Svyatoslav Dubyanskiy
Sathya Sai Baba. Supernatural Experiences and Divine Transformation. Book One
43. Sathya Sai Baba attracted unique people like a magnet, one of them was a philosopher and mystic – Ratan Lal
The teacher manifests himself not only in philosophical instructions or performed miracles, but first of all he manifests himself in his students. The greatness of a teacher is in the greatness of his students.
I can talk endlessly about the huge number of unique people whom I was lucky to meet in the ashram of Sathya Sai Baba; he, like the greatest magnet, attracted unique and amazing people. I received significant spiritual benefits not only from direct contact with Sathya Sai Baba himself, but also from contact with several of his great disciples.
In the early ‘90s, I met an amazing philosopher and sage, whose name was Ratan Lal. For many years he lived in the ashram and, with the blessing of Sathya Sai Baba, regularly lectured on the teachings of Vedanta. Almost every day, Ratan Lal met with groups that came from around the world. In those times, people from Russia, Ukraine and Belarus began to come to the ashram. Ratan Lal often interacted with Russian-speaking groups. I think that all those who knew him have wonderfully warm memories of this man.
He usually started the meeting by expressing certain philosophical ideas, then invited people to ask questions. His answers resounded from the depths of spiritual experience. In his presence, it was felt that what he was talking about was based on his own experience, this was his uniqueness and appeal.
Several photographs of Ratan Lal have survived, there are even rare videos of his meetings. However, I would like to describe this person because his appearance was also amazing.
He was small in stature, very thin, wearing white traditional robes, Punjabi. There was a remarkable detail in his clothes, he wore a white scarf, beautifully wrapped around his neck. When I saw Ratan Lal for the first time, I thought he was a musician or an artist, his scarf looked so artistic.
He could often be found walking around the ashram. He walked slowly, with tiny steps, and always looked down at the road ahead of him, immersed in contemplation. Occasionally, he raised his head and looked at the passer-by. He had a very sharp and piercing gaze. When our eyes met, literally, a few moments were enough to feel the amazing spiritual power of this man.
Ratan Lal made an indelible impression on me, not because he preached the philosophy of Advaita, as there was nothing special about it. Many teachers easily and effectively ranted about the high teachings of Advaita. What was important for me in this man was not words, but what I felt in his presence.
I came to his lectures and just listened. I had no questions. I simply enjoyed the energy and depth of his words. Subsequently, I developed a close and friendly relationship with Ratan Lal. I often talked with him outside of lectures, and we conversed on various topics.
44. The amazing life of Ratan Lal
Ratan Lal was born and raised in the west of India, in the city of Mumbai, which at that time was called Bombay. From a very early age he was interested in philosophy, mysticism, and meditation. In Mumbai, Ratan Lal visited various spiritual centers and read many books. One day he met a mystic named Nirmala Maharaj. At first, their communication was rather superficial, later Ratan Lal became his close student.
Ratan Lal's greatest desire was to be initiated into mantra practice. But much to his surprise, Nirmala Maharaj refused him initiation, and explained that for the young Ratan Lal he had prepared a completely different system of practices. Nirmala Maharaja advised Ratan Lal to meditate on his reflection in a mirror.
Ratan Lal followed the Guru's recommendation and put a large mirror in his room. Every morning he concentrated on his own reflection for a long time. This practice completely transformed the young man. Behind his usual human form, which he saw in the mirror, Ratan Lal more and more began to feel the presence of infinite cosmic consciousness.
Nirmala Maharaj lived in another city, and he stopped coming to Mumbai. This happened right after he initiated Ratan Lal into the amazing practice of meditation on his reflection in the mirror. After some time, Ratan Lal learned of an amazing saint who lived in the south of India: Sathya Sai Baba.
He first met Sathya Sai Baba in the mid-sixties. Ratan Lal realized that in order to gain enlightenment, one's own effort in the practice of meditation is not enough, one needs divine grace.
Only a teacher of the highest level can bring down the divine grace, which completely transforms the spiritual state of the student. In 1965, Ratan Lal felt he could not leave Puttaparthi, he realized he must live his whole life next to Sathya Sai Baba. Ratan Lal left his body in 2005. For the long and happy forty years of his life from 1965 to 2005, he lived without a break in Puttaparthi, next to Sathya Sai Baba.
