January 25
“Swamiji, we ask for your blessings (permission) to leave for
Coimbatore – there Carla will have Laser [Lazik] surgery at the same
hospital that also treated you.” Swamiji looked at Carla for a long
time. “You don’t want your spectacles anymore?” “No Swamiji.” He
looked at her again for a long time, “All right.”
With Prasad in hand (banana chips and halva) we embarked on the
ten-hour taxi ride to Coimbatore. The jerks, stops, swerves and
bumps that make up a drive in India are always an adventure!
Sukumaran expertly guided the Ambassador Taxi through beguiling
traffic and uneven roads. 53 Kilometers per hour is the cars maximum
speed, gained only occasionally. Up a steep grade we leave the
Arabian coast and turn inland. With rugged hills on two sides the
scenery is really wonderful.
“Sukumaran’s aunt lives near the hospital,” Carla said, “We will not
have to spend hours finding it.” It seems Ram took Carla’s statement
as some sort of a challenge, as we missed our turn and spent a long
time wondering, in the dark, through one-lane, occasionally paved
roads! Sukumaran stops often – asking for directions. As a seasoned
driver he knows that asking directions in India is a risk-laden
matter. Only a single source of direction can take you to almost any
place on the globe! Three or four concurring voices may mean you are
generally going in the right direction. Sukumaran asked at least a
dozen reasonable looking fellows and we managed to gain the Airport
Road (the way to the hospital).
We were stopped by a policeman (for the fourth time today) and
questioned. A bomb threat has triggered frequent roadblocks and our
taxi is a common source of questioning.
We found the hospital all right, but we must also find
accommodations in a strange town with no guide. A prayer issued from
me, “Papa – you must find proper lodging for Thy children.” A chance
stop on the road revealed a wonderful hotel (Hotel Rathna Regent)
hidden, back off the road; it had no signs or anything else to
indicate to the traveler of its existence. Papa had quickly granted
this prayer – even for a human convenience. Papa, how wonderful you
are!
January 26
Today “Mrs. Carla”, as she is called here, had eye surgery.
Everything went smoothly – the hospital is very modern. The surgery
was $545.00 U.S.D., a thorough eye examination – including a retina
scan was 100 rupees, $2.50 U.S.D.
I watched the lazik procedure on a large screen showing the peeling
back of layers of the eye, flattening the curve of the cornea, and
then laying the protective layers back on. It makes one marvel at
nature’s design and man’s ingenuity.
The staff members were very friendly and professional. We were
invited to one of the “sister’s” (one level of staff were referred
to as sisters) wedding in six months.
Thanks to a gift of money from my parents we were able to afford
this procedure for the cost of a new pair of spectacles (which Carla
was in need of) back in America.
Hari Om – Tat – Sat
Note:
During the Laser procedure Carla was told to watch a blinking red
light. With the rhythm of the blinking light she mentally chanted:
“Om—Sri—Ram, Jai Ram—Jai—Jai¾Ram” with each flash of the light.
This filled her mind, body and soul with divine feelings; she felt
complete peace during the procedure. The attending doctor, at the
end of the procedure, said, “perfect.”
January 27
When leaving the hospital today we received so much love from the
staff. Sangeetha had invited us to her wedding that is to
occur “six months back” (a confusing reference to us, “back” in this
case meant the future). When we were taking our leave of Sangeetha
she said, “I love you!” Certainly we felt her love and returned it
as well.
The doctors and all the staff have been very professional and
friendly; the facilities have been neat, clean and well organized.
We have had a very good experience here, for a quarter of the cost
if this were done in the U.S.A.
January 28th
There are those whom I meet who tell me they experience boredom
and/or depression. Depression and boredom are signs of stuck
energy. How is it that this stuck energy occurs?
The ego is like Narcissus, looking at its own reflection. The
mirror of the mind reflects back what is projected from the
subconscious mind (a product of our past thoughts, words and
actions). The ego is convinced that what is seen in the mirror of
the mind is real¾ desires, fears, obsessions, and
phobias¾everything
the mind conceives, the ego believes.
Western Psychology has developed a variety of ways to help release
that pent-up psychic energy of the ego, for the mind to develop a
more “accurate” perception of its own self and/or the world around
the self, and to think more positive thoughts.
There are also methods for bypassing the conscious mind and speaking
to the sub-conscious mind and also for dealing more directly with
the neuro-physiology; there is also the field of Energy Work. All of
these methods have their efficacy and can help an individual be
healthier, happier and more whole.
Eastern Psychology has traditionally taken a radically different
approach. Eastern psychology says the mind is fatally flawed;
therefore whatever is produced by the mind will never yield real
happiness (Freud – it has been said – thought the best we can do is
to reduce our neurosis to a minimum; no inner perfection was
possible).
