” Drop everything that has come from outside , Throw it out -

Knowledge can be quantified – you can measure it – B.A, M.A, Ist Div, II Div. etc.
But Wisdom cannot be quantified – there is no way to measure it, it is eternal.”

Awareness… “Discovery of your own truth divine identity” – Living in the divine and merging in the all .To be aware, to be awakened is your very first step alone, towards the ultimate ” REALISATION “. You just have to remember , the difference between the two paths which you come across in your everyday life. A path which leads to the worldly affairs, the materialistic transactions in the worldly mad house. A path which is crowded, which is jammed treading towards one rat race, unaware of the end results. How can that path lead you to enlightenment / make you awakened unless you yourselves are not “AWARE” are not “AWAKENED”. You have to choose the other path which leads you to Enlightenment . Brings forth “Awareness ” in you. In the beginning we have seen religion gives way to science and now science giving way to religion. I want to withdraw you from everything belonging in the world to merge into the self. Words and action have not to live for a productive joyous life – some teach you what to do some teach you what not to do ?. Decision is with you, which path to follow, you are yourself to decide alone by you. Ultimate goal of earthly life is to experiencing in self realisation. (samadhi) – a oneness beyond all change of diversities. Avoid crowds . Be certain that where everybody is going cannot be the right path. Though that is the order of the day to follow , what the masses are doing, without actually exerting your own intellect, your own consciousness. People put forth to you the logic for each action of yours. But has anyone till date been able to explain the logic of untimely births and deaths. NO – NONE Hence , the rate race of the masses cannot be the ultimate truth, it can just be a way of living. Way to survive until one dies. It certainly cannot be the right path. You have to find a path where none is going. There are all possibilities that you will end up being wise. This will be the path of your ULTIMATE. Choose a path which leads you more and more deeply into solitude. Leads you into aloneness. Choose a path which is not traditional – which is not orthodox, choose a path which is basically revolutionary. Each step is a revolt against all that is past and old. The rotten crap is driving the whole world mad. Pilot Baba ~ Yoga & Kriya The spinal cord, which is located in the human body has the potential to perform external physical functions as well as the functions of the inner world. Yoga begins where science ends. Man with his insatiable quest can bring the two together. On either side of the spinal cord, there is the flow of negative and positive currents which are respectively called, – Ida and Pingala. In scientific language these currents are called Proton and Neutron. Inside the spinal cord, there is the flow of Sushumna which is called neutron. Bramha Randhra is situated within Sushumna. When it is activated, the world enveloped in divine light looms into sight. Yogis do not waste their energies on aimless activities. Instead the fuel; which is responsible for procreation, is pushed upwards to fuse with the concentrated energy the Kundalini. The awakened Kundalini there upon enters the sushumna. This released energy can either be constructive or destructive. And its use is solely depend on the yogi. It can bring a change in the nature of the yogi. This changed nature has two facets one is Gatee or velocity and the other is Avarodha or obstruction. Yoga is the only medium which can bring changes in the thoughts of mankind. It can remove all the obstacles and bring in peace Yoga suggests a way of life which is simple, comprehensive and potent. Religion is art arrangement which moulds, civilization and culture. Civilization and culture play a significant role in the formation of character. Yoga teaches the right mode of action, its arrangement and its effectiveness. Yoga can alleviate painful thoughts and restlessness. The present day yoga, is far removed from its intrisic form. The different physical exercises are falsely projected as yoga, and anyone with the slightest knowledge can become a yoga teacher. In the name of Yoga, what the yoga learners are getting is akin to Rubbish. Such a yoga has caused enough sufferings to the learner. The word yoga as it is pronounced these days, is the distorted version of the original yoga. It has been converted into a money churning machine in the west, and is fast becoming a household name. Our great sages have opened many paths of spiritualism for mankind use. Yoga like a ready meal is awaiting, to be consumed by the human being. Alas: man is so lethargic that despite the ready offer, is unable to benefit from it. How can such a man do any actions for the world? Nature has placed before man the sansar (the world), as well as yoga. Even while enjoying life, man can achieve the benefits of yoga, but yoga always takes the incumbent from the physical world to the suksmna (subtle). The Param Anand one gets from Yoga can easily eclipse all the pleasures of the world. Yoga has originated from Hiranya Garbh. It is attached to humans since the embryonic days. Aasana is not yoga, it is only a manifestation of its external activity. This external exercise keeps the body healthy. These exercises are wrongly called yoga by many enthusiastic learners. Yogas of this kind are many. Bhodhi tatva can be attained only through the true form of yoga. Therefore yoga is attached in Bhakti, Gyan, Raj, Kriya and Sankalp. Bhakti yoga, Gyan yoga, Raj yoga, Kriya yoga, and Sankalpit yoga are different important disciplines of yoga. These disciplines have been converted into distinct institutions, and have been named after the predominant characteristic. In the course of time, caught admist numerous disparities, Yoga almost disappeared. When many orders sprang up, like – Vedanti, Shaiv, Shakti, Vamachari Sanyasi, Udasin, Nath, Buddhist, Christian, Muslims, Jain and Vaidya etc. Yoga decided to retire to the caves. In some form or the other yoga was related to all orders. In the Nath Sampradaya Hatha Yoga had the fundamental role. Today also, all the religions give importance to yoga. Yoga deals with Soul and brings about self realization. It is linked with the external, as well as internal. It is an exercise of mind, body, and senses. Yoga is the sole medium through which, human mind can be controlled. With the help of Ashtanga Yoga, the external vrittis can be conquered. And Yama Niyama, Asana, Pranayama and Pratyahara, help in the attainment of (a) Internal Dharana (attitude) (b) Dhyana (meditation and (c) Samadhi. During the days of Mahabharata, Kriya Yoga was used effectively. Then, slowly as time went by, the interest in Kriya yoga began to diminish. But today, Kriya Yoga has once again become an issue of discussion. We owe the revival of Kriya yoga to Maha Yogi Yoganandaji (autobiography of a Yogi). He recieved the knowledge of kriya yoga from his Guru Yuketeshwar. Lahiri Mahasaya had handed over this yogic science to Shri Yukteshwar Swami. Maha Avtar Baba, who is