While these ten disciples were still in Puttaparthi, Sathya Sai Baba told them that on the way to the Himalayas, one more person would join them, and in total this group would consist of eleven people. Just before leaving Puttaparthi, he presented them with Akshaya Patra.

This part of the story usually attracts especially great attention from readers. What is Akshaya Patra? This is a magical jug in which food materializes. Stories about "Akshaya Patra" have existed in the Vedic tradition since ancient times.

When the ascetics of antiquity went to the Himalayas, they, according to legend, had such wonderful jugs in which rice, vegetables, fruits, and honey sweets materialized. Stories about such wonderful jugs or tablecloths (self-assembled) exist, literally, among all peoples.

Guha Ashram is located in a cave under a sacred mountain called Narayana Parvata. The caves in the Himalayas in which ashrams are founded are usually very large, and sometimes represent labyrinths of halls and corridors for many kilometers.

The climate of the Himalayas is very contrasting; in summer there is a real Indian heat, and in winter there is a lot of snow and severe frosts lasting several months. Thus, a stable comfortable temperature inside the caves is the most important condition for the comfortable life of cave yogis.

The main entrance to the Guha Ashram cave is located on the northern slope of the mountain. This cave is very large and complex in its structure with several entrances located on different slopes of the mountain. Right at one of the entrances to the cave there is a source of pure water, which yogis could use for drinking, as well as for daily ablutions.

So, in 1983, eleven people, with the blessing of Sathya Sai Baba, went to the mountains in order to organize an amazing Guha Ashram in a Himalayan cave. In 1986, that is, three years later, Govinda returned to Sathya Sai Baba's ashram and again met with Maheshwarananda.

At that time, Govinda, despite his young age, headed the Guha Ashram. He came to Sathya Sai Baba in secret, under the guise of an ordinary visitor. With the permission of Sathya Sai Baba, he shared information about the Guha Ashram with Maheshwarananda, for Maheshwarananda's mission was to describe the history of the founding of the ashram and events in the life of the yogis in the Himalayan cave.

As Maheshwarananda told me, when he learned about the existence of such a unique cave ashram, he immediately wanted to join this group of yogis. He made a request to Sathya Sai Baba, but Sai Baba allowed him to visit the Guha Ashram only for a short time. Sathya Sai Baba explained to Maheshwarananda that his task was to describe this ashram in detail in his book, but to continue living permanently in Puttaparthi.

51. Sathya Sai Baba announced the closure of the Guha Ashram, but in fact it continues to exist today

There is no need now to retell the content of the book that Maheshwarananda wrote. Some of you are already familiar with this wonderful book. For those of you who have not read it yet, I highly recommend reading it. Maheshwarananda recounted many wonderful events in the life of Sathya Sai Baba's Himalayan ashram. I do not think this book will leave anyone indifferent.

We often talked with Maheshwarananda about various aspects of Kriya Yoga meditation and mantra practice, and I also asked questions about Guha Ashram with great interest. Maheshwarananda was quite open and gave detailed answers. I am very grateful to fate for meeting this unique person.

At some point, Sathya Sai Baba officially announced that he had closed the Guha Ashram. This news literally shocked me. In fact, the reason for Sathya Sai Baba's statement was very simple. The book about Guha Ashram came out in the late ‘80s and instantly became very popular. After reading this book, people reacted differently, some were simply delighted with the stories set forth in the book, but there were also those who wanted to go to the Himalayas at all costs and find the secret ashram.

I know several cases where Indians, Americans, Germans, as well as a couple of Russian guys went in search of Guha Ashram. Attempts to find the Guha Ashram began to happen more and more often, as people read the book and immediately went to the Himalayas. Obviously, without the blessing of Sathya Sai Baba, it was absolutely impossible to find the ashram. It is not difficult to organize a trip to the Himalayas. It’s an open area. All you need is to get in a car, and you can visit all the holy cities located in the upper reaches of the Himalayan mountains.

Sometimes people went alone, sometimes two or three. The groups were always very small. People found Mount Narayana Parvata easily on the map, but they walked long and hard through the mountains and naturally could not find the ashram. Such places of power have very serious energy protection from intruders. You can pass at a distance of several meters from the entrance to the sacred cave, and simply not notice it. You can also walk past a group of yogis who are practicing meditation or mantras, and you will get the impression there is no one around.

