Neshka Robeva Interview About Baba Vanga
What did the prophetess teach you, what did she most often advise you?
Baba Vanga would never impose her advice upon anyone, she would not preach from the pedestal of her uniqueness and genius – her whole life was an example of the essence of teaching. An example for those who have lost their strength and faith, those who were hurt, deprived, sick or lonely… She lived her life under the heavy burden of her mission, without complaining – she never accused or judged anyone, but would offer help to everyone who needed it.
How did she understand faith? Why did she insist so much on faith, on believing in God?
I don’t know how she understood faith – but she carried it within herself, she radiated faith and inspired others. She was enlightened. The power to know and “see” things, unattainable to others, was given to her. This made her sad and apprehensive… Because she knew very well that you couldn’t make anyone believe in God, unless they were willing. Whenever she talked, there were many people around her who listened, but very few who actually heard what she said.
It seems that faith and spiritual awareness hold the key to our salvation. Baba Vanga often used to say: “Bulgarians suffer because they are not believers”. Why do we dismiss this important message from her so lightheartedly?
Because we are not believers. Achieving spiritual awareness is difficult. Not only for us. Look at what’s happening around the world. Baba Vanga would often say: ‘Greediness would kill humanity. Pray to God to save us all” Hardship and suffering can be overcome, if people believe that difficulties come as a response to our individual and collective way of life. We are the ones who are causing them. The situation is like this: our country is being robbed, our people are subject to genocide. Our leaders are more and more incapable and prone to corruption. And all this happens with our participation or lack of such. We are the ones who choose to follow the road of suffering. And maybe this is our destiny…
Did the prophetess make a difference between faith and religion?
I think she did. Many years ago I was at a summer camp in Japan. I ran into some trouble. Baba Vanga told me to light a candle on St Petko’s day (Petkovden). When I told her that it would probably be difficult to find an Orthodox church in Tokyo, she replied: “Go out on the balcony – for the believer, the sky is a church”, I would never forget the words she said about Father Nathanael – the person who sanctified the temple on the Rupite for the first time. He was doing it despite his will. He gave arguments against the sanctification which were ridiculous and could only be uttered by a fanatic. His whole demeanor radiated hostility. He was one of those people who marred the celebration. Baba Vanga said only that he could not be a priest because he was led by hatred and intolerance. She prayed to God to forgive him. But… he was not forgiven. The temple was sanctified for a second time, and shortly after father Nathanael had a bad car accident. Hopefully he understood what the punishment was for.
Baba Vanga always insisted on proper religious rituals, but she as if drew our attention more to the faith inside, to our internal necessity as a manifestation of our virtues.
That is true. There are many things we are not given the knowledge to understand. At her insistence I still continue to make three qurban offerings even now. I still cannot accept the animal sacrifice, but I do not doubt Baba Vanga’s knowledge and the necessity to do as she willed. I have had many opportunities to see that whenever I didn’t listen to her, I was wrong.
You mentioned in one TV show that she talked to you about the Antichrist, about Christ, about Petar Danov. What was God for Baba Vanga?
She used to say that Petar Danov was reborn, and that if she saw him, she would recognize him. For her he was the absolute Teacher. She insisted: “Read Danov, he speaks the truth”. She also said the Antichrist was here on earth, entering every home: a son killing his father, a mother – her daughter. And this is true. I don’t know if humanity has ever witnessed a greater degradation of morality and virtue than that nowadays. As for God, she once asked me how I imagine him and answered the question herself: “God is light. No one has ever seen God”.
What do you think of Baba Vanga’s internal turmoil: “Why did you, God, bestow me with this gift – to tempt me or to make me glorify you!?”
She was suffering. She had taken upon herself the burden of everyone. She was fragile and extremely vulnerable. From time to time, the human inside her would cry out, but – I am convinced – she never lost her faith. When once, self-absorbed, I made an inconsiderate complaint that I could not stand it all anymore, she only uttered: “Then let’s change places”. Even now I feel embarrassed for my whining in front of the woman who had embraced suffering as a constant companion in her life on earth, redeeming our sins as well…
You say she often talked to you in parables and you had to think again and again until you understood what she actually said.
