Sathya Sai Baba. Supernatural Experiences and Divine Transformation. Book Two

17. The Spiritual Heart

All spiritual paths end in gaining wisdom. Meditation is a way of contemplating your divine nature, which is your true reality. Everything is within you and you are in everything.

(Sathya Sai Baba – Gita Vahini Chapter 6)

Philosophy gives intellectual knowledge of the truth and yoga leads to the actual experience of truth. Philosophers meditate on the truth and yogis are in the mystical experience of truth, which takes place in the depths of the Spiritual Heart. The search for truth is self-exploration, self-knowledge, and self-contemplation.

The right side of the body is considered more sacred in the Vedic tradition because there is the door to eternity: the Spiritual Heart. Wisdom is the fruit of meditation. In order to gain great wisdom in your inner mystical state, immersion in meditation is necessary for there to be a realization that "everything is inside you and you are in everything."

Sathya Sai Baba is an Avatar, he can consciously pass from one incarnation to another, but is it possible for everyone?

Sathya Sai Baba consciously reincarnates. Conscious reincarnation allows you to transfer to the present life all the accumulated spiritual experience of past lives. You temporarily live in a beautiful physical body, on the wonderful planet Earth.

You are going through the path of spiritual evolution not only in this life, but many incarnations. The only thing that you brought with you into this life is the wisdom from past lives, but if the process of reincarnation is not conscious, then most of the treasure is lost.

The soul is in the process of reincarnation, traveling from life to life, incarnating in different worlds and in different circumstances. At a higher level, reincarnation happens consciously. At a high evolutionary level, the “Self” passes into the next incarnation consciously, retaining the memory and knowledge of the spiritual experience accumulated in the previous birth. Everything is within you, including your past and future lives. Being in the awareness of your divine essence, you observe the process of reincarnation.

Awareness in the process of reincarnation is the result of self-realization received in the practice of meditation. The divine person consciously passes the path of reincarnation; therefore, he is free from the fear of death, retains an understanding of the present moment in any situation, including at the moment of death of the body.

Of course, some may doubt and say that Sathya Sai Baba is a great Avatar and can consciously pass from one incarnation to another, but is this possible for everyone? Realizing your True Self, you come to understand that "everything is within you, and you are in everything." Everything happens inside your consciousness, including the process of reincarnation.

Everything happens inside you: life and death. A person who is conscious in the present moment remains conscious in the journey of the soul to a future incarnation. If you think about death and the afterlife journey of the soul, then you imagine it as a future event, but when death actually happens, it happens in the present moment.

Awareness of one's divine nature leads to awareness in the process of reincarnation. When you begin to understand the process of the soul's transition from one life to another, the fear of death disappears, because you begin to understand that the journey to the next life is not much more difficult than the trip from Moscow to St. Petersburg. The question is that it is reasonable to prepare for each trip in advance.

The basis of conscious reincarnation is the self-realization of one's higher nature. The Avadhuta Gita beautifully and poetically describes the reality of the Self:

“Having got rid of the feeling of individual consciousness and pride, the sage finds everything within his own Higher Self. "I Am" here and now, "I" was always in the beginningless past, and "I" will always be in the eternal future. "I" unborn and immortal, primordial and eternal, "I Am" being – consciousness – bliss, "I Am" boundless like space. "I" was before the appearance of the physical body, and "I" will be after the disappearance of the physical body.”

A person who is conscious at every moment of his life becomes a high-level yogi. The one who has realized his Higher Self consciously lives life and also consciously goes through the process of the posthumous journey of the soul because everything is inside you, both life and death.

18. Trinity in the Vedas and the Bible

This story is repeated by me in memory of and in gratitude to two senior devotees of Sathya Sai Baba, who lived in his ashram for many years. First, Maheshwarananda, the author of the famous book Sathya Sai and Nara Narayana Guha Ashram, told me about this event, and then later, Padananda repeated the same story to me.