the legendary Kripa Charya, is behind the propagation of Kriya yoga, through Lahiri Mahasay, Yukteshwar Swami and Yoganandaji. The ancient sage Patanjali in his creation has given due attention to Kriya Yoga. He has called Kriya yoga as taph swadhya (self penance) and Ishwar Pranidhan (communion of man and supreme power). In Kriya Yoga all the wories cease, and the mind starts functioning in one direction. The effect of Kriya yoga occurs with great speed. Any man can obtain Murdhanga state within thirty seconds to three minutes. Thereafter he can effectively control his mind. I have tried to explore most of the kriyas (acts) of yoga, and have done an in- depth study of Patanjalis manuscript, and have the theoretical and practical knowledge of Hathyoga. Maharshi Patanjalis yoga demands strict discipline. But his procedures are not at all complicated. In a simple, easy way any man can detach himself from the physical world, and obtain the knowledge of the suksmna. Baba Gorakhnath has delineated his procedure in a different but effective manner and has propounded many new methods. He has made use of Hathyoga to unwind the body, open one of the doors of the body to find entry, cognize the suksmna through the gross body, and thereafter explore the entire cosmos. There are plenty of methods which have been invented by different people. But none of them have the deemed originality. I owe my sucess to Baba Gorakhnaths methods. The medium of all yoga is the human body. The union of external and internal Kriya (activities) is called yoga. Yoga unites the external man with the internal man. It takes man from the physical to astral, adds subtle velocity to the materialised thoughts and propels the suksmna to the casual. I have come across many Mahatamas who practised different yogic techniques. I accepted their diverse yogic approaches without any curious questions. Whatever I had recieved from my masters was enough and my self confidence, and firm determination always helped me. The Himalayas played the role of a teacher and philospher. I closely observed nature and learnt from it, but when I came out of my cloister and mingled with the world, I found yoga in a different light. I have toured foreign countries, and where ever I went, I found mans curiousity to know and conquer things which are powerful and effective. All over the world human nature is the same. Human beings want to attain even the most impossible and unnatural things. Actually, yoga is very useful and beneficial to human kind. Yoga evokes the difference between human body and soul. Through the knowledge of soul, a man can have the cognition of the entire Jagat (cosmos- cosmic consciousness). After realizing his self, man can understand his true potential. The tangible reality of the Gunas can only be perceived through the way of yoga. This situation can be defined as Bhoga. Yoga helps in the cognition of chitta. The restlessness of chitta can be controlled by yoga. One who is devoid of all desires is neither interested in amassing wealth nor in religion. A man without desire is neither a Bhogi (enjoyer of pleasures) nor a yogi. Taph (penance) Sadhana, (worship) Daan (charity), research, Karma and Yagna etc – are motivated by Karna or the powerful desire. A man can never be without any desires. Desire is at the very bottom of human existence. I have divined desire in Dharma in (duty – religion) and Erth (many economics etc). Dharma and Erth have originated from a desire Kaam (desire) has caused many upheavals in human lives. In both the situations, I have found man agitated. The true function of Yoga is to, make a man sound in his mind as well as body. It has an ennobling effect on the thought processes of man. It delivers man from Kaama and merges his soul in Paramtatva. A man who has balanced thoughts, high mind confidence, a controlled mind and is detached from Kaama, his gatee (motion) is upward. Such a man dwells in the realm of supreme bliss. A man, who is acquainted with truth, is never disturbed by any thing else. He is cognizant of Maha Tatva and Para – tatvas (Physical and the astral). He can dissolve from the physical into the astral state, and from the astral into the casual state. He can return to his physical state by following the reverse order. Therefore, this beautiful world is of no use to him. He is merely an observer of the animate and inanimate world. His mental make up, is reflected in his thoughts. The race of thoughts have the power to influence others thoughts. Sometimes when a like thoughts meet, a significant change occurs. Inside man there is a continous flow of thoughts. The flux of thoughts are also present in space. In both, the thought vibrations are flowing in. The form of plus (+) and minus (-) vibrations. When they flow in opposite directions, a lot, social anarchy is the result. And when they form an equation, peace and composure can be witnessed. Anand or bliss is the result of this formation. The internal and external thoughts, cast an effect which is akin to trigonometry and Geometry. When the thoughts are attracted towards comprehensiveness, they flow in the pattern of 2×2 = 4. But when they fuse with destructive vibrations they form the pattern of 4 x 4 = 16. The polluted ennui of today is due to the fusion of destruction vibrations. Every where I have come across deciet and corruption. Even yoga has become the victim of the forces of corruption. Some unscrupulous, immoral people have corrupted the form of yoga by commercialising it. All things have become commercial. A nation, whose leader, yogi and God are for sale, has no future. We have to cleanse our minds and rise above this pollution. Yoga can usher in a quietude, to bring order in a nation, where all things are falling apart. A quiet mind can free itself from difficult obstacles and can lead a controlled life which will have a benign influence on everyone and every thing. When all inhabitants of a nation are free from unhealthy thoughts, the nation will rejuvenate and prosper. In the present age, yoga, is available to man in different forms. A lot of literature has been written on yoga and numerous institutions of yoga have mushroomed. Yogis and saints are touring the world and propagating the concept of yoga. But man alone knows, what he is gaining from all this because yoga is a matter of personal experience. One Kriya technique can have a different effect on different people. Irrespective of this, modern yoga is in a state of hysteria. Yogis are misusing yoga and indulging in an act which they had long ago forsaken. Yoga is gradually turning into a money making machine. The restlessness of man denotes that yoga is not following the right path. Had it been on the right path, man would have been peaceful and there would have been harmony everywhere. If you are practising yoga, you must first identify its type. You must know whether its a physical yoga, mansik (Mental) yoga or Atmya yoga (the yoga of the soul). If you are only confined to its physical aspect then only Assan – Yam Niyam (rule) is sufficient, because this helps in the development of the body and keeps it healthy. But you must bear one thing in mind, that whatever you have been doing since birth is related