The essence of the philosophy that Ratan Lal preached was simple. The only thing that is obvious to any person is the feeling "I Am" … "I exist." The feeling of one's "I" is the central experience of being for every living being. "I" think, "I" speak, and "I" act. Since ancient times, Vedanta philosophy has asked the greatest question: who is the "I"? Ratan Lal guided people on the path of self-exploration and self-contemplation. In his opinion, the role of Sathya Sai Baba in the process of spiritual self-knowledge was enormous.
Ratan Lal said that practicing meditation or studying philosophy is not enough. Sathya Sai Baba is a divine teacher, an Avatar, who possessed the greatest spiritual power, it was his blessings that helped people go along the endless path of self-knowledge of the higher Self.
45. My acquaintance with Padananda, the owner of one of the wonderful Lingams materialized by Sathya Sai Baba from his mouth
One of the most important holidays that was celebrated in the ashram was the night of Shivaratri. In the 60s, on this very night, Sathya Sai Baba, in the presence of a huge number of people, performed the miracle of the materialization of Lingams directly from the mouth.
A Lingam is a mystical egg-shaped object that symbolizes the mythological cosmic egg. The image of the cosmic egg as a source of life is found in many Vedic traditions, including among the Slavs. In the 60s, Sathya Sai Baba, on the night of Shivaratri, could materialize sometimes one, sometimes five, or even six Lingams.
I have always been interested in the fate of these unique objects of power. I managed to find out that Sathya Sai Baba gave some of the Lingams to some of his students. Among the lucky ones was Dr. Kasturi, who in those years was Sathya Sai Baba's closest assistant. Some of these Lingams, born during Shivaratri, were given by Sathya Sai Baba to major politicians in India, in particular to the Prime Minister.
I was told that a man named Padananda lived in the ashram, who was the happy owner of one of the Lingams. At first it was hard to believe that there was a person in the ashram who had such a unique object of great divine power at home on the altar. I decided to find out where this man lived and, if possible, to meet him.
It is important to remember that the Sathya Sai Baba ashram is a huge area, almost like a whole city, and if you want to find someone, it can be very difficult. I was informed that Padananda was in seclusion and had not left his room for many years. He spent all his time in meditation and prayer. At first, I was very sad, because I thought I would not have the opportunity to see and communicate with him.
But I was very fortunate when I learned that Padananda still sometimes interrupted his seclusion to receive visitors in his room. Once a week, the doors of his room were opened, and anyone could come, talk, ask questions, and most importantly, see the wonderful Lingam. I found out on which of the next days he would receive visitors and went to him in the hope of touching the unique Lingam.
Padananda's life story is quite amazing. His mother was one of the first devotees of Sai Baba. She came to the ashram when it was just under construction. Seeing Sathya Sai Baba, she realized he was not an ordinary teacher, but a divine incarnation. She felt that she could not leave him and moved permanently to Puttaparthi.
The young Padananda was a spiritual seeker from a very young age, who constantly traveled around India, studying the scriptures, visiting the Himalayas, and associating with yogis. Of course, he knew well about Sathya Sai Baba, since his mother lived in the ashram. At first, young Padananda did not want to live in Puttaparthi. Gradually, Padananda, nevertheless, realized the spiritual greatness of Sathya Sai Baba and decided to stop endless travels in the Himalayas and settled in Puttaparthi.
Padananda told me various touching stories about his mother. He recalled that in the last years of her life, his mother gave him three testaments. The first was that he should never leave Puttaparthi. Her second testament was he should never leave Sathya Sai Baba. The third sounded strange, and Padananda himself liked to joke about it. His mother foresaw that many people would come to him for spiritual advice and guidance. She bequeathed him to treat all his visitors with sweets. Laughing at this touching testament of his mother, before dismissing the visitors from his room, Padananda would give a few sweets to each, saying this was a gift from his mother.
The Lingam given to Padananda by Sathya Sai Baba was very small. Outwardly, it was silvery in color, but it would be a mistake to assume that this Lingam was really silver. The Lingams that Sathya Sai Baba materialized were of unearthly origin, so even if some Lingam could have a golden or silver color, this did not mean it was gold or silver. There were cases when some people tried to check the objects materialized by Sathya Sai Baba in various laboratories, and it turned out they were from an alloy unknown on earth.
