on meditation practices or analyzed the features of the spiritual path.

Where materialization and healing took place, such stories are easy enough to retell, but what about the moments when outwardly nothing happened? Sometimes there were moments like this, when Sathya Sai Baba could just look at someone, or make a mysterious gesture with his hand, or look into the distance, or sink into deep silence for several minutes. It is difficult to talk about such moments because there is nothing to say, but sometimes it was at such moments that the most intense experiences of gaining Divine Grace descended.

I remember how deeply devoted people came to personal meetings who loved him endlessly. Such people had no questions, they came to communicate with him simply because they had deep feelings of love and gratitude for Sathya Sai Baba. They did not have any requests – it was pure spiritual communication, during which even the room itself filled with the vibration of joy and peace.

Such meetings are difficult to describe because there is nothing to tell and there are no words to convey these subtlest spiritual states. Outwardly, nothing happened, but in fact a great miracle was happening even though no supernatural events or philosophical instructions were given. During this deeper communion, Sathya Sai Baba performed few outward miracles and gave almost no philosophical instruction. Instead, the energy of such meetings was transformative; words were not required.

Sathya Sai Baba was a mirror. He reflected what was in the hearts and minds of people. When people came to meet me who wanted to ask some provocative questions or just be smart, then in such interviews he appeared stricter and sometimes even closed off. If people tried to communicate with him more formally, he instantly became formal as well.

When people came to the meeting with an open heart, he opened up completely and beamed with love and blessings. I remember such interviews with tears of joy in my eyes. It was these meetings that were the highest experiences because they showed unattainable heights of devotion and love.

During such meetings, I entered into spiritual states. It was unique to observe the fabulous and incomprehensible communication of the Avatar and pure devotees. I often say that I learned a lot not only from Sathya Sai Baba, but also from his great devotees. Such great devotees were sometimes hardly noticeable to others. They did not work miracles and lived a rather quiet and modest life.

Sathya Sai Baba attracted many unique people and their uniqueness was hardly noticeable to others. I think, when we come into contact with the life of the Avatar, it is necessary to pay attention to those people surrounding him who are part of his mission as participants in his divine game.

## 60. The mystical light was so bright that it was difficult to sleep


In the Vedic tradition of India there is a rather strange custom, which is to touch the feet of the teacher. In Sanskrit this is called Pada Namaskar. In India there is also a tradition of touching the feet of an older relative or respected person, but in particular people try to touch the feet of great saints.

From the point of view of Western culture, it looks quite strange to touch the feet of another person. This can be perceived as a humiliation and a cult of personality. For most Western people, it looks very strange if someone touches the feet of another person as if you seem to belittle your dignity and humiliate yourself.

In the East, bowing down at the feet of an elder or a saint has a completely different meaning. First of all, you need to understand that people in the East, of course, do not bow at the feet of everyone. Respectful worship on the feet occurs if the person is wise and respected. Foot worship is important, especially when it comes to saints and spiritual teachers.

On the feet of a spiritual teacher, there are important energy points through which the strongest divine energy is transmitted. Of course, the energy is divine if the person himself is divine, but if the person is not, then touching the feet can be useless or even negative.

If you touch the feet of a spiritual master who is at a high level of vibration, you thereby gain tremendous spiritual blessings. Touching the feet of Sathya Sai Baba was a great spiritual act and brought down the greatest blessings.

Sathya Sai Baba rarely allowed his feet to be touched because not everyone could withstand the strength of his energy. As soon as a person touched his feet, great energy descended and the deepest insights and mystical experiences occurred.

One day Sathya Sai Baba invited a Russian group for a talk. As translator, I sat on the floor next to Sathya Sai Baba, as usual. Suddenly, I felt like I wanted to touch his feet. Sathya Sai Baba allowed me to do this, after which he continued to communicate with people.

A minute later, I again felt I wanted to touch his feet. I translated what he said and every two or three minutes I touched his divine feet. Afterwards, people who were present told me I touched his feet more than thirty times. I left the room in a state of bliss and joy. Great Divine Grace descended upon me. For several days after this meeting I experienced vivid mystical experiences. I saw the whole world around me as a bright, golden, divine light. All buildings and people were flooded with pure light.

With my eyes open, I saw that the entire space around me was shining with golden light and the presence of the Holy Spirit was felt everywhere, in everything, and in everyone. When I went to bed, the mystical light was so bright it was almost impossible to sleep. I immersed myself in subtle realms of lucid dreaming, which looked like dreams, but were more like journeys into subtle worlds of pure light.

