MATERIALIZING A PALACE IN THE HIMALAYAS
“Babaji’s first meeting with Lahiri Mahasaya is an enthralling
story, and one of the few which gives us a detailed glimpse of the
deathless guru.”
These words were Swami Kebalananda’s preamble to a wondrous tale.
The first time he recounted it I was literally spellbound. On many
other occasions I coaxed my gentle Sanskrit tutor to repeat the
story, which was later told me in substantially the same words by
Sri Yukteswar. Both these Lahiri Mahasaya disciples had heard the
awesome tale direct from the lips of their guru.
“My first meeting with Babaji took place in my thirty-third year,”
Lahiri Mahasaya had said. “In the autumn of 1861 I was stationed
in Danapur as a government accountant in the Military Engineering
Department. One morning the office manager summoned me.
“‘Lahiri,’ he said, ‘a telegram has just come from our main office.
You are to be transferred to Ranikhet, where an army post {FN34-1}
is now being established.’
“With one servant, I set out on the 500-mile trip. Traveling by
horse and buggy, we arrived in thirty days at the Himalayan site
of Ranikhet. {FN34-2}
“My office duties were not onerous; I was able to spend many hours
roaming in the magnificent hills. A rumor reached me that great saints
blessed the region with their presence; I felt a strong desire to
see them. During a ramble one early afternoon, I was astounded to
hear a distant voice calling my name. I continued my vigorous upward
climb on Drongiri Mountain. A slight uneasiness beset me at the
thought that I might not be able to retrace my steps before darkness
had descended over the jungle.
“I finally reached a small clearing whose sides were dotted
with caves. On one of the rocky ledges stood a smiling young man,
extending his hand in welcome. I noticed with astonishment that,
except for his copper-colored hair, he bore a remarkable resemblance
to myself.
“‘Lahiri, you have come!’ The saint addressed me affectionately in
Hindi. ‘Rest here in this cave. It was I who called you.’
“I entered a neat little grotto which contained several woolen
blankets and a few KAMANDULUS (begging bowls).
“‘Lahiri, do you remember that seat?’ The yogi pointed to a folded
blanket in one corner.
“‘No, sir.’ Somewhat dazed at the strangeness of my adventure, I
added, ‘I must leave now, before nightfall. I have business in the
morning at my office.’
“The mysterious saint replied in English, ‘The office was brought
for you, and not you for the office.’
“I was dumbfounded that this forest ascetic should not only speak
English but also paraphrase the words of Christ. {FN34-3}
“‘I see my telegram took effect.’ The yogi’s remark was incomprehensible
to me; I inquired his meaning.
“‘I refer to the telegram that summoned you to these isolated parts.
It was I who silently suggested to the mind of your superior officer
that you be transferred to Ranikhet. When one feels his unity with
mankind, all minds become transmitting stations through which he
can work at will.’ He added gently, ‘Lahiri, surely this cave seems
familiar to you?’
“As I maintained a bewildered silence, the saint approached and
struck me gently on the forehead. At his magnetic touch, a wondrous
current swept through my brain, releasing the sweet seed-memories
of my previous life.
“‘I remember!’ My voice was half-choked with joyous sobs. ‘You are
my guru Babaji, who has belonged to me always! Scenes of the past
arise vividly in my mind; here in this cave I spent many years of
my last incarnation!’ As ineffable recollections overwhelmed me,
I tearfully embraced my master’s feet.
“‘For more than three decades I have waited for you here-waited
for you to return to me!’ Babaji’s voice rang with celestial love.
‘You slipped away and vanished into the tumultuous waves of the life
beyond death. The magic wand of your karma touched you, and you
were gone! Though you lost sight of me, never did I lose sight
of you! I pursued you over the luminescent astral sea where the
glorious angels sail. Through gloom, storm, upheaval, and light I
followed you, like a mother bird guarding her young. As you lived
out your human term of womb-life, and emerged a babe, my eye was
ever on you. When you covered your tiny form in the lotus posture
under the Nadia sands in your childhood, I was invisibly present!
