The Real Religion and Evil

Long time ago, 3 people living in 3 different continents, set out in search of the ocean. No one had ever seen an ocean and many thought it didn’t exist. Most people scorned and scoffed at the idea, making fun of those who spoke of an ocean existing. But these 3 left in search. The journey was difficult with many hardships and setbacks, through mountains and deserts and plains they travelled, often losing hope but setting out again with the dawning sun.

Then one day it was there. The vast beautiful ocean. They looked in awe, overwhelmed and thrilled at finally finding what they had sought for so long. But something troubled them deep within. They thought of those left behind and how ignorant they were about the ocean. So out of love for them, the 3 decided to go back and carry a little bit of the ocean water with them. They searched for something to carry it in. 

The first found a beautiful green color triangular shaped glass container. Delighted, he used it to carry the ocean water with him.

The second found a white squarish glass container and carried the ocean water in it.

The third found a beautiful blue circular glass container and carried the ocean in it, travelling back to reveal to their societies the truth of the ocean.

When they reached home, they saw that most people didn’t care about them or the water.. they were too busy living and enjoying life; too much in a comfort zone to be bothered or disturbed. So the 3 of them searched for suitable people to who they could share the knowledge of existence of the ocean. They found some people who were sincerely curious to know about the Ocean. To such ones, the travelers revealed all truths and secrets of the way to the ocean and then one day they showed them the ocean water in the containers and allows some to taste and touch it to experience a part of what the ocean is.

In time the 3 travellers were on the verge of death and they told their followers that they should tell their world about ocean; that the ocean he mentioned was the real ocean. Above all his path was the real path to the ocean.

When the travellers die, their followers go into the world and reveal their truth. Many are more likely to believe them now that the travellers are dead. Many follow him to repent for their ignorance and they accept the truth of the ocean with immense zeal. The students emphasise how they tasted the water and how it was in a certain color and shape. How the only path to the ocean is the one the traveller took and how any one claims of a different path to the ocean is false and that those people are wrong and are defying the reality. In time the students also die. Now the society has many followers, but the knowledge of the ocean has undergone certain transformation and loss of translation going from one to another. The water has long evaporated.. the containers now broken and lost with a rare little piece found here and there with some sincere follower. 

Thus life goes on. Now people travel from one continent to the other. They exchange goods and exchange ideas. One time one person states that they know about the ocean which is the real ocean.. it is green in color and triangular in shape. The other person says you are wrong - We know the real ocean and its white in color and square in shape. The 3rd says you are both wrong - the real ocean is known only to us and anyone else who dares to say the ocean is any different and the path to it any different is pure evil because he is destroying truth. At first this topic is a debate.. it heats up into an argument.. soon fights break out.. on one occasion a few people are killed.. and before long wars break out over this. Each side thinks they are being loyal and honouring the traveller who they now love and respect and whose words they are trying to protect. However no one, instead of fighting the other, ever makes the effort of following the travellers words and journey themselves to the ocean. They are happy fighting and in this way many years pass. The wars have stopped, life has progressed, but the inner fight and animosity remains as years pass by which shows up every now and then to demonstrate its ugliness amidst portions of peaceful life.

The above is the reality of our world today -

The 3 travellers are the Masters who journeyed into spiritual depths and found the Ocean - God. Each travelled his own spiritual way to Him and each did find Him. But He is infinite. They choose to understand and represent Him coloured from their point of view.. one had green color, one had white and one had blue.. and they used words differently to convey the truth of His existence. One truth form is triangular, one squares and one circular. The traveller shared it with their disciples, they helped them experience a bit of God as well, and the disciples with such experience get the faith and genuine strength to preach His truth. spread it in the world. They also teach that theirs is the only way, and any other way is false. 

When followers of the Master meet, each claims to know God and His being the only way, and their path the only path,, and how their book says - green color vs white color vs blue color.. and how the reality of God is triangular or squarish or circular.. debates lead to arguments and conflicts, and soon wars like crusades and jihads are fought.

Everyone is willing to fight in the name of God, but no one ever thinks of following the Masters path to find God. If they did so they would find that there is but one God and there are different pathways to Him. We have fought wars in the past, we may have progressed and now try to live together, though with traces of hatred and distrust in the hearts of many.

