On this day of September 30 we celebrate the birth of Lahiri Mahasaya—born in the village of Ghurni in 1828 the great Bengali master is the headwaters of a spiritual revolution. The master came into the world at the direction of his great guru, Babaji. Babaji was introducing the concept of the householder yogi, one who is in the world but not of it. Like Kabir before him, Lahiri Baba demonstrated and taught that formal renunciation was not a necessity in order to attain the highest states of realization. It was the wish of Babaji and Lahiri Mahasaya to not only bring in a new life-style for aspirants to follow, but to give the refined pranayama meditation practice of Kriya Yoga to help accelerate the spiritual evolution of all sincere aspirants.
No individual becomes a master and perfect teacher without daily making innumerable decisions to attain that high state. After working a full day, the master would engage in nightly meditation. Like all aspirants, he experienced gradual states of unfolding that both purified and taught him along the way. Lahiri Baba focused on the Light seen at the ajna—sometimes that light became a form, it was his own Atman or Christ-self he was seeing. In this Light he also perceived his great guru as that same Light—the inner and the outer merged and became one. Once he had a form of Light come out of his own body—all these experiences worked to release him from the bondage of ignorance and separation. Although he had already attained Nirvikalpa Samadhi on meeting his master, there were many more experiences for the him to go through before attaining the ultimate liberation of Brahma Nirvana or Sahaja Samadhi.
Even as he continued to ascend his spinal stairway of realization he taught those who came to him and saw him as their guru. For Lahiri Baba the scriptures of India were not merely historical persons, places and actions, but in weekly Gita classes he peerlessly taught that these were actual descriptions of what goes on in the three bodies and the mind of a disciple when attaining realization—thus the Bhagavad Gita and other historical texts were seen in the light of Kriya Yoga and inner spiritual experiences. As an intrepid explorer and forerunner to his disciple Sri Yukteswarji, his disciple’s disciple Paramhansa Yogananda, and his disciple’s disciple-disciple Yogacharya Mother Hamilton, his wisdom penetrated through the outer layers of these ancient stories to perceive the most perfect metaphors for realization laid out in story form before all mankind; seemingly hidden but truly in plain sight. He handed down this revolutionary view of the scriptures to new generations of disciples and for all humanity—this is truly an essential part of the great master’s legacy.
Lahiri Mahasaya was not interested in limiting forms of religious practice, but only taught those methods that were liberating in and of themselves and could be of maximum utilitarian use for practitioners by this most practical of teachers. He taught no forms or images of God, but if disciples found inspiration in such forms he did not make prohibitions against their use. “Striving, striving, striving, one day behold, the Goal!” was not just something he recommended to others, but was indicative of his total dedication that took him all the way to the fullest realization. Whether a sincere devotee was a mailman, a Muslim, Christian or of low caste, it made no difference to this universally realized master. His compassion was not limited by outer circumstances, but his grace was and is open to all.
The great master did not profit from his role as teacher. He took a job as a tutor after retirement to help make ends meet. Monies he took in from initiation he passed on to Babaji. Truly, he was the most noble and wonderful teacher and guru and a perfect example for us all. I have seen teachers surrounded in wealth, focused on by thousands and even displaying powers and making themselves famous in the bargain. But, I would not trade any amount of time with those teachers for a moment of sitting with Lahiri Mahasaya in his little parlor in quiet meditation and being absorbed in the Infinite expanse and endless glory of his Divine Consciousness.
Simplicity, perfect joy, keen insightful wisdom, and purity of thought, word and action are all defining virtues of this great master. I thank God and Babaji for the day Lahiri Baba was born into a human body, for the great gift that he is, for the Kriya Yoga he taught and the supreme wisdom he freely gave to all sincere aspirants who sought shelter at his holy feet. May we too find such shelter and be led into the highest states of realization by this supreme master, our para-param guru Lahiri Mahasaya.