Touching Feet? Yeah, No Thanks.

I was sitting at home one summer afternoon. in 2016, It was 3pm.

I remember this experience well.

When you have this sort of thing happen you never, ever forget.

I was reading a book of devotional stories from a group of Australian devotees who had visited Sathya Sai Baba in the 90s. The name of the book escapes me now, but it’s still sitting on my shelf at home.

I found it at Revelations Bookstore on Chapel Street.

At the time, I was still green and raw in my spiritual journey. I didn’t understand the meaning of devotion.

You can’t understand it intellectually.

It took me nine years for true devotion to flower in my heart.

I was reading these stories…

and honestly?

I couldn’t help but feel disgusted, even repulsed at the thought of people getting down on their knees and touching someone’s feet.

What in the fuck was this nonsense?

These days?

I can’t help but fall to my knees in the presence of Sri Siva Jyothi Mouna Siddha Swami, a living guide to the Divine for me sent by my guru, Sri Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi.

It’s quite the turnaround.

Anyway, back to that summer afternoon.

I was reading the book when I suddenly felt tired.

Extremely tired.

For no reason at all.

I fell asleep.

And I had a vivid dream.

I was seeing myself in third person. Watching myself walk.

It looked like I was in a large temple space.

I was scanning myself from behind stone pillars watching myself walk slowly toward Sathya Sai Baba, who was sitting on a golden chair.

We were surrounded by a river of flowing water.

The whole thing lasted maybe seven or eight seconds.

Then I woke up.

I couldn’t believe it.

What was that?

I knew it wasn’t random.

This was a real dream, one of those with serious implications.

It felt like… an invitation.

I went downstairs and told my dad.

“I just had the weirdest dream.”

He asked what happened, so I told him.

He didn’t seem too fazed.

He’s on his own journey, a different path to mine.

All he said was,

“Sounds interesting.”

I never forgot that experience.

Not until I finally travelled to India in 2018 to find out what it really meant.

The seed had been planted.

And I was curious.