Thus is our reality!

Religions are many, God is One! - Sai Sathya Sai Baba

God is One, though the paths to Him are many. Countless are the ways in which He can be described. - Sri Paramahansa Yogananda

An Invitation to an Inner Journey

What if you got a secret map to a magical exotic place where mysteries of the past lay buried along with mans most desired treasures. Wouldn’t it be exciting to undertake that adventure? That’s what we love about Indiana Jones movies, right?

But what if you could undertake such a journey sitting at home....in the Inner world.. the adventure referred to as Meditation. 

Some people are wary of the idea of meditation.. ‘too difficult’ they think.
Just as magical places are always hidden deep and far in remote parts of the earth, so also the magical places in meditation are hidden deep and far within. This is why most early birds who try to meditate, struggle and fail and are utterly put off. They reject it because they are absolutely unable to understand it. But their giving up is only their loss.. the adventure still lies to be explored.

Why is meditation such a tough mystery.. why are only some people able to make it through?

The answer is simple.. we know it only too well. In Patanjali’s 8 step guide most ignore the first 2 steps - Yama and Niyama - the do’s and dont’s. These are steps we have to follow to purify ourselves by accumulating merit/ punya that is the inner fuel we need to travel ahead. This Punya can be earned by following higher values of living. Such values are taught to us time and again in form of divine teachings by great saints across time - Love all, serve all, Help ever, Hurt never, the Ten Commandments of Moses, love thy neighbour and so on. But we don’t think much of these teachings, we rather take them with a pinch of salt. Know why? 

In the human world the secrets of the path to the magical place are hidden/encoded in complex and often difficult theories. So also the secrets of the path to the divine world are similarly coded but in extremely Simple language. Most teachings the great Ones give us look too simple; whereas we are looking for the exciting and complex, to get us interested.

When we practice meditation deeply we realise that the inner world is a lybrynth of subtle inner pathways - first of seeming nothingness and over a period of time - of the subtle world of light known as the astral world. Do you know that when you sleep or rather when your body is sleeping, your awareness becomes dormant, but it exists or dwells in the subtle world. All our dreams occur at the astral level.

Those who have meditated deep and long can access the light kingdoms of the higher astral worlds known as lokas . These lokas are like the 5 star hotels of our world,where only few can afford to go. The currency here is merit. Just like you find celebrities and famous people in many 5 star hotels, similarly many higher beings of repute are found or reside in such lokas.

On a personal level astral world is also the dimension where exists our thoughts, emotions and deep inner feelings . When we go deep often we find our past memories emerge suddenly in full force because they are lying buried there. ( These may be mostly painful events which we buried within, in the past, cause of our inability to deal with it. They are a barrier crossing which we can move ahead in our journey. ) Compassion, forgiveness and gratitude - are the keys to move ahead. 

Meditating deeper still, a sincere yogi can ascend to the vaster almost infinite- causal world, the world of ideas, awareness ~ consciousness. Finally the inner journey of meditation can take us to the Supremest place of Enlightement, where we are awaken to the Ultimate Truth of our Self. Needless to say that this can be achieved with deep, unwavering, disciplined effort over a great period of ones lifetime.

Here’s an interesting info -
When someone tries to meditate sincerely and real hard, but is getting nowhere - what he may not realise is that He is at the moment in the same place as advanced meditators are... except just like blind people cannot see our world, but they are here.. similarly those sincere mediators are in the higher world, but cannot see it (perceive it).. Sadly many of them give up. 

So how does one get eyes (of subtle perception)? Again the secret lies in practicing virtues that raise our purity and reawaken are inherent divinity. Just like in a video game, we need to collect coins to build a castle, similarly in this game we need to collect the merit of purity to fuel our journey and equip us with inner eyes, inner ears , inner perceptions. Some people who have nearly enough of this merit sometimes see hazy lights in meditation. When a person has more than enough of such merit, then while meditating deep he may suddenly pierce the veil and glimpse the divine light of the higher worlds. This is a level of enlightenment. 