Baba Vanga often cited lines from the Bible and made me read them. It was difficult for me in those moments to decipher them, I wanted ready answers. Later on, when life hit me hard, I understood her lessons.
She once said to you: “Bulgaria will fully recover within 3 years”. Was this related to the choices we could make – to use some qualities or others?
Yes, I think we were given the option to choose our own way. Forgiveness, unity, creation, as opposed to hatred, hostility and destruction. We chose the latter. But do we realize it? Could we soon start walking in the other direction?
Did Baba Vanga feel our evilness and our sins?
She could see and feel what the person in front of her had done. But she judged no one. She felt sorry for that person and prayed for him or her. She believed that everyone comes to this world with a mission and destiny. She insisted on honesty. Sometimes, with pain in her voice, she told me how others stole from her… She gave me as an example a story that happened to her in Thessaloniki – the Icon would not let her enter the church until she returned a single thread she had torn from some rug without asking, to tie up her sock.
Baba Vanga built a temple to remind us that the road to salvation passes through God. Does it bring you some consolation? Do you often go there and what memories does it bring up?
I often go there, it’s beautiful. The place is extraordinary, imbued with positive energy. People would gather there, united by the memory of Baba Vanga. Later on, the legends told from person to person would drive them there, legends about the miracles created by the Prophetess. I believe that she is there, looking at us and helping us. Still suffering for us. Wherever I go, I always light a candle for her first, as if for a living person. I could be wrong, but this comes to me spontaneously. Building the St Petka temple was the crowning deed in Baba Vanga’s mission here on earth.
Is Baba Vanga a saint? What have we failed to do to keep her memory alive?
For me and for those who knew her – yes, she is a saint. But she used to say: “Think of me as a martyr”. We did very little for her. The Baba Vanga foundation finished the building of the monastery complex, thanks to which the Rupite area is full of life. But this is just a small part of the legacy Baba Vanga has left behind. The main part – being good, loving and helping each other, living without hatred, without separation – still seems to be so far away from us.
Baba Vanga Books
On this link you can see the most popular Bulgarian books written on Baba Vanga – http://books.balkanatolia.com
Under “search” simply copy and paste “Баба Ванга” – Baba Vanga in Cyrilic alphabet.
Article Source
The excerpt for this article was taken from Baba Vanga Predictions – Luxurious Edition (In Bulgarian) by Zheni Kostadinova
About The Author
Zheni Kostadinova graduated Philosophy at the Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”. She has worked as an editor at the student TV show “Ku-Ku”, and as a reporter at the National Radio “Horizon”. For over 15 years she is a columnist at “Weekly Trud” newspaper writing about esoteric and psychology. In the same newspaper she is maintaining a page on literature. Zheni Kostadinova is the author of some of the most popular books written on Baba Vanga including “Baba Vanga The Prophetess”, “Baba Vanga Predictions”, “The Secret of Baba Vanga”. Her first book was translated into Russian, Polish, Latvian, Serbian, and Albanian. Zheni is a member of the Union of Bulgarian Writers. She had published three books of poetry: “Fire Sticks (2002), “17 love colors” (2007), and “Fig Jam” (2008). In 2012 Zheni has founded the art-house “Kuklite”. It is a doll gallery and a mini-museum located in the old downtown of Sofia. The gallery exhibits different dolls placed in specific categories. Besides the exhibitions, the art-house “Kuklite” also have the priority to work with children from the local schools, so they learn more about the traditions and customs of the different nations. The main idea is to transform the art-house “Kuklite” into a centre for cultural exchange, creative collaboration between representatives of different fields of art, science and philosophy. The art-house will hold meetings with interesting personalities, and will be a place of exhibitions, seminars, workshops, premieres of books and documentary movies, puppetry, and many other great events. The art-house “Kuklite” will also be a place where collectors can display their favourite artefacts and can share the history associated with them.
Zheni Kostadinova Blog – http://www.jenykostadinova.com/
Art-house “Kuklite” website – http://www.arthouse-kuklite.com/
Facebook page – https://www.facebook.com/arthouse.kuklite