Patiently, month after month, year after year, I have watched over
you, waiting for this perfect day. Now you are with me! Lo, here
is your cave, loved of yore! I have kept it ever clean and ready
for you. Here is your hallowed ASANA-blanket, where you daily sat
to fill your expanding heart with God! Behold there your bowl, from
which you often drank the nectar prepared by me! See how I have
kept the brass cup brightly polished, that you might drink again
therefrom! My own, do you now understand?’
“‘My guru, what can I say?’ I murmured brokenly. ‘Where has one
ever heard of such deathless love?’ I gazed long and ecstatically
on my eternal treasure, my guru in life and death.
“‘Lahiri, you need purification. Drink the oil in this bowl and lie
down by the river.’ Babaji’s practical wisdom, I reflected with a
quick, reminiscent smile, was ever to the fore.
“I obeyed his directions. Though the icy Himalayan night was descending,
a comforting warmth, an inner radiation, began to pulsate in every
cell of my body. I marveled. Was the unknown oil endued with a
cosmical heat?
“Bitter winds whipped around me in the darkness, shrieking a fierce
challenge. The chill wavelets of the Gogash River lapped now and
then over my body, outstretched on the rocky bank. Tigers howled
near-by, but my heart was free of fear; the radiant force newly
generated within me conveyed an assurance of unassailable protection.
Several hours passed swiftly; faded memories of another life wove
themselves into the present brilliant pattern of reunion with my
divine guru.
“My solitary musings were interrupted by the sound of approaching
footsteps. In the darkness, a man’s hand gently helped me to my
feet, and gave me some dry clothing.
“‘Come, brother,’ my companion said. ‘The master awaits you.’
“He led the way through the forest. The somber night was suddenly
lit by a steady luminosity in the distance.
“‘Can that be the sunrise?’ I inquired. ‘Surely the whole night
has not passed?’
“‘The hour is midnight.’ My guide laughed softly. ‘Yonder light
is the glow of a golden palace, materialized here tonight by the
peerless Babaji. In the dim past, you once expressed a desire to
enjoy the beauties of a palace. Our master is now satisfying your
wish, thus freeing you from the bonds of karma.’ {FN34-4} He added,
‘The magnificent palace will be the scene of your initiation tonight
into KRIYA YOGA. All your brothers here join in a paean of welcome,
rejoicing at the end of your long exile. Behold!’
“A vast palace of dazzling gold stood before us. Studded with
countless jewels, and set amidst landscaped gardens, it presented
a spectacle of unparalleled grandeur. Saints of angelic countenance
were stationed by resplendent gates, half-reddened by the glitter
of rubies. Diamonds, pearls, sapphires, and emeralds of great size
and luster were imbedded in the decorative arches.
“I followed my companion into a spacious reception hall. The odor
of incense and of roses wafted through the air; dim lamps shed
a multicolored glow. Small groups of devotees, some fair, some
dark-skinned, chanted musically, or sat in the meditative posture,
immersed in an inner peace. A vibrant joy pervaded the atmosphere.
“‘Feast your eyes; enjoy the artistic splendors of this palace,
for it has been brought into being solely in your honor.’ My guide
smiled sympathetically as I uttered a few ejaculations of wonderment.
“‘Brother,’ I said, ‘the beauty of this structure surpasses the
bounds of human imagination. Please tell me the mystery of its
origin.’
“‘I will gladly enlighten you.’ My companion’s dark eyes sparkled
with wisdom. ‘In reality there is nothing inexplicable about this
materialization. The whole cosmos is a materialized thought of the
Creator. This heavy, earthly clod, floating in space, is a dream
of God. He made all things out of His consciousness, even as man
in his dream consciousness reproduces and vivifies a creation with
its creatures.
“‘God first created the earth as an idea. Then He quickened it;
energy atoms came into being. He coordinated the atoms into this
solid sphere. All its molecules are held together by the will of
God. When He withdraws His will, the earth again will disintegrate
into energy. Energy will dissolve into consciousness; the earth-idea
will disappear from objectivity.