Do you know that there are humans who literally co exist in outer and inner worlds. We know them as sages or saints. When you go and seek help from certain sages they will close their eyes and go into the inner world from where they get to perceive the roots of all problems from the higher perspective and come up with solutions for the same. The greater the sage the clearer the inner sight. 

The reason that this kind of inner secret is being shared now is - its time for humanity to move higher. Our current world is undergoing changes.. rather rapidly. Corona is one of the transformative parts of it. Humans can escape Corona’s reach by raising their consciousness higher. It is really that simple (while still using practical discipline in the outer world). One need not fear it but rather raise themselves to a higher frequency of existence.
Such events are sent to break the ages old mold that has grown and has bound us to this material world. These events are like a sharp chisel, hurting but shaping. 

Now some may dismiss the above truths as mere mental ideas with no substance. But the proof is in the tasting. If any of them were to try sincerely they would prove its validity to themselves. But since the discipline required is of a very high order, most are not willing or not capable of putting the necessary effort, they find it convenient to invalidate it. But you should know that there are many across earth at any given point of time who travel the inner world. They are unconcerned about what these people think as such ignorance is suitable to them. Ignorance is nature’s organic checkpost to prevent the unworthy or those not ready from venturing into the higher regions. When such people through personal efforts inform and enlighten themselves fully, then new vistas of existence unlock themselves and make their presence felt to help that soul further his journey.

Your current isolation is a good opportunity to make efforts to becomes aware of yourself. Try meditation. Some of you will be surprised how easily you take to it.

In the beginning you can take any general type of meditation- Jyoti meditation, Aum Meditation. Take any one which enables you to plunge in the translucent pool of silence and float in alive stillness and active nothingness. . Your Patience and persistence is the key - Shradhha Saburi.

Side Note : 

Shraddha and saburi seem like the key teaching of Shirdi Sai, but He could teach us much more.. This is not represent His highest teaching. He taught us this only because we were lacking even in such basic understanding which we needed first to move ahead in our path of evolution. When we follow and succeed in it, these great Ones come visit us in our inner world to take us further ahead on the path with higher teachings. 

Understanding Meditation - 3 THE RESTLESS MIND

    Forgetting to merge one's attention/ awareness with external things is the very first step in 

    spirituality, for we can remember the Infinite only to the extent that we have forgotten everything else.

- Aghora.

The feedback on my two blogs on Understanding meditation Part 1 and Part 2,  is that although one understood and appreciated the ideas in theory, they still find it difficult to meditate owing to the restless mind and invading thoughts. So in this blog we deal with - mind and thoughts.

In this world, achieving anything of value requires a price to be paid. For a student to earn a Master's degree, they must invest years of hard work and dedication throughout their schooling and college journey. Similarly, for an athlete to win a medal, they must commit to relentless effort, discipline, and rigorous practice to attain the level of excellence required for victory. This principle holds true across all pursuits—whether in the realms of art, business, science, or even spirituality

For humans to reach the spiritual heights of self-awareness, they must pay the price of purifying and stilling the mind. Many seekers, inspired by the writings of spiritual masters, embark on practices with the hope of quickly attaining the profound experiences described in such books. However, when these experiences do not materialize despite their efforts, many become disheartened and are tempted to abandon their journey altogether.

Spiritual realization is a journey comprising two distinct phases. Much like a child progressing through years of study to eventually earn a Master's degree, a seeker must first discipline the mind through sustained effort to purify and still it. This constitutes the foundational phase. The second phase begins when the spiritual dimension unfolds, revealing new realms to explore and ascend.

However, between these two phases lies a significant void—a period of waiting and uncertainty. Despite dedicated efforts to purify the mind, the awakening of the spiritual dimension occurs at an unpredictable time. This process resembles a mother hen patiently incubating her egg; she persists, trusting the natural unfolding, until one day the egg hatches unexpectedly.

The spiritual journey, therefore, is one of patience and perseverance. It all starts with embracing practices like meditation and Japa, which purify the mind and set the stage for this transformative adventure.

MIND -

The mind is a powerful instrument, capable of leading a person to profound understanding and success in various fields. Yet, it has its own inherent nature—it thrives on restlessness and seeks motion over stillness. It feels alive by continuously generating thoughts, emotions, and feelings, rarely at peace.

