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30. Prema Sai Baba and Mahavatar Babaji
Starting from 2021, the boy Prema Sai Baba started frequently talking about Mahavatar Babaji, the immortal yogi from the Himalayas. What do we know about Babaji?
Mahavatar Babaji is the Himalayan Mahatma. Since the middle of the 20th century, a lot of publications about him have gradually appeared. Speculation has been made about his birth, life and mission, but Babaji remains a mystery.
Mahavatar Babaji is at the absolute level of enlightenment. He is a physically immortal master, which is the perfect stage of development, beyond human understanding. Around us, people are born, live life, and then die. The surrounding reality convinces us that all people are mortal. That is why information about the immortal Himalayan Mahatmas causes mixed feelings, from admiration to skepticism.
Of course, physical immortality is not the goal of divine evolution. We follow the path of spiritual self-improvement in order to know God in our spiritual heart. This process can be described in different ways.
Someone talks about merging with God, someone prefers to talk about the awakening of God in the spiritual heart, for someone this is the way of knowing the truth about God, dissolving in God, rising to God, etc.
It is not so important how we try to describe the path of divine evolution. What is important is that this path is associated with the transformation of consciousness and self-realization of the original unity of the soul and God. Physical immortality is a natural consequence of higher enlightenment, as explained by my Kriya Yoga meditation guru, Yogi Ramaiah (1923-2006).
Prema Sai Baba says that Mahavatar Babaji really exists and is one of the greatest spiritual mentors of mankind. In 2021, Prema Sai Baba talked about Babaji so often that at times there was a feeling of Babaji's invisible presence in Prema Sai's house.
Prema Sai Baba performed the first great ritual of worship to Mahavatar Babaji at the foot of Mount Arunachala. Subsequently, he performed several more worship ceremonies at his home in the village of Doddamallur. These events are truly a great mystery, pointing to the joint mission of the three Sai Avatars and Mahavatar Babaji on Earth in the name of the spiritual transformation of mankind.
In my main book, Creativity of Eternal Life, the first and second parts are devoted to the life and teachings of Mahavatar Babaji. One of the sources of reliable information about Mahavatar Babaji was my guru, Yogi Ramaiah.
I was lucky to comprehend the wisdom of the practice of meditation and mantra under the guidance of Yogi Ramaiah for 12 years. The uniqueness of Yogi Ramaiah was that he studied in the Himalayan cave ashram of Babaji in the middle of the 20th century.
Mahavatar Babaji lives in the Himalayas, but he can appear anywhere in the world to meet with disciples and give spiritual instructions. That is why it is not necessary to travel to the distant Himalayas in order to see a great teacher.
If you are spiritually and energetically ready, he himself can miraculously appear in front of you at any moment, even if you are at home in any part of the world.
By attuning with Mahavatar Babaji during meditation or prayer, you can draw on his blessed presence and experience the invisible or even apparent closeness of this supreme teacher.
The body of Mahavatar Babaji is called the "body of eternal youth" because, despite the fact that he has been living on Earth for many aeons, he looks like a young man. My teacher Yogi Ramaiah has repeatedly told me that Babaji looks like a young man of about eighteen years of age, and some direct disciples of Mahavatar Babaji describe his appearance as a young man of about twenty years.
One of the most difficult truths to understand about Mahavatar Babaji is that he is physically immortal. There are many steps on the path of enlightenment and self-realization. At the highest peaks of spiritual experience, the matter of the physical body is also transformed into a luminous golden substance.
The beautiful, eternally youthful body of Mahavatar Babaji does not cast a shadow, because it is itself a source of the purest light. This body does not eat physical food, nor does it need sleep and rest. The most amazing thing about this body is that it does not breathe.
We tend to think that breathing is the basis of life. Human life begins with the first breath and ends with the last breath – breathing is synonymous with life itself. Each inhalation symbolizes birth, and each exhalation symbolizes death.
During the day we experience thousands of small births and deaths; each inhalation and exhalation is a new life, full of new possibilities. Since Mahavatar Babaji is beyond the duality of birth and death, his perfect body does not carry out the process of breathing.
One of my favorite books on self-development and esotericism, which I have been reading and re-reading for many years, is Autobiography of a Yogi by the prominent Indian spiritual teacher Paramahansa Yogananda (1893-1952).
He wrote his autobiography as a captivating novel, in a beautiful literary style, with an unusual plot and vivid descriptions of amazing events. The book contains the deepest information about Mahavatar Babaji and other teachers of the Kriya Yoga tradition.
