Speaking about the spiritual path of Jesus Christ, Sathya Sai Baba reminds us that even the greatest souls must go through the path of spiritual practices before they can realize their inner divine potentials.
In one of his lectures, Sathya Sai Baba said that after gaining in the Himalayas the experience of oneness with God, Jesus Christ received the presence of the Holy Spirit. After that, he decided to return from India back to the west, to Palestine. All the years spent in India, Jesus Christ lived almost alone, communicating with a narrow circle of Teachers and Yogis. Finally, it was time for him to begin teaching disciples. Jesus Christ returned to Palestine to show his disciples and followers the way of salvation.
We know that Jesus Christ was taught by superior teachers. In his open lectures, Sathya Sai Baba never gave the exact names of those Gurus who taught Jesus Christ, and he has not yet revealed this secret.
20. There are no any intermediaries between God and devotees
When I came to the ashram of Sathya Sai Baba for the first time, I understood very well that theoretical knowledge is one thing and inner experience is quite another. Theoretical knowledge is very important, but this is just the first stage as philosophical concepts, themselves, give only the illusion of implementation. The essence of the spiritual path is the inner experience gained through meditation.
People come to the ashram to have Darshan. What is this? The word Darshan comes from the word Darsh, which means to see. Darshan then, is the opportunity to see the divine teacher directly and physically.
Darshan with Sathya Sai Baba is the moment of the descent of divine grace, colossal vital energy, and the consonance of the inner world of a person with the vibration of divine love. In the physical presence of Sathya Sai Baba, people entered deep, divine states. People froze in perfect concentration on his form as he slowly walked through the huge hall, softly between the rows. Everyone's eyes were directed to Sathya Sai Baba.
The greatest miracle occurred during eye contact. How can you describe the look of eternity? Photos can only give a glimpse of it. In his presence, we felt unity and grace, and everyone present would immerse themselves in silent prayer and contemplation.
Over time, there has been something that amazes me more and more about Sathya Sai Baba. One of his greatest miracles was that even though he had tens of millions of devotees, he personally associated with everyone.
He often repeated: “There is not, and cannot be, any intermediary between me and the devotees. I communicate with everyone, only, personally.”
Therefore, both during his lifetime and now, one must be very careful when people appear to broadcast allegedly on behalf of Sathya Sai Baba. He himself warned us against falling into the traps of such swindlers. One must try to independently establish a heart-centered, spiritual connection with God.
Of course, it is easy to understand the principle of face-to-face communication for someone who is fortunate enough to be invited for personal talks in Sathya Sai Baba's room many times. But not everyone was given such a unique opportunity. What if a person did not have the opportunity to talk to Sathya Sai Baba physically, and what of those who could not even come to India in order to see Sathya Sai Baba?
Even if you did not manage to communicate with him on the physical plane, this did not change anything because Sathya Sai Baba is beyond time and space. Through meditative experiences, intuitive sensations, lucid dreaming experiences, Sathya Sai Baba always communicates directly and personally with everyone.
21. Photography with God
I can honestly say I never wanted to take a picture with Sathya Sai Baba, although during personal communication I had such an opportunity. I had the opportunity to take pictures with Sathya Sai Baba many times, but I did not want to physically imprint my closeness with him as it was always enough for me that he resides in my heart. I do not think that taking a picture with Sathya Sai Baba as a keepsake was bad, of course not. Several times I took pictures of him with devotees at his own request.
I always wanted to communicate with Sathya Sai Baba as much as possible and being near him was my highest happiness. Communication with him was invaluable for me, and I understood that as an interpreter I was given a great opportunity to realize the dream of direct communication.
Constantly, I mentally asked for as many interviews as possible, and Sathya Sai Baba answered this inner request of mine, in full. Sometimes I got interviews with a group of friends, and sometimes I went as a translator with groups I didn't know, and then there were cases where I was personally invited.
Being Sathya Sai Baba's interpreter was a great opportunity, because I always sat right next to his chair, which gave me consistent opportunity for close, direct communication. Even though I translated for the group, there were always moments for personal questions.
I once attended an interview that included an Indian family from Delhi; the parents and two children, a boy and a girl. Sathya Sai Baba materialized a watch for the girl as a gift. Her little brother looked especially annoyed as he stared upon the beautiful watch. His expression showed so much sadness as if he would soon burst into tears because he had not received a gift too.
Seeing the boy's distress, Sathya Sai Baba instantly materialized a camera and presented it to the astonished child. The happiness of the child was boundless! He enthusiastically held the gift and carefully examined it. A moment later, Sathya Sai Baba took the boy's camera and gave it to me, asking me to take a picture of him with this Indian family.
Sathya Sai Baba playfully embraced the children, while the happy parents stood nearby. I found a good shot and tried to take a picture, but the camera didn't work. Sathya Sai Baba laughed and ordered me to give the camera back. I did so and he easily took a few pictures of everyone present. After that, he again gave the camera to me and asked me to take pictures. Despite all my attempts to take at least one picture, the camera would not work.
I felt uncomfortable with my helplessness. It seemed in my hands, the camera wouldn’t work, but as soon as I gave it to Sathya Sai Baba, it took pictures normally. Sathya Sai Baba hilariously joked, “all this modern technology is solid magic – sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.”
Finally, I realized that everything happening was a joke of Sathya Sai Baba. With a smile, I turned to him and said that in order to take a picture I needed a blessing. Sathya Sai Baba shook his head approvingly and raised his right hand in blessing. After that, I was able to easily take some good shots.
22. Sathya Sai Baba appeared on the photo
This story was told to me by Mr. Subba Rao, one of the oldest devotees of Sathya Sai Baba. Not far from Bangalore there is a comprehensive school founded by Sathya Sai Baba. In the early ‘90s, the school celebrated its anniversary. Teachers and students invited Sathya Sai Baba to attend the event and he gave his consent promising to come without fail. The day came, but Sathya Sai Baba did not come, despite the fact that teachers and students were waiting for him.
The whole day there was a lavish music and dance program, in which all the students at the school participated. The children hoped they would be able to demonstrate their skills in front of Sathya Sai Baba, but, alas, he was absent. By the end of the holiday, the children were deeply upset and disappointed by the absence of their beloved Sai.
During the holiday, several photographers took numerous pictures. To everyone's surprise, one of the pictures taken during the program clearly showed that Sathya Sai Baba was standing on the stage next to the children, although he was not physically there.