“‘The substance of a dream is held in materialization by the
subconscious thought of the dreamer. When that cohesive thought
is withdrawn in wakefulness, the dream and its elements dissolve.
A man closes his eyes and erects a dream-creation which, on awakening,
he effortlessly dematerializes. He follows the divine archetypal
pattern. Similarly, when he awakens in cosmic consciousness, he
will effortlessly dematerialize the illusions of the cosmic dream.
“‘Being one with the infinite all-accomplishing Will, Babaji can
summon the elemental atoms to combine and manifest themselves in
any form. This golden palace, instantaneously created, is real,
even as this earth is real. Babaji created this palatial mansion out
of his mind and is holding its atoms together by the power of his
will, even as God created this earth and is maintaining it intact.’
He added, ‘When this structure has served its purpose, Babaji will
dematerialize it.’
“As I remained silent in awe, my guide made a sweeping gesture. ‘This
shimmering palace, superbly embellished with jewels, has not been
built by human effort or with laboriously mined gold and gems. It
stands solidly, a monumental challenge to man. {FN34-5} Whoever
realizes himself as a son of God, even as Babaji has done, can
reach any goal by the infinite powers hidden within him. A common
stone locks within itself the secret of stupendous atomic energy;
{FN34-6} even so, a mortal is yet a powerhouse of divinity.’
“The sage picked up from a near-by table a graceful vase whose handle
was blazing with diamonds. ‘Our great guru created this palace by
solidifying myriads of free cosmic rays,’ he went on. ‘Touch this
vase and its diamonds; they will satisfy all the tests of sensory
experience.’
“I examined the vase, and passed my hand over the smooth room-walls,
thick with glistening gold. Each of the jewels scattered lavishly
about was worthy of a king’s collection. Deep satisfaction spread
over my mind. A submerged desire, hidden in my subconsciousness
from lives now gone, seemed simultaneously gratified and extinguished.
“My stately companion led me through ornate arches and corridors
into a series of chambers richly furnished in the style of an
emperor’s palace. We entered an immense hall. In the center stood
a golden throne, encrusted with jewels shedding a dazzling medley
of colors. There, in lotus posture, sat the supreme Babaji. I
knelt on the shining floor at his feet.
“‘Lahiri, are you still feasting on your dream desires for a golden
palace?’ My guru’s eyes were twinkling like his own sapphires.
‘Wake! All your earthly thirsts are about to be quenched forever.’
He murmured some mystic words of blessing. ‘My son, arise. Receive
your initiation into the kingdom of God through KRIYA YOGA.’
“Babaji stretched out his hand; a HOMA (sacrificial) fire appeared,
surrounded by fruits and flowers. I received the liberating yogic
technique before this flaming altar.
“The rites were completed in the early dawn. I felt no need for
sleep in my ecstatic state, and wandered around the palace, filled
on all sides with treasures and priceless OBJETS D’ART. Descending
to the gorgeous gardens, I noticed, near-by, the same caves and
barren mountain ledges which yesterday had boasted no adjacency to
palace or flowered terrace.
“Reentering the palace, fabulously glistening in the cold Himalayan
sunlight, I sought the presence of my master. He was still enthroned,
surrounded by many quiet disciples.
“‘Lahiri, you are hungry.’ Babaji added, ‘Close your eyes.’
“When I reopened them, the enchanting palace and its picturesque
gardens had disappeared. My own body and the forms of Babaji
and the cluster of chelas were all now seated on the bare ground
at the exact site of the vanished palace, not far from the sunlit
entrances of the rocky grottos. I recalled that my guide had remarked
that the palace would be dematerialized, its captive atoms released
into the thought-essence from which it had sprung. Although stunned,
I looked trustingly at my guru. I knew not what to expect next on
this day of miracles.
“‘The purpose for which the palace was created has now been served,’
Babaji explained. He lifted an earthen vessel from the ground. ‘Put
your hand there and receive whatever food you desire.’
