India has dozens of major languages and many dialects, each with its own unique script. Sathya Sai Baba's native language was Telugu, a very beautiful and melodic language. At school, Sathya Sai Baba studied his native Telugu and Hindi, as well as a basic level of English, however, throughout his life he repeatedly demonstrated the ability to speak perfectly in any language with perfect grammar and pronunciation.

When people from different parts of India came to Sathya Sai Baba, he spoke to everyone in his native dialect, but when he quoted the sacred Indian scriptures, he spoke fluently in ancient Sanskrit. Almost always Sathya Sai Baba spoke to foreign guests in English, but sometimes he could show his ability to speak in the native language of each visitor.

I had the opportunity of personal contact with Sathya Sai Baba from 1993 to 1999. I am often asked how many interviews I was lucky enough to receive in those years. At first, I wrote down the dates when personal meetings took place, and after their number exceeded one hundred, I stopped counting.

Sometimes, Sathya Sai Baba invited me to meetings as an interpreter to translate the conversation from English into Russian, and sometimes he invited me to meetings in order to communicate with me personally. Even when I went as an interpreter, I always had the opportunity to talk to him about my personal topics. As a translator, I always sat next to him, so it was often possible to take a moment to discuss my questions, but not at the expense of the group for which I was translating.

During the first interviews, I was very worried as I felt my role was such a great responsibility. I wondered if I would be able to understand exactly what Sathya Sai Baba was saying, and whether or not I would be able to accurately translate his words; after all, I was not a professional translator.

When I made a mistake and inaccurately translated a phrase, Sathya Sai Baba corrected me and did it in two ways. Sometimes he told me with a smile that I had not translated correctly and repeated the phrase in English again. Thus, showing me and everyone present that he understood how I translated into Russian.

Sometimes Sathya Sai Baba corrected me in a different way, saying a phrase in pure Russian! This was heard by all those present. Of course, it caused great surprise and delight. He spoke phrases in Russian with perfect grammar and pronunciation and could point out my mistake, exactly.

Why did Sathya Sai Baba use translators? I think that the number of miracles around Sathya Sai Baba was so great that even without the miracle of knowing all languages, they were quite enough. Communicating with him was a unique experience and if Sathya Sai Baba spoke to everyone in his own language, then people would focus too much on his ability to speak in all languages, and not on the essence of his wise words. In order not to distract the human mind from the essence of his spiritual instructions, he preferred to speak in English.

During one interview, Sathya Sai Baba sat in his chair, which looked more like a throne, while everyone else sat on the carpeted floor right in front of him. Sathya Sai Baba was like a conductor for the interview. Someone came with spiritual and philosophical questions, and someone came with questions concerning the circumstances of life. Quite often people brought photographs of their relatives with them in order for Sathya Sai Baba to bless them.

Only Sathya Sai Baba himself decided how the meeting would go. If he wanted to give someone else a chance to speak, he gave that opportunity, but he could completely ignore someone else. He could turn to someone present and ask: “What questions do you have? What problems do you have? What do you want to say or ask?” Then the person got the right to talk to him and ask his questions.

When some tried to interrupt and ask their questions, Sathya Sai Baba made it very clear whom he wanted to communicate with at that exact moment. There were cases when large groups came, but Sathya Sai Baba could only talk to one person during the whole meeting, and the rest just sat and listened. There were interviews where he could talk to each person in turn. Every time, everything was unpredictable.

When people turned to Sathya Sai Baba with really important questions, he listened attentively and gave detailed answers. If people came who wanted to show off their intelligence and education, he interrupted such a farce. If he understood that a person was not sincere in his questions and asked them only to be smart, he could abruptly interrupt the clever man and point out his hidden vices and problems in front of everyone. Only those who were completely sincere in their questions received deep and comprehensive answers from Sathya Sai Baba.

Personal meetings took place in two rooms. In the first room there were more general discussions. In the second, Sathya Sai Baba invited guests for individual communication, face to face. This room was very small; it had a chair for Sathya Sai Baba, but it was very simple. This room accommodated a maximum of three or four people, and here Sathya Sai Baba became more at home and informal, more like a close friend.

In the large room, people sat at some distance and the communication was a little stricter, but in the small room, the distance seemed to disappear. As a rule, more personal matters were discussed in the small room. People sat very close to Sathya Sai Baba and there was direct and friendly communication with a unique feeling of family. Sathya Sai Baba was no longer perceived as a great and famous guru, instead he was perceived as a very close friend.

Almost everyone who personally talked with him at least once remembered this amazing feeling for the rest of their lives. People would leave his room and enter a special state of peace and bliss for several hours. Imagine the Avatar being completely focused on you for an hour looking into your eyes as you peer into the infinity of his gaze.

After such meetings, I preferred to remain in a deep silence which naturally set in my soul; this could go on for many days, and sometimes for several months. The experience of personal communication with Sathya Sai Baba had a tremendous transformative power.

Sathya Sai Baba took every question that people came to him with, seriously. If a person came with a question related to family life and health, then he would discuss these topics as seriously and attentively as he did questions relating to philosophy and meditation. For him, there were no unimportant topics. Every issue important to a person at that point in their life was significant.

People asked Sathya Sai Baba for advice on what to do in this or that situation, as well as for support and protection. At the same time, he often reminded them that one should remember each person is one hundred percent responsible for everything that happens in their life. Only you can live your life, and only you are personally responsible for your thoughts, your words, and your actions. Sathya Sai Baba cannot live life for you. Only you are able to change your life, for only you are the author of your happiness and your suffering.

There is no need to shift the responsibility for everything that happens in life to Sathya Sai Baba and expect him to solve all your problems, while you are just lazily inactive. Only you can walk the path of your spiritual evolution, and no one can do it for you. You cannot ask Sathya Sai Baba, Krishna, Buddha, or Jesus Christ to meditate for you; you can only meditate on your own.

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