Two Saints met while on the Road to Rishikesh
I have had the great blessing to have been touched by saints in this life; I feel indescribable gratitude in thinking back on the grace that has flowed to me through these illumined ones. Memories streamed through my mind this morning, with several instances coming to mind from my first pilgrimage to India. The year was 1998, and Phyllis had made it possible for me to travel in pilgrimage and discover spiritual India. After a couple of initially disappointing days when first arriving in Delhi and then on up to Haridwar, I prayed to Babaji, in the form of the Ganges, while lighting a little flowered candle boat and setting it adrift in the flowing river, that Babaji should show me spiritual India. Immediately upon arriving back at the hotel Babaji arranged everything, beyond all expectation, to answer my prayer (you can read a more detailed account in my published diary, My Spiritual India).
As a result of Babaji’s unfolding grace, I had the opportunity to meet wonderful saints, many of them unknown to the general public; leading lives of quiet sadhana and radiating their grace to all. One saint that came to mind this morning who lived in a hut near a leper colony. Due to language barriers, I did not know his name, but came to understand that he was over 100 years old—he did not look even 60 years of age, and as he wore little more than a dhoti he was open to full inspection! He chanted Ram Nam, and he radiated such light and joy that I wanted to just stay with him in his hut. He came to mind this morning, and it would not surprise me that he continues living in that hut. In thinking of him, the touch of his grace came to me through just the thought of him and brought me great upliftment. Time and space are not barriers to such a one, and his grace oh so easily transmits itself here and now.
Then another two yogis I came into contact with while on the way from Haridwar to Rishikesh bubbled up in my memory. Anand, a generous soul who took it upon himself to guide us while at Haridwar, knew of these yogis living in a one room apartment that was their ashram. What a feeling of purity when meeting these two souls. Swami Puruananda Giri, a disciple of Swami Sadananda Giri, who was a disciple of Master’s, was the taller of the two—stately, withdrawn into himself, and radiating a beautiful presence. Then there was his brother disciple, though not a kriyaban. His name did not get recorded, but he chants Ram Nam, and oh what light and joy emanates from the core of his being. It seemed that Mother’s own path came in the form of these two yogis living together, one practicing Kriya Yoga meditation, and the other chanting Ram Nam. Anand translated an interesting comment by the Ram Nam yogi. He looked at me and said, “You must have done a lot of spiritual sadhana in past lives in order to chant Ram Nam and practice spiritual sadhana, especially being all the way from where you live (in America).” I had not told him I chanted Ram Nam, so how did he know? You know, saints really are wonderful.
The touch of these saints did not come through physical touch, nor was it their words, as these exchanges were not laced with much conversation, rather it was the touch of their beings, the touch of God in them that transmitted itself, and continues to transmit its eternal message of purity, love and joy that is God. I bow at the feet of these luminaries. They are not famous or known because they attract large crowds, but they know God, and give what they know freely, without constraint or thought of what saint or organization you belong to, but only because they see God in you.