I know several people who have experienced similar states after touching Sathya Sai Baba's feet. After people touched the divine feet of the Avatar, they were sometimes in a state of cosmic consciousness for several months, such was the power of the energy of Sathya Sai Baba.

## 61. Golden chain


One of my acquaintances from the Ural (Russia), Alexander, received a beautiful gold chain as a gift from Sathya Sai Baba. Sathya Sai Baba materialized the chain during a personal meeting, and joyfully put it around the neck of my friend, saying this chain would protect him from all dangers. A week later Alexander went home happy.

A few months later, my friend went on a business trip to Kazan city. It was a hot summer and he decided to swim in the cool and rapid river Volga. After diving several times, he came ashore and relaxed on the sand. After a couple of minutes, he noticed the chain around his neck was gone.

Alexander was shocked as he was quite sure that when he entered the water the chain was around his neck. He distinctly remembered correcting it before diving in. Terrified, he didn't know what to do. After standing for a few moments in a daze, he took to the stormy river again but this time to find his lost chain under the water.

It was clear it was simply not possible to find the chain in the fast waters of the huge river. Sad, he went back to the hotel and a few days later returned to his hometown.

The mysterious loss of the chain shocked my friend so much he went into despondency for a long time and almost did not communicate with anyone. Relatives and friends understood that something strange was happening, but he sparingly answered all questions with a request to be left alone.

In fact, it is the most common story: man dives into a river and his chain, perhaps, unfastens or simply flies off under the pressure of a strong current. Stories like this happen quite often. However, in this case, the loss of the chain meant much more because it was not an ordinary gold chain, but a gift from Sathya Sai Baba.

When Alexander later told me about his experiences of that time, he admitted that for a long time he could not tell his friends and relatives about it, because he blamed himself for his carelessness.

However, these events were only the beginning of the story. The miracles of Sathya Sai Baba are the subtlest, multi-step, divine game. This story has an amazing sequel.

## 62. The golden chain that saved a life – continuation of the story


After a couple of years, Alexander again came to the ashram and Sathya Sai Baba invited him to a personal meeting. My acquaintance was overjoyed at the opportunity of another personal contact with Sathya Sai Baba, but he was very ashamed he did not still have his precious gift, the chain.

As usual, Sathya Sai Baba was sitting in his chair looking at my friend when all of a sudden, he began to laugh. We looked at each other not understanding what was going on. By that time, Alexander had already told me the secret of how he lost the precious chain in the river.

When Sathya Sai Baba looked at my friend and laughed, I intuitively thought that perhaps the reason for his amusement was the loss of the chain. Of course, Sathya Sai Baba knew perfectly well the chain had disappeared in the turbulent waters of the great Volga. Subsequent events confirmed my feeling.

Suddenly, Sathya Sai Baba extended his arm forward with his palm clenched into a fist. Looking at us with a sly look, he opened his fist and we saw the exact same chain in his hand! How could this be? Was it a fantasy?!

Everything that happened was beyond the comprehension of the human mind. We were dumbfounded. Further, when he presented the chain to Alexander, Sathya Sai Baba had said the chain would protect him from dangers.

At the time, we did not pay much attention to those words, but now Sathya Sai Baba repeated his own words spoken two years ago. He further added that my friend was supposed to die that day and the disappearance of the chain saved his life.

Sathya Sai Baba said the chain was not washed away by the turbulent waters of the great river. It was dematerialized by him under water. The proof of this was the fact that at the moment of our conversation Sathya Sai Baba was holding the very chain in his hands.

My friend, in a trembling voice, asked how exactly he was supposed to die, perhaps drown? If the chain disappeared into the river, then it was logical to assume there was a danger of him disappearing into the turbulent waters of the Volga. Sathya Sai Baba, after a short pause, said that another death awaited him, but he would not talk about it.

Sathya Sai Baba placed the wonderful chain in the hands of my friend, who was overjoyed. After a moment, Sathya Sai Baba asked for the chain back and my friend carefully handed it back.

Sathya Sai Baba pointedly raised his hand with the chain up, as if to show it to everyone present, and then he blew on it three times, after which it disappeared. He said that Alexander no longer needed this chain. My friend once again experienced the shock of the speed of the miraculous events, and he sat in silence in the corner until the end of that meeting.