“As soon as I touched the broad, empty bowl, it became heaped
with hot butter-fried LUCHIS, curry, and rare sweetmeats. I helped
myself, observing that the vessel was ever-filled. At the end of my
meal I looked around for water. My guru pointed to the bowl before
me. Lo! the food had vanished; in its place was water, clear as
from a mountain stream.
“‘Few mortals know that the kingdom of God includes the kingdom of
mundane fulfillments,’ Babaji observed. ‘The divine realm extends
to the earthly, but the latter, being illusory, cannot include the
essence of reality.’
“‘Beloved guru, last night you demonstrated for me the link of
beauty in heaven and earth!’ I smiled at memories of the vanished
palace; surely no simple yogi had ever received initiation into the
august mysteries of Spirit amidst surroundings of more impressive
luxury! I gazed tranquilly at the stark contrast of the present
scene. The gaunt ground, the skyey roof, the caves offering primitive
shelter-all seemed a gracious natural setting for the seraphic
saints around me.
“I sat that afternoon on my blanket, hallowed by associations of
past-life realizations. My divine guru approached and passed his
hand over my head. I entered the NIRBIKALPA SAMADHI state, remaining
unbrokenly in its bliss for seven days. Crossing the successive
strata of self-knowledge, I penetrated the deathless realms of
reality. All delusive limitations dropped away; my soul was fully
established on the eternal altar of the Cosmic Spirit. On the eighth
day I fell at my guru’s feet and implored him to keep me always
near him in this sacred wilderness.
“‘My son,’ Babaji said, embracing me, ‘your role in this incarnation
must be played on an outward stage. Prenatally blessed by many lives
of lonely meditation, you must now mingle in the world of men.
“‘A deep purpose underlay the fact that you did not meet me this
time until you were already a married man, with modest business
responsibilities. You must put aside your thoughts of joining our
secret band in the Himalayas; your life lies in the crowded marts,
serving as an example of the ideal yogi-householder.
“‘The cries of many bewildered worldly men and women have not fallen
unheard on the ears of the Great Ones,’ he went on. ‘You have been
chosen to bring spiritual solace through KRIYA YOGA to numerous
earnest seekers. The millions who are encumbered by family ties and
heavy worldly duties will take new heart from you, a householder
like themselves. You must guide them to see that the highest yogic
attainments are not barred to the family man. Even in the world,
the yogi who faithfully discharges his responsibilities, without
personal motive or attachment, treads the sure path of enlightenment.
“‘No necessity compels you to leave the world, for inwardly you
have already sundered its every karmic tie. Not of this world, you
must yet be in it. Many years still remain during which you must
conscientiously fulfill your family, business, civic, and spiritual
duties. A sweet new breath of divine hope will penetrate the
arid hearts of worldly men. From your balanced life, they will
understand that liberation is dependent on inner, rather than outer,
renunciations.’
“How remote seemed my family, the office, the world, as I listened
to my guru in the high Himalayan solitudes. Yet adamantine truth
rang in his words; I submissively agreed to leave this blessed
haven of peace. Babaji instructed me in the ancient rigid rules
which govern the transmission of the yogic art from guru to disciple.
“‘Bestow the KRIYA key only on qualified chelas,’ Babaji said.
‘He who vows to sacrifice all in the quest of the Divine is fit to
unravel the final mysteries of life through the science of meditation.’
“‘Angelic guru, as you have already favored mankind by resurrecting
the lost KRIYA art, will you not increase that benefit by relaxing
the strict requirements for discipleship?’ I gazed beseechingly
at Babaji. ‘I pray that you permit me to communicate KRIYA to all
seekers, even though at first they cannot vow themselves to complete
inner renunciation. The tortured men and women of the world, pursued
by the threefold suffering, {FN34-7} need special encouragement.
They may never attempt the road to freedom if KRIYA initiation be
withheld from them.’
“‘Be it so. The divine wish has been expressed through you.’ With
these simple words, the merciful guru banished the rigorous safeguards
that for ages had hidden KRIYA from the world. ‘Give KRIYA freely
to all who humbly ask for help.’
