Svyatoslav Dubyanskiy
Sathya Sai Baba. Supernatural Experiences and Divine Transformation. Book Three
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:
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I am free because freedom is my original nature.
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A free thinker is free.
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I am originally free, no one can give or take away my freedom.
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In any situation, I always have the freedom of choice.
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I am free and I can say “yes” or “no” in any situation, or say nothing.
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Even when it seems to me that I have no choice, I always have the freedom of choice.
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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?