After the interview, Alexander was quiet and thoughtful for several days and I didn't want to interrupt his privacy. However, a week later he came to his senses and told me he had experienced high spiritual states since having experienced the energy of infinite, divine love.

## 63. Miracle or tricks


There have always been many discussions around the objects materialized by Sathya Sai Baba. There are people who do not believe at all that he could actually materialize objects. Some believe he was a high-level magician and simply pulled various objects from his sleeve. It is the nature of the restless human mind to doubt and be constantly in a state of fear.

To call Sathya Sai Baba a magician is to be completely ignorant of his life and the deeds he has done over the years.

All items materialized by Sathya Sai Baba were amulets. It is appropriate to assume that in different cases he invested different types of energy. These items changed the fate and circumstances of people’s lives.

I want to express my point of view on the process of creation of various objects by Sathya Sai Baba. Perhaps my point of view is wrong, so take my words as just my opinion.

In my opinion, some objects that appeared in the hands of Sathya Sai Baba were indeed materialized by him. Thus, we were witnessing the startling event of the appearance of an object that had never existed before, and I believe such objects arose directly from the absolute consciousness of the Avatar.

An outwardly materialized object could seem most ordinary and quite man-made. This deceptive feeling could sometimes confuse and give rise to the assumption that it was all a hoax.

Let's not judge strictly those who began to doubt the authenticity of the materialization, because if you are shown such a unique object, then you may also wonder how you can understand that this ring or rosary really appeared from the absolute Consciousness of the Avatar? The problem is that sometimes these items looked quite ordinary and man-made.

I will take the liberty of suggesting that some of the objects that appeared in the hands of Sathya Sai Baba could have been teleported. This is also a great miracle, which is different from materialization.

Teleportation happens like this: some object was in another room, and then, by the will of Sathya Sai Baba, disappeared, demobilized in that room, and then appeared in his hand.

In essence, the mystical value of teleported objects is no less than materialized ones. It is difficult to say why Sathya Sai Baba sometimes teleported and sometimes materialized objects. This was probably due to the types of energy he wanted to invest in the item. I want to reiterate that these are just my guesses and assumptions.

## 64. Materialized watch – a symbol of time


Among the items that Sathya Sai Baba materialized and gave were watches. I have seen many times how he gave people watches that miraculously appeared in his hand.

At one interview, Sathya Sai Baba gave my friend Vyacheslav a beautiful men's watch that appeared from a flash of light. My friend was happy to receive such a unique gift.

Returning to Russia, the young man thought a lot about the meaning of this gift. Intuition suggested the clock indicates the need to learn to feel and use time more wisely as the greatest gift of God. My friend realized how much time he wasted as he was often late or used time inefficiently.

Vyacheslav began to be more attentive to time. He learned how to properly allocate his time, not to be late for meetings, and to plan in advance many events that related to his work and personal life. Having received a gift and realizing its significance, he began to live according to new rules and allocate his time carefully and accurately. Because of this, many circumstances of his life changed for the better.

Of course, you can say that if any person, even without a wonderful clock, begins to use time correctly, he will be able to achieve great success. Sometimes the Avatar gives lessons and hints to people on what exactly they need to pay attention to in such an unusual way, using supernatural events.

A year later, I again came to the ashram for several months. With joy I met Vyacheslav, who received the wonderful watch from Sathya Sai Baba. A young man told me that a couple of months before going to India, a terrible thing happened.

I anxiously tried to find out what terrible thing had happened in his life. My friend told me that two months before his arrival in India, the watch that Sathya Sai Baba gave him stopped.

At first I did not understand why he was so worried about the fact that the clock had stopped – what is so special about it? Vyacheslav looked at me with surprise and said if an ordinary wrist-watch stops, there is nothing special about it, but since this watch was presented by Sathya Sai Baba, there must be deep symbolism in this.

After being silent for a while, my friend even suggested that maybe he was going to die. Maybe the symbolism of the clock stopping was that his time was up.

I did not know what to say to my friend and advised him to ask Sathya Sai Baba. A few days later we were interviewed. My friend waited for the right moment and asked Sathya Sai Baba why the clock had stopped. Vyacheslav's voice was frightened, but he was ready to listen to any answer, even the most severe.

Sathya Sai Baba carefully looked at the young man and in a calm tone said that nothing special had happened, the battery had just run out, and all that needed to be done after our meeting was to leave the ashram on the street and find the first watch dealer standing near the entrance and ask him to replace the battery.