to yoga. All those are Asanas and Nature herself has designed them. Animal, birds and man all are expected to practise this format. If nature would not have done this arrangement, we would have been maimed. Since man does not follow the rules of nature, he becomes prey to a variety of diseases. But yoga can rectify these ailments. The prevalent Yoga lays stress on physical exercise. Many Yoga institutions of the world, are merely engaged in teaching Asanas which have curative effects. Peace is not emphasized in these institutes, because the teachers themselves need to understand its significance. But a healthy body is important. A healthy and disease free body can only take man towards Anand. Kriya Yoga is related to the physical, mental and spiritual well being of a man. In mental yoga, one has to detach one self from the physical. Only this detachment can quieten the mind. The outward detachment can cause the fusion of the inward. Inner fusion begets peace. Human mind is always active, it expresses, inspires, gives directions for actions and many more. Gyanendriyas (faculty of intellect) and Karmendriyas are the active associates. The second stage is the spiritual yoga. In the spiritual yoga, the Sadhaka goes into samadhi and cognizes his self. Physical yoga energizes the body and keeps it healthy. It is a warm up exercise for the body. This warm up exercise tones up the body temperature, makes it even, and eliminates any chances of danger to the body during the inward journey. Mind stabilises itself and the union of the internal and external takes place. The next step changes the thoughts into feelings and transports the sadhak inwards. The Jiva absorbed in Atman can realize Paramatma. In this way he realizes the importance of self and Jagat. Hence, we can say, that yoga succeeds in doing its job perfectly well. It unites the Atma with Paramatma, transfers it from that physical to astral state. The cosmic consciousness is thus achieved. In this state will becomes so powerful that speed and even death can be ordered by will. All these are the activities of human body. But a lot of practise is required to attain this stage. All the activities of man pertain to nature. Unnatural acts, result in diseases, which snatch away mental, and physical happiness. A man, who is happy physically, mentally and spiritually is a wonderful sight. Lord Krishnas successes in all spheres were mainly due to Kriya Yoga. Krishna was adept in Kriya Yoga. All his mayic activities, illustrate his mastery of kriya yoga. Through kriya yoga a man can obtain the state of Sankalpit yoga. And sankalpit yoga can he used as a powerful weapon. The sudden appearance and disappearance, is possible through Kriya Yoga only. Thousands of years of samadhi, and creation of multiple bodies are all, the marvel of kriya yoga. Kriya yoga is a science which enables man to have an immediate control over his thought processes. Since yoga is used so commonly, its worth has deteriorated. Yoga teachers are available easily. And, it is unfortunate, when they erroneously call themselves Yogis. But there are very few who claim to have knowledge of kriya yoga. Kriya Yoga follows a certain formula, and it has a specific definition. A special technique has been designed for it. It has been propounded by god himself, who is every where. And it is still safe with us.The great saints, who understand the precious technique, some times as per the need of time hand over this technique to society through the medium of a chosen yogi. Till now no authentic information has been written in book form. For decades I have been touring India, And I am surprised to find people taking interest in kriya yoga. Many a times I have asked Maha-Avtar Baba (Babaji), for a solution to this problems. And every time he brushed it aside laughingly. One day I put to him my proposal of launching a crusade for universal peace. He again laughed and said – Let time be ripe. So I gave up all my activites and returned to the Himalayas. In due course, the sequence of events again pushed me towards society. Seeing my dilemma, Maha-Avtar Baba smiled and said- Go ahead, my blessings are with you. I was good at writing, poems, plays and novels. But for many decades my pen could not produce any creative writings. I wanted to express something in writing, but my pen always refused to move. I could not understand the reason behind my pens inertia. I wanted to share my Himalayan experiences and write about Kriya yoga. Once, as I sat on the the banks of Saryu, in Bogeshwar, I picked up pen and it began to move spontaneously. I wrote two books entiled: 1)Himalaya – My life companion 2) Mathuradas Baba was Jawaharlal Nehru. But I could not introduce these books to the world, because Baba himself consigned the manuscripts to flames. And since then I have been waiting for the day when I will be able to share the experiences of my Himalayan abode. Finally, with the blessings of the great souls, I am offering my experiences to you. Kriya yoga is a rare science, and people who practise Kriya yoga are also rare. They enjoy the special protection of the elevated sages of the Himalayas. After Mahabharat Kriya yoga went into hibernation. It has reawakened after a lapse of five thousand years. Today, man wants to embrace everything without any delay. But he has over looked the fact that he cannot achieve anything in a hurry. Kriya yoga is in the safe custody of the great souls of Himalayas. Man should he greatful to the Himalayas, for giving Protection to the custodians of the ancient science. Shardwan initiated Lord Krishna into Kriya Yoga. Later on Angris also gave Lord Krishna lessons on Kriya Yoga. Bhagwan Bhaskar, gave the Diksha of Kriya Yoga to Vivswan. Manu learnt the technique from Vivswan and handed it over Iskwaku. Shardwan recieved from Iskwaku. Then it remained in oblivion for a long time till Parshuram revived it. Dronacharya recieved it from Parshuram. Ashwathma learnt the rare art from dronacharya. Kripi and Kripacharya recieved it from Shardwan. Later on, kripa came to be known as Shanti ma. I was initiated into Kriya yoga by Kripa charyaji. Remember that only individuals have become enlightened and not the crowds. The crowds have either become Hindu, Muslims, Sikhs, Christains, Jains, Parsis but not the real enlightened individual selves. Only the individuals – only those who have the courage, the spirit to be alone – are capable of stopping the movement of the Mind and can settle into their inner innocence. The deeper you go within yourself, the purest the sources of consciousness that you will find. When you reach to the very center of your being. Core of yourself, your consciousness, you have reached to the center of the Universe. There blossoms the wisdom. You can see everything. You become a “SEER” a “SAGE ” . This is a RE-BIRTH – A RESURRECTION- You die as the world wanted you to be – and you find exactly what the nature – the existence – (The GOD) has been longing for you to be. Existence gives you all that you are asking for – have been longing for. If you want to live beautiful, joyful life full of ecstasy and die with ecstasy , you will have to choose the path of aloneness and that is the path of meditation.