It happened in the early spring of 1978. Sathya Sai Baba spent some time in a place called Ooty, a large nature reserve with magnificent mountains and primeval jungle. Sathya Sai Baba was returning by car to his ashram, and it was necessary to pass the city of Mysore and then Bangalore. It was a full day trip.

The line of cars speed along the road. Sathya Sai Baba's car drove at the head of the column, and all the escorts followed him. Not far from Mysore, Sathya Sai Baba chose a picturesque place, asked to stop, and invited everyone to relax in nature with him. A couple of dozen people who accompanied Sathya Sai Baba sat beside him on the grass.

Suddenly, an amazing miracle happened in front of everyone present. The usual human form of Sathya Sai Baba disappeared, and in its place a three-headed deity with six arms appeared: it was Lord Dattatreya. Everyone present was blessed by this amazing transformation. The three heads of Dattatreya symbolize the three main Vedic deities: Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva.

Dattatreya is also called the Vedic Trinity. I often quote an ancient philosophical treatise on the nature of the True Self called the Avadhuta Gita. The authorship of this text is attributed to the sage Dattatreya, who is symbolically depicted with three heads, because, in accordance with mythology, he was the incarnation of three great Gods at once: Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva.

When you think about God, you begin by seeing God as a higher being located somewhere in heaven, but as you become more advanced in your spirituality, you gradually realize that God is not in outer space, but in the Spiritual Heart. The same is true with the Trinity. At the first level, the Vedas speak of the Trinity as the three greatest Gods: Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva.

The Christian tradition says that the Trinity is God the Father, God the Spirit, and God the Son. However, from the point of view of high esotericism, the Trinity is the three main aspects of the inner world of man – for everything is inside. The idea of God as a Trinity has always been in the Vedic tradition. Esoteric knowledge about the Trinity has a deep and varied symbolism; the essence of which is Divine Consciousness, Cosmic Energy, and Soul.

The Vedic Trinity, also symbolized by the "cosmic principle of the teacher," is not some kind of "being" or personality, but a principle. All the teachers who you have met on your life path are the embodiment of the "cosmic principle of the teacher." Someone taught you how to read and write, use a computer, and drive a car, and someone taught you the high knowledge of meditation and mantra. The same principle is in the depths of your consciousness. Perhaps it has already begun to manifest itself, or perhaps not yet. Almost constantly and daily you change your roles in life – sometimes becoming students, and sometimes becoming teachers.

The area where the amazing transformation of Sathya Sai Baba, turning into a deity with three heads, took place is located near the ancient city of Mysore and the sacred river, Kaveri. This area is especially associated with the many mythological stories of Dattatreya, the Vedic Trinity. Sathya Sai Baba repeatedly pointed out his next incarnation on earth would be closely connected with Mysore. Sai Baba reincarnates consciously. While alive in this life, he talked about some of his past incarnations and also indicated where he will incarnate in the future.

Using stories about his past and future lives, Sathya Sai Baba indicates that each person goes through the path of divine evolution in many lives. The fact that we live many lives does not mean that we have the right to neglect the current incarnation and thoughtlessly waste time.

Yes, all eternity is at your disposal, but still every moment, every day lived is unique and precious. Sai Baba reincarnates consciously, and every person has the same opportunity, but for this to happen it is necessary to realize the immortal core of his soul.

19. I trust myself, then I trust God who dwells in my heart

If you have not lit the lamp of wisdom in order to illuminate your life path, then you will wander along a foggy path filled with fear as your fellow traveler.

(Sathya Sai Baba – Jnana Vahini)

Ignorance and lies do not have self-existence, for ignorance and lies are a lack of understanding of wisdom and truth. "Self" and God are originally one, which is why the Vedas proclaim: "I AM God." If a person does not see the light, then it seems to him that he arrives in darkness, although in reality darkness does not have self-existence, for darkness is not manifested light.