At that moment, we didn't pay much attention to the fact that Sathya Sai Baba emphasized that we should find a very specific watch dealer and ask him to change the battery. First of all, Sathya Sai Baba pointed out that this should be done immediately after the interview and the merchant should be right next to the entrance to the ashram.

We felt that we should follow Sathya Sai Baba's instructions as closely as possible, and so decided to do as he indicated.

Hearing the consoling words of Sathya Sai Baba, my friend breathed a sigh of relief. He realized there was no danger to his life. Nevertheless, Vyacheslav tried to find out from Sathya Sai Baba the deep meaning of why the clock stopped after only a few months.

Sathya Sai Baba looked sternly at the young man and said, "new battery – new time." Everyone present at that moment understood that a new stage in life was beginning for the young man.

Subsequent events confirmed the prophetic words of Sathya Sai Baba. Immediately after returning to Russia, my friend began a new happy and successful stage in his life.

However, the story with the clock did not end there. In the next chapter, I will recount the events that show us that any miracle of the Avatar has the deepest meaning. The fullness of the divine plan is sometimes not clear to us from the very beginning, but may be revealed with time.

## 65. The divine game – the continuation of the story with the watch


After talking with Sathya Sai Baba, Vyacheslav and I left the interview room and quickly went to the exit of the ashram in order to try to find the watch dealer and change the battery. I felt I should go with my friend as it seemed to me that if I was already involuntarily drawn into this amazing story, then I should go change the battery with him and observe the developing events to the end.

As soon as we went outside, we immediately saw a watch dealer who was standing nearby. There was no other watch dealer nearby, so we had no doubt this was the same person to whom Sathya Sai Baba had directed us.

The merchant had a small cart on which he laid out a huge number of watches and batteries. We approached the man and said we just left Sathya Sai Baba's room, just a minute ago, and that he told us to change the battery at the first dealer we met near the ashram gate. The watch dealer was filled with tremendous joy and surprise.

He looked at us attentively unable to believe all of this was really happening. His shock was quite understandable, as we asked him to change the battery not on an ordinary watch, but on a wonderful watch that was a gift from Sathya Sai Baba. The merchant reverently picked up the wonderful watch and put it to his forehead, as if receiving a blessing from it.

It was completely natural because it was a watch from the hands of Sathya Sai Baba. The dealer replaced the battery and gave the watch back to my friend. After that, the merchant told us a story that revealed the depth of Sathya Sai Baba's divine plan.

The trader said a relative in his family had become seriously ill and that all family members prayed intensely to Sathya Sai Baba to help heal this relative. The merchant then explained that last night in his dream he saw Sathya Sai Baba, who said he was blessing his relative and he would be healed soon.

While sleeping, Sathya Sai Baba informed the merchant that the next day two foreigners would come to him in order to change the battery of his watch. Sathya Sai Baba also said it would not be an ordinary watch, but a materialized watch.

Waking up in the morning, the merchant did not know how to relate to such a strange dream. When my friend and I came and asked him to change the battery on the wonderful watch, he could not believe his eyes, because such an encounter was predicted by Sathya Sai Baba in his dream.

As soon as the merchant saw us, he delightfully realized this was the confirmation of his mystical dream.

After listening to this story, we felt indescribable joy. This story once again confirms that Sathya Sai Baba performs miracles, with the deepest meaning, that are difficult to understand from the very beginning.

Sometimes the miracle that Sathya Sai Baba performed for one person affected the fate of many people. We felt we had become instruments in the hands of Divine Providence.

## 66. Personal Spiritual Instructions


The spiritual instructions of Sathya Sai Baba have always been personal. They were addressed to the needs and spiritual level of the person who was currently listening to instruction. His recommendations were very diverse, which always amazed and surprised me, and sometimes confused me. Sometimes it took many months, and sometimes several years, in order to understand the full depth of the words he said.

Sathya Sai Baba advised some people to concentrate only on him and not to visit other ashrams or other teachers. Sometimes he said, “if you want to get the maximum spiritual benefit from “this place,” (“this place” he sometimes called his feet), concentrate and do not spray your attention.” Saying such words, Sathya Sai Baba pointed to his feet.

However, it should not be assumed that Sathya Sai Baba told all visitors not to visit other Gurus. Communicating with different people, he could recommend attending seminars and trainings in other ashrams, and possibly studying for some time with other Gurus.