For a large number of spiritual seekers from various countries, this amazing book was the first experience they had of contact with true divinity, helping them to embark on the path of spiritual self-exploration.
There are many practitioners of meditation and yoga for whom Autobiography of a Yogi is a reference book to help people advance on the path of knowledge of eternal truth.
Paramahansa Yogananda published The Autobiography of a Yogi in 1946, detailing his life story and numerous stories of interactions with prominent spiritual teachers in the Kriya Yoga tradition, including some stories about the legendary Babaji.
For the first time in the history of mankind, in his autobiography, Paramahansa Yogananda openly told a wide readership about the existence of Mahavatar Babaji. It is hard to imagine now, but before the publication of Autobiography of a Yogi, only a small group of advanced yogis knew of Babaji's existence.
In his book, Paramahansa Yogananda mentioned his personal meeting with Mahavatar Babaji. He also talked about how several other teachers of the Kriya Yoga tradition also met directly with the immortal Babaji and received spiritual instructions from him.
Information about Mahavatar Babaji is not just a personal experience or fantasy of Yogananda; it is serious and objective information confirmed by many great yogis who managed to communicate directly with Babaji.
Mahavatar Babaji was not born in the usual way. He appeared from a flash of light on the sacred Mount Kailash in Tibet, which happened in ancient times. He has lived on Earth for many millions of years.
There is another version according to which Mahavatar Babaji was born in the 3rd century A.D. in southern India, near the city of Chidambaram, where one of the world's largest temples of the god, Shiva is located.
As a very young man, he practiced meditation and mantras for only a few months, after which he attained supreme enlightenment. The variety of assumptions and versions about the birth of Mahavatar Babaji should not confuse or create contradictions. Let everyone follow their own version.
31. Swayambhu Lingam with a relief of the trident of the god, Shiva
We now come to one of the most significant first miracles performed by Prema Sai Baba. I narrate the miracles of Prema Sai Baba not quite in chronological order. The chronological sequence, in my opinion, is not as significant as the intuitive feeling in the presentation of the information, which is more important.
When Prema Sai Baba was about five years old, he blessed a small piece of land in the jungle on the outskirts of the village of Bewur. This village is located fifteen kilometers from his home village, Doddamallur.
The mother of Prema Sai Baba, whose name is Teja Mani, was born and raised in the village of Bewur. Naturally, the divine boy often visits the village of Bewur, where his numerous maternal relatives live. The boy blessed a piece of land in the neighboring jungle, and as a result of this blessing, a stone Lingam began to grow from under the ground.
When an artifact begins to grow by itself from underground, in Sanskrit it is called Swayambhu, which translates as "self-arising". When the Lingam gradually began to grow from the ground, no one paid attention to the features of this stone. However, over time it became clear there was a relief on the plane of the stone.
On this stone (Lingam) one can clearly see the miraculous trident of the god, Shiva. Looking at this relief, you might think that some sculptor made it. The outlines are very clear and graceful, and it's hard to believe that something like this can just materialize.
I personally observed how gradually this stone appeared from under the ground. The process took place approximately during the period of three years. When Prema Sai Baba was nine years old, with his blessing, the family built a small temple on the site of the manifestation of the Lingam.
In February 2021, the opening ceremony of the temple took place, which was attended by several hundred people. The celebration began at sunrise and ended only in the late evening. The inauguration of the new Lord Shiva Temple marked a new stage in the development of Prema Sai Baba's mission. Jaya Lakshmi Amma attended the consecration of the temple.
Once a year, solemn ritual services and worship on the Lingam are performed in the temple. This unique Lingam continues to slowly grow, even now. Most likely, this process will stop, of which Prema Sai Baba already hinted at.
Every year on February 6, the anniversary of the founding of the miraculous Lord Shiva Temple, which was built by the devotees and relatives of Prema Sai Baba near the village of Bewur, is celebrated.
As I have already mentioned, this wonderful Lingam is located near the village where Prema Sai Baba's mother, Teja Mani, was born. There are several ancient Hindu temples in this area. On one hill is the temple complex of the god, Vishnu, and on the other hill is the temple of the god, Shiva.
Divine spirits live on the subtle plane in ancient temples. During important temple festivals, these spirits are possessed by some mediums who fall into deep trance states for several hours.
In my opinion, all spirits living in local temples are divided into several groups. The first group is spirits from the family of the god, Shiva. A separate group of spirits belong to the family of the god, Vishnu. And another group of spirits belongs to the goddess, Shakti.
