This is a story told to me by Padananda. It takes place during the time when there were not so many devotees around Sathya Sai Baba. I was lucky to communicate with people who lived in the ashram in those distant years, when Sathya Sai Baba was very young, and his ashram was just being built.

He told me this story so emotionally and in detail that it began to seem to me that he himself was one of the participants in everything that happened. When I tried to ask him directly about it, he waved his hands and said that all of this happened not to him, but to two of his friends. Who knows?

One day two devotees were sleeping on the veranda right under the windows of Sathya Sai Baba's room. In later times, this was no longer possible due to the large number of visitors, but in those distant blessed times, devotees could fall asleep right at the door of their beloved teacher. On that day, everyone in the ashram fasted in honor of a special holiday.

The Vedic tradition also has its own fasting system called Ekadashi. This fast is observed for one day, falling on the eleventh day of the lunar calendar. In accordance with tradition, it is recommended to arrange fasting days for yourself on this day according to the lunar calendar, which favorably affects the health and emotional state of a person.

The most important post in the annual cycle is called Vaikuntha Ekadashi. The observance of this fast is considered especially important and auspicious. Vedic myths tell that Lord Vishnu listens especially carefully to the prayers of people and instantly blesses those who fast on this day.

So, the day we are now remembering was Vaikuntha Ekadashi, which is the most important post of the year. The two devotees were sleeping peacefully on the veranda under the night sky full of stars. They suddenly woke up after hearing a strange noise. Looking around, they saw a bright light shining from Sathya Sai Baba's window.

The light was so strong and flickering that both devotees immediately realized it could not come from an ordinary light bulb. Frightened, they went to the room in order to check what was going on. Opening the door, they saw a strange sight that surprised them so much they were forced to stop at the entrance and could not enter the room even a single step.

Sathya Sai Baba was reclining on the bed. He seemed to be in a state of deep trance. Directly in front of him stood several luminous Gods and Demigods, who respectfully bowed to Sathya Sai Baba. Around the bed, seven large fires were burning right in the air. Both devotees watched this scene for a while and then respectfully left, carefully closing the door behind them. Almost all night the light shone from the windows of the room, and the two devotees reverently prayed sitting nearby.

The next morning, they approached Sathya Sai Baba and asked him to explain the meaning of what they saw the previous night. Sathya Sai Baba explained that the seven fires burning around his bed were in fact the Sapta Rishis, the seven ancient sages. They came to his room along with the Gods and Demigods.

Important festivals of the Vedic tradition were regularly held in the ashram. Vedic holidays were celebrated, and the most important holidays of world religions were also celebrated: Buddha's birthday, Christmas, Chinese New Year and Jewish New Year. Sathya Sai Baba never suggested that people change their religion. He helped people to understand more deeply the teachings and practices of the tradition to which each one belonged.

Sathya Sai Baba blessed Hindus to study the Vedas and practice mantras, Christians to study the New Testament and practice prayers, and Muslims to study the Koran and pray. No matter what language you speak to God, ultimately all prayers reach the Highest Divinity, which is your True Self.

God is love, and because of love He incarnates in the world of people. Being among people, Sathya Sai Baba simultaneously blessed the heavenly Gods, who sometimes appeared visibly in his room. There were many such stories. In later years, I and a few of my friends saw how, on special days, luminous balls appeared in the sky above Sathya Sai Baba's house and then flew rapidly toward his chambers.

60. Mindful breathing is the eternal presence of the Spirit of God

Listen to what your breath is telling you. With each inhalation, the mystical sound “So” sounds, and with each exhalation, “Ham” sounds. "So" means God, "Ham" means "I". Thus "So-Ham" means – "I am God." If you constantly meditate on your breath, then the Divine Consciousness will awaken inside you, and the false ego will dissolve. In the Vedic tradition, the great mantra "So-Ham" is called Hamsa Gayatri. Every day you breathe 21,600 times, which means that your breath invisibly recites this great mantra 21,600 times. “I am God,” “I am God,” “I am God” is the great message of the inner voice that is constantly resounding within you.

(Sathya Sai Baba – “Collection of Lectures”, 1991)

Sathya Sai Baba often preached the So-Ham meditation. In this book we have already considered this meditation. While seemingly simple, it is actually a complex and powerful technique. According to my observations, most people, having learned about this technique, do not attach much importance to it, as it seems too simple.