Eastern Psychology goes beyond the mind – our normal cognitive
process – and says that we may access the Super-conscious Mind; a
mind that is clearly beyond normal awareness. Within the
Super-conscious mind resides perfect equilibrium, intuitive wisdom,
peace and bliss. In the West the Super-conscious Mind has some
acceptance, in such concepts as: peak experiences, altered states
gained through meditation and deep relaxation etc. The East has more
thoroughly investigated these various states of awareness that can
be gained and ways to access the Super-conscious mind.
For Eastern Psychology, to “fiddle” with the mind is like
re-arranging the deck chairs on the sinking Titanic! Useless.
Through a variety of methods: devotion, meditation, selfless service
and using the discrimitive mind to negate thought – attachments (and
many more sub-categories as well), the Eastern model demonstrates
ways to go beyond the mind and experience innate love, bliss and
wisdom.
A combination of Western Psychology and Eastern Psychology may be of
use, Western methods helping the mind to be more healthy, strong and
ready to surrender itself in order to experience the Super-conscious
of Eastern Psychology. A danger of this combination of East and
Western methods is that the self will get “lost” in the labyrinth of
trying to perfect the un-perfectible mind – never escaping
Narcissus’s dilemma.
However – being mindful that some “bridges” of Western methods can
be useful, to some degree, one can employ the best of what the West
has to offer in order to help the mind ready itself for establishing
itself in the superior Super-conscious Mind.
To attain the
Super-conscious
State the ordinary mind must be transcended. In the
Super-consciousness one knows one’s self as the Atma, the Soul.
Then, in Cosmic Consciousness one dissolves the Atma, the Self, into
the formless Spirit of Paratman. The Cosmic Consciousness is the
real source from which everything else comes.
It is in Cosmic Consciousness that all blockages and stuck-energy
are resolved in the vast freedom that we call God.
Sadhana is the encounter between the expansive Spirit – the river
seeking the Sea – and the constrictive blockages of the ego whose
aim is to maintain the status quo. This dynamic play between the
expansive and the contractive plays itself out in the body, mind and
emotions. By being steadfast in our practice we encounter and
overcome all restrictive obstacles.
The clearer we are on our goal and sticking to our practice the
faster we are in reaching the goal. In fact Sri Yukteswar assured us
that if our minds were powerful enough, we could accept Cosmic
Consciousness right now!
For most of us the process is more gradual; we accept a little at a
time – building a purer mind, a more powerful mind¾that
can surrender itself at the feet of the Infinite. With this
surrender comes God-experience – the Super-conscious and the
universal Cosmic-Consciousness.
The complete purification of the mind removes all blockages – now
Spiritual Consciousness flows through the body, mind and soul as a
pure stream descends from a vast, pure body of water; this is the
end of sorrow.
January 31
I met Chandra (an ashram inmate) and Niranjan V. Mehta (an ashram
devotee on a visit) on my way from lunch at the canteen. Niranjan is
an elegant, tall well-spoken man. He narrated the story of his first
meeting with Papa.
“Living in Gujarati, I read In Quest of God and In the
Vision of God also, when I was 16 or 17. I came to know Papa was
coming to my area and told my father I wanted to go; the year was
1952. I was very much impressed and started chanting Ram Nam.
Papa also came to our area and I saw him one other time on a tour in
1957.
In April of 1974 I had the idea of going to Anandashram for the
first time. There was a train strike at the time so I reserved a
seat on the bus. Then the buses were all cancelled as well! I felt
very frustrated. A friend said, ‘It is all right.’ ‘What is all
right, I cannot go!’ ‘It is all right; there is a saint nearby,
Anandamoyee Ma. Go see her.’
What I felt when I saw her, words cannot express. I saw her many
times until she left the body.”
(In fact another friend said that Niranjan had unusual access to Ma,
she brought him in close every time he came.) Niranjan is such a
stately looking man, signs of such a noble and spiritual man: from
my first seeing him I immediately felt such a regard for him.
Eventually Niranjan did make it to Anandashram and has been a
regular visitor since.
I had earlier mentioned meeting my Guru in March of 1974 and noted
that it was the same year he met Ma, arranged by her through the
dramatic events of nation-wide strikes!
Chandra said she also had a spiritual awakening in 1974. Her cousin,
who was also her friend, was teaching T.M. (Transcendental
Meditation as taught by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi). She took the
initiation and felt such peace for a long time; that peace has
stayed with her to one degree or another since. Also in that year
she had a disagreement with her brother. Her father took her
brother’s side and so, at the tender age of 19 she left the home.
Chandra did not know where she was going but then thought of Ramana
Ashram. She had heard of Ramana Maharshi and felt drawn to go to the
ashram that had grown up around him, even though the Master was no
longer in the body.