I have repeatedly observed how during the rituals these spirits move into mediums, and each group of spirits has its own group of mediums. For example, the spirits from the family of the god, Shiva inhabit only their mediums, the spirits of the family of the god, Vishnu in theirs, and the spirits of the family of the goddess, Shakti in theirs.
Hinduism as a religious tradition is very diverse both in terms of numerous philosophical schools and levels of the tradition itself. There are six main schools of Vedantic philosophy (Sankhya, Yoga Shastra, Nyaya, Vaisheshika, Mimamsa, Vedanta), three main schools of Vedanta (Advaita Vedanta, Vishishta-Advaita Vedanta, Dvaita Vedanta), as well as four main areas of yoga (Bhakti Yoga, Karma Yoga, Dhyana yoga, Jnana yoga).
In parallel with these high philosophical systems, there are many mystical traditions in Indian villages that formally belong to Hinduism but are more similar to shamanic practices of communicating with the spirits of nature.
In the vicinity of Doddamallur and Bewur there are a lot of forest altars associated with the veneration of the spirits of the fields and the jungle, as well as the spirits of snakes.
Among the locals there are mediums (shamans) who practice communication with these various spirits. Such practices have nothing to do with the rituals performed by brahmins, Hindu priests. In fact, this is a parallel mystical culture that existed even before the Aryans brought the Vedas to India.
Let's get back to the story of the temple holidays in the village of Bewur, where the ancient temples of the god, Shiva and the god, Vishnu are located. During the rituals in the local ancient temples, it is interesting to watch the boy Prema Sai Baba, who always keeps his distance from the rituals in the village temples.
At the most important moments of the temple ceremonies, Prema Sai Baba may tell the devotees standing next to him to immediately approach the medium in a trance. At some moments, the divine presence of the god, Shiva becomes more intense.
Prema Sai Baba's recommendations like this show that he is in control of everything that happens. Behind his childish form is an omniscient and wise Avatar.
32. Not everyone will recognize and accept Prema Sai Baba
Some of the devotees of Sathya Sai Baba will not be able to recognize and accept Prema Sai Baba. It's a fact. Whether you like it or not, it's true. One can develop spiritually by concentrating exclusively on Sathya Sai Baba.
There are many spiritual seekers who follow the path of searching for truth, concentrating their attention on Krishna, Buddha, Jesus Christ. Some do not accept Avatars at all, arguing that God is the impersonal Absolute, beyond form and name.
In Vedic philosophy, impersonal consciousness or the Absolute is denoted by several terms, in particular Brahman or Atman. In Taoism, the ultimate reality is called Tao, which is the universal principle and impersonal consciousness.
If someone prefers to perceive the truth as Brahman, Atman or Tao, then for such people it is extremely difficult to accept and understand the possibility of the existence of the Avatar phenomenon.
Not all religious people and spiritual seekers in general are ready to imagine that God can incarnate among people. Looking at various sacred texts, we see that the Bible and the Koran, the Upanishads and the Buddhist sutras, the Brahma Sutra and the Tao Te Ching do not suggest, even on a theoretical level, that God can incarnate.
Any prophet, or even the Messiah is still not God, but a messenger from God. Studying such Vedic texts as Ramayana, Mahabharata and Bhagavatam, we see that the central idea of these texts is the story of God's incarnations on Earth.
Thus, there are many sacred texts that tell of the incarnation of God on Earth, and there are sacred texts of various religions that do not even theoretically allow the possibility that God can incarnate in human form.
All these reflections show not everyone is destined to recognize the phenomenon of the incarnation of God in the form of Prema Sai Baba, and this is completely normal. Each person must follow his own spiritual path; we are all different, and this is wonderful.
Some accept God as the supreme personality (Vishnu, Jehovah), and others as impersonal consciousness (Brahman, Atman, Tao). Some believe that God can personally incarnate among people (Rama Avatar, Krishna, Buddha, Jesus Christ, Sathya Sai Baba), and others consider it impossible. Any point of view, and any approach is valid. Everyone realizes the truth in their own way.
Sathya Sai Baba said many times during his lifetime that not all devotees will be able to accept him in his next incarnation when he incarnates as Prema Sai Baba. This means the current situation is predicted by Sathya Sai Baba. Some accept Prema Sai Baba, and others deny it.
Unfortunately, those who cannot recognize Prema Sai Baba begin to criticize and deny the divine in him. The most important thing is to be careful and respectful, because criticizing God can accumulate very negative karma.