After Sathya Sai Baba gave Padananda the wonderful Lingam, his life changed completely. Padananda used the Lingam for meditation purposes. He would bring the Lingam to the mid-eyebrow and meditate for hours every day.
Between the eyebrows is an important energy point. Concentrating on the mid-eyebrow, yogis achieve a state of peace, bliss, and unity with the divine Consciousness. If you apply a materialized Lingam to the mid-eyebrow, then the most powerful descent of divine energy flows instantly.
In the ‘80s, Padananda's lock was quite strict, he did not allow anyone to visit him. Starting in the ‘90s, he began to open the doors of his room. Everyone who came to him got the opportunity to take the Lingam in his hand and even attach the Lingam to the eyebrows.
It is difficult to describe the feeling that I experienced during such practices. I can only describe it as a feeling of the strongest energy instantly filling my whole body while my soul experienced joy. Many people, applying the Lingam to the mid-eyebrow began to see the brightest mystical light.
Since the Lingam had great power, Padananda was careful to ensure visitors held the Lingam for only two or three minutes. This practice made a great impression on me, and there was a period when I often visited Padananda in order to get the opportunity to meditate with the wonderful Lingam.
46. I plucked up courage and went to Maheshwarananda's house in the hope of finding out about the mysterious cave in the Himalayas
In the early ‘90s, I came across a book called Sathya Sai Baba and the Nara Narayana Guha Ashram. As soon as I started reading this book, I immediately realized I was holding something absolutely amazing and precious in my hands. This book tells the story of how Sathya Sai Baba founded a secret ashram in the Himalayas and sent a small group of his disciples there.
The book left an ambivalent impression on me. On the one hand, I experienced tremendous inspiration from the fact that such unique events took place in our time. However, I wondered if this was really a true story? Could I believe that such events were taking place today? If something happened many centuries and even millennia ago, then it is easier for people to believe in the authenticity of the events described. When something amazing happens in our time, doubts sometimes creep in about the extent to which it is authentic.
The name of the author of the book was Maheshwarananda. I tried to find out who he was, where he lived, and if it was possible to meet him. To my great delight, I found out he was a permanent resident of Sathya Sai Baba's ashram.
Maheshwarananda devoted all his time to the practice of meditation and mantra, and he did not strive to communicate with people; least of all, he wanted to attract the attention of the audience. His book very quickly became extremely famous, and as a consequence of this, he also became famous, which was not part of his plans, because he strove for a solitary lifestyle.
I saw him quite often in the ashram, but I did not know this man was the same Maheshwarananda. Directly opposite the main entrance to the ashram stands a statue of Lord Ganesha. Visitors to the ashram noticed long ago this was no ordinary statue. Prayers and worship that were performed in front of the statue received the answer of the Deity. Many people who came to the ashram prayed next to the wonderful statue of Ganesha.
One of the traditional rituals performed at this statue is called "pradakshina" in Sanskrit. This practice is as follows: you need to walk around the altar or statue in a clockwise direction and repeat the mantra. When doing this practice, it is necessary to create a positive intention and keep it while repeating the mantra.
Often, I would notice that every morning and every evening, an elderly man with a surprisingly spiritual face, dressed in orange clothes, with a quick walk, literally, in circles, lapped the statue of Ganesha umpteen times. He held a rosary in his hands, his lips were constantly moving, and it was clear he was repeating a mantra to himself.
I was once told that this is Maheshwarananda. I was also told where he lived. His little house was not far from the main gate, and I plucked up the courage and decided to try to get to know him.
47. Maheshwarananda said that one should not waste time, but one should fully concentrate only on Sathya Sai Baba
When I came to Maheshwarananda for the first time, he was quite friendly and polite with me, but I felt he was not very interested in communication, because he devoted all his time to meditation practices. He politely said he was busy now and could not talk to me, and he asked me to come to him the next day.
Intuitively, I felt that he hoped I would not come. But the next day I did come. Realizing that he could not get rid of me, he asked why I had come and what I needed. I told him that I was from Russia, and that I had read his book. I also mentioned I was seriously interested in the practices of yoga, meditation, mantra and studying Sanskrit.
