state, there was only one Void, none to experience and no state to be experienced.
Everythingwasabsolutestillnessandvacant,liketheemptyspacebetweentheearth
and the sky. When Papa brought me back to the plane of relativity, it was with the consciousness that I was Eternal and this perishable universe was itself my body.
BeforeIattainedthefinalrealization,mybodyconsciousnessmighthavebeenlikea
whiff of breeze but, in that brilliant flame, even this faint body-idea was burnt to ashes.
Afterbringingmetotherelativeplane,Papamademeachild.And,itisnowinthe
spirit of a child that I live and work in the world. So as a child, my Namaskar
[salutations]toallofyouwhoarebutPapa'sform.
AUTHORS'NOTE:PapaRamdasalwayswroteinthethirdpersonwhen
referringtohimself.
111
From GodExperiencebySwamiRamdas.
Fromthe OmSriRamnewsletter.
112
SIXTEEN
PARAMAHANSAYOGANANDA
1893-1952,INDIA
PARAMAHANSA YOGANANDA, author of the 1946 classic, Autobiography of a Yogi, was born in India, trained in yoga, and sent to the West by his gurus. Babaji, the youthfulandimmortalguruofhislineage,instructedYogananda,“YouaretheoneI
havechosentospreadthemessageofKriyaYogaintheWest.”Yogananda'sgentle,
sweet,andbeautifulfaceledaudiencestobequitesurprisedtoheartheexcitementin
his bellowing voice, as deep as the ocean of consciousness in which he was so immersed. Yogananda charmed seekers in the West, most of who were new to the teachingsofIndia,inhundredsofvenuesacrossthecountry.ItwasinLosAngeles,
in1925,thatheestablishedSelf-RealizationFellowshiptofacilitatethedissemination ofhisteachings.Byhisdeathin1952,Yoganandahadinitiatedover100,000people
intothepathofKriyaYoga(thepracticeofyogataughtbythelineageofYogananda)
duringhismorethanthirtyyearsintheUnitedStates.
Yogananda's autobiography, probably more than any other book of its kind, was and continues to be responsible for turning countless devotees toward the path of yoga.Hisdescriptionsofcosmicexperiences,selflesssaintsand sadhus (wandering renunciates),andamazingyogicpracticesremainindeliblyimprintedonthemindsof
seekers throughout the world. What were once considered attributes only of Jesus wereinfactspiritualstatesattainablebyanyonewiththeinterestandwillforspiritual practice. As it turned out, the practice was for most of us neither as easy nor as glorious as Yogananda suggested, but the inspiration he provided was invaluable nonetheless.
To those who had the fortune of knowing him, Yogananda was an awesome
presence,insilksaffron-coloredrobes,withflowingdarkhairandconsiderablegirth.
Hetaughtwithboundlessenergy,hisdeepboomingvoicegivingencouragementand
inspiration as well as strict discipline to all those who wished to understand and practicemeditationandyoga.
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PARAMAHANSAYOGANANDA
Yogananda's work has been very fruitful. He was both a mystic and a practical man,developingtechniquessuchasenergizationexercises,healingaffirmations,and
laws of success to help his disciples deal with their stressful lives in the West. His Los Angeles-based organization, Self-Realization Fellowship (SRF), and his
YogandaSatsangaSocietyofIndiaarestillthriving.
During his life he was most known for his great devotional love for God, his disciples, and his homeland, India. He passed away while reciting the poem, My India, at a banquet in honor of the Indian ambassador. Remarkable, but true to the kindofstoriesinhisautobiography,hisbodywasfreefromrigormortisoranysigns
ofdecompositionfortwenty-onedaysafterhis mahasamadhi(yogicdeath).
The selection comes from the classic Autobiography of a Yogi, first published in 1946, which is responsible for interesting thousands of seekers in a further
114
explorationofspirituallife,Easternphilosophy,andyoga.
115
BRINGINGCOSMICCONSCIOUSNESSTOTHEWEST
AnExperienceinCosmicConsciousness
“IAMHERE,Guruji.”Myshamefacednessspokemoreeloquentlyforme.