Sathya Sai Baba sometimes said strange words like, "I am not a Guru at all." What does this mean? The mission of the Avatar, to a lesser extent, included teaching the methods of meditation and yoga. All of these practices are done by mentors, who we call Guru. The Avatar grants all people the highest Divine Grace, and he blesses people for the perfect harmony of life.

Quite often, spiritual seekers needed to learn the practice of meditation, mantra, and yoga. For this, sometimes Sathya Sai Baba advised them to go and study in other esoteric schools and ashrams.

There were discussions between various devotees and followers of Sathya Sai Baba about whether one should go only to him, or whether one should visit other ashrams and study different traditions. There is no universal answer to this complex question because each one of us will find the answer only in the personal characteristics of our own spiritual path and the stage of spiritual evolution we are currently at.

Sathya Sai Baba referred me on several occasions to several schools of Kriya Yoga, as well as to several teachers of Tibetan Buddhism, where I studied the energy practices of Trulkor and Mantra. In different ashrams, I received initiations and was trained in many techniques, which helped me develop on the spiritual path.

Strange as it may sound, it is impossible to say there is a tradition of Sathya Sai Baba. He is on the side of all traditions, and he is the source of all traditions and directions; he is the whole integrity of being – He is the whole universe. The task is to reveal the potential of each person and it does not matter which spiritual path this person follows.

In different spiritual schools, I studied numerous techniques, but the main source of blessings and Divine Grace has always been Sathya Sai Baba. It was he who bestowed upon me inner mystical experiences and realizations.

When he sent me to various ashrams, I studied their techniques, methods, practices, philosophical systems, various types of meditation and yoga, and then I returned to Sathya Sai Baba and practiced these techniques, after which I received mystical experiences and insights.

## 67. Beyond all traditions


Sathya Sai Baba is the one who stands above all traditions. His approach is always personal and it is very difficult to quote Sathya Sai Baba. It must always be remembered that he gave spiritual instructions on the basis of what would be good for the person to whom he is currently giving instructions.

If Sathya Sai Baba saw it was more correct for a person to concentrate exclusively on him, he clearly said, “do not go anywhere else, stay only here.” However, there were cases when the same Sathya Sai Baba recommended people to go and study with other Gurus.

I know that some people left for training in other ashrams and traditions, but after a few years they still returned to Puttaparthi. There were people who left for training in other ashrams and did not return to Sathya Sai Baba, and this was also normal, because the purpose of the Avatar was to enrich the spiritual world of people and not to gain more followers.

If Sathya Sai Baba saw that it would be better for a person's spiritual development to concentrate on another Guru, he would bless and guide the person along the spiritual path beneficial for that person.

This story took place in the very east of India, in the state of Orissa. I came for a month to one teacher of Kriya Yoga. The small ashram was located in the dense jungle and there were only a few small villages in the vicinity. Many wild animals lived in these forests, so I preferred to spend all my time in the ashram.

Accompanied by a couple of local Indians, I still sometimes went outside the ashram. The locals were surprisingly friendly. Walking around the neighborhood, it seemed to me that I was in the stone age. Time seemed to stop in this jungle. Life in the villages was surprisingly simple. With curiosity, I looked at the primitive clay houses and fences made of huge, crooked logs.

People and livestock lived practically in the same room. The border between the world of people and animals was very conditional. This is probably what the primitive idyll of the coexistence of people and domestic animals looked like in ancient times.

In this area lived a queen, a very thin hundred-year-old grandmother. Since she was well acquainted with the Guru, whose ashram I came to, I managed to get to know her. It turned out she was a devotee of Sathya Sai Baba. In her small, clean mansion, there was a separate shrine room with a huge number of portraits of Sathya Sai Baba. Every day she performed meditation and mantra practices in this room, as well as traditional Vedic rituals – Pujas.

One time, together with several friends, I visited the elderly queen. We were invited to dinner, which was supposed to start in half an hour. While waiting, I sat down in one of the rooms, took a book out of my backpack and began to read. At that time, I was rereading The Life of St. Seraphim of Sarov with enthusiasm.

Sitting comfortably, I began to read the story of how one day several nuns were walking through the winter forest and met Reverend Seraphim. The elder gave them a twig with several apples. The nuns were very surprised and asked where these apples on a branch with green leaves came from. It was strange to see this as it was winter and there were severe frosts.

The Monk Seraphim explained that a few minutes before that moment, angels appeared in front of him and gave him these apples, which were not ordinary, but from the Gardens of Eden.