A human being is composed of a body, a mind, and consciousness. Due to ignorance, consciousness—our true essence—begins to identify itself with the body and the personality associated with it. The mind reinforces this illusion by crafting an individuality defined by attributes like name, age, nationality, class, and religion, thereby constructing the pseudo-identity we call the ego.

Just as the body is sustained by breath, the ego is sustained by the mind. In this dynamic, the mind can be seen as a powerful minister to the King—Consciousness—who, in a state of forgetfulness, has allowed the minister to dominate and rule the kingdom of the body and mind, perpetuating this illusion through countless lifetimes.

The mind sustains the ego’s individuality through traits such as selfishness, separateness, desires, and indulgence, keeping a person constantly preoccupied and enslaved from birth to death. This ceaseless activity prevents one from discovering their true identity as Soul Consciousness. In nurturing the ego, often through comparisons, the mind cultivates negative traits like jealousy, anger, discontent, and hatred, all of which serve to fortify the ego. The relentless demands of the mind create an undercurrent of stress that most people carry unconsciously, leading them to seek the elusive "peace of mind."

The mind has programmed us to believe that we must always be "doing" something to validate our existence. Even in the most serene settings, the mind engages us in a flurry of thoughts. Instead of simply being present in the beauty, we find ourselves doing thinking.

This is why sleep is so rejuvenating and healing. It’s not merely the resting of the body and limbs; even a day spent lying on a bed won’t bring the same peace as true sleep. In sleep, the mind shifts into a subconscious state and becomes inactive, allowing real rest. During this state, one is free from the burdens of identity—name, age, class, nationality, religion, and all the constructs of individuality. In sleep, a person doesn’t even perceive themselves as male or female; they simply Are.

This state of restfulness allows the intelligent body to heal itself more effectively, as the mind’s negativity no longer obstructs the natural processes of rejuvenation. Sleep offers a glimpse into the state of being, unburdened by the mind’s constant demands and the ego’s endless narratives.

MEDITATION -

So in light of the above, lets view meditation. Meditation is the inner laboratory of stillness where we turn our attention inward to explore and understand our true nature.

True meditation is a state of pure Awareness—a state where the restless mind has been consciously quietened. Imagine this state: the mind is silent, yet Awareness is vivid and present. Such a state opens the door to new possibilities, leading to transformative spiritual experiences.

In our wakeful state, the mind is marked by restlessness, constantly flitting between thoughts and emotions. In contrast, the meditative state thrives in silence and stillness. By creating this inner stillness, we cultivate the perfect atmosphere to reconnect with our true essence. In such an environment, the ego cannot survive, for the mind, stripped of its habitual thoughts, can no longer sustain the illusion of individuality.

When Consciousness becomes aware of its own true nature, a profound transformation begins to unfold within. This self-awareness ignites a journey of inner magic, where the more a being identifies with itself as Consciousness, the greater its evolution and expansion. Such a realization empowers one to transcend the limitations of our familiar reality and step into higher-dimensional realms of existence.

As this inner awakening deepens, the Being begins to uncover the essence of pure joy, pure love, and pure wisdom—qualities that are intrinsic to its true nature. It realizes that the happiness the mind once pursued in the external world was an illusion. The joys it sought outside were always within, waiting to be discovered.

This is the profound truth Christ revealed when he declared, "The Kingdom of God is within." 

But when a person sits to meditate, the mind resists stillness and attempts to hijack their attention with a cascade of thoughts to maintain its dominance. Over two decades of meditation practice, I’ve observed that the mind employs four types of thoughts to distract us during meditation:

1. Mediocre thoughts: Trivial matters that we would usually dismiss during our wakeful state suddenly appear important, demanding our attention.
2. Important thoughts: Genuine concerns or tasks that require attention during the day are brought to the forefront.
3. Anxious thoughts: Worries and fears about the future, designed to create unease and pull us away from stillness.
4. Guilt-driven thoughts: Reflections on past failures or unfulfilled duties, aimed at controlling us through guilt and self-criticism.

The mind employs these strategies to engage and scatter our attention. Yet, our Attention is a unique and powerful resource; where we direct it determines what flourishes in our lives.