Someone informed me when I was posted in Mhow, that a miracle man had appeared in a village outside Indore who could answer one’s unspoken questions, cure incurable diseases and perform unbelievable miracles.Miracles would only happen on a night when there was full moon, when a goddess performed miracles through the medium of this individual.It was not difficult to locate this man since thousands visited him on days when there was due to be a full moon.On reaching the spot,I met his daughter,one of the seven children of this simple villager,and established his background at first hand.He was a por man who owned a small piece of land close to the village.

One day after ploughing his field,he returned home,dancing,whereupon the villagers thought he had gone mad.He was considered to be a simpleton,but his  graceful dancing amazed people and they gathered round him.He told them,”I am the goddess,so and so, ask any favours from me”.The villagers asked him to produce sweets to demonstrate his powers.He took some ashes from a nearby hearth,flung them up into the air and down came the delicious sweets.In awe,all villagers bowed before him.Then he cured those with diseases by prescribing nothing more than the ashes of firewood.The news spread far and wide and something like a huge market sprang up in this unfrequented spot to cater for thousand of pilgrims on the day before va full moon.On other days the miracle man continued to undergo the drudgery of rearing a large family.But now, of course,there was no dearth of money.

After interviewing his daughter,I took my place in the queue and while I waited,I composed three tests in my mind.First,I wanted to see some miracles with my own eyes to assess their authenticity.Secondly, I wanted him to produce for me a photograph of Guru Nanak,and thirdly,I wanted to know when,if at all, I would be blessed vwith seing God or have a darshan.

I clearly saw the miracles performed for the three men ahead of me in the queue.For one, he produced a miniature picture of Lord Krishna from a flower he plucked from the garland around his neck.For the second,he threw rice in the air and it came down as sweets.To the third man he offered his hand dipped in water and said:”You will smell whatever fragrance you name”. He asked for rose and got it.Offerting the same hand to the next man who wanted jasmine fragrance,he said:”It is jasmine” and sure enough it was. Turnming to this same man, he said:”You come to ask me when your court-cases will end,and my answer is,only when you stop drinking. You drink and quarrel with your brother. Unless you stop that,the court-cases  against you cannot end”. The man was in tears. It was absolutely true,he said,loud enough for everyone to hear. Now it was my turn. 