Walking along the spiritual path, we achieve nothing, because we already possess everything. Moving to the heights of the spirit, we discover what already exists from the very beginning. Of this great truth, God declared to Moses, "I am who I am." The deep meaning of this great phrase is that the true name of God is "I". Jesus preached the same thing: “I and my Heavenly Father are one.”

There are many types of conditioning that create feelings of inferiority and limitation. A person who perceives himself as a separate being always suffers, but one who feels the unity of all that exists is in joy.

To light the lamp of wisdom means to realize the original unity. When you talk to God, you are essentially talking to your Higher Self. You are listening carefully to the message of God, and in fact you are listening to your Higher Self.

You listen to your intuitive feelings and hear an inner voice; you trust yourself, which means you trust God who lives in your heart. In joy, you embody your destiny in life, which means you are doing the work of God who directs your every action.

20. Diamond surprise

Even though Sathya Sai Baba is gone, and we are awaiting the day of his next incarnation, he continues to live strongly in my heart and memory. This next story is about a time when Sathya Sai Baba was invited to visit Bombay by Indulal Shah.

A reception was arranged in Mr Shah's house in honor of his dear guest, Sathya Sai Baba. During the gala dinner, the guests were served a huge amount of food, but Sathya Sai Baba barely ate any. It is customary in India for people to lavishly treat their dear guests. Because Sathya Sai Baba was a dear guest, people began to treat him and they prepared great lashings of food, although all this was unnecessary. During that day, Sathya Sai Baba only ate micro-doses of the simplest food, which was enough for him.

Sathya Sai Baba's chief interpreter, Anil Kumar, once told me that he asked Sathya Sai Baba how he manages to get by with almost no food, since food is one of the main sources of energy. To this Sathya Sai Baba replied with beautiful and deep words. He said that he did not need to get energy from food, for he himself was energy. It all depends on how you perceive yourself. The true "I" is the original source of all things, including energy. That is why Sathya Sai Baba did not need much food and sleep in order to be active and productive during the day.

Going back to Sathya Sai Baba's visit to Bombay City and the grand reception at Mr. Shah's house, there among the many dishes, the guests were served Vada, which are small round-shaped pies. Sathya Sai Baba turned to the daughter of the owner of the house and told her to choose any Vada, and then, before eating it to carefully break it into two parts. The girl did so. Upon breaking the pie into two, she found gold earrings encrusted with diamonds. In such an unusual way, Sathya Sai Baba materialized this beautiful gift for her.

Another similar story happened in the late ‘90s in the South Indian mountains, in the ancient town of Kodaikanal. Sathya Sai Baba invited some devotees for dinner. During dinner, Puri, a type of traditional flatbread, was served. Sai Baba turned to one of those present and told him to choose any cake, and then break the cake in half before eating it. When the man broke the cake, he found a golden ring inside. The man looked at Sathya Sai Baba with surprise. Sathya Sai Baba smiled at the man and said this was a gift especially for him.

Watching the amazing life of Sathya Sai Baba over the years, I stopped being surprised by miracles. Gradually, such events began to be perceived as something natural. This is probably for the best, because when you stop being surprised by the supernatural, you begin to think about the deep meaning of what is happening.

Sometimes I tried to understand the meaning and spiritual significance of Sathya Sai Baba's miracles, and sometimes it began to seem that there was no need to look for a special meaning, because the "games of the Lord" have no logical explanation – they are a manifestation of love and are like beautiful poetry; they are beautiful in themselves.

21. You are what you think of yourself

The secret of creation is known only to the Creator; the rest cannot know it.

(Sathya Sai Baba – "Collection of lectures", 1991)

The question is how do you know yourself? If you perceive yourself as a limited human being, then the secret of the universe is hopelessly hidden from you. However, when, as a result of a spiritual journey, a person gets to the very depths of his Spiritual Heart, then he becomes the same Creator, who is the original creator of everything that exists. Everyday experience sometimes reveals that you are limited and weak, but the truth is there is great power in the depths of your soul.