“After a silence, Babaji added, ‘Repeat to each of your disciples
this majestic promise from the BHAGAVAD GITA: “SWALPAMASYA DHARMASYA,
TRAYATA MAHATO BHOYAT”—“Even a little bit of the practice of this
religion will save you from dire fears and colossal sufferings.”’
{FN34-8}
“As I knelt the next morning at my guru’s feet for his farewell
blessing, he sensed my deep reluctance to leave him.
“‘There is no separation for us, my beloved child.’ He touched my
shoulder affectionately. ‘Wherever you are, whenever you call me,
I shall be with you instantly.’
“Consoled by his wondrous promise, and rich with the newly found gold
of God-wisdom, I wended my way down the mountain. At the office I
was welcomed by my fellow employees, who for ten days had thought
me lost in the Himalayan jungles. A letter soon arrived from the
head office.
“‘Lahiri should return to the Danapur {FN34-9} office,’ it read.
‘His transfer to Ranikhet occurred by error. Another man should
have been sent to assume the Ranikhet duties.’
“I smiled, reflecting on the hidden crosscurrents in the events
which had led me to this furthermost spot of India.
“Before returning to Danapur, I spent a few days with a Bengali
family at Moradabad. A party of six friends gathered to greet me.
As I turned the conversation to spiritual subjects, my host observed
gloomily:
“‘Oh, in these days India is destitute of saints!’
“‘Babu,’ I protested warmly, ‘of course there are still great
masters in this land!’
“In a mood of exalted fervor, I felt impelled to relate my miraculous
experiences in the Himalayas. The little company was politely
incredulous.
“‘Lahiri,’ one man said soothingly, ‘your mind has been under a
strain in those rarefied mountain airs. This is some daydream you
have recounted.’
“Burning with the enthusiasm of truth, I spoke without due thought.
‘If I call him, my guru will appear right in this house.’
“Interest gleamed in every eye; it was no wonder that the group
was eager to behold a saint materialized in such a strange way.
Half-reluctantly, I asked for a quiet room and two new woolen
blankets.
“‘The master will materialize from the ether,’ I said. ‘Remain
silently outside the door; I shall soon call you.’
“I sank into the meditative state, humbly summoning my guru. The
darkened room soon filled with a dim aural moonlight; the luminous
figure of Babaji emerged.
“‘Lahiri, do you call me for a trifle?’ The master’s gaze was stern.
‘Truth is for earnest seekers, not for those of idle curiosity. It
is easy to believe when one sees; there is nothing then to deny.
Supersensual truth is deserved and discovered by those who overcome
their natural materialistic skepticism.’ He added gravely, ‘Let me
go!’
“I fell entreatingly at his feet. ‘Holy guru, I realize my serious
error; I humbly ask pardon. It was to create faith in these
spiritually blinded minds that I ventured to call you. Because you
have graciously appeared at my prayer, please do not depart without
bestowing a blessing on my friends. Unbelievers though they be,
at least they were willing to investigate the truth of my strange
assertions.’
“‘Very well; I will stay awhile. I do not wish your word discredited
before your friends.’ Babaji’s face had softened, but he added
gently, ‘Henceforth, my son, I shall come when you need me, and
not always when you call me. {FN34-10}’
“Tense silence reigned in the little group when I opened the door.
As if mistrusting their senses, my friends stared at the lustrous
figure on the blanket seat.
“‘This is mass-hypnotism!’ One man laughed blatantly. ‘No one could
possibly have entered this room without our knowledge!’
“Babaji advanced smilingly and motioned to each one to touch the
warm, solid flesh of his body. Doubts dispelled, my friends prostrated
themselves on the floor in awed repentance.
“‘Let HALUA {FN34-11} be prepared.’ Babaji made this request,
I knew, to further assure the group of his physical reality. While
the porridge was boiling, the divine guru chatted affably. Great
was the metamorphosis of these doubting Thomases into devout St.