He was a dark-complexioned man, rather effeminately dressed.He looked at me and said,”As you have seen I have already answerred your questions about miracles”.This was true.”Here is the answer to your second  question”‘, he said, and plucking a flower from the garland around his neck,he produced from it a miniature framed picture, the size of a thumb and handed it over to me. I noticed it was a picture of the famous Sai Baba of Shridi, that remarkable saint of Maharashtra in whom Hindus and Moslems believe with equal fervour. This was not the picture I had wanted but before I could open my mouth to say so, he said,”There is no difference betwen Sai Baba  and Guru Nanak.Next time,I will give you one of Guru Nanak”. He had not produced the picture but had guessed my question correctly.From a secular point of view,Sai Baba and Guru Nank are very similar, which, to some extent,accounts for their immense popularity amongst the Hindus and Moslems.

My third question seemed to baffle him and he never gave me an answer,presumably because the spirits who perform these miracles through a medium, cannot ascend higher than than their own status.The wife of an officer,who had accompanied me, had the disease from which she suffered,diagnosed correctly, but the medicine he gave her had no effect on her.Many present, however proclaimed the great efficacy of cures suggested by this miracle man. We also heard of him using his miraculous powers to get the daughter of a rich widow married into a princely family, a match the boy had earlier rejected.This marriage ended in a disaster,however,since the mother of the girl was charged with stealing  a necklace during the wedding and there was a great deal of unpleasantness for all concerneed.

I came back with the impression of having witnessed a magician’s performance.Can anything of this nature ever be  satisfying to the soul?

India is full of similar strange occourences,particularly in the hill areas.Simple folk are most impressionable and it is these men and women that some spirits use most often as their mediums,and who, once abandoned by the spirit, are left a wreck.These people are so constituted that, once a spirit has formed an attraction to them,they are unable to resist.The medium is hardly the kind of person who can make an effective contribution towards spirtitual evolution,as there is no guarantee that the spirit using the medium,deserves respect,and is not merely a conjuror.

The body is the horse on which

you ride on you way to GOD.-Guru Granth Shaib.

The yoga system known as Yogoda which Lahiri Moshai evolved and taught to his great disciples Shri Yukteshwar Maharaj and Swami Yoganand,is logical and simple.Considerable literature is available at the Ranchi headquarters of the Yoga Society,but I could contact no outstanding Master who had perfected the art of this form of yoga and who could teach it with any authority.After Swami Yogananda,who visited and influenced the United States of America considerably,the chairmanship of the Math passed to an American lady disciple of Yogananda,the well known Daya Mata.

I had the good fortune to meet this distinguished lady once in Delhi,in the house of an army brigadier who practiced Yogoda,and later at Dakshineshwar in Calcutta.She wears ochre robes and sings beautiful devotional songs in English in praise of God.

The origin of the Yogoda system as a means of becoming aware of the Soul is tracked back to Shri Babaji.He is said to be immortal,remaining young from century to century and assisting the great Masters in carrying out their spiritual tasks in this world.How he insisted Shri Lahiri Moshai in the Himalays,close to Ranikhet,is an astounding miracle.It is impossible to fully comprehend the true nature of Shri Babaji due to his being a Maha-avtar, but his disciple Shri Lahiri Mahasaya succeeded in carrying his torch with such brilliance that he amazed all who saw him.Men of all faiths came to him for help and they never went back disappointed.The way he cured the illness of an Englishman’s wife who was in England when he was serving under him in India, shows the remarkable powers he possesed.

He asked his disciples to avoid theoretical discussion of the scriptures.”Solve all your problems through meditation”,he said. 

Seek truth in meditation,not in moldy books
Look in the sky to find the moon,not in the pond.(Persian proverb) 

Kriya Yoga,the technique of spiritual advancement taught by Shri Babaji to Shri Lahiri Mahasay,who passed it on to Shri Yukteshwar,who then gave it to Shri Yogananda,is a highly sophisticated yoga technique,consisting of breathing exercises and concentration on the psychic centres.

In his book The Autobiography of a Yogi,Paramhansa Yogananda describes Kriya Yoga as “a simple psycho-physiological method,whereby the blood of the human being is being discharged of carbonic acid and oxygen is added.The atoms of this aditional volume of oxygen are transformed in the lifestream of the human being to regenerate the centres in the brain and the spine.By counteracting the accumulation of veinous blood,the yogi can reduce or prevent the decay of the tissues.In this way mastery of life is obtained”.

I took a correspondence course and tried out some exercises,and since I could not find an expert instructor,I gave up this system for fear of damaging the nervous system of the body. It is absolutely vital that yoga exercises are conducted under the expert supervision of a Master.Having taken to physical Yoga Exercises,one tends to neglect the most vital aspect,the cleansing and elevating complement of chanting the Lord’s Name,listening to devotional music or reciting the scriptures.Great Masters like Babaji,Lahiri Mahasaya,Yukteshwarji and Yoganada lay great store by it.

I have visited the Ranchi Centre of Yogoda where I saw a couple of young Americans who were seriously studying this practice.However, I saw no arrangements for devotional music or reciting of scriptures.Perhaps that was left to the disciples to arrange individually,or the system had become so ultra-modern that the need for cultivating love of God,awareness of whom is the main aim of this discipline,was no longer felt,the whole concentration being on the physical aspect.Daya Mata,however,enchanted the audience by her devotional songs in English when she came to Delhi.

