Today marks the date that Lahiri Mahasaya left his body in conscious union with omnipresent Spirit. During his life he remained a loyal and dedicated disciple of Mahavatar Babaji, initiating Hindus, Muslims and Christians alike into Kriya Yoga, the ancient science of thought, breath and life-energy control. Though not well known beyond devotees drawn by his irresistible spiritual magnetism, he fame grew with the publishing of the Autobiography of a Yogi, and now millions have felt the touch of his grace through reading about his life and words of wisdom.
As devotees of the Kriya tradition we feel a special bond with the great master. A couple of experiences come to mind in thinking more directly of how the master has blessed me. One such occasion happened to both Larry and me as we walked in scenic Lincoln Park. As we ascended up the path we came to a magnificent deciduous tree. We had been speaking of things concerning the spiritual path when suddenly we both felt the powerful presence of Lahiri Mahasaya—we felt it at the same time as we approached this tree—the master was invisibly present under its branches. It was a powerful feeling, and to that point I had never felt the master so near, or so powerfully. Even now as I think back through the many years since that day, I feel the blessings from that experience.
Another time came when living on Holden Street in West Seattle. I had come home from work and was meditating in the evening. As I sat cross legged on my meditation blanket the master appeared before my inner vision haloed in Light. He slowly descended from a levitation height and touched the carpet in front of me. I spontaneously bowed at his feet, and to my astonishment I felt the flesh and blood touch of his feet. The master was not there in vision only, but in body. In my wonderment I did not utter a word, but the master smiled a blessing and then the atoms of his body disbursed. Oh, what a wondrous feeling remained long after the master’s body had left.
Great masters such as Lahiri Baba continue to bless us—his commitment to Kriyabans continues though he does not usually sport a body these days. We can read the stories about him and think what it would be like to meditate with him in his parlor at his Benares home, but who he is in Spirit is not easily comprehended. What we may know is that he is a joyous expression of omnipresent Spirit, merged in the universal Divine Consciousness. His blessings, that he has so graciously bestowed, has given me such a close feeling to my Lahiri Baba, and my heart melts in divine love at the very thought of him. Though I can only imagine the loss the disciples felt at his passing, I know through my own experience that he is a living force for the upliftment of all lovers of God, and his joy is contagious to all who are attuned to him.