my friends from Kiev met with him, he cordially received them at his Lavra. He continued to serve as a Christian Orthodox priest, but of course he could not openly declare to his church authorities that he had visited Sathya Sai Baba.
I met the second Orthodox priest in the ashram a couple of years later, it was already in the late ‘90s, and he was from the Trinity-Sergius Lavra. This is very symbolic, since the Sergius Lavra is also one of the most important shrines of Christian Russia.
This priest came twice with great interest to see Sathya Sai Baba. I do not know how his fate developed in the future, whether he remained within the framework of the Orthodox Church or not. For me, these stories are important because even if they are thin threads, they still connected the Kiev-Pechersk and Trinity-Sergius Lavra with Sathya Sai Baba.
39. The Dalai Lama and Karmapa wished Sathya Sai Baba long life and success in his worldwide divine mission
Buddhism is one of the largest world religions. In countries such as China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Thailand, Tibet and Mongolia, Buddhism is the main religious tradition. Buddhism is also one of the traditional religions of Russia, along with Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. For many centuries Buddhism has been practiced in the Russian regions of Kalmykia and Buryatia.
Buddhism is a unique religion based on wisdom and compassion. The most important method of the spiritual path of Buddhism is contemplation and meditation. Every year on the full moon in May, Buddha's birthday is celebrated. On this day the most prominent Buddhist teachers, such as the Dalai Lama and the Karmapa, send large delegations to Sathya Sai Baba's ashram.
In Tibetan culture, it is customary to congratulate on the holiday in the form of wishes for a long life and the successful implementation of a spiritual mission. On the birthday of the Buddha in the central temple of the ashram, traditional Buddhist rituals are performed, the content of which are wishes of long life to Sathya Sai Baba and the success of his worldwide divine mission.
I remember how on the birthday of the Buddha, about one hundred Tibetan Lamas gathered in the ashram of Sathya Sai Baba and sang with inspiration: “Om Mani Padme Hum Sai Baba!” It is important not just to talk about unity, it is important to show it in real actions. Sathya Sai Baba was open to all traditions and many traditions were open to him. The greatest Buddhist teachers of our time deeply revered Sathya Sai Baba and considered him the spiritual guide of all mankind. It is very important when spiritual leaders show mutual understanding and unity by example.
40. Sathya Sai Baba Healed My Australian Friend Instantly.
On one of my visits to Puttaparthi, I met an Australian of Lebanese origin, his name was Ron. He was a very interesting person with a unique destiny and a subtle inner world. He played the flute superbly and was well versed in Islamic and Vedic philosophy. At some point of his stay, an insect bit Ron in the left armpit, of which he accidentally tore off the wound, causing an infection. In the Indian climate, such wounds are very dangerous because they do not heal well.
After a few days passed, he began to grow an abscess that looked like a large ball under his armpit. We all began to seriously worry about Ron's health, because if an infection got into the wound in such a hot climate the consequences would be deplorable. Ron went to the hospital every day for procedures, and he was prescribed medicines and ointments. Local doctors advised Ron to go home to Australia as soon as possible, because in a familiar climate it would be much easier to recover. The wound eventually swelled to a large size, about the size of a fist. It was already difficult for him to keep his arm straight, because the sore had already become so large and very painful.
On the day Ron made up his mind to urgently return home to Australia, I met him on the street. We entered the ashram together and decided to go through a small passage that was next to the mandir. During the daytime, the mandir was usually empty, but to our surprise that day, in the very middle of the mandir, we noticed Sathya Sai Baba sitting with a small group of students around him. We stopped and watched Sathya Sai Baba interact with the students.
Suddenly, Sathya Sai Baba turned sharply and looked at us intently, then turned away and continued to communicate with the students. Then, Sathya Sai Baba again looked attentively in our direction. It was clear he was staring at my Australian friend, as there was no one else around except us.
Finally, Sathya Sai Baba turned once more and looked at the Australian, raised his hand in blessing, and then continued to communicate with the students. I knew immediately something unusual had happened. The Australian looked at me and said in a trembling voice that his sore had disappeared. He instantly felt healed.
We stepped aside and Ron took off his shirt. We examined his armpit and realized there were no signs of a wound. Sathya Sai Baba had dematerialized a purulent swollen wound in one second.
41. Several banknotes appeared in Sathya Sai Baba's hand, and he presented them to an astonished American
There were cases when during personal meetings Sathya Sai Baba materialized money. This happened if he believed that the person really needed it. On one of my visits to the ashram, I met a young American of Armenian origin, his name was Michael. He traveled extensively in India and eventually came to Sathya Sai Baba.
In an interview, Sathya Sai Baba said he was well aware Michael had almost run out of money. Michael replied it was true, and that he would like to travel a little more in India, and the money was running out. Sathya Sai Baba smiled and said he would give him some money. This was