Bab Sita Ram Das Onkarnath,who was to be my Master, knew all about this system and its great gurus. He reads the life of Lahiri Mahasay chapter by chapter every evening,along with other scriptures.Daya Mata met him whilst he was in ‘silence’ or Mauna, at Puri, and at her request he allowed her to sit for meditation with him for an hour. She was kind enough to describe this experience to me when I met her at Dakshineshwar. She had asked Baba after his meditation,why her spiritual progress had stopped and Baba readily told her it was because she was eating eggs.She was amazed at Baba’s insight and confessed that although she did not take meat,she found it hard,due to her American background, to leave eggs also. She accurately summed up Baba when she said,”He is God’s own child”.

One of her young American disciples,who was looking for the samadhi or burial place of Lahiri Moshai,which was reported to be by the river Ganges at Hardwar,accidentally met me at Hardwar and asked me the name of the saint whom I had just then prostrated myself in salutation.When I said it was Baba Sri Sita Ram Das Onkarnath,he rushed to prostrate himself at Baba’s feet and said he had been instructed by Daya Mata not to miss meeting him whilst in India. For this purpose he had been to Puri in Orissa where Baba had last been reported and had been disappointed not to find him there.He expressed his delight to Baba Onkarnath in being able to meet him at Hardwar,while he was looking for the samadhi of the great Guru Shri Lahiri Moshai,about which no one appeared to know.The saint led this young man ten yards away from where we all were standing,and showed him the platform which housed the samadhi he was looking for.The amazing thing was that nobody,not even the caretaker of this ashram,knew about the existence of this samadhi. We were all stuned by the insight of Baba Onkarnath and the American young man was almost in tears with joy. How wonderful ,he said, that he should achieve both his aims of coming to India and at the same time,that of visiting the samadhi of Shri Lahiri Moshai,and meeting Baba  Onkarnath. The young man asked for a favour from Baba which was readily granted,namely,that he should be able to meet Baba again the following year.

Of all yoga systems,Yogoda appears to me to be the best, provided one can find a real Master as a guide. I have known one man who had some ill effects while practising this by means of a correspondence course.It would be a great pity if we lost the technique of Kriya Yoga through neglect, though I know that the ever vigilant Shri Baba would choose suitable persons to propagate this system. Anyone wishing to practise Yoga should read The Autobiography of a Yogi, by Yogananda.This book, which makes one’s hair stand on end, had a considerable and beneficial effect on my mind and induced me to study Yogoda. Unable to find a Master of this technique, I had to give it up. It appeared, however, to lay little stress on the essential ingredient of love of God, which has to be specifically cultivated ,before undertaking any yoga practice. Otherwise, the whole system is apt to degerate into a desire for miracles.