The energy protection of the Guha Ashram is very strong, and there is an impact on the consciousness of a person, in that one who is not spiritually ready will look and not see. Even being very close to the entrance to the cave, a person coming without the special blessing of Sathya Sai Baba would see only the slope and the mountain; it will seem to him there is no cave at all, although, in fact, the entrance to the sacred cave will be right in front of him. That is why it is impossible to go and find the Guha Ashram simply by ordinary effort.

Some attempts were on the verge of dangerous outcomes, but fortunately no one died. I know of one case where a man went looking for Guha Ashram and got lost in the mountains, fortunately he was found by passing tourists. Some broke their legs or arms and had to turn back. As attempts to find the Guha Ashram began to increase, Sathya Sai Baba announced that he had closed the ashram.

I must say that such an official statement really had a very serious effect, and several groups decided not to go. About this time, I wanted to discuss this matter with Maheshwarananda. He said that it was the only correct decision to officially announce the closure of the Guha Ashram in order to stop the flow of grief seekers.

In fact, the ashram, of course, was not closed; it continues to exist even now, just in order to remove the hype around it, it was announced that it was closed.

52. Maheshwarananda introduced me to two yogis from Guha Ashram

Initially, in the ‘80s, eleven yogis lived in the Guha Ashram. In the ‘90s, the Guha Ashram continued its development, and at different times there were twenty, and sometimes twenty-five people there. Some of the yogis lived there permanently, and some came for a few months or a few years in order to take a course of study.

At first, there were only Indians there, but since the ‘90s, several Western people have appeared there, which is quite natural, since the path of meditation and self-knowledge has nothing to do with the origin of a person, as the only criterion is the spiritual and energetic readiness of the practitioner.

In the ‘90s, some yogis from the Guha Ashram appeared from time to time in Puttaparthi. Naturally, this was a secret, as they simply came under the guise of ordinary visitors, and there was no official information about this. Of course, more sensitive people could feel the special energy and divine light coming from the eyes of these people.

I was lucky because Maheshwarananda himself introduced me to two yogis from the Guha Ashram, one of whom was named Yogi Hari; the second yogi did not want to name himself. I was fortunate enough to communicate with them quite a lot during the period when they temporarily resided in Puttaparthi.

The essence of the spiritual path is contemplative self-knowledge, in Sanskrit this is called “atma-vichara.” Where your physical body is located does not matter, you can live in large cities such as New York, Moscow, or Delhi, or you can settle in the Himalayas. It doesn’t matter at all whether you are a family or a monk – it doesn’t matter what your profession and position in society are; spiritual awareness is a deep inner process.

The fact that Sathya Sai Baba created the Guha Ashram in the Himalayas is a unique event, and the yogis who practice there are, of course, amazing people. Sathya Sai Baba sent them to the Himalayan ashram because it suited their high spiritual qualities and the peculiarities of their life path.

No need to think that living in a Himalayan cave is the only right path leading to self-knowledge. Sathya Sai Baba never said that all people should go to the Himalayas or become hermits. There are a huge number of ways and methods leading to the awakening of the inner God.

God does not live in the Himalayas, not in Jerusalem, and not on the sacred Mount Kailash, but in the depths of the spiritual heart of each person, therefore only contemplation and meditation can lead to self-realization.

53. There are no, and cannot be, any intermediaries in the communication of a person with God, because God is the true "I" of each person

Sathya Sai Baba constantly repeated that he communicates with each person, directly. One of the greatest problems that exists in the modern world is that a senseless system of intermediaries arises between man and God in the form of all kinds of priests. Intermediaries can be good, or they can be very bad, but the bottom line is that they should not exist at all.

In the communication of man and God there is no, and there can be no intermediaries, because God is the True "I" of each person. Of course, we sometimes need spiritual guides, but true teachers, pointing to the eternal Lord, themselves remain transparent. Sathya Sai Baba said that the only true teacher is the Higher Self, which is located in the spiritual heart.

Being the greatest of teachers, Sathya Sai Baba least of all tried to create a cult of himself. First of all, he pointed to the inner potentials dormant inside each person.

Sathya Sai Baba said that after he leaves this world, his tomb will lead people along the spiritual path, help in solving everyday situations, give healing, and answer prayers. And so, it happens. Even after he has left his physical body, he continues to embody the principle of direct communication with every person.

Both during the life of Sathya Sai Baba, and now, unfortunately, there are quite a lot of people who claim they allegedly speak on behalf of Sathya Sai Baba. I think we all need to be careful and not fall for the tricks of rogues.

