Svyatoslav Dubyanskiy
Sathya Sai Baba. Supernatural Experiences and Divine Transformation. Book Three
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.