On a Sunday morning in 1955,I was sitting with my family in Shillong.The weather was pleasant in this beautiful hill station,and the breeeze blew softly through the pine trees, producing an uncanny effect on one’s mind.Someone who had been introduced to me a few days earlier as an excellent amateur astrologer,and worked in the Audit Department of the Government of India,unexpectedly came in and we started a discussion about the best path for spiritual evolution.He talked about his yogi guru in the Himalayas,who was reported to be 150 years old and his guru’s guru who, according to him,was over 400 years old.He talked about some breath-taking miracles which he personally had witnessed,while staying in the cottage of his guru in those high hills.The narration was extremely thrilling and the man’s character left me in no doubt that the account must be true.He mentioned how his guru fed scores of disembodied souls in his cottage on festive occassions,and of the appreance of dazzling lights when these souls arrived for the feast and the manner in which food for those who did not come,was despatched by mere thought process to their sanctuary in the Himalayas.
This kind of story is not uncommon in India.But when he told me how his Guru had removed his disciple’s soul from his body and made him face his soulless body ,to realise the relationship between the soul and the body,I was amazed.I had never heard of anyone performing such an extraordinary act.Fortunately,this Yogi Guru was still alive and could be contacted through another another disciple, who was serving in the Forest Department.I had heard of and met a large number of yogis and sadhus but here was one without equal.I felt an intense desire to meet him and I carefully noted the address of his contact in the Forest Department.I was told by my astrologer friend that his Yogi Guru had no more than five disciples and did not appreciate any necomers.He recommended that I should send a basket of fruit to the yogi through this contact.If he accepted the fruit, I should go and meet him;if he did not,I should not make any attempt,lest he get annoyed and cursed me.
Soo,I found myself posted to the north at Divisional HQ,the jurisdiction of which included the yogi’s residential area.I took the first opportunity to visit units in the hills where this yogi was.To my dismay,I discovered that I had lost his address and even forgotten his name.But I had the address of the Forest Officer,so all was well,I thought.On enquiry,however,I found that nthe Forest Officer had died a year ago.I was heartbroken.The only hope I had of meeting Yogi Bawa Hari Das had now been smashed. The orderly detailed by the unit to look after me found me morose and uncommunicative.He asked me why I was so miserable, I told him the whole story and ordered him to move out into the vicinity of the town and find the whereabouts of a yogi who was known to be 150 years old.He came back after a complete day’s outing and gave me the happy news that he had found the address from an old disciple in the village nearby.He, however,could not guarntee whether this yogi would see me when we reached his cottage in the wooded hills,several miles away.I later discovered that this orderly was also one of the disciples and although he knew all about the yogi,he refused to divulge anything till he had consulted the senior disciple in the nearby village.HOW the only disciple in the army got detailed and planted as my orderely,to make it possible for me to meet Bawa Hari,was yet another miracle.
We walked together to meet him;myself,the orderly and the old disciple.The path was rough,uphill and full of tall grass amongst pine trees,where, I was told, cobras were quite common.The orderly told me,however, that the cobras were harmless and were only there to protect this great yogi.There were panthers also, I presumed,for the same purpose.I had my own doubts about the capability of these wild animals to sift good men from the bad; mistaken identity could spell a painful death.
Sweating and puffing hard,we arrived at the gate of the compound of the yogi’s beautiful cottage.The compound appeared to be well wired-in and the gate, as usual, had been locked by the yogi,who,I was told,sat in his meditation room most of the time.Withthe door of his meditation room closed,shouts from outer gate could hardly reach him.It was, therefore,all a matter of luck whether one could meet him.He came out to cook his only daily meal at about 10 a.m. and in a couple of hours he had cooked,fed and gone again.The only room inside had no sleeping berth and contained only a meditation seat.They said he never slept but had his rest during meditation. The older disciple told me he had first met Bawa Hari some forty years ago when he arrived in this jungle and started on his course of austerity.He was then 100 years old,making him now about 140 years of age.
Whilst this man shouted to his guruji to come and open the gate,I was forming a mental picture of a very old man,bent down by age and hardly able to walk. Instead we saw a lean,erect and sprightly figure come quickly up to the gate,clad only in white sheet from head to foot. He opened the gate and we all rushed to the gushing spring close by,to wash our feet and hands before bowing to him and touching his feet with our foreheads ,
a common salutation to the yogis and sadhus in India.The yogi apperared rather curt when he asked me who had given me his address and the purpose of my visit.The orderly and the older disciple were trembling with fear, lest they be cursed for having brought me there, and so disturb his seclusion without his consent.I quickly told him the whole story of my auditor friend in Shillong and my subsequent efforts to contact him.He smiled when he learnt that my orderly had not disclosed the secret to me.
His stern face immediately became kind and warming.He said,”My son,you must eat here today.I shall cook for you.A roast chicken with other special dishes await for you in the Cantonment from where you have come.My food is going to be very simple and vegetarian,but it is wholesome and will do you good”.He was right.A magnificent lunch awaited me in the Cantonment where I was being honoured by a famous battalion.It would not be easy to explain my absence from a party where I was the guest of honour.There was, however,no other course open to me but to accept the great yogi’s invitation and stay with him the whole day.
The cottage was beautiful and had been the gift of his Forest Office disciple, who had also brought spring water in a pipe line to his cottage,so making it really heavenly.Bawa Hari cooked his food in a steam cooker.It consisted of rice,some cereal and clarified butter with some salt.It was delicious.At his bidding on that day,twenty years ago,I became vegetarian and a teetotaller.I had never been fond of drinking although during the British days it was a necessary social evil.But my vegetarianism was widely talked about in army circles,due to the fact that, since that day,eating meat has never really attracted me.
Hesitatingly,I broached the subject of this yogi’s guru and the dis embodied souls he sometimes invited to a feast.He said,”The Guru is over 400 years old,and sits in that part of Himalays”,pointing his finger towards a snow covered peak, “and has to lift his overhanging eyebrows with his finger from his eyes,so that he can see you physically”. He then explained how he had wandered for some twenty years along the coast of Arabian Gulf and over the Tibetan plateau undergoing austerities and hoping to discover his Inner Being, all without any result. After he had become considerably emaciated and had lost all hope of finding his goal,he walked back into India,towards the lower ranges of the Himalayas and settled down in a desrepit old temple.He started singing ‘God’s Name’ in that temple where some villagers would bring some milk or rice for him and join him in the devotional singing. One day a crazy fellow came from nowhere,whom no one in the village recognised.He had a shoe on one foot,the other being bare.As he enterted the temple with one shoe on,the whole congregation shouted at him,pointing out the sacrilege he was committing by entering the temple with a shoe on.He just laughed and said,”The whole world is God’s temple.Which temple are you talking about?Anyway,I have come to your miserable yogi priest”, and taking this yogi by arm,he marched outside.As soon as they were out of sight of the villagers,he told the yogi,”I have been sent by my guruji,who says you are now in a fit state to take initiation from him.Accompany me and I will take you there in a moment”.The yogi did not give any further details about his meeting and inititation by his guru.He confirmed that this guru and many other sidhas,or evolved souls,sometimes visited him by invitation and were fed by him.