After reading this story, I put the book down and reverently thought about what I had read. Just a few moments later, the queen entered the room. She had just finished worshipping at the altar of Sathya Sai Baba. She carried in her hands a plate of consecrated food. She came up to me and gave me a twig with a few apples. In a low voice she said it was a gift from Sathya Sai Baba.

I was shocked and could hardly believe what was really happening – it seemed too wonderful of a dream. Just a minute before that, I finished reading the amazing story of how Reverend Seraphim gave Paradise apples to nuns in the winter Russian forest, and now, sitting in the Indian hot jungle, I receive the same apples on a small branch as a gift.

The fact is that apples were not grown in this area. This common fruit for us was a rarity for the inhabitants of the jungle in eastern India. The fact that the elderly queen of the jungle gave me a sprig of apples was a clear continuation of the story from the book that I had read a moment before.

Most importantly, I felt the amazing and clear presence of Sathya Sai Baba and his blessing vibrations of love. A couple of years before, he blessed me to go to this teacher of Kriya Yoga, and now he sent me his divine message in such an unusual way.

Once, Sathya Sai Baba, while talking to devotees in his room, showed his hand. He asked, “what do you see in this palm?” Some of those present replied that it was empty. Sathya Sai Baba smiled and said that his hand was really empty, but he was holding everything in it. After these simple words, silence reigned in the room – our souls were filled with great peace.

## 68. Great secret


Everyone who came to the ashram wanted to get the treasured opportunity of personal communication with Sathya Sai Baba. As I have repeatedly said, it was impossible to sign up for such an audience because each time Sathya Sai Baba personally chose who to invite for a conversation.

I remember in the nineties we noticed a kind of "secret" as to how to get an interview. Some groups used this divine "secret" and some did not, although they knew everything.

Groups came to the ashram, usually for three to five weeks. Naturally, people wanted to get interviews and talk to Sathya Sai Baba. Those who came to the ashram had a question: what needs to be done to get to a personal meeting? Naturally, there were no rational answers and methods.

It seemed to some that Sathya Sai Baba invited only “advanced” people to personal meetings, while it seemed to some that only “weaklings” were given interviews. Both of these views were very naive because the divine plan is much more subtle.

When the first devotees from Russia started coming to the ashram, they interacted a lot with the American and European devotees, who by that time had been coming to Sathya Sai Baba for many years. One of the Americans in his communication with the Russians mentioned that Sathya Sai Baba highly appreciates the Gayatri Mantra. He said that Sathya Sai Baba could feel the vibrations from a distance and knew exactly which group was practicing this ancient mantra, after which he immediately invited them to a personal conversation.

Having heard that Sathya Sai Baba feels very subtly when the Gayatri Mantra is practiced, one Russian group tried it, and then another and a third. I remember being inspired by this information too because I love this unique mantra so much. It was important that the whole group practiced the Gayatri Mantra together; only then the "secret" would work.

What is a group? In the ashram it was customary for people to live in small groups. Most often these groups consisted of fifteen or twenty people. Usually, they were people from the same city or people who came to the ashram together.

Sometimes devotees from different cities or even from different countries could form groups. Sathya Sai Baba almost always invited people for interviews in groups; very rarely he invited one person alone, although there were such cases.

## 69. Language of ancient culture – Sanskrit


Sanskrit, the most ancient language that came from the depths of millennia, was spoken by the ancient Aryans and all the Vedic texts were written in this language. Sanskrit has survived to this day thanks to the two upper castes of Hindu society: the Brahmins and the Kshatriyas. It was the Brahmins and Kshatriyas who carried Sanskrit through the millennia, and for which we should all be grateful for. However, it is important to understand that Sanskrit is the property of all mankind.

The essence of education in Vedic schools for children from the caste of Brahmins and Kshatriyas is the study of Sanskrit. Children from an early age learn Sanskrit grammar, which allows them to learn all the other Vedic sciences: philosophy, astrology, medicine and much more. All ancient texts are written in Sanskrit, so knowledge of this unique language is key to understanding Vedic wisdom.

In the universities and colleges founded by Sathya Sai Baba, all students also studied Sanskrit in parallel with other subjects. College and university students received quite secular education (for example law and economics), but also studied the history of Vedic culture, yoga, philosophy, and meditation.

Sanskrit is not a secret language. Now, all over the world many people study Sanskrit, and there are wonderful teachers, good programs, and textbooks. In order to practice mantras, it is not necessary to know the sacred language at a professional level, but a basic understanding of Sanskrit is very useful. By understanding Sanskrit a little, you can become more aware of the contents of the mantras and the richest philosophical terminology.

