spiritual experience accumulated in the process of life.
Jesus talked about building up treasures in heaven. Heaven is a symbol of the soul, and treasures are a spiritual experience. These treasures are always yours and no one can take them away or steal them from you; moreover, the more you share these treasures, i.e., your spiritual experience, the more enriched you are. Conversely, material treasures are subject, according to Jesus, to impermanence, corruption, and thieves.
Let's be clear once again, Sathya Sai Baba, Krishna and Jesus did not say that nothing should be done or everything should be divided equally in a communistic way, no, and again no. Everything that is rightfully yours should be yours, but without attachment. Only then can you fully fulfill your spiritual task in life and be happy under any circumstances.
Let's go back to one of the examples that Sathya Sai Baba often pointed out – the life of Emperor Janaka. Emperor Janaka lived five or six thousand years before the new era. He was a sage and an enlightened yogi who studied philosophy and practiced meditation. He was an enlightened emperor.
Janaka was a physically strong and healthy man, and he was happy in his family life. He justly ruled his city and participated in battles. He was fabulously rich, lived in the palace and his robes were decorated with precious stones. At the same time, Janaka was the greatest mystic and philosopher of ancient India. Emperor Janaka, using the example of his life, showed the path of integral development of the personality.
In the inner world of every person there is a hierarchy of positive images. Much is said about this in modern esotericism and psychology, but in fact it was already well known in the ancient Vedic tradition.
Sometimes it is difficult to understand why in life something works, and yet, something else does not. Of course, there are many reasons for success and failure, but an important factor in the outcome is the quality of the positive images invisibly present in the depths of your consciousness.
Positive images can be real people you know personally: relatives, friends, teachers, and they can be historical figures: saints, national heroes, political leaders, great scientists, and artists. A positive image builds the circumstances of life and determines the direction of your energy.
You unconsciously begin to imitate those positive images and begin to build the circumstances of life. It is important to consciously build positive images because it is the positive images that subsequently direct the circumstances of your life in an upward trajectory.
The positive image of Emperor Janaka shown in Indian history reveals that a person who practices meditation and reflects on the eternal issues of being can at the same time be harmonious and successful in their material life. Emperor Janaka is an excellent example of the unity of Spirit and Matter.
A yogi is not one who avoids family life and is afraid to touch money, naively assuming to achieve holiness by denying material existence. A true yogi is one who has gained self-realization: he is in harmony with himself and everyone around him, and lives life joyfully and happily in the awareness of absolute unity.
48. Sathya Sai Baba blessings manifest on all levels of human existence
Sathya Sai Baba is the greatest miracle worker. He often organized large Vedic ceremonies in his ashram, despite the fact that he himself was not a follower of any one of the world religions; nevertheless, he still paid great attention to the development of the Vedic tradition. During such programs, a large number of clergymen would come, as well as many devotees. The program always lasted for several days. Vedic Mantras were repeated from morning to evening along with worship.
On one occasion, after the clergy performed the final part of the ceremony, and with only a couple of hours remaining before completion of program, black thunderclouds began to fill the sky and it began to pour. Thunder clapped, nearby, as bright lightning flashed. Everyone present began to worry because the completion of the ritual would be disrupted due to the change of weather. At that time, the main temple had not yet been built so the entire program took place in the open air.
Sathya Sai Baba calmly looked at the sky and said there was no need to worry, as it would not rain. He carefully looked toward the black clouds, closed his eyes for a moment and raised his hand as a sign of blessing. Instantly, the clouds disappeared, and the sun shone.
The strength of Sathya Sai Baba’s energy was so great that people, driving up to the ashram, already forty kilometers away began to feel a special energy. He was not just a philosopher who commented on sacred and philosophical texts. Sathya Sai Baba possessed tremendous superhuman strength, which he manifested for the benefit of all people.
The energy power of Sathya Sai Baba is enormous. He was able to help tens of millions of people in such a way that every single person felt a personal, spiritual connection with him. He transformed all levels of human existence.
Sathya Sai Baba's blessings manifested in all aspects of human life, from finding a happy family life, building successful business projects, healing from serious illnesses, strengthening excellent health to having protection in dangerous situations. Most importantly, his blessings helped people realize their purpose in life and actualize their dormant talents.
49. Space of spiritual evolution
Spirituality does not mean the life of a hermit, on the contrary, true spirituality involves active participation in the life of human society. Spirituality is to sow the seeds of divine love in the hearts of all people, to work so that all of humanity flourishes and develops in harmony and peace.
(Sathya Sai Baba – "Summer Showers of Brindavan", 1990)
Yes, it is a very common misconception that a spiritual person should be a hermit and an ascetic. For centuries, official religion has reduced the spiritual path to mere external renunciation, or worse, imitation of renunciation. The spiritual path is "subtler than the subtle," it consists
