After discussing with Swami Muktananda about publishing the Ashram Books on Amazon and the showing of Mystic India, which we have brought with us we moved on to our favorite subject, Swami Satchidananda. (This narrative reflects the free flowing conversation that we had.)
Swami M.: “Have you gone to Papa’s Cave where he had the vision of Jesus.” “No, we tried on two occasions, but on both times Papa did not allow us to go.”
Swami M.: “We have been. With this last flood of the Ganges the cave was severely damaged.
When Swami Shuddhananda left the body Swami Chidananda told us that we should have a traditional ceremony 13 days after his passing. You see, with Papa and Mataji we had something on the 13th day, 9 or 10 thousand people came on each occasion. But, we did not do it in the traditional way. Papa did not want traditions observed for his passing. He was cremated instead of buried in salt and other items in the lotus posture as swamis often times are. When Chidananda said we should observe tradition with Swami Shuddhananda, we felt it was Papa’s will.
When Swami Satchidananda left the body, we asked him before if we should observe tradition with him, he said that since we did with Swami Shuddhananda he felt it was Papa’s will that we should continue.
We invited so many sadhus from all over Kerala. We had 5 or 6 hundred sadhus, each were provided with 32 items, we washed each one of their feet, feed them gave them some money. It was raining so hard every day beforehand; we put up tents in the Panchavatti and over by the Sadhudham. Then, on the day, it did not rain all day until 6 o’clock and everything was done.
We hired a professional cook to handle the food. We told him to prepare for three or four thousand people, we had seven thousand at least! We were running out of food and someone suggested we send to one of the veg hotel for food. We did so and that made the difference. We were not going to allow anyone to go away hungry!
So, for Swamiji’s 13th day we did everything traditionally. When Swami Chidananda passed away, our Swami was not feeling well. We are so closely connected with Shivananda Ashram, but I did not know whether to go because things were serious here. I told them, make arrangements for it, but I will not decide now.
It was just a day before, and I decided I could go there. It was very tight planning but I arrived on time. Swami Chidananda had asked to be bodily dropped into the Ganges near Rishikesh. He was taken out in a boat and slowly, slowly let down into the water. They tied some stones so that he would not float to the surface.
Afterward I had a couple of hours and went to the cave where Papa had the vision of Jesus and I spent a couple of hours there. The feeling there (long pause), so calm, peaceful! I cannot describe.
Swami M. then pulled up on his computer a writing from Swami Chinmayananda (the same teacher as Lakshmi Mahadevi had.) The writing was a transcription of the Swami telling about the Mahasamadhis of Swami Shivananda and Papa Ramdas. He talked about them as being the two lights of India. This talk of Chinmayananda was in Chennai.
Swami M. after he read from Chinmayananda, “I was there when he said this. I may have heard of Papa before, but I became interested in him from what Chinmayananda said. I first came to the Ashram in 1963.
As we were talking the time came for the closing of the Mandir. Swami M., “Hari Om!” We took our leave with gratitude in our hearts for all the first hand descriptions and uplifting talks about Saints and their lives. Om Sri Ram Jai Ram Jai Jai Ram.