The first sound "So" means God the Father. The second sound "Ham" means the individual soul. During the execution of this technique, it is necessary to be aware of the process of your breathing, mentally pronouncing “So” on each inhalation and “Ham” on each exhalation. The sound “So” is mentally pronounced on the inhale, and the sound “Ham” is mentally pronounced on the exhale.

It is not necessary to say these sounds in Sanskrit. You can say them in your own language: "I am God." As you inhale mentally say “I”, as you exhale mentally say "God".

On inhalation, spiritual energy rises up the spine, and on exhalation, it descends. This movement of energy happens every time you breathe, whether you are aware of it or not. In order for the movement of vital energy to be stronger, it is necessary to strengthen it with visualization.

You can imagine how with each inhalation an energy ball of light rises up the spine from the coccyx to the crown, and with each exhalation this imaginary ball of light descends from the crown to the base of the spine into the coccyx.

Visualization is a powerful technique that sets energy processes in motion. We often talk about the famous principle: "if you can imagine something, it's already happening." As I mentioned, energy circulates through the spine whether you are aware of it or not, but you can enhance this process with your visualization.

Meditation is not about achieving something but contemplating what is already here and now. In meditation, you discover and notice what is already the essence of your being. In meditation, you don't need to strive anywhere, you just need to be yourself.

You begin your meditation by being aware of the breath, which is already happening, you just have to notice it. Then, begin to fix your attention on the divine, such as the image of Krishna, Buddha, Jesus, or Sathya Sai Baba. Over time, you will realize that you do not need to reach God, you just need to notice him, because he initially dwells in the depths of your heart.

The ancient philosophical text Avadhuta Gita perfectly describes what is the highest mystical experience that a yogi receives as a result of the practice of meditation "So-Ham":

“My Divine Consciousness does not appear and it does not disappear, it has no beginning and no end. The Higher Self is not created, originally free, not bound by anything, by its very nature it is perfect. I am free from birth and death, free from doubt and confusion, even the gods worship me. In my true nature there is no attachment, there is no liberation from attachment, in my true nature there is no desire and there is no detachment from desire.”

The poetic lines of the Avadhuta Gita perfectly describe the divine state that one who practices the So-Ham meditation receives. This meditation technique is based on conscious breathing. When considering breathing, it is easy to understand that the process of breathing occurs outside of your will or your decision. Of course, you can adjust the speed and depth of breathing, but the breathing itself is beyond your will. Who is breathing? God breathes in you.

Both in the Bible and in the Vedas, there are many images showing that God breathes life into a person – breathing is life itself given by God. In breathing, God manifests himself clearly every second in every person. People go on distant pilgrimages to the sacred mountains of Kailash or Arunachala, or to the sacred cities of Jerusalem or Varanasi.

All pilgrimages are made in order to meet with God, even while he is always present in the Spiritual Heart. True pilgrimage is conscious breathing that reveals the incorruptible treasures of the Spiritual Heart.

The Avadhuta Gita says:

“A person who makes a pilgrimage to the holy cities in search of the true Self, thereby rejects the omnipresence of the true Self, which is located in the spiritual heart. An enlightened sage lives happily in solitude, even if he lives in a large city, he is always in solitude, even if he is in the midst of human communication. The yogi gets rid of desires for material enjoyment and even desires for enlightenment, he dispels doubts, and his attainment of perfection occurs spontaneously.”

Everything happens inside, any external actions make sense only if they reveal the mysteries of the Spiritual Heart. The correct system of meditation begins with conscious breathing because breathing is the key that opens the gate to Divine Consciousness.

The true pilgrimage is made in the process of breathing. It is a journey into the depths of the soul. A person who is aware of his breath is in the awareness of the present moment.

There are many terms denoting the highest reality. All of these terms mean the True Self. You can call the ultimate reality Krishna Consciousness, Buddha Consciousness or Christ Consciousness; they are all the same. Different religious directions have been debating over terms for centuries, not seeing the original unity. “So-Ham” meditation leads to the experience of Christ Consciousness, Krishna Consciousness, Buddha Consciousness.

