From Dream to Reality: My encounter with Sri Sathya Sai Baba

An unexpected spiritual journey

Life can be full of surprises if we welcome them with an open mind into our lives.

When I lived in Rome in my twenties, I had a profound spiritual experience.

Until then, the name Sai Baba was unknown to me. It was our drama teacher who introduced us to him.

For those unfamiliar with Sai Baba of Puttaparthi (also known to millions of people in the world as Sathya Sai Baba, Sai Baba, Swami, Bhagavan, or simply as Baba), he was a renowned Indian spiritual teacher. At the age of fourteen, he claimed that he was the reincarnation of Shirdi Sai Baba and left his home to accept his devotees.

The Sathya Sai Baba movement emerged around 1970, gaining popularity in various countries worldwide.

He is renowned for his humanitarian endeavors as well as for his promotion of religious harmony. His followers consider him to be an avatar (a “descent” or incarnation of God). His alleged miracles, materializations of vibhuti(holy ash) and other small objects proved to be a source of both fame and controversy.

My teacher was a dedicated follower of Sai Baba for many years. Every weekend, she gathered a small group of devotees in the room adjacent to our acting school to engage in collective chanting and worship for Sai Baba.

We never had the chance to witness these gatherings because there was no school during the weekend.

The stories about him that she would tell us between classes were not an attempt to ‘convert us’ but rather an expression of her profound devotion and a genuine desire to share her love for Sai Baba with us.

Once, as actors, she asked us if we were willing to put together a small show in his honor, as his birthday was approaching, and perform in front of the other devotee friends. She even gave each of us a little sample of the ‘Vibhuti’ for protection and a picture of Sai Baba.

We accepted and put together a small ‘show’ with beautiful chanting and lights.

During that time in Rome, I was personally going through a tough period as a young individual facing financial struggles.

While most of the other students were still living at home with their parents and attending college simultaneously, I left my hometown to move to Rome to study acting. Since I didn’t come from a wealthy family, I also had to work hard to pay for rent, other expenses, and school tuition.

I was physically exhausted and couldn’t keep up with the extra hours of rehearsals.

But then something really unexpected and beautiful happened.

I had a ‘dream’!

At least, that’s what it seemed like to me at that time.

I remember waking up and remembering this dream vividly (which is very unusual for me). That morning, I casually shared the dream with one of my friends from school before we arrived.

She looked at me and said, “You absolutely must tell our teacher about your dream.”

And so I did.

I was not one of my teacher’s favorite students; my friend was. All teachers have their favorite pupils, especially in the acting field.

As soon as we all got there, including my teacher, my friend announced:

“Iosé has a special dream she would like to share with us.”

They all gathered around, my teacher sitting further down while I was sitting on the little stage, and so I began to recount my dream:

“I was, I believe, in my room, sitting on my bed, wrestling with the burden of mental and physical exhaustion, wondering how I was going to manage it, contemplating whether I would make it until the end of the school year.

Perhaps I was discussing this with a friend in the dream, or maybe I was alone, and my mind was filled with worrisome thoughts.

Initially, the dream seemed like a very realistic and commonplace scenario.

The ordinary took a turn though when, suddenly, the image of Sai Baba materialized in the room. He was standing right in front of me, with a big smile on his face and a calming voice reassuring me:

“ You don’t have to worry about anything. From now on I will take care of you…”

and then slowly he disappeared.

I woke up, left with the imprint of a ‘simple,’ yet profound, moment.”

As soon as I finish telling the dream, I can see my teacher’s jaw drop in disbelief, her gaze filled with a hint of envy.

She tells me that in all those years she has been devoted to Sai Baba, she has been hoping every night for him to visit in her dreams, but it never happened so far.

“That wasn’t just a dream, Iosè, it was an appearance. He came to visit you. What it meant was true. You are truly blessed and fortunate” she declares.

I didn’t see any of this at that time.

All I know is that, from that moment onward, I became, in her eyes, ‘the chosen one.’

Shortly after, she approached me and handed me a set of keys to one of her houses in the city — a small private residence with a garden in the heart of Rome.

She said, “You don’t have to work hard to cover your rent expenses. From now on, you can live in this house!”

I was at a loss for words. Should I accept such a generous offer based on a mere ‘dream,’ I wondered.

I gave some thought to it before saying yes, but then, between all the encouragement from my friends and her genuine will of wanting to help, I ultimately said yes. I moved to this enchanting house for a year, and it felt like living in a dream.

From a shared, modest 3-bedroom apartment in a less glamorous part of the city, I transitioned to one of the most beautiful and centrally located areas of the city.

Plus, it was all for me, and I didn’t have to worry about working two jobs just to cover all my expenses and ‘survive.’ I could finally take a little break and enjoy the drama school as much as the other students!

As for Sai Baba’s dream, I find it uniquely special and, at the same time, challenging to fully interpret its meaning. The memory of that dream lingers, and I still have his picture image and Vibhuti somewhere.

What I do know is that during that period and on numerous other occasions in my life, I felt a sense of profound protection.

I’m grateful for the positive opportunities that have come my way in life so far. While life isn’t perfect and is not always easy, it’s crucial to appreciate the good things that have happened rather than focusing on the negative aspects only, a tendency that many of us often fall prey to.

My encounter with Sai Baba in that dream remains a lasting reminder that, even during challenging times, unexpected sources of support and guidance can emerge, providing the strength needed to face life’s uncertainties.

Giving ourselves the freedom to perceive and welcome the support available at the moment is vital. It allows us to look beyond our immediate challenges, opening doors to infinite possibilities and growth.

Originally published on Medium – © 2023 Iose Cocuzza. All rights reserved.