Page 44 - WLMIG_6132004.indd

Alexander had explained to him that no one was allowed to drink, smoke, or eat meat or fish in Prasanthi Nilayam. Dimitri agreed to obey these rules, but insisted that he would not read books about Sai Baba. On their second day at the ashram, Alexander gave his friend three of the latest editions of a magazine about Sai. On the third day, before going to bed, Dimitri at last opened one of these magazines and thumbed through it. He chose only those pages where Swami himself spoke. Oddly enough, he became transfixed and continued reading through the night in the bathroom so that the others in the room could sleep undisturbed.
The next day at darshan, Alexander arrived early and sat in the second row from the front, saving a place for his friend in the row right behind him. Arriving later, Dimitri managed to successfully move through the huge gathering and find his place. Swami appeared and passed by Alexander. As he passed, he looked straight at Alexander and Dimitri and made a sign with his hand three times. Alexander thought it was meant for him and understood it as a blessing. He felt happy by this sign of aention from Swami.
After darshan, Dimitri told Alexander, with great excitement, that the night before he saw Swami in a dream and spoke with him. It was a very unusual dream because he could see everything very clearly and he could remember everything as if it were real. Agitated and confused, Dimitri could not understand whether this event was an ordinary dream prompted by what he had read or whether it somehow held more significance.
The Dream
Swami was siing at the podium in an auditorium where Dimitri usually delivered lectures to students. Dimitri was seated opposite Swami at a table as if he were a student.
(Swami) “You want an interview. You’ll have it now. You always liked double lectures—2 x 45 minutes without a break; you will now have such a period yourself. You may ask me questions.”
44