In the early ‘90s, quite a few people came to the ashram from Russia, and maybe he wanted to pay attention to the Russian person, maybe he was interested in the fact that I practiced mantras and Kriya Yoga. Whatever it was, he allowed me to come to him at any time. Gradually, very good friendly relations were established between us, although he was much older than me.
Maheshwarananda was an amazingly modest man. He told all his visitors, “you have a unique opportunity to see Sathya Sai Baba, feel his great energy of love, perhaps even communicate with him personally, there is no need to waste time in unnecessary communication. You should seize the precious opportunity and fully concentrate on Sathya Sai Baba alone.”
48. Even the sacred Himalayas could not compare to the divine power of Sathya Sai Baba
Maheshwarananda was born in northern India. At an early age he was initiated into traditional monasticism. Almost all his life he traveled the Himalayas, visited ashrams, talked with philosophers and yogis. This is how his life would have passed in traveling through the sacred Himalayas, if not for the meeting with Sathya Sai Baba.
Maheshwarananda told me that around the middle of the ‘70s, he learned about Sathya Sai Baba. In 1978, he first came to Puttaparthi. It was an absolutely unforgettable experience where Maheshwarananda realized his whole life had been in preparation for such a time as this. This was the most important meeting of his life, and he felt divine energies emanating from Sathya Sai Baba.
Maheshwarananda literally told me with tears in his eyes that even the sacred Himalayas could never compare with the divine power of Sathya Sai Baba. In 1978, he lived in Puttaparthi for a month and then returned to northern India, to the Himalayas. Four years later, in 1982, Maheshwarananda once again came to Puttaparthi with the thought that he would never leave Sathya Sai Baba again. To his great joy, Sathya Sai Baba blessed him to stay at the ashram forever.
49. Sathya Sai Baba established a secret ashram in a Himalayan cave
Maheshwarananda wrote his famous book Sathya Sai Baba and the Nara Narayana Guha Ashram in the late 1980s. The writing of this famous book was preceded by unusual events. In 1982, two people from northern India came to Puttaparthi. Since Maheshwarananda himself was also a northerner, he took an interest in these two visitors. One of them was called Acharya, and he was an elderly monk of the traditional Shankaracharya order. The second was Govinda, a young man who at that time had just graduated from university.
Sathya Sai Baba paid great attention to these visitors and invited them to audiences almost every day. Maheshwarananda wondered what Sai Baba was talking to them about. Acharya and Govinda shared with great pleasure all that Sathya Sai Baba had spoken to them, making no secret of it.
Sathya Sai Baba's advice to the young man surprised Maheshwarananda. Govinda came from a wealthy and influential family, and he was a recent graduate of one of the major universities and had a degree in mathematics. He was going to get married in the near future and was thinking about a successful career. However, Sathya Sai Baba advised the young man to leave his career and become a monk. Sathya Sai Baba recommended Govinda devote himself entirely to the study of philosophy and the practice of meditation.
In traditional Indian society, it is customary to accept monasticism only if there is a blessing from the parents. Govinda went to his parents' home in northern India and asked for a blessing to leave his position and become a monk. Deep down he was worried that his relatives would refuse to give their blessing. However, to his surprise, his parents and the whole family supported his decision.
The relatives were able to understand the seriousness of the situation and were respectful of Sathya Sai Baba's blessings. After that, the young man returned back to the ashram of Sathya Sai Baba in 1982. Sathya Sai Baba then instructed him to live in the ashram, practice mantras, and wait for further instructions.
A year later, Sathya Sai Baba unexpectedly called Govinda to him. The inspired young man went to his room, and when he entered, he saw Sathya Sai Baba had invited nine more people to the meeting. Sathya Sai Baba announced to all those present that they were not gathered by chance, but they all had a common spiritual mission they would fulfill together. All ten people in attendance were from different parts of India and were complete strangers to each other until that moment.
Sathya Sai Baba announced to them that he wanted to organize an ashram in the Himalayas, and it was for this purpose that he brought the group of ten together. Sathya Sai Baba said they would have to settle in this ashram and practice meditation according to the instructions he would give them. Sathya Sai Baba called this mountain ashram "Guha Ashram," which means "cave ashram;" another meaning of this name is the cave of the spiritual heart. Soon after this meeting, Sathya Sai Baba blessed them for the journey, and they set off for the Himalayas.