Another important reason for learning Sanskrit is its purest divine vibrations. A huge number of people in all countries of the world listen to Sanskrit mantras, sometimes without even understanding their content. The strongest cleansing vibration of Sanskrit affects the intellect and energy structure.

The mission of Sathya Sai Baba is global, therefore a huge number of people who belonged to the most diverse religious and spiritual traditions came to him. More than a million people came to the ashram for big holidays.

Sathya Sai Baba was born into a Hindu family in the Kshatriya caste, and there are a large number of Vedic temples in his ashram. However, when people from different countries come to the ashram, they feel this is a universal spiritual space in which everyone is comfortable.

Each visitor was encouraged to remain himself and to continue to practice the tradition he considered most aligned to himself. In Puttaparthi, people fell into a universal space of love and harmony where everyone could more clearly understand and find themselves.

The tradition that you practice as your personal spiritual path is your choice. Near Sathya Sai Baba, all your divine potentials turn on. Getting into its purest vibrations, you get a unique opportunity to follow the path or the system of practice that is close to you.

## 70. Universal space of unity and synthesis


Sathya Sai Baba showed the importance of joint practice because the true fruits of a person's spiritual development are manifested precisely in the ability to harmoniously interact in society.

It is not so important how deep the mystical experiences are that you get during meditation. What is important is what spiritual state you are in after meditation and how you build relationships with other people in your life. What you do and how you feel after practicing meditation shows how deep your meditation practice has been.

Sometimes those who regularly practice Meditation and Mantras can enter into deep states and experience sublime mystical experiences, but at the same time they are not able to build relationships with people around them. An important indicator of the depth of practice is not only what happens during meditation, but also what happens after meditation.

The practice of a mantra can take place on several levels. One of the variants of practice is to say the mantra out loud. You do not need to be a professional musician or singer to practice mantras, but in order to properly practice mantras, you need to get into the rhythm.

Mantras can be chanted quite well by anyone who practices regularly. Gradually, the voice becomes more confident and stronger. When the mantra is pronounced aloud, then there is a physical vibration that affects the nervous system and brain cells, as well as cleanses the surrounding space.

The word has tremendous power. One of the greatest mistakes is to neglect or underestimate the power of the word. Everything we say is already a mantra. It is clear that sometimes we say something in jest. However, you need to be careful, because the word has power, so even a jokingly spoken word still manifests itself as an energy vibration.

There is a famous phrase in the ancient Vedic medicine, Ayurveda: "whatever you eat is a medicine." Everything we eat and drink – clean water, good food – all of this is medicine. It would be strange to first consume low-quality products and then take medicine in order to improve health.

In the same way, whatever you say is a mantra. It would be foolish to practice the great mantras for an hour and then go swear and gossip for the rest of the day.

Once in an interview, Sathya Sai Baba was asked to bless those present and teach the practice of a special mantra. He looked at everyone with a smile and said: “Remember that every spoken word is a mantra and every action performed is worship of the Lord.”

## 71. The birth, life and death of the Avatar is part of his divine plan


It may sound strange, but I easily got over the departure of Sathya Sai Baba in 2011. At some stage, I stopped perceiving him as a divine personality and felt him as a universal consciousness. He gave me the great opportunity of frequent communication with him. He repeatedly manifested himself in my mystical dreams and meditative experiences. At some point, the presence or absence of his body was no longer so important to me. I feel his living presence, first of all, in my heart.

Sathya Sai Baba is the omnipresent consciousness. Now his tomb is in Puttaparthi, the village where he was born and lived all his life. He left his relics as a great gift and this is one of the keys to communicating with him.

Previously, we concentrated on his physical body, but now Sathya Sai Baba as the Absolute Consciousness is present everywhere. His relics are the place of greatest power. Those who were close to him and knew him well and those who did not find him during his lifetime come here.

A few months before Sathya Sai Baba left his body, I had a mystical dream. In this dream, I entered a spacious hall, the sun shone through the large windows, and many beautiful photographs of Sathya Sai Baba hung on the white walls. His books, translated into all languages of the world, were placed on tables and bookshelves. I walked around the hall with curiosity, carefully examining the photographs and books. Suddenly, Sathya Sai Baba appeared. He came up to me and pointing to his photographs and books, said that now he is present only in photographs and books.