The practice of conscious breathing exists in many spiritual traditions, in particular esoteric Christianity. Throughout the centuries of the development of Christianity in Greece, Egypt, Syria, Serbia and Russia, there has been the practice of the Jesus Prayer on the breath.

The original form of the Jesus Prayer was: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me." This is a prayer of gratitude to Jesus for the Divine Grace that all people who pray and meditate on Christ receive. Much later, an absurd word was added to this prayer: "… a sinner."

Man is originally divine, for he was created by God in the image and likeness of God himself. The Holy Spirit is constantly present in the breath of every person. Every human soul, at every moment of its existence, is perfect and holy, even if it is not always aware of it. Breath is always divine, and thoughts can be sinful.

Jesus taught his disciples the Lord's Prayer, in which each person addresses God as Father. Jesus reminded that people, unfortunately, are prone to selfishness and greed. All negative qualities must be liberated. Once you recognize your mistakes, you should avoid repeating them. However, making mistakes does not make you a sinner.

By divine justice, everyone gets what he deserves; what you sow is what you reap. Despite all the cycles of being, each person still remains originally divine by the right of his creation from God. Man is perfect because he breathes, and breathing is the eternal presence of the Spirit of God.

61. Infinite possibilities of the Spirit

This is a story told to me by Subba Rao, one of Sathya Sai Baba's most unique devotees. For many years he worked as an expert at the UN, was a successful politician and public figure, and then left everything and moved to the ashram. I was lucky to repeatedly communicate with this amazing person, mystic, and sage.

This story took place at a time when Sathya Sai Baba was still very young, and there were relatively few devotees around him, so people could invite him home for a family holiday. One Indian family wanted to perform the traditional worship of Goddess Gauri in the presence of Sathya Sai Baba. Hindus regularly perform many religious rituals in their homes to bless the family and protect the home.

Goddess Gauri is one of the many female deities who symbolize Mother Nature. In all ancient cultures, nature, mountains, fields, forests, rivers, and oceans were revered and deified. In Vedic culture since ancient times there has been an attitude towards nature as to the Mother Goddess. In the Vedic tradition there is no place for consumerism and cruelty toward the environment.

In India, everything is sacred: rivers and mountains, animals and birds. Of course, I am not inclined to idealize the attitude of modern Hindus toward environmental issues. Unfortunately, modern people sometimes forget the origins of their culture and begin to treat nature with dangerous and ignorant irresponsibility.

Sathya Sai Baba always encouraged and supported the tradition of worshipping the Vedic Gods and Goddesses. All these ancient rituals have a deep meaning. Those who carefully and seriously perform the ancient rites subconsciously change their attitude toward themselves and the world around them. The Vedic Gods and Goddesses are images and symbols that tune in to the awareness of the divinity of the entire universe.

So, this Indian family invited Sathya Sai Baba to visit their home in order to worship the Goddess in his presence. Sathya Sai Baba agreed to come on the appointed day. The head of the family carefully prepared for the complex Vedic ritual by collecting everything necessary: flower petals, incense sticks, ghee, new fabrics for the statue of the Deity, and much more. However, the man completely forgot about the special seeds, which were supposed to be presented during the solemn ceremony.

Sathya Sai Baba, as promised, came to the house of the devotees. He was reverently seated in a large chair and the ceremony began. The couple recited mantras and brought flower petals, incense, rice, milk, and more to the altar. Suddenly, several black ants crawled out of one flower.

Sathya Sai Baba smiled and joked that it was very unusual to worship the Goddess with the help of ants. Some of those present laughed merrily, while others, on the contrary, became nervous. The fact is the appearance of ants could be perceived as a violation of the strict requirements of the ceremony. The spouses were very worried, but before they had time to get scared, an amazing miracle happened instead – the ants turned into seeds. These were perfect and were just the seeds missing for the proper completion of the ceremony.

All those present were surprised by such a miracle. Sathya Sai Baba turned living beings, in this case, insects into seeds. There were cases where, on the contrary, he turned non-living objects into animals. We have already mentioned such a case in a previous chapter. The significance of such miracles is so great that it is difficult for most people to even imagine such a thing possible.

