20. Sathya Sai Baba told me my name
Sathya Sai Baba was absolutely clairvoyant. He knew all the thoughts of the people before they had time to say anything. However, during personal interactions, Sathya Sai Baba sometimes asked questions from those present. What question could Sathya Sai Baba ask and why? In my opinion, the questions that he asked were aimed, first of all, at pushing and directing a person to reflection. These were questions he did not require an answer to. His questions helped people to think deeply about the essence of their lives. Once Sathya Sai Baba asked me a question. He said, “what is your name?” I answered that my name is Svyatoslav (Dubyanskiy). Then he said, “yes, that is the correct answer. Your name is Svyatoslav (Dubyanskiy).”
At that moment, I thought that he asked me this question in order to get to know me, because this was my first personal contact with him. Subsequently, I realized the significance of this question was that I did not need to receive a so-called «spiritual name.»
During the following years, I visited several Indian and Tibetan yogis and received empowerments and initiations into various meditation techniques and mantras. During my travels in India, various esoteric schools tried to give me a «spiritual name» three times. The first time it happened at the Tantric Ashram in the very south of India, the second time at the Tibetan Nyingma School, and the third time at the Kriya Yoga Ashram in the Himalayas. Every time they tried to give me a “spiritual name,” I remembered the words of Sathya Sai Baba and felt I was not at all comfortable changing my real name. This does not mean that Sai Baba was against «spiritual names.» I know several cases when he himself gave «spiritual names.»
Giving «spiritual names» is an ancient and very deep tradition. By accepting a new name, a person changes his destiny and reveals new qualities in himself. For some, the adoption of a «spiritual name» is very beneficial, but it is not for everyone.