“Letusgotothekitchenandfindsomethingtoeat.”SriYukteswar'smannerwas
ascasualasthoughhoursandnotdayshadseparatedus.
“Master, I must have disappointed you by my abrupt departure from my duties
here;Ithoughtyoumightbeangrywithme.”
“No, of course not! Wrath springs only from thwarted desires. I do not expect anything from others, so their actions cannot be in opposition to wishes of mine. I wouldnotuseyouformyownends;Iamhappyonlyinyourowntruehappiness.”
“Sir, one hears of divine love in a vague way, but today I am indeed having a concrete example of it from your angelic self! In the world, even a father does not easily forgive his son if he leaves his parent's business without warning. But you show not the slightest vexation, though you must have been put to great
inconveniencebythemanyunfinishedtasksIleftbehind.”
We looked into each other's eyes, where tears were shining. A blissful wave
engulfedme;IwasconsciousthattheLord,intheformofmyguru,wasexpanding
thesmallardorsofmyheartintothevastreachesofcosmiclove.
AfewmorningslaterImademywaytoMaster'semptysittingroom.Iplannedto
meditate, but my laudable purpose was unshared by disobedient thoughts. They
scatteredlikebirdsbeforethehunter.
“Mukunda!”SriYukteswar'svoicesoundedfromadistantbalcony.
I felt as rebellious as my thoughts. “Master always urges me to meditate,” I muttered to myself. “He should not disturb me when he knows why I came to his room.”
Hesummonedmeagain;Iremainedobstinatelysilent.Thethirdtimehistoneheld
rebuke.
“Sir,Iammeditating,”Ishoutedprotestingly.
“Iknowhowyouaremeditating,”mygurucalledout,“withyourminddistributed
likeleavesinastorm!Comeheretome.”
Thwartedandexposed,Imademywaysadlytohisside.
“Poorboy,mountainscannotgiveyouwhatyouwant.”
Masterspokecaressingly,comfortingly.Hiscalmgazewasunfathomable.“Your
heart'sdesireshallbefulfilled.”
SriYukteswarseldomindulgedinriddles;Iwasbewildered.Hestruckgentlyon
mychestabovetheheart.
My body became immovably rooted; breath was drawn out of my lungs as if by somehugemagnet.Soulandmindinstantlylosttheirphysicalbondageandstreamed
outlikeafluidpiercinglightfrommyeverypore.Thefleshwasasthoughdead,yet
inmyintenseawarenessIknewthatneverbeforehadIbeenfullyalive.Mysenseof
identitywasnolongernarrowlyconfinedtoabodybutembracedthecircumambient
atoms. People on distant streets seemed to be moving gently over my own remote 116
periphery.Therootsofplantsandtreesappearedthroughadimtransparencyofthe soil;Idiscernedtheinwardflowoftheirsap.
The whole vicinity lay bare before me. My ordinary frontal vision was now
changedtoavastsphericalsig
ht,simultaneouslyall-perceptive.Throughthebackof
myheadIsawmenstrollingfardownRaiGhatLane,andnoticedalsoawhitecow
thatwasleisurelyapproaching.Whenshereachedtheopenashramgate,Iobserved
herasthoughwithmytwophysicaleyes.Aftershehadpassedbehindthebrickwall
ofthecourtyard,Isawherclearlystill.
All objects within my panoramic gaze trembled and vibrated like quick motion
pictures.Mybody,Master's,thepillaredcourtyard,thefurnitureandfloor,thetrees
and sunshine, occasionally became violently agitated, until all melted into a
luminescent sea; even as sugar crystals, thrown into a glass of water, dissolve after being shaken. The unifying light alternated with materializations of form, the metamorphosesrevealingthelawofcauseandeffectincreation.
Anoceanicjoybrokeuponcalmendlessshoresofmysoul.TheSpiritofGod,I
realized,isexhaustlessBliss;Hisbodyiscountlesstissuesoflight.Aswellingglory within me began to envelop towns, continents, the earth, solar and stellar systems, tenuous nebulae, and floating universes. The entire cosmos, gently luminous, like a city seen afar at night, glimmered within the infinitude of my being. The dazzling light beyond the sharply etched global outlines faded slightly at the farthest edges; there I saw a mellow radiance, ever undiminished. It was indescribably subtle; the planetarypictureswereformedofagrosserlight.