When the mind is active and focused, it is a valuable tool for achieving success in the material world. When the same mind becomes still and silent through meditation it can lead us to the ultimate victory in the inner, spiritual world.

RESOLVING THE CONFLICT -

The mind thrives only when you feed it with your attention. Withdraw your attention, and the mind naturally becomes quiet. Easier said than done. For most people, the mind is extremely powerful, having wielded control over lifetimes, and it resists surrender. Yet, with perseverance, it is not impossible to overcome its dominance.

Consider your mobile phone. Owning one doesn’t mean you are obliged to answer every call. You have the freedom to ignore, mute, or disconnect calls that aren’t necessary, attending only to those that matter. Similarly, during meditation, you can "mute" your mind—refusing to entertain unnecessary thoughts—and focus your attention instead on simply Being in silent stillness.

A common question people ask is, "What does one 'do' during meditation?" This question itself reveals a misunderstanding. Meditation is not about doing; it’s about Being. In yogic science, Being is considered the highest form of action—the supreme Karm and the ultimate Kriya. It is the state of profound presence, where you let go of all doing and rest in the essence of who you truly are.

However to achieve the state of pure stillness, Masters have given us disciplines such as pranayama, japa, mantra meditation which is a form of doing, but through which the mind becomes still rather than restless. More of this is discussed in Understanding Meditation - 2. 

So meditation is the right environment to practice that Being. How? Simply by creating pockets of silence between thoughts and being keenly Aware. 

Take a moment and think about it!

Creating pockets of silence between thoughts, and ensuring that these pockets keep increasing in time. You need not fight your thoughts or push them away, just do not acknowledge them. Do not feed them your attention. 

Some may find this hard still.

Please understand that the mind is simply a tool, much like the eye, which helps us perceive the world around us.

The eye is incredibly important. Right now, you are reading this blog with the help of your eyes, and your mind is processing the information. Notice how well you control your eyes. Even though there are millions of things around you to see, you have focused your vision solely on this blog, deliberately ignoring everything else. This is how effectively you can control the eye. Similarly, the mind is a tool. You can learn to control it in the same way—by giving it attention only when necessary. When you don't need it, stop feeding it with unnecessary thoughts and simply be.

This is the secret shared by all saints: they use the mind only when required. Otherwise, they dwell in their own inner bliss, free from the distractions and noise of the mind. When we control the mind as we do the eye, we discover a deeper peace and a higher state of being.

Another Yogic secret to subdue the mind is the Breath. Try this - when your mind is restless, consciously and slowly take 3 deep breaths and let go of the breath completely. You will notice the mind go quieter then before.

 

So next time you sit to meditate- 

1. Begin by taking deep breaths and let go of the mind.
2. Create pockets of silence and keenly dwell in BEING
3. Make these pockets of silence larger over time.

Other factors that play a crucial role in calming the mind are the way you live your daily life. Your environment, the company you keep, and the food you consume— not just through your mouth, but also through your eyes and ears— all feed the mind. These influences fuel the mind, and by controlling them, you can begin to control the mind itself. This is why spiritual Masters advocate simple, moderate, and Sattvic living for those aspiring to meditate.

Achieving lasting change in overcoming the mind requires consistent effort and patience. But know that it IS POSSIBLE! One of the greatest Yogi's of the 18th century Sri Sri Lahiri Mahasaya use to encourage his meditating disciples by saying "Banat banat ban jaye"  simply translated "Striving, striving, one day you achieve!"

(Images - Bahaduri Mahasaya, The levitating Saint, Autobiography of a Yogi & Image drawn by Pascal Campion)

SIMILAR READS -

1. Understanding Meditation - 1

2. Understanding Meditation- 2

The Feminine & Masculine Principles

When you read about  the feminine principle and feminism, there is some confusion. 

Females are the physical form. Feminism is a movement led by the female form and Feminine principle is an intelligent energy embodied by all creatures of the earth, females and males, animals and even the flora and fauna, in different degrees. This principle represents Love, beauty, creativity, healing, compassion. The primary custodians of the feminine energy are females. The feminine principle is not the opposite of the masculine principle, but rather they co-nourish life on earth. The Goddesses of various cultures are beings who purely embody various aspects of the feminine principles in their being. The Gods are pure representations of the Masculine energy. 