Even during his lifetime, Sathya Sai Baba said many times that he establishes personal relationships with each person and communicates with each one, exclusively and personally. It is hard to believe, because there were millions of devotees around Sathya Sai Baba, and not everyone could communicate with him personally.

The question arose: how is it possible for Sathya Sai Baba to communicate directly with millions of people at the same time? Is it even possible? To communicate directly with Sathya Sai Baba it’s not necessary to talk to him physically. If necessary, Sathya Sai Baba can come to you in a dream and give you the necessary instructions. If necessary, he can even physically materialize in front of you in any part of the world. Most importantly, you can feel the presence of Sathya Sai Baba in your heart and hear his voice as an inner intuitive feeling.

Sathya Sai Baba is absolute consciousness and eternal spirit, therefore, he is present everywhere, and above all in your spiritual heart. Intuitive sensation and inner voice are the most accurate and reliable channel of direct communication with Sathya Sai Baba. The heart always speaks the truth. The only obstacle is a lack of self-confidence. You need to believe in yourself and your personal connection with God.

The principle of direct communication is not just a beautiful statement, it manifests itself in everyday life. Sathya Sai Baba, in the most wonderful way, made it clear about his invisible presence in the life of absolutely everyone. He often made it clear that he was aware of all the events that were taking place, and also knew, in detail, all the hidden thoughts and feelings of each person.

Of course, this does not mean that you should not take good advice from more experienced people who can help you gain a deeper understanding of complex philosophical teachings or understand the practices of meditation, mantra, and yoga. Let's assume that you are already quite experienced in meditation and know a lot about various philosophical teachings, however, it can be assumed that there is someone more experienced than you.

It is wise to be open to communication and helpful advice from those who know more. All human life is an endless process of self-education and improvement.

Sathya Sai Baba often said that one of the important methods on the spiritual path is “satsang,” which in Sanskrit means spiritual communication, during which people exchange opinions or talk about their mystical experiences.

54. If you see Sathya Sai Baba in your dreams, then it can only be him and no one else

Another possible way of direct and personal communication with Sathya Sai Baba is through dreams. In all world religions, special attention is paid to mystical dreams. There are practices of mystical dreams in the Vedic tradition, Christianity, and Buddhism. In India and Tibet, these techniques are called "dream yoga."

What is the peculiarity of the mystical experience that we get in dreams, and how does it differ from meditation? First of all, it can be said that the experience of mystical dreams is a very reliable source of information. The reliability of the information that we receive in a dream is extremely high. In a dream, the ego temporarily subsides and the soul plunges into the ocean where pure information flows.

Sathya Sai Baba said many times: "If you see me in your dreams, then it can only be me." During interviews, he quite often emphasized that the world of dreams is a very serious channel for direct communication with him personally. I think these are very important words of Sathya Sai Baba, because quite often people have doubts about the authenticity of mystical dreams.

If you had a dream where Sathya Sai Baba was present, how can you be sure that it is really Sathya Sai Baba, or maybe it's just an illusion? When a person thinks about Sathya Sai Baba all day long, reads Sathya Sai Baba's books and watches his videos all day long, then from the point of view of science, it is quite natural that such a person can see Sathya Sai Baba in a dream. But in the situation with Sathya Sai Baba, this principle does not work.

If Sathya Sai Baba comes to you in a dream, then it can only be him. Sathya Sai Baba is a great mystic who has the ability to consciously come into the dream of any person.

Working with dreams plays a huge role in many traditions, including Tantra and Buddhism. Since ancient times, great attention has been paid to working with dreams, and it was so serious that over time this system of practices began to be called "dream yoga."

Working with dream plots allows you to simulate events that occur in reality. A dream is a door through which we pass into the depths of our subconscious, penetrate into the subtle worlds, and get the opportunity to touch amazing flows of information.

55. In a dream Sathya Sai Baba showed me the Life-Giving Cross

There were times in my life when I wore all sorts of amulets around my neck. Sometimes they were Vedic amulets, such as the Om mantra symbol or the trident of Lord Shiva, and sometimes I wore a beautiful Buddhist vajra around my neck.

Once Sathya Sai Baba came to me in a dream and showed me a pectoral Orthodox silver cross, which lay in his palm. After a pause, he said, “you change various amulets all the time, they are all very good.” After a short pause he added, “put on this cross, God lives in the center of this cross!” I woke up. Thinking about this dream, I felt that I must definitely find the very cross that Sathya Sai Baba showed me in the dream.