Pauls. After we had eaten, Babaji blessed each of us in turn. There
was a sudden flash; we witnessed the instantaneous dechemicalization
of the electronic elements of Babaji’s body into a spreading vaporous
light. The God-tuned will power of the master had loosened its
grasp of the ether atoms held together as his body; forthwith the
trillions of tiny lifetronic sparks faded into the infinite reservoir.
“‘With my own eyes I have seen the conqueror of death.’ Maitra,
{FN34-12} one of the group, spoke reverently. His face was
transfigured with the joy of his recent awakening. ‘The supreme
guru played with time and space, as a child plays with bubbles. I
have beheld one with the keys of heaven and earth.’
“I soon returned to Danapur. Firmly anchored in the Spirit, again I
assumed the manifold business and family obligations of a householder.”
Lahiri Mahasaya also related to Swami Kebalananda and Sri Yukteswar
the story of another meeting with Babaji, under circumstances which
recalled the guru’s promise: “I shall come whenever you need me.”
“The scene was a KUMBHA MELA at Allahabad,” Lahiri Mahasaya told
his disciples. “I had gone there during a short vacation from my
office duties. As I wandered amidst the throng of monks and sadhus
who had come from great distances to attend the holy festival, I
noticed an ash-smeared ascetic who was holding a begging bowl. The
thought arose in my mind that the man was hypocritical, wearing
the outward symbols of renunciation without a corresponding inward
grace.
“No sooner had I passed the ascetic than my astounded eye fell on
Babaji. He was kneeling in front of a matted-haired anchorite.
“‘Guruji!’ I hastened to his side. ‘Sir, what are you doing here?’
“‘I am washing the feet of this renunciate, and then I shall clean
his cooking utensils.’ Babaji smiled at me like a little child; I
knew he was intimating that he wanted me to criticize no one, but
to see the Lord as residing equally in all body-temples, whether of
superior or inferior men. The great guru added, ‘By serving wise
and ignorant sadhus, I am learning the greatest of virtues, pleasing
to God above all others-humility.’”
{FN34-1} Now a military sanatorium. By 1861 the British Government
had already established certain telegraphic communciations.
{FN34-2} Ranikhet, in the Almora district of United Provinces,
is situated at the foot of Nanda Devi, the highest Himalayan peak
(25,661 feet) in British India.
{FN34-3} “The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the
sabbath.”—MARK 2:27.
{FN34-4} The karmic law requires that every human wish find
ultimate fulfillment. Desire is thus the chain which binds man to
the reincarnational wheel.
{FN34-5} “What is a miracle?-’Tis a reproach,
’Tis an implicit satire on mankind.”
—Edward Young, in NIGHT THOUGHTS.
{FN34-5} The theory of the atomic structure of matter was expounded
in the ancient Indian VAISESIKA and NYAYA treatises. “There are vast
worlds all placed away within the hollows of each atom, multifarious
as the motes in a sunbeam.”—YOGA VASISHTHA.
{FN34-7} Physical, mental, and spiritual suffering; manifested,
respectively, in disease, in psychological inadequacies or “complexes,”
and in soul-ignorance.
{FN34-8} Chapter II:40.
{FN34-9} A town near Benares.
{FN34-10} In the path to the Infinite, even illumined masters like
Lahiri Mahasaya may suffer from an excess of zeal, and be subject
to discipline. In the BHAGAVAD GITA, we read many passages where the
divine guru Krishna gives chastisement to the prince of devotees,
Arjuna.
{FN34-11} A porridge made of cream of wheat fried in butter, and
boiled with milk.
{FN34-12} The man, Maitra, to whom Lahiri Mahasaya is here referring,
afterward became highly advanced in self-realization. I met Maitra
shortly after my graduation from high school; he visited the
Mahamandal hermitage in Benares while I was a resident. He told
me then of Babaji’s materialization before the group in Moradabad.
“As a result of the miracle,” Maitra explained to me, “I became a
lifelong disciple of Lahiri Mahasaya.”