Autobiography of a Yogi
of others, but seldom allowed them to pay him similar honor, even
though such obeisance toward the guru is an ancient Oriental custom.
A significant feature of Lahiri Mahasaya’s life was his gift
of KRIYA initiation to those of every faith. Not Hindus only, but
Moslems and Christians were among his foremost disciples. Monists
and dualists, those of all faiths or of no established faith, were
impartially received and instructed by the universal guru. One of
his highly advanced chelas was Abdul Gufoor Khan, a Mohammedan. It
shows great courage on the part of Lahiri Mahasaya that, although
a high-caste Brahmin, he tried his utmost to dissolve the rigid
caste bigotry of his time. Those from every walk of life found
shelter under the master’s omnipresent wings. Like all God-inspired
prophets, Lahiri Mahasaya gave new hope to the outcastes and
down-trodden of society.
“Always remember that you belong to no one, and no one belongs to
you. Reflect that some day you will suddenly have to leave everything
in this world-so make the acquaintanceship of God now,” the great
guru told his disciples. “Prepare yourself for the coming astral
journey of death by daily riding in the balloon of God-perception.
Through delusion you are perceiving yourself as a bundle of flesh
and bones, which at best is a nest of troubles. {FN35-12} Meditate
unceasingly, that you may quickly behold yourself as the Infinite
Essence, free from every form of misery. Cease being a prisoner
of the body; using the secret key of KRIYA, learn to escape into
Spirit.”
The great guru encouraged his various students to adhere to
the good traditional discipline of their own faith. Stressing the
all-inclusive nature of KRIYA as a practical technique of liberation,
Lahiri Mahasaya then gave his chelas liberty to express their lives
in conformance with environment and up bringing.
“A Moslem should perform his NAMAJ {FN35-13} worship four times
daily,” the master pointed out. “Four times daily a Hindu should
sit in meditation. A Christian should go down on his knees four
times daily, praying to God and then reading the Bible.”
With wise discernment the guru guided his followers into the paths
of BHAKTI (devotion), KARMA (action), JNANA (wisdom), or RAJA (royal
or complete) YOGAS, according to each man’s natural tendencies. The
master, who was slow to give his permission to devotees wishing to
enter the formal path of monkhood, always cautioned them to first
reflect well on the austerities of the monastic life.
The great guru taught his disciples to avoid theoretical discussion
of the scriptures. “He only is wise who devotes himself to realizing,
not reading only, the ancient revelations,” he said. “Solve all
your problems through meditation. {FN35-14} Exchange unprofitable
religious speculations for actual God-contact. Clear your mind of
dogmatic theological debris; let in the fresh, healing waters of
direct perception. Attune yourself to the active inner Guidance;
the Divine Voice has the answer to every dilemma of life. Though
man’s ingenuity for getting himself into trouble appears to be
endless, the Infinite Succor is no less resourceful.”
The master’s omnipresence was demonstrated one day before a group
of disciples who were listening to his exposition of the BHAGAVAD
GITA. As he was explaining the meaning of KUTASTHA CHAITANYA or
the Christ Consciousness in all vibratory creation, Lahiri Mahasaya
suddenly gasped and cried out:
“I am drowning in the bodies of many souls off the coast of Japan!”
The next morning the chelas read a newspaper account of the death
of many people whose ship had foundered the preceding day near
Japan.
The distant disciples of Lahiri Mahasaya were often made aware of
his enfolding presence. “I am ever with those who practice KRIYA,”
he said consolingly to chelas who could not remain near him. “I
will guide you to the Cosmic Home through your enlarging perceptions.”
Swami Satyananda was told by a devotee that, unable to go to Benares,
the man had nevertheless received precise KRIYA initiation in a
dream. Lahiri Mahasaya had appeared to instruct the chela in answer
to his prayers.
If a disciple neglected any of his worldly obligations, the master
would gently correct and discipline him.
“Lahiri Mahasaya’s words were mild and healing, even when he was
forced to speak openly of a chela’s faults,” Sri Yukteswar once
told me. He added ruefully, “No disciple ever fled from our master’s
barbs.” I could not help laughing, but I truthfully assured Sri
Yukteswar that, sharp or not, his every word was music to my ears.
Lahiri Mahasaya carefully graded KRIYA into four progressive
initiations. {FN35-15} He bestowed the three higher techniques only
after the devotee had manifested definite spiritual progress. One
day a certain chela, convinced that his worth was not being duly
evaluated, gave voice to his discontent.
“Master,” he said, “surely I am ready now for the second initiation.”
At this moment the door opened to admit a humble disciple, Brinda
Bhagat. He was a Benares postman.
“Brinda, sit by me here.” The great guru smiled at him affectionately.
“Tell me, are you ready for the second technique of KRIYA?”
The little postman folded his hands in supplication. “Gurudeva,” he
said in alarm, “no more initiations, please! How can I assimilate
any higher teachings? I have come today to ask your blessings,
because the first divine KRIYA has filled me with such intoxication
that I cannot deliver my letters!”
“Already Brinda swims in the sea of Spirit.” At these words from
Lahiri Mahasaya, his other disciple hung his head.
“Master,” he said, “I see I have been a poor workman, finding fault
with my tools.”
The postman, who was an uneducated man, later developed his insight
through KRIYA to such an extent that scholars occasionally sought
his interpretation on involved scriptural points. Innocent alike of
sin and syntax, little Brinda won renown in the domain of learned
pundits.
