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.