ThedivinedispersionofrayspouredfromanEternalSource,blazingintogalaxies,
transfigured with ineffable auras. Again and again I saw the beams condense into constellations, then resolve into sheets of transparent flame. By rhythmic reversion, sextillionworldspassedintodiaphanousluster,thenfirebecamefirmament.
Icognizedthecenteroftheempyreanasapointofintuitiveperceptioninmyheart.
Irradiatingsplendorissuedfrommynucleustoeverypartoftheuniversalstructure.
Blissful amrita, nectar of immortality, pulsated through me with a quicksilver-like fluidity. The creative voice of God I heard resounding as Aum, the vibration of the CosmicMotor.
Suddenly the breath returned to my lungs. With a disappointment almost
unbearable,Irealizedthatmyinfiniteimmensitywaslost.OncemoreIwaslimitedto
the humiliating cage of a body, not easily accommodative to the Spirit. Like a prodigal child, I had run away from my macrocosmic home and had imprisoned
myselfinanarrowmicrocosm.
My guru was standing motionless before me; I started to prostrate myself at his holy feet in gratitude for his having bestowed on me the experience in cosmic consciousness that I had long passionately sought. He held me upright and said quietly:
“Youmustnotgetoverdrunkwithecstasy.Muchworkyetremainsforyouinthe
world.Come,letussweepthebalconyfloor;thenweshallwalkbytheGanges.”
Ifetchedabroom;Master,Iknew,wasteachingmethesecretofbalancedliving.
Thesoulmuststretchoverthecosmogonicabysses,whilethebodyperformsitsdaily
duties.
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When Sri Yukteswar and I set out later for a stroll, I was still entranced in unspeakablerapture.Isawourbodiesastwoastralpictures,movingoveraroadby
theriverwhoseessencewassheerlight.
“ItistheSpiritofGodthatactivelysustainseveryformandforceintheuniverse;
yetHeistranscendentalandaloofintheblissfuluncreatedvoidbeyondtheworldsof
vibratoryphenomena,”Masterexplained.“ThosethatattainSelf-realizationonearth
liveasimilartwofoldexistence.Conscientiouslyperformingtheirworkintheworld,
theyareyetimmersedinaninwardbeatitude.
“TheLordhascreatedallmenfromtheillimitablejoyofHisbeing.Thoughthey
arepainfullycrampedbythebody,GodneverthelessexpectsthatmenmadeinHis
imageshallultimatelyriseaboveallsenseidentificationsandreunitewithHim.”
The cosmic vision left many permanent lessons. By daily stilling my thoughts, I couldwinreleasefromthedelusiveconvictionthatmybodywasamassoffleshand
bones,traversingthehardsoilofmatter.Thebreathandtherestlessmind,Isaw,are
like storms that lash the ocean of light into waves of material forms—earth, sky, humanbeings,animals,birds,trees.NoperceptionoftheInfiniteasOneLightcanbe
hadexceptbycalmingthosestorms.
AsoftenasIquietedthetwonaturaltumults,Ibeheldthemultitudinouswavesof
creation melt into one lucent sea; even as the waves of the ocean, when a tempest subsides,serenelydissolveintounity.
A master bestows the divine experience of cosmic consciousness when his
disciple,bymeditation,hasstrengthenedhismindtoadegreewherethevastvistas
wouldnotoverwhelmhim.Mereintellectualwillingnessoropen-mindednessisnot
enough. Only adequate enlargement of consciousness by yoga practice and
devotional bhakticanprepareonetoabsorbtheliberatingshockofomnipresence.
Thedivineexperiencecomeswithanaturalinevitabilitytothesinceredevotee.His
intense craving begins to pull at God with an irresistible force. The Lord as the Cosmic Vision is drawn by that magnetic ardor into the seeker's range of
consciousness.