Subsequently, I went to different churches, but nowhere could I find the cross that I saw in the dream. All the details of this cross were very clearly imprinted in my memory, and I was sure I would easily recognize it as soon as I saw it. Visiting the Kiev-Pechersk, Pskov-Pechersk and Trinity-Sergius Lavra, as well as Optina Pustyn, I carefully looked at the crosses that were sold in the monastery shops. I hoped that in some of the holy places I would definitely find the very cross that I saw in the dream, but I could not find it anywhere. After some time, I went to the Life-Giving Cross in the village of Godenovo. This is a famous place, which is located relatively close to Pereslavl-Zalessky.

The history of the Life-Giving Cross is truly amazing. It appeared at the very beginning of the fifteenth century. It so happened that the shepherds, who were grazing cattle in a field near a swamp, saw a bright light descend from heaven along with a ray of light, and a huge three-meter wooden cross came down from heaven landing among the people; immediately, the cross received the name: the Life-Giving Cross.

Subsequently, the cross was installed in a monastery, which was founded near the place where the cross appeared to the shepherds. For several centuries, the cross was in the monastery.

At the beginning of the twentieth century, immediately after the bloody communist revolution of 1917, the Life-Giving Cross was transferred to a neighboring village and installed in the church of St. John Chrysostom in the village of Godenovo, where it is now. The Life-Giving Cross is a powerful artifact and for several centuries many miracles have been happening around it.

When I arrived in the village of Godenovo, I immediately saw pectoral crosses in the icon shop, which were exact copies of the Life-Giving Cross. As soon as I saw these pectoral silver crosses, I immediately recognized with joy the very cross that Sathya Sai Baba showed me in the dream. I bought it, and often wear it around my neck with pleasure.

56. With the help of mystical dreams, Sathya Sai Baba guided people along the path of life

In one of my mystical dreams, I found myself in a large medieval temple, and in the center of the temple, Sathya Sai Baba was sitting in an armchair. In the temple, there were many people of different nationalities who spoke different languages. Everyone present had the opportunity to approach Sathya Sai Baba and have a short talk with him.

I realized that this was a dream. I didn't have any question, as I understood that Sathya Sai Baba had to tell me something very important. When I approached him, he looked at me carefully and said that in three weeks and four days a teacher would come to Moscow, with whom I would meet. I moved away from Sathya Sai Baba, went to the exit of the temple, and immediately woke up.

At that time, I lived in Moscow. As the appointed day approached, I began to look more closely at what would happen. Sathya Sai Baba did not give me any details in the dream. All I knew was the day on which, according to Sathya Sai Baba's predictions, I was supposed to meet some important teacher in my life.

As the appointed day approached, my excitement intensified. Finally, I learned that a Tibetan Lama, who belongs to the ancient Nyingma school of Buddhism, had come to Moscow. To my surprise, the beginning of his seminar fell perfectly on the day that I calculated, according to my dream.

As there was a day left before the seminar, I called the seminar coordinator. A young man picked up the phone, and I introduced myself, saying I wanted to sign up for the seminar starting tomorrow. Silence followed. The young man was extremely surprised. At first, I did not understand what he meant. The young man explained the reason for his surprise.

Usually, the Lama sets several conditions for the organizers, one of which was that everyone who wanted to take part in the seminar must apply at least a month in advance. After that, the lists of participants were given to the Lama, and he performed numerous rituals on these names in order to energetically prepare all participants for the deep meditation and mantra practices that he taught during the seminar.

The young man I spoke to on the phone said that something strange happened this time, the Lama said that on the last evening before the seminar, a person would call and want to sign up. The Lama instructed to enroll in the seminar the one who called on the last evening. The young man said in surprise that he understood that the Lama had me in mind. I was also very surprised.

The next day I came to the seminar that lasted a week. Despite the fact that I saw this Lama for the first time, there was a clear feeling that I knew him well. At the last class, when I approached the Lama for a blessing, he said, “I am very glad that you have come.” There was something very close and dear in his voice, and memories of past lives stirred in my heart.

Actually, I never became a Buddhist, probably it was important for me to meet this Lama and study under his guidance for some time. I know quite a lot of people whom Sathya Sai Baba has guided along the path of life through experiences of mystical dreams.