I asked of him if he could invite them on my behalf on Sunday,so that I could serve them the food and possibly
have darshan .He said, “You have not reached the stage when you can see them,but you will see the preparations and their disposal.” He said he was going to consult his guru.When he reappeared from his meditation room,his face was ecstatic.He said an American disembodied soul was present when he approached his guru and said that Sunday was a very holy day;a feast would be welcomed.The guru had, therefore,agreed to come along with seventy other souls including this American.On my return to the Cantonment,I discovered that the Sunday fell on 25 December-Christmas Day.The yogi, however,however could have no idea of this without an English calender.I was struck by the cosmopolitan nature of this spiritual fraternity and was all the more anxious to witness whatever I could of this supernatural phenomenon.
I arrived at the yogi’s cottage on Saturday afternoon with the prescribed paraphernalia of food items purchased from the market.The old disciple also came,being a cook by vocation.We spent the afternoon peeling freshly plucked bean pods and washing everything several times over with the spring water.The whole night was spent in preparing food for seventy men.The menu was quite elaborate and contained some of the best known Indian sweet and spice dishes.The metal plates and glasses to be used for serving food were
washed thoroughly by the three of us,the third person being the young son of the old disciple.The yogi took no part in helping us.
At 11 a.m. on Sunday,the food was ready,served in plates which were handed over one by one to Bawa Hari Das,who stood some eightmetres away from us,at the entrance to the hall which was to accommodate the guests.He took about thirty filled plates with thirty glasses full of water.He said the remainning guests had not come and the food would be sent to them in their caves.He asked me to pray while the Sidhas were eating the food,which I did.After about twenty minutes the empty and half empty plates and tumblers were brought by the yogi and handed over to us.The first plate had ben used by the yogi’s guru and the prasad or food left on the plate was blessed by the guruji.Every plate and glass showed traces of having been touched,some only partially,while others were completely empty.The inside of the hall was not visible from where I was standing.No sound of any kind could be heard and the feast was over.My logical mind had some genuine misgivings and could not make out how such a vast quantity of food had been consumed without even a cough.The yogi would have been dead if he had eaten even one-third of that quantity.I toyed with the idea of having a good look inside the hall to see if the food had not been dumped into a deep hole there.I think the yogi guessed my thoughts since he wentout of his cottage telling me that he would be back after a while.I went right into the hall and lifted the straw matting spread on the floor.I could discover no hole,no droppings,not even a few drops of water.It was a stunning experience.
Later, during my long contact with Bawa Hari Das,which still continues,I saw and heard quite a few unbelievable miracles which were rightly attributed to him.He is a remarkable man in every way.I have now known him for about twenty years and he looks the same,only a little leaner and more agile.His path of spiritual evolution is extremely difficult and may not suit a householder, but my respect and admiration for this man will never diminsh.What I had read in The Autobiography of a Yogi by Yogananda,made sense only after I met Bawa Hari Das.
I cannot forget a remark he made about the yoga practices.He said,”My path is extremely difficult.This time piece(pointing to an larm clock) dictates all my activity.I have no powers to change it.My guruji is so strict that he nullified seven years of my austerities simply because I had slapped a self-confessed sinner in anger.I was put back in kindergarten.It is much easier for a householder to be aware of God than for a yogi .His engagement inthe battle of life gives him opportunities which are denied to a yogi.Had I known this before,I would never joined this arduous path”.
A poor Brahmin had once broughtn his young daughter to Shri Bawa Hari Das and requested him to adopt the girl as his own daughter,since the Brahmin was in no position to get her married.The yogi accepted this and one day a Brahmin havildar(Sergant)clerk came to pay his respects to him.The yogi felt that this man was a suitable match for his adopted daughter and therefore arranged their marriage which was quite successful.the havildar later became a subedar and both the husband and wife used to visit Shri Bawa Hari Das often.Although the girl,when unmarried,was allowed to stay inside the cottage and cook for the yogi,after her marriage she was lodged in a room outside the cottage compound with her husband.The yogi had talked to me about the peity of this girl and the fact that even the yogi’s guru raised no objection to her cooking or serving the food to them.
I had heard that one night after her marriage she had actually seen with her naked eyes the yogi’s guru arriving by a flying palanquin in a blazing light.I was anxious to get the true version from her.By coincidence she happened to visit Shri Bawa Hari Das’ cottage when I was there.He introduced me to her,thus giving me an opportunity to ask her about the authenticity of her story.This is what she told me:
“I was just married and was staying with my husband in the outer room on one of our visits.My menstrual periods had started,so I did not venture inside the cottage.One night at about midnight as I was looking out of the window,I noticed a flying palaki or palanquin,in a blaze of light.The cushioned and golden seats within the palaki were clearly visible.I saw some sidhas,looking very holy and impressive,sitting inside this object was flying through the night without making any sound at all.I shouted for my husband to come have a look at the guru’s palaki.Meanwhile I started praying with my folded hands in the direction of the flying object.I noted that the palaki hovered in mid-air for a long time,for as long as I was praying.Then, with a blessing,it flew away.I pointed this thing out to my husband but he only saw some burning light in the sky and could not see the palaki or the guru.Next morning Shri Bawa Hari Das spoke to me and said:”Child,you delayed the guru for forty-five minutes in the air by your long prayer”.Only then did I fel certain that I had seen the guruji.”
This girl was very simple and I was convinced that her story was genuine.
Shri Bawa HariDas had told me about his guru having dropped some good Chinese rice on top of his cottage when he had run short of rice, he had never mentioned that his guru came in a flying object.My auditor friend had also mentioned some dazzling lights on top of the yogi’s cottage on some nights,but had not seen the palaki.
The world of the yogi is a strange one,exciting in its possibilities and making the spiritual path attractive to many.Distinguished yogis like Shri Bawa Hari Das Maharaj serve as beacon lights to those who wish to practice Hatha Yoga.Their powerful thought vibrations help humanity in more ways than one.