People are convinced they are, supposedly, unworthy of realizing their dreams, but this is not accurate thinking. If you see problems in your life and feel deep dissatisfaction, then you need to simply change your perception of yourself, as well as your reactions to the events in the surrounding space.

All changes in life must always begin with a change in yourself – it’s these changes that impact and create positive change in your environment. The construct that you “should not” be selfish sometimes keeps us from even attempting to fulfill our infinite potential. This principal is simply a guise of a good idea taught to us as children and reinforced by people around us who prefer we do their will their way, instead of allowing us to just be ourselves.

Is allowing yourself to sing your own song and become all you were created to be, instead of surrendering to someone else's will, be it friend, spouse, or institution, selfish? I think not. You are what you think of yourself. You are the only one responsible for your own mind and your own life.

22. Sathya Sai Baba materialized a living parrot

This is another wonderful story about Sathya Sai Baba told to me by Yogi Hari. I later read this same story in several books written about Sathya Sai Baba.

One day Sathya Sai Baba went on another trip in the state of Andhra Pradesh, which is located in the south of India. During one of the stops, he was invited to visit with some people. Naturally, many people always traveled with Sathya Sai Baba, so the whole procession was invited. This is in accordance with the tradition that if a teacher travels with students and an invitation is extended, then the teacher will be invited with the entire retinue.

During the reception, Sathya Sai Baba and all those present were offered treats. Sai Baba animatedly communicated with the owner of the house while he made some kind of picture on his plate from leaves and nuts. Everyone listened attentively to what he was saying and observed with curiosity the unusual image that Sathya Sai Baba was putting together from the items on the plate.

Finally, it became clear that Sathya Sai Baba had skillfully laid out a picture of a parrot. He looked around and asked, “what do you think God does?”

Some of those present answered that God is engaged in creation. After that, Sathya Sai Baba softly and, unexpectedly, touched the image of the parrot and it came to life, flapped its wings, fluttered, and flew out the window. How does one relate to such an event as this, even when it happened in front of a large number of witnesses?

The rational mind refuses to accept the reality of such events. Perhaps some will say it was a mass hallucination or hypnosis, while others may argue that Sathya Sai Baba is a divine incarnation and, therefore, is able to create a great miracle and create a living being from inanimate objects in front of everyone. How to relate to such miracles?

23. Love is God

Love is God, live in Love. Truth is God, follow Truth. Just as a bird has two wings, Truth and Love can allow you to soar to the heights of the spirit. Follow the greatest path of divine Love.

(Sathya Sai Baba – “Lectures at Kodaikanal”, 1996)

Love yourself, and then all the people around you will love you, because the energy of love changes and transforms everything. If you love the work you do in life, then all the people around you will also love what you do because the work that you do in love attracts good people and resources.

Everyone will want to help and participate in a cause that is saturated with the energy of love. To love yourself means to love your parents, your family, your people, the heritage of your ancestors, your city, and your fatherland.

When you are happy, all the people around you who communicate with you, or simply pass by you, also find happiness because the vibration of happiness transforms the space. Harmonious and wise thoughts give rise to an atmosphere of goodness and peace.

Of course, sometimes you need to take action to change the world for the better, but sometimes it’s enough just to make friends with yourself so that the world becomes a better place around you.

24. Materialization of objects that never existed before

During interviews, Sathya Sai Baba often materialized various objects such as rings, rosaries, medallions, and figurines of the Deities. Materialization is a miracle resulting in some object that has never existed before this moment appearing in physical space. This type of mystical experience shows us that thought is material and thought can create physical reality. The following miracle I wish to share happened in front of me and allowed me to personally observe the process of creation.

I often saw how Sathya Sai Baba performed materializations. Outwardly, it looked like this: He made circular movements with his right hand – within a moment of doing this, there was a flash of bright light in his hand, sometimes accompanied by a crack, and then one or another object appeared from the flash of light.