Sathya Sai Baba had a unique ability to materialize objects. A miracle I saw many times. Sathya Sai Baba materialized various items such as rings, rosaries, figurines of the Deities, and much more. All of these items were the most powerful amulets.

If Sathya Sai Baba saw that a person really needed protection or support, he gave materialized amulets. He did this in order to protect him from potential danger or to bless him for the successful completion of some business.

The question arises, how are the miracles of Sathya Sai Baba connected with the knowledge of the divinity of the soul? Why perform and demonstrate miracles at all? Miracles are different and they are performed for different purposes. Sathya Sai Baba beautifully explained several times that his miracles are "divine calling cards." All of his miracles and manifestations of the supernatural had the deepest spiritual meaning.

In this book, we have remembered many amazing stories, most of which are beyond the capabilities of the mind. Each of Sathya Sai Baba's miracles was a manifestation of his great compassion and divine love. With the help of his supernatural power, he saved people from problems and suffering, and most importantly, made it possible to realize there are no restrictions for you, because you are God.

Miracles are practical manifestations of the philosophical claim that the True Self is the original source of all things. The entire universe is a gigantic divine dream. During the dream experience, you can easily turn ants into seeds.

In a dream, you can fly and pass through walls. As soon as you wake up and fall into physical reality, you again begin to feel like a weak and limited human being. The question is, how do you become aware of yourself in both sleep and wakefulness? Do you realize that, in fact, sleep and wakefulness are one and the same? Are you aware that sleep and wakefulness are happening in your mind?

Those who misunderstand the essence of Sathya Sai Baba's mission accused him of wanting to show his superiority and special abilities with his miracles. In fact, all the miracles of Sathya Sai Baba were aimed at showing the dormant inner possibilities of each person.

He never believed that only he could perform amazing miracles. I was a witness when he said there is nothing special about what he does. He pointed out that everyone can perform all amazing miracles, because every person is essentially a magician.

Being in the state of the Cosmic Self, Sathya Sai Baba demonstrated amazing and transcendent miracles. He showed that everything is possible for one who has realized that Self and God are identical. His miracles had the deepest meaning, and they were a manifestation of the truth about the infinite possibilities of the Spirit.

62. The Grace of the Supreme Light

The true Self is a single cosmic Consciousness. Knowing the True Self, you know everything.

(Sathya Sai Baba – Jnana Vahini)

Even if you are constantly thinking or talking about God, this does not mean that it is spirituality. Sounds weird? If you perceive God as a higher cosmic personality living somewhere in heaven, then such a God is no closer to spirituality than the weather forecast for tomorrow or the exchange rate for today. Only when you begin to realize God as the True Self of each person, then He becomes the subject of spiritual research.

First comes the realization that you are not the body, then you begin to realize you are not the mind, and then you come to the realization that you are not the soul either. What remains? The feeling of separate existence disappears. In the dissolution of the separate personality, impersonal eternity remains.

***

In this book, we have reflected on some of Sathya Sai Baba's aphorisms and recalled the amazing stories of his life. Each of his words enrich us with infinite wisdom and fill our hearts with incomparable joy. Each of his words is the light of truth, enlightening our human existence.

I am grateful to fate that my life is deeply connected with Sathya Sai Baba. I was lucky to communicate with him for several years and receive invaluable spiritual instruction. I will probably never be able to fully understand it. I am grateful that I have had the opportunity to write this book, to reflect on the profound meaning of Sathya Sai Baba's teachings, and to tell you, dear reader, some of the instructive stories of his life.

In every person there is a desire to know the Truth, not just the truth, but exclusively the Absolute Truth. The phrase itself: Absolute Truth, has a strong vibration. Even without understanding what Truth is, simply by repeating this word one can feel the presence of the Holy Spirit.

Truth can be sought at different levels. The highest level of the search for Truth is the study of the nature of one's Self. That is why Sathya Sai Baba said: "He who knows the True Self knows everything."

In striving for the cognition of the Truth, the sacrament of the Grace of the Supreme Light is acquired. The descent of Grace is by no means an accident but is the result of a deep regularity of cause-and-effect relationships. Striving for the pure light of Truth attracts the descent of Grace.

I aspire to the knowledge of the Truth, I cognize the Truth, and suddenly it turns out that I am Truth itself.

"I am who I am."

"I Am I."