Iwrote,inmylateryears,thefollowingpoem,“Samadhi,”endeavoringtoconvey
aglimpseofitsglory:
Vanishedtheveilsoflightandshade,
Liftedeveryvaporofsorrow,
Sailedawayalldawnsoffleetingjoy,
Gonethedimsensorymirage.
Love,hate,health,disease,life,death:
Perishedthesefalseshadowsonthescreenofduality.
Thestormof mayastilled
Bymagicwandofintuitiondeep.
Present,past,future,nomoreforme,
Butever-present,all-flowingI,I,everywhere.
Planets,stars,stardust,earth,
Volcanicburstsofdoomsdaycataclysms,
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Creation'smoldingfurnace,
Glaciersofsilentx-rays,burningelectronfloods,
Thoughtsofallmen,past,present,tocome,
Everybladeofgrass,myself,mankind,
Eachparticleofuniversaldust,
Anger,greed,good,bad,salvation,lust,
Iswallowed,transmutedall
IntoavastoceanofbloodofmyownoneBeing!
Smolderingjoy,oft-puffedbymeditation
Blindingmytearfuleyes,
Burstintoimmortalflamesofbliss,
Consumedmytears,myframe,myall.
ThouartI,IamThou,
Knowing,Knower,Known,asOne!
Tranquiled,unbrokenthrill,eternallyliving,ever-newpeace.
Enjoyablebeyondimaginationofexpectancy, samadhibliss!
Notanunconsciousstate
Ormentalchloroformwithoutwilfulreturn,
Samadhibutextendsmyconsciousrealm
Beyondlimitsofthemortalframe
Tofarthestboundaryofeternity
WhereI,theCosmicSea,
WatchthelittleegofloatinginMe.
Mobilemurmursofatomsareheard,
Thedarkearth,mountains,vales,lo!moltenliquid!
Flowingseaschangeintovaporsofnebulae!
Aumblowsuponvapors,openingwondrouslytheirveils,
Oceansstandrevealed,shiningelectrons,
&nb
sp; Till,atthelastsoundofthecosmicdrum,
Vanishthegrosserlightsintoeternalrays
Ofall-pervadingbliss.
FromjoyIcame,forjoyIlive,insacredjoyImelt.
Oceanofmind,Idrinkallcreation'swaves.
Fourveilsofsolid,liquid,vapor,light,
Liftaright.
I,ineverything,entertheGreatMyself.
Goneforever,fitful,flickeringshadowsofmortalmemory;
Spotlessismymentalsky,below,ahead,andhighabove;
EternityandI,oneunitedray.
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Atinybubbleoflaughter,I
AmbecometheSeaofMirthItself.
SriYukteswartaughtmehowtosummontheblessedexperienceatwill,andalso
howtotransmitittootherswhentheirintuitivechannelsaredeveloped.Formonths,
afterthefirsttime,Ienteredthestateofecstaticunion,comprehendingdailywhythe Upanishads say that God is rasa, “the most relishable.” One morning, however, I tookaproblemtoMaster.
“Iwanttoknow,sir—whenshallIfindGod?”
“YouhavefoundHim.”
“Ono,sir,Idon'tthinkso!”
My guru was smiling. “I am sure you aren't expecting a venerable Personage,
adorningathroneinsomeantisepticcornerofthecosmos!Isee,however,thatyou
areimaginingthatpossessionofmiraculouspowersisproofthatonehasfoundGod.
No. One might gain the power to control the whole universe—yet find the Lord elusive still. Spiritual advancement is not to be measured by one's displays of outwardpowers,butsolelybythedepthofhisblissinmeditation.
“Ever-new Joy is God. He is inexhaustible; as you continue your meditations during the years, He will beguile you with an infinite ingenuity. Devotees like yourself who have found the way to God never dream of exchanging Him for any otherhappiness;Heisseductivebeyondthoughtofcompetition.
“Howquicklywewearyofearthlypleasures?Desireformaterialthingsisendless;
manisneversatisfiedcompletely,andpursuesonegoalafteranother.The‘something
else’heseeksistheLord,whoalonecangrantlastingjoy.
“Outward longings drive us from the Eden within; they offer false pleasures that onlyimpersonatesoulhappiness.Thelostparadiseisquicklyregainedthroughdivine
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