Sunday, September 14, 2014

How we met ... Part - XX ... with Swami Vishuddhanandji and Amar Jyotiji



This time 5 of us (family members) went to Palampur. 

Of course, when I am attempting to write about my experiences and share the views of the Gurus we interacted with, there is always a danger of errors creeping in because of wrong understanding on my part and lack of skills of expression.  Readers will kindly excuse me and bear with my shortcomings.

First we visited Swami Vishuddhanandji.  He rarely speaks but his smile has some sublime quality about it.  One of the visitors, a lady, asked him for cure of some health problem.  With a beautiful smile he responded by saying, “Dava le lo (take some medicine).  Lady insisted for cure through his blessings.  He again smiled and said, “Prarthan Karo (pray), making it clear that he is there for spiritual evolution of sadhakas and not for resolution of some temporal worldly problems.  This also wards off non-seekers crowding his place.

Those who understand the meaning and significance of satsang and are open to communication through silence can benefit from his presence.  He is a worshipper of Kali and a photograph of Ramkrishna Paramhamsa and Sharda Devi adorns the place where he gives darshan and prasad.  We were there with him for about an hour and this satsang would have had a subtle transforming effect on all of us.

Coming back to the instruction to the lady for ‘prayer’ for resolution of health problems, I am reminded of a number of such instructions in a book titled “Madman’s Jholly” written on the basis of scribbling of Bhagwan Shree Sitaram Omkarnath.

Thereafter we went to Vaidyanath temple and performed abhishek in usual way with ingredients like milk, honey, curd, ghee, water etc.  Of late, I have started enjoying these processes.

And thereafter we reached the Ashram of Swami Amar Jyotiji.  In the hall where he usually gives darshan and where havan is performed every morning and evening, among others, there is a black board.  While waiting for Swamiji to come to the hall, we noticed a very educative article written on it, covering issues which are on the mind of every seeker – issues like separation of soul from parmatma, how it gets caught up with worldly distractions (maya) and how, after good deeds and efforts of a number of lives, it comes in contact with saints and starts working for merging / being with parmatma again.

After a while, he entered the hall.  As usual he was absolutely fresh, smiling and energetic and when we tried to touch his feet, he blessed us in his usual inimitable style by hugging us.  For a while we sat on the floor in the hall where he talked to us.  He beautifully narrated one of his poems echoing yearning of a seeker who finds it difficult to break the contact with the shore (attachments) and get going with the river (eternal life).

Thereafter, I and Artiji (my samadhin) were asked by him to participate in havan in the hall where we were sitting and rest of us were asked to meditate in another hall meant for that purpose.

When havan was over, he took us to a wide verandah outside the hall where we sat with him in chairs.  He called for tea, biscuits and namakeen.  And he himself lovingly served biscuits and namakeen to all of us (there were about 15 persons). 

Referring to one of us (son of my friend and relative), I told Swamiji that the boy has been into sadhana for a number of years and that he is at a stage where he needs support of a Guru.  Swamiji told us that best Guru is one’s mother.  I informed that she is no more in this world.  To that he said that it is the body alone which goes and that the person never dies.  He (the boy) could recall sweet memories of his mother and take inspiration / instructions from her. 

He went on to add that nature is a Guru too.  One should just see how a seed sprouts, grows into a plant or tree, bears a bud which blossoms into a colourful flower with a unique fragrance – experienced directly (without veil of thoughts), it is a profound mystery – it will overwhelm the mind (and help dissolve ego).

This reminded us of a discussion which 5 of us had in the morning on our way to Ashram of Swami Vishuddhanandji that very day.  Noticing that my samadhin was questioning, becoming apprehensive or commenting on practically every situation, my co-brother advised her to gaze into nature or even traffic on the flyovers which are visible from balcony of her flat for about two hours a day – this will, he told, would silence her mind and bring peace to her.  This suggestion got echoed in the instruction of Swamiji.

Perhaps addressing the predicament of the ‘boy’ who felt deeply drawn to sadhana and was apparently not much interested in material pursuits, Swamiji went on to add that in the life of a householder there has to be a balance between work, being with the family and sadhana.  He said that one should work for 8 hours or so for earning livelihood.  And use rest of the time for being with one’s family and doing sadhana.  One should leave one’s office in office – should not carry it home and similarly one should not carry one’s home or sadhana to office.

Continuing with this issue, he thereafter shared two anecdotes relating to common and familiar issue – issue of ‘human greed (and possessiveness)’.  He started with questioning as to how much of our resources we actually use in our lifetimes – answer is obvious, a small fraction.  People go on buying clothes and other items most of which are seldom used.  People go on working for amassing wealth which they do not actually need – it remains in deposits and investments – it is left behind.