Since ages, the powerful has oppressed the weak. Anything powerful tends to dominate anything weak. This would include - women, men, children, animals and mute nature. Such abuse continues today wherein we plunder nature and make animal life extinct through our reckless greed. This is not masculine energy itself.. rather it is the abuse of masculine energy to gain more power and to get illicit control over gifts of the feminine energy - things beautiful and precious in sheer misuse of personal power.

Feminist movement began to support females and their place in the society and not so much to protect and nourish the Feminine principle. In their efforts to find equality for females in the society, the masculine principles of power and aggression were adapted as it suited their purposes better. Females in their efforts to be at par with men, became men-like in their approach to life. So as feminism grew and the place of females in the society grew better, the role and influence of the Feminine principle in society kept decreasing.

Today Masculine energy is in vogue. Both males and females seek it to posses power, success, money to serve their ends. Humans no longer create beauty by or through themselves, but shell out money to possess such beauty in any form.. through art, music, painting, nature, even temporary associations with the members of the opposite sex lured by the attraction of wealth and power. Beauty is not created, it is simple purchased. 

In ideal societies, men and women honour and nourish the two principles because they are cultured, unselfish and seeking expansion and evolution in wholesome and inclusive ways. Thus both males and females become ideal representatives of  both the principles.

The imbalances in the two principles occur when a society is corrupted in the mind, and selfish in their approach. 

If you look into the life of the saints, most of them played a vital role in nourishing the feminine principle in a society. In the past when humanity lived closer to perfection, a divine incarnate would showcase the highest potential of both the principles. Think of Lord Rama and Lord Krishna. They were embodiments of the best of masculine and feminine; of strength and wisdom combined with beauty, compassion and grace. In the darker ages, when many divine incarnates came to earth, they focussed more on repairing the depleted feminine energy through their life's example. Buddha, Nanak, Chaitanya, Christ, Anandamayi Ma, Meera and many others, their lives are proof of the same. The world remembers them more for their superhuman display of love and compassion as much as for their wisdom. The feminine principle shone like a blazing sun through Christ when bleeding on the crucifix He uttered the words of compassion - "Father forgive them, for they know not what they do." With those words a tsunami, an avalanche of healing feminine energy swept the erring humanity. 

Today, unknown to many, a great shift of consciousness is taking place. Many wise beings have observed that this will lead to the rise in the feminine principle. There will be a transformation in the way women and men lead their lives. The focus will shift from need to posses power to the need to give Love. In doing so the Masculine and Feminine will find the much needed balance resulting in a Golden Age.

This video to me is the best explanation of the Divine Feminine Principle embodied by women -

Meeting Mahavatar Babaji

The Sacred Himalayas

157 years ago, a remarkable event took place in the deeps of the Himalayas, an event that would go on to leave an indelible mark on the course of humanity.

An accountant stationed in Ranikhet took a walk in the sacred mountains one evening and lost his way. As he struggled to find his way back in the dark, to his utter astonishment he heard a distant voice calling out his name. 

Not too sure, the 33 year old accountant of the Military Engineering Department of the British Raj, began walking towards the distant voice, although it seemed to lead him deeper into the mountains.

Sri Lahiri Mahasaya

Finally he came to a small clearing near a cave, where stood on a rocky ledge, a smiling young man with copper coloured hair. “Tu aa Gaya, Lahiri!” (Lahiri you have come!) said the saintly figure to the astonished accountant. 

This young saintly figure, a rare spiritual being, would be known throughout the world as the revered Mahavataar Babaji, the deathless Master, through the spiritual classic - Autobiography of a Yogi, and the young accountant was destined to be His leading disciple, Sri Lahiri Mahashaya, the one chosen to bring back the sacred science of Kriya to the world.

Sri Paramahansa Yogananda, the author of Autobiography of a Yogi, was chosen by Babaji to reveal to mankind of His presence on Earth and His mission herein. 

Sri Yoganandaji says - “Babaji has been chosen by God to remain in His body for the duration of this particular world cycle. Ages shall come and go, still the deathless Master, beholding the drama of centuries, shall be present in this stage terrestrial.”