You can call someone a fraud and a liar, but what if that someone turns out to be the true incarnation of God? By the way, even in India, some gurus denied Sathya Sai Baba, calling him a deceiver.
How can you criticize God? You may not understand God's plan, but you should not criticize it. It is very difficult to understand so many candidates for Prema Sai Baba, but we must be willing to appreciate the many faces of God.
The most important thing is to open your spiritual heart and observe the events. It is important to respect the opinions and feelings of other Sai Baba followers.
In the past, there were many divine teachers on Earth, such as Krishna, Buddha and Jesus Christ. Modern spiritual practitioners can develop spiritually with the help of these eminent masters of the past.
Not everyone needs to accept Prema Sai Baba, it is possible to gain enlightenment by building a spiritual connection with Sathya Sai Baba, Krishna, Jesus Christ, and Buddha.
There are already many theories about what the life and mission of Prema Sai Baba will look like. There are many assumptions, but no one knows exactly how his life and work will look. How can you predict God?
There is speculation that Prema Sai Baba will be married and father two children. However, there are versions that he will not be married. If Prema Sai Baba is married, then who will be able to become his wife?
I am writing this book when he is eleven years old – a unique moment. I can testify about many events of his childhood, but everything that concerns his life at an older age is covered with a veil of mystery.
Where will his ashram be? Most likely between Bangalore and Mysore, in the state of Karnataka, in southern India. Some say Prema Sai Baba will not have an ashram at all, for he will be a completely unusual guru.
Today we, the people who live in the house of Prema Sai Baba, do not know of these outcomes or how he will develop in the future. We know and feel the great cosmic energies of the divine boy. It is already clear that Prema Sai Baba will be very different from his previous incarnation, Sathya Sai Baba.
Some people think that Prema Sai Baba will be a repetition of Sathya Sai Baba. This will definitely not be the case. This is the root of the error of many Sai devotees. That is why some cannot recognize him, because they expect a repetition of the lifestyle and appearance of Sathya Sai Baba, but this is impossible.
A new era has come, new realities and new vibrations at the global level. Those who expect Prema Sai Baba to be a copy of Sathya Sai Baba will simply never recognize him, because in this incarnation he is completely different.
There is speculation that Prema Sai Baba will behave in an unusual and eccentric way. Who knows, maybe he will ride a luxury motorcycle, or dance with friends at discos and nightclubs. How will you react to this?
What if Prema Sai Baba collects expensive cars? What if there are rumors about stories of love affairs and much more? Of course, we must understand that rumors are not facts.
There are predictions that Prema Sai Baba will constantly provoke his followers with his unusual behavior. Perhaps he himself will generate many strange assumptions and dubious suspicions about his lifestyle and behavior. Who knows?
33. Parents of God
Prema Sai Baba was born in the very south of India, in the state of Karnataka, in the village of Doddamallur. His parents belong to a family that for many generations worshiped the god, Shiva.
Prema Sai Baba's father's name is Mahesh, and he comes from the village of Doddamallur. Every Hindu family has a "main temple of the family", which family members regularly visit for many generations. The main temple of the Mahesh family (Prema Sai's father) is located near the city of Mysore.
The whole family makes a pilgrimage to this temple of Lord Shiva several times a year. I was lucky enough to visit this temple several times with Prema Sai Baba and his parents. Prema Sai Baba's mother's name is Teja Mani, she was born and raised in the village of Bewur, also in the state of Karnataka.
The Prema Sai Baba boy has been hosting visitors and followers in his home since the age of two and a half. Indian followers most often come for a couple of hours to see the divine child and receive blessings.
However, Russian devotees, and devotees from other countries, are more likely to come for a couple of weeks. There is no ashram yet, so there is no program on a daily basis. Sometimes devotees come to the house, or those who want to inquire. Prema Sai Baba’s Parents hospitably accepts everyone, regardless of the worldview of their visitors.
Big holidays are organized several times a year: Shivaratri (end of winter – beginning of spring), Prema Sai Baba's birthday (June 28), Guru Purnima (beginning or middle of July), Sathya Sai Baba's birthday (November 23). These festivals are organized by Jaya Lakshmi Amma, sometimes in Bangalore and sometimes in Doddamallur.
It is Jaya Lakshmi Amma who organizes all the rituals and feeding of the participants during the festivals, and Prema Sai Baba is present at the holidays, blessing those who come.