Repeatedly, I witnessed when materializations occurred through the bright flash of light accompanied by a loud and sharp sound, but sometimes the process of materialization looked a little different. Sathya Sai Baba also made circular movements with his right hand and several luminous balls appeared from his palm, sometimes with an object appearing from the balls.

There were times when Sathya Sai Baba materialized objects without a flash of light; objects simply appeared in his hand. It is difficult to say why this happened differently, perhaps it was dependent on the kind of energy he wanted to put into the object that appeared.

When I was present at interviews as an interpreter, I sat right under Sathya Sai Baba's right hand. This made it easier to translate and watch how He materialized objects. As soon as Sathya Sai Baba began circular movements with his hand, it became clear that materialization was about to happen. In those unique moments, I would concentrate as closely as possible and try to peer into what was happening so as to feel the energy that arose.

For me that moment of materialization was an important energetic experience. I would experience various sensations, for example, a sharp cold, or, on the contrary, a heat wave. At first, after seeing the materializations the first few times, I was numb with surprise – all of it shocked me, and I did not know what to think. Gradually, I became used to it.

When supernatural events happen often, you get used to them. Once the shock wore off, I began to pay close attention to the energy sensations and awareness that took place in the immediate vicinity of Sathya Sai Baba during the moments when he performed his amazing sacred acts.

25. Sathya Sai Baba helped a young man overcome time and space

This is a story about a young man from Sri Lanka who was a Christian by birth, but since childhood felt close to the Hindu Goddess, Kali, and was also deeply interested in Vedic philosophy. He went to study in India at a Christian college, but began to frequent various ashrams, and eventually became a Hindu monk.

When he returned home to Sri Lanka for the holidays, his family was very upset to see him in the orange traditional robes of a Hindu monk. He returned to India, and after some time came for the first time to the ashram of Sathya Sai Baba. He was in disarray and did not know what to do next and how to live – the conflict with his relatives greatly upset him, because his life’s quest was spiritual, and he did not want to upset his relatives.

The young man managed to get the opportunity of personal communication with Sathya Sai Baba. During this conversation, he sincerely told Sathya Sai Baba that he would like to spend many years as a hermit in the forest, practicing meditation, and he also wanted to receive a mystical vision of his beloved Goddess, Kali.

Sathya Sai Baba was always very attentive to such requests. Sometimes people, wanting to seem spiritual, pretended to speak out about their alleged desire for austerities.

Feeling the sincerity of the young man, Sathya Sai Baba touched his head sending him instantly into a trance, which lasted about an hour. However, in the sensation, several years passed, during which the young man went to the jungle and lived as a hermit in a distant ashram. At the end of this mystical experience, he was able to meet the Goddess Kali, herself.

Seeing the majestic Goddess, he shouted loudly and joyfully, which frightened the people sitting in the next room. The young man's cries were loud and continued for several minutes. The people sitting outside the doors of Sathya Sai Baba's room did not dare to enter the room, but they waited with tension for the denouement. Soon after, the door opened, and the young man came out of the room – his face was joyful, and his eyes shone with bliss.

At the end of this communication, Sathya Sai Baba brought the young man out of the trance and gave instructions that it was not necessary for him to go into the forest and become a hermit, instead he should practice meditation daily and work in his specialty of helping people around him, by his example.

I remember how this event was vividly discussed in the ashram. Many people wondered how Sathya Sai Baba was able to push the boundaries of time and space. Sathya Sai Baba also told this young man about his previous incarnations. Since this is a personal topic, I prefer to remain silent about it.

26. His eyes are like the ocean, plunging into them you can find eternity

A person standing on the shore admires the scenery of the majestic ocean, but he sees only waves running along the surface. Only a diver who plunges into the depths of the ocean waters discovers treasures – precious pearls hidden in the depths.

(Sathya Sai Baba – "Summer Showers in Brindavan", 1979)