The experience of encountering Babaji is the rarest of the rare blessings which can take place solely through His will. Sri Paramahansaji said that since Babaji’s mission is for the ages, He may not reveal Himself to humanity of a certain age although He will ever been known to those attuned to Him. Lahiri Mahashay affirmed - “Those who take with reverence the name of Babaji, attract an instant spiritual blessing.”

One of my most cherished moments in life is a dream I had in which I met Babaji in the Himalayas. I have learnt that to even dream of any Avataar is not a random coincidence. But a few years before, I had an experience which I still find hard to believe. 

A certain saintly gentleman came to my house, accompanied by a common friend. He knew of my path and thus came to share with me some stories of his incredible experiences in the Himalayas which culminated with his brief meeting with Babaji near Mansarovar. The story was truly extraordinary, as if I was seeing a fantastic movie. And yet the narration was so sincere, that it could come by only if such experiences had truly transpired. 

In any case we were enjoying the silence after the story, reliving that experience in our minds, when I felt inspired to share something with the little group even though it was of little consequence. 

I told them of my visit to Allahabad to the Maha Kumbha mela of 2001. Well aware that Babaji always visits the Kumbha mela incognito to share His blessings with the masses, I inwardly made a sincere prayer, pleading with Him that even though I may be unworthy to meet Him, He ensure that my eyes fall on Him atleast once, even if I do not recognize Him as Babaji. And that’s it. I went around the mela for the 4-5 days I was there and came back, not knowing if I did see Babaji. 

The Allahabad Maha Kumbha Mela

This saintly gentleman who was listening almost meditatively spontaneously replied - 
“You did see Him.” 

“I do not know that” - I replied.

“The morning you were returning from the Shahi snan (sacred bath) with your group, in the crowd a young sadhu offered you a puri as prasad, you refused it and went ahead. That was Babaji.”

Now here’s the thing, I was not inclined to believe this as I had no immediate memory of the same; but I was unable to dismiss his words as the scenario he described was actual - I did attend the kumbh during a shahi snan day,  we did bathe early in the morning, we did go back in a group after the holy bath and I do faintly remember a young sadhu in the crowd tapping me and  offering me prasad, something like a puri with some sweet in it and me ignoring it without even refusing it, as it was so sudden and he was a stranger. Perhaps subconsiously I was aware of the constant warnings of the police to not touch any stray luggage or accept any thing to eat from strangers. 

But I struggled to come to terms with this information. The calmness and surety with which he kept affirming this began overwhelming my skepticism.  In any case, since I was not sure of it, I stated emphatically that I may not have seen Babaji at all, when suddenly - Boom!

A loud sound startled our gentle conversation taking place in the mandir room of our house. One picture out of the many had fallen. It had never happened so before, it had no reason to create such a loud startling sound, as there was a thin mattress below it. Of all the photos kept on my alter, it was the photograph of Babaji that had fallen. The photo fell with a huge thud just when I was refusing the possibility of my having seen His form at the Kumbha.

I can’t say what the reader may feel reading this, but this was too much for me. Tears welled up my eyes and a feeling of  remorse came upon me recalling that day when I refused the prasad that He had offered me. The gentleman and the friend both tried to calm me, telling me that I didn’t mean to insult but was refusing to take something from someone unknown and that Babaji would not be offended. But it took me sometime to get over it. 

This gentleman was convinced, but I felt unsure, only because Babaji to me is such a revered figure, I felt it impossible that someone like me could have seen Him. 

But I know my prayers were sincere, and His love infinite.

The Ageless Master - Mahavataar Babaji

Agni ~ The Purifying & Sati Pratha

  

This was a blog written to explain what really the much maligned Sati pratha was. Why was it done and by who it could be done and what was the sacred science behind it, and also why this custom should never have come down to this lower Kali age. The blog was supported with quotes from the texts and stories and anecdotes to support how various mystics and yogis from time immemorial have had a sacred relation with the element Fire.

Unfortunately and bizarrely, one day I found the text in this blog had vanished and replaced by text from another blog though the title remained the same. I found it very odd, but considered it a sign that this information is not to be shared (atleast by me) 

I thought of deleting the blog, but recalling the effort and the lucidity with which that information came to me, I have retained this space in its memory.