An anecdote – a big industrialist had a driver.  After his death, wife married the driver.  After another few years, wife also died leaving all the property to the driver.  The driver was amused to understand that all his life he used to feel that he is working for the industrialist and his wife.  The fact, however, was that they were working for him – they used very little out of their wealth.

The moral of the story is that one should work for only that much which would satisfy his needs and devote rest of the time for sadhana.

Another time, Swamiji noticed extreme greed in one of his visitors.  To make him aware of that and to show how low one can fall on account of greed, Swamiji created a situation.  He asked someone to get a bright glass with cuts resembling that of a big diamond – got it tied on the neck of his big dog.  While sitting with the visitors, he made his dog sit by his side.  The visitor’s eyes were on the diamond and he wanted to ask for it.  Swamiji was talking on something else and visitor’s mind was stuck with the diamond – the talk appeared to be very long to the visitor.  At the end of it, visitor asked Swamiji that he wanted to talk to him in privacy.  Swamiji asked him to say whatever he had to say before everybody.  But the visitor continued to insist on talking in privacy.  Swamiji asked him to come the next morning. 

In the morning again the visitor had to wait for discussions to be over and for everyone to leave – wait appeared to be long and endless.  Finally the moment came and the visitor said that it does not look nice that such valuable diamond should be on the neck of the dog.  If he could get it, it would take care needs of his lifetime.  Swamiji told him that since he has already given it to the dog, permission of the dog is necessary.  Then Swamiji said that dog is asking that he can part with the diamond if the visitor shares food with him in the same plate.  Initially the visitor was reluctant but ‘greed’ made him agree to the condition.  Then he asked Swamiji that no one should come to know of it, it should be private affair.  Swamiji said but the cook will in any case know it.  The visitor asked for permission to cook the food himself, permission was refused.  Swamiji asked the cook to prepare khichdi with lot of water.  When khichdi was served, the visitor tried to draw a line demarcating food for the dog and himself but since it was watery, everything got mixed up but he ate with the dog.  One stoops so low because of greed.

‘Greed’ has been made use of by kings and persons in power to use, demean and enslave others throughout the history of mankind.  One has to be aware of it and remain content with what one gets according to one’s prarabdha and thus retain one’s freedom and dignity.

Coming back to our discussions and outpourings (gyan ganga) of Swamiji, a lady asked Swamiji that she is having pain in her knees since last two years or so.  His advice was plain and simple, “thoda chalo aur khane ka thoda dhyan rakkho (have regular walk and observe moderation in food)”. 

This advice hits the nail on its head – brings us back to the basic issue afflicting us in these times – we seek cure and remedies from the doctors and Gurus for health problems which have their roots in our life style.  We need to correct that (I have put a few posts on health on this blog earlier where this issue is discussed in some details).

Swamiji then narrated one of his experiences when he used to live in a cave not known to people living around in that area in those times.  The cave has a Shivaling comprised of a large number of saligram shaped stones over which white lime water (this appeared like milk) drips from the rocks above.  Swamiji (some others also who visited the cave later) used to hear sounds of mridang and other musical instruments associated with Shiva in the cave.  Swamiji used to blow conch at sandhya  time.  Some local people guessed that some mahatama may be living in that area.  One day, when they found Swamiji wandering in some nearby area, they asked him about his abode in the cave and were curious to have a look at it.  They requested for his permission to accompany him to the cave.  Swamiji accepted their request.  Fearing attacks by the animals in the forest, they equipped themselves with pistols, spears, rods etc. even though Swamiji advised them against it.

On reaching mouth of the cave, Swamiji sat there in meditation.  Not knowing when will Swamiji would get up, the villagers entered the cave.  Half way through in about a 100 meter long cave, they heard loud voice of ferocious beers.  With fear, all of them ran out of the cave.  All weapons fell from their hands.  When out of the cave, Swamiji asked them why did the go in and where are their weapons.  They were embarrassed and narrated what happened.  Swamiji went in and brought their weapons and informed the visitors that seven big beers and one of their offspring was there in the cave.  He made some peculiar sound and one-by-one all of them came out of the cave.

Swamiji told us that these beers loved him immensely and provided him warmth in cold weather by sitting close to him.  Later, he got message from within that this was time for him to leave the place and he left it.

He also told us that later once two of his devotees went with him to the cave.  That time because of heavy rains and huge seepage of water from somewhere the cave was flooded with water and way to Shivalinga got blocked.  He asked his devotees to go with him but they could not muster courage.  Swamiji dived in and came out about an hour later he was blessed by Shiva and his body was glowing with light the devotees because of lack of faith lost on this rare opportunity.

Now that cave, known as ‘Shivakhedi”, situated about 120 kms. from Jammu,  is a crowded tourist place.  He has asked me to accompany him to the cave some time.

Swamiji had earlier asked us to have prasad (dinner) in the Ashram, knowing significance of it (nourishment of the body and soul), I was more than willing to accept the offer.  We had Prasad and returned.

A great day!