She arrived there and told them she was there on a long weekend
holiday. I said, “Oh, you did not tell them everything.”
Niranjan said, “No, she dared not to.”
Chandra continued, “They arranged for me to stay with a devotee
of the ashram; she was very kind to me. I prayed at Ramana’s
Samadhi Temple; I felt something while I was there. At the end of
the weekend I thought that I should return back home now. I thought,
‘I will have to eat some crow,’ (since she had disagreements with
her family). Suddenly my brother was there to see me. He was
crying and sorry that I had left. I felt it was Ramana’s Grace.”
At Anandashram there are many such stories, too many to record.
“Walk-by satsangs” are common.
Victory to God, Victory to the Light
Another satsang occurred. Margot, from Austria, met me in front of
Swamij’s quarters. A few of us were talking about the purity of
Anandashram. She related a story of being in Encinitas,
California.
“I was at a potluck. A man, who had been a direct disciple of
Paramhansa Yogananda’s while he was alive, was telling me that
Vivekananda was not fit to tie the shoes of Yoganandaji. (He knew
that Vivekananda is my Guru.) He was going on like this in the
potluck line. There was a renunciant from SRF getting food at the
table who gave the devotee an over-the-shoulder glance which
prompted this devotee to say to him, ‘Not that I read Vivekananda!’”
She concluded with, “What is this?”
“What is this?” is right! I cannot tell you how my heart sank at
this description. Not only did the SRF monk not call the devotee to
task for such an outrageous, uncalled for attack of a great God-man,
but there was, at least an implied criticism from the monk that the
man should not have been reading his works!
It is interesting that this exchange should come on Mother’s
Mahasamadhi Day. Love for one’s own Guru should always hold a
special place in the heart; of this there is no doubt. But to, as
Sri Yukteswar says, “Cut the heads of others off to make yourself
taller” has no place in the comparison of spiritual Masters or
religions.
Mother always held out the goal to be free of religious or sectarian
bigotry. Her own love for her guru was absolute. But when Mother saw
what was being done to the letter and the spirit of Master’s work
she could not stand by idly. Therefore she was thought of as
disloyal by the organization Master had started. It is revealing
that Mother is part of a growing list of Master’s devotees,
including another Yogacharya, Yogacharya Black, who were alienated
by SRF, or as in Mother’s case, actually thrown out.
When Mother came to Anandashram in 1957 the members of the SRF
Center Mother had started in
Seattle
were told that Mother was no longer a member of SRF. Even though
many SRF devotees (from Daya Mata on down) have come to India, many
(including Daya) have come for the darshan of Anandamoyee Ma, but
Mother was considered disloyal for coming to see Papa.
It is interesting how seemingly negative situations work to the
aspirant’s advantage. Being freed of organizational restraints
Mother universalized her vision of God. This not to say that love
and loyalty to one’s Guru is not essential, it is! However real love
and loyalty to the Guru means to be as they are – to love God with
all one’s heart, mind and soul. This love naturally expands into a
singular love for all creation.
No longer are there concerns regarding, “This is my family, this is
not. This is my religion, this is not.” There is but one God, one
family of man, one religion: that is the religion of love, Light and
Bliss.
One can recognize a fellow lover of God in any culture, religion or
place. There are signs that accompany such a one. To honor, love and
revere a lover of God in any person is a sign of the universal
vision. One may also notice how there are those who have not
attained the fullest Cosmic Consciousness, yet honor the God that is
within that. We should strive, always, to honor God in all whom we
meet. This practice helps purify our own mind. This, at least, is
what my Guru has taught me.
May all religious and spiritual organizations be free of sectarian
divisions! Let each love and honor one’s own Guru, one’s own pathway
to God, yet simultaneously honor and love all those who point the
way to right living and loving God.
Jai Mother – Jai Guru!
“When are you leaving?” This question has been coming several times
a day since we arrived. “Ram's will,” is the same reply.
The skeleton plan was to be here at least to Mother’s Mahasamadhi
Day. That day is now here; now what? Prem Trikkanad called the
ashram asking for me, “Will you be at the ashram? I am coming on the
6th, will leave after Mataji’s Mahasamdhi Anniversary on
the 18th.” The growing feeling of staying until Mataji’s
anniversary seems to be getting greater push.
Margarete stopped by, seemed hesitant, then said, “I feel you should
stay longer at the ashram. Swamiji is so happy when you are here. I
have the intuition you should stay.” “How long should I stay?” She
hesitated and then said, “Until he is better¾a few weeks maybe.”
It seems Ram is prompting both from within and without! We will stay
for some time more then. Corliss leaves tomorrow and Honor arrives
later that day. Honor has come with the idea of going north with us
but with Ram as your tour guide each day is a new day, a new
adventure and absolutely unpredictable!
Jai Ram – Jai Guru!
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