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.