When I woke up, I tried to understand the meaning of this dream. It became clear to me Sathya Sai Baba would soon leave his body. There was a state of harmony in my soul. My mind said I should grieve, but my soul was filled with peace.

The life and death of the Avatar is a divine game. Only ignorant people mourn the passing of the Avatar. His consciousness is beyond birth and death; beyond being and not being; beyond time and space.

One of the greatest spiritual teachers of our time, Ganapati Sachchidananda Swamiji, immediately after Sathya Sai Baba left his body, said that "the birth, life and death of an Avatar is part of the divine game."

I remember the difficult and tragic days when we learned that Sathya Sai Baba left the body. At that time, quite a lot of my friends and acquaintances plunged into a difficult emotional state. It seemed that with the departure of Sathya Sai Baba, life lost its meaning – it was an irreparable loss.

At that time, I often repeated to my friends the words of Ganapati Sachchidanand Swamiji, that "the birth, life and death of the Avatar is part of his divine plan." I remember how these simple and wise words helped many to understand the meaning of what is happening and to realize that the Avatar does not go away, but is eternally present.

## 72. Treasures of the Spiritual Heart, Mystery of Eternity


Now, many people are asking the question: What is the future of Sathya Sai Baba's mission on earth? When he was alive, people came to his ashram and discussed all sorts of issues with him, enjoying his presence and deep spiritual instructions.

Sathya Sai Baba is a divine incarnation, an Avatar. There were very few such teachers in the history of mankind. He is on the other side of birth and death and beyond time and space. Even after he has left his physical body, he continues to lead the devotees on the path of divine self-realization. Now, he gives answers to prayer appeals and helps people in difficult life situations.

His tomb is located in Puttaparthi, the very village where he was born and lived all his long and bright life. Almost all world religions and all peoples have a wonderful tradition of veneration of relics.

The relics of saints and reverends work amazing miracles that affect the entirety of human life, from the highest questions of the spirit to healings.

Sitting next to the tomb of Sathya Sai Baba, I remember the past years, the amazing moments of communication with him, and his great love. Scenes of past events flow in memory as if they happened just yesterday.

The question arises: How can God have relics? Of course, God cannot have relics, but the Avatar does. Avatar is God, born in the human world – he walked among us and he communicated with us. We remember his humor and jokes, his spiritual guidance, his amazing smile, and the depth of his eyes. The Avatar was born in the human world – he lived among us and then he left his physical body, leaving behind precious relics.

The relics of the Avatar are the greatest artifacts and their significance is extremely difficult to comprehend. Looking at the tomb, I never cease to be amazed at the living presence of divinity. Being next to the relics of Sathya Sai Baba, one gets the feeling this is the spiritual center of the world – thoughts stop, and the soul is filled with the indescribable joy of the Holy Spirit.

One of the most important spiritual teachings of Sathya Sai Baba was that each of us has two hearts: physical and spiritual. The physical heart is on the left side and the spiritual heart is on the right side of the body.

In Sanskrit, the spiritual heart is called Hrideyam. Some ancient texts describe the spiritual heart as a mysterious Himalayan cave where the greatest treasure is hidden. The Divine "I" is everywhere. It is outside of time and space, but it is the spiritual heart that is the door to eternity.

Every moment of communication with Sathya Sai Baba was a real miracle of happiness, joy, and bliss. Communication with God on the physical plane, unfortunately, is always limited – such is the nature of this manifested world. In order to see Sathya Sai Baba and talk to him, you had to go to distant India, and in my case, I was blessed with the privilege to sit beside him in his room. Now, the time has come where that blessed room in which I sit is inside my own heart, just as Sathya Sai Baba predicted. And now, I say to you: It is important to find the presence of God in your heart, and more precisely, to notice his original and eternal presence.

Sathya Sai Baba said that "I" is the original and true name of God. God is the true "I" of every person. It is the spiritual heart that holds within itself the great treasures of the constant presence of Divinity in every person. Sometimes people identify themselves with a small ego – the essence of which is an ignorant separation of oneself from the entire surrounding infinite and eternal universe. The essence of this is the feeling of separation from God; in fact, this is the cause of all suffering.

The higher divine "I" is unity in diversity, which naturally generates love and compassion. The true "I" is the source of the joy of eternal existence and creativity. Bliss is a natural and relaxed awareness of the unity and interconnectedness of all diverse existence. The one who discovers and finds the Most-High God in his heart touches the original source of universal wisdom.


The End