Besides the numerous Benares disciples of Lahiri Mahasaya, hundreds
came to him from distant parts of India. He himself traveled to Bengal
on several occasions, visiting at the homes of the fathers-in-law
of his two sons. Thus blessed by his presence, Bengal became
honeycombed with small KRIYA groups. Particularly in the districts
of Krishnagar and Bishnupur, many silent devotees to this day have
kept the invisible current of spiritual meditation flowing.
Among many saints who received KRIYA from Lahiri Mahasaya may be
mentioned the illustrious Swami Vhaskarananda Saraswati of Benares,
and the Deogarh ascetic of high stature, Balananda Brahmachari.
For a time Lahiri Mahasaya served as private tutor to the son of
Maharaja Iswari Narayan Sinha Bahadur of Benares. Recognizing the
master’s spiritual attainment, the maharaja, as well as his son,
sought KRIYA initiation, as did the Maharaja Jotindra Mohan Thakur.
A number of Lahiri Mahasaya’s disciples with influential worldly
position were desirous of expanding the KRIYA circle by publicity.
The guru refused his permission. One chela, the royal physician
to the Lord of Benares, started an organized effort to spread the
master’s name as “Kashi Baba” (Exalted One of Benares). {FN35-16}
Again the guru forbade it.
“Let the fragrance of the KRIYA flower be wafted naturally, without
any display,” he said. “Its seeds will take root in the soil of
spiritually fertile hearts.”
Although the great master did not adopt the system of preaching
through the modern medium of an organization, or through the
printing press, he knew that the power of his message would rise
like a resistless flood, inundating by its own force the banks of
human minds. The changed and purified lives of devotees were the
simple guarantees of the deathless vitality of KRIYA.
In 1886, twenty-five years after his Ranikhet initiation, Lahiri
Mahasaya was retired on a pension. {FN35-17} With his availability
in the daytime, disciples sought him out in ever-increasing numbers.
The great guru now sat in silence most of the time, locked in the
tranquil lotus posture. He seldom left his little parlor, even
for a walk or to visit other parts of the house. A quiet stream of
chelas arrived, almost ceaselessly, for a DARSHAN (holy sight) of
the guru.
To the awe of all beholders, Lahiri Mahasaya’s habitual physiological
state exhibited the superhuman features of breathlessness, sleeplessness,
cessation of pulse and heartbeat, calm eyes unblinking for hours,
and a profound aura of peace. No visitors departed without upliftment
of spirit; all knew they had received the silent blessing of a true
man of God.
The master now permitted his disciple, Panchanon Bhattacharya, to
open an “Arya Mission Institution” in Calcutta. Here the saintly
disciple spread the message of KRIYA YOGA, and prepared for public
benefit certain yogic herbal {FN35-18} medicines.
In accordance with ancient custom, the master gave to people in
general a NEEM {FN35-19} oil for the cure of various diseases. When
the guru requested a disciple to distil the oil, he could easily
accomplish the task. If anyone else tried, he would encounter strange
difficulties, finding that the medicinal oil had almost evaporated
after going through the required distilling processes. Evidently
the master’s blessing was a necessary ingredient.
Lahiri Mahasaya’s handwriting and signature, in Bengali script,
are shown above. The lines occur in a letter to a chela; the great
master interprets a Sanskrit verse as follows: “He who has attained
a state of calmness wherein his eyelids do not blink, has achieved
SAMBHABI MUDRA.”
(SIGNED) “SRI SHYAMA CHARAN DEVA SHARMAN”
The Arya Mission Institution undertook the publication of many
of the guru’s scriptural commentaries. Like Jesus and other great
prophets, Lahiri Mahasaya himself wrote no books, but his penetrating
interpretations were recorded and arranged by various disciples.
Some of these voluntary amanuenses were more discerning than others
in correctly conveying the profound insight of the guru; yet, on
the whole, their efforts were successful. Through their zeal, the
world possesses unparalleled commentaries by Lahiri Mahasaya on
twenty-six ancient scriptures.
Sri Ananda Mohan Lahiri, a grandson of the master, has written an
interesting booklet on KRIYA. “The text of the BHAGAVAD GITA is a
part of the great epic, the MAHABHARATA, which possesses several
knot-points (VYAS-KUTAS),” Sri Ananda wrote. “Keep those knot-points
unquestioned, and we find nothing but mythical stories of a peculiar
and easily-misunderstood type. Keep those knot-points unexplained,
and we have lost a science which the East has preserved with
superhuman patience after a quest of thousands of years of experiment.
{FN35-20} It was the commentaries of Lahiri Mahasaya which brought
to light, clear of allegories, the very science of religion that
had been so cleverly put out of sight in the riddle of scriptural
letters and imagery. No longer a mere unintelligible jugglery of
words, the otherwise unmeaning formulas of Vedic worship have been
proved by the master to be full of scientific significance. . . .
“We know that man is usually helpless against the insurgent sway
of evil passions, but these are rendered powerless and man finds no
motive in their indulgence when there dawns on him a consciousness
of superior and lasting bliss through KRIYA. Here the give-up, the
negation of the lower passions, synchronizes with a take-up, the
assertion of a beatitude. Without such a course, hundreds of moral
maxims which run in mere negatives are useless to us.