The subject of Pavhari Baba. In one lecture Swamiji said that mind must be withdrawn from the body, i.e. not attached to any organ. Depending on how high a level the mind rose to, so would be the new ideas it would see. Many think that if they get ideas which are more or less high, they have advanced very far and there is nothing beyond that. This is a big mistake.     “I met at a place called Ghazipur a perfected soul named Pavhari Baba. He was a yogi of a very high order and amply learned as well. He told me that where the north pole and the south pole meet is the place where religious life begins. Sitting there one must gradually reach a high state. But many people think that where contrary thoughts meet in one place, i.e. a non-dual state, beyond the opposites, that is the acme of sadhana. But Pavhari Baba said that this is the first stage of the religious life. Another thing he said was that Buddha and the others so highly estimated had given expression to their ideas, but in a higher condition such expression is not possible. Compared to the expressed the unexpressed is much higher. There have been and are souls who have reached such a high condition that they could not give any sort of expression to their thoughts. So they remain silent, and in the outside world are thought mad or dumb.” That evening Swamiji talked of the high state of Pavhari Baba. It was a great surprise to the audience, who listened in awed silence.     The Duchess of Albany. Many people had come to the morning lecture, among them some élite ladies. A lot of carriages were at the door and a great deal of bustle going on. Mohendra and Swami Saradananda were sitting at their post on the upper interior staircase. The nurse (aforementioned) was sitting on the balcony, writing down the lecture. It was very moving and everyone was listening intently. When it was over everyone gradually came downstairs. Swami Saradananda and Mohendra came down to the balcony. In the lecture hall there was a lot side-glancing. whispering and nudging going on among the ladies. It was all about one particular lady. When she had left they heard, “It is the Duchess of Albany”. Then it was learned that she had come incognito and secretly, to hear Swamiji’s lecture: earlier her lady-in-waiting had come to hear them and had told her all about it. For ladies of the Palace it was forbidden to go elsewhere without Queen Victoria’s permission. The Duchess of Albany was the wife of the Queen’s fourth son, so she had to come incognito.     At this point it should be said that in his lectures Swamiji would raise one topic and the speak on various subjects and from different texts, so it is impossible to remember on which day he spoke on what. Only this can be said, that he discussed these matters in Raja Yoga in the upper room. Probably the audience did not remember it either, because it was his specialty that he would carry them into a realm beyond words. Vatsalya bhava. As the daily discussion of dhyana, dharana and samadhi etc. was rather dry and people got tired, Swamiji for a change introduced bhakti subjects such as this. Among Christians, there is the ideal of Mother Mary nursing the Baby Jesus in her lap, which is called the Madonna. If women do spiritual practice in this way, their minds can quickly go higher. Swamiji gave a beautiful talk that day with a comparison of Yashoda’s Gopala and the Child Jesus, and delighted the ladies.     Madhura bhava. In one lecture he spoke of this. “God or the ishta is called upon as husband or beloved. It is He who is the lord, the husband, the protector – doing sadhana in this way, we weaken our body consciousness or connection. Within us an affectionate pure kind of love awakens. There is much of this in the Vaishnava scriptures of the Hindus. Among Christians, St. Catherine practiced this and through it attained perfection. (Mohendra saw in the National Art Gallery a large painting of St. Catherine [of Sienna] in her wedding dress as the bride of Christ.)     Bhakti was the subject at evening lectures, after which came Fearlessness. Swamiji said that with the knowledge of the nearness of God, fearlessness comes. “That there is someone near unseen, who hears my words and who will fulfill my longing – this knowledge is fearlessness. When one is fearless one becomes calm, and strength comes to one’s heart and there is strength in one’s talk. Many have the idea that if we think of God, who will feed us? But I tell you all flatly, go with me and you will see there need be no fear about starvation. In whatever country we go, whatever city, whatever village, the very best food will come of itself. So don’t worry about that. I have demonstrated this in my own life. I never preach what I do not practice. There is nothing to fear.” That day he spoke many words of encouragement without a stop. Everyone got inner strength. Doubts flew away; conviction was aroused.     He gave an illustration. “In Europe in the Middle Ages, there were many monks and friars, among whom some reached a high state. The story is told that one friar went out to a mountainous place in Scotland. There was no village or settlement there, but he began to walk. This brother had tremendous devotion to God and was fearless. The first day he got some food. The night somehow passed on that mountain, and the next day he got on the move again. But the second day he got no food. Again managing somehow to sleep, he set off the following day. After  going some way, he felt very tired and, conscious of the hardship of the mountain-climbing. At that very time an eagle, flying overhead with a fish, let go of his prey, which fell at the monk’s feet. Looking up, he saw the eagle flying. He began to compose a hymn in praise of God. Gathering some firewood he cooked and ate the fish. With that little strength he walked again. If one becomes fearless, everything comes out all right. For one’s food there will be no obstacle; it will come of itself. Mohendra had liked the story very much.     Swamiji told the story of Yudhishthira and his dog, making the additional point that a dog, in India, is untouchable, and even on such a trip, not considered a fit companion. Many of the women of England have pet dogs. So this story appealed to them.     He told another story of Yudhishthira. “The king was going towards heaven when he came upon a very high mountain peak, heavily covered with snow. When he had been approaching the snow for a long time, an extraordinary light (or radiance) was given off. Yudhishthira had given up his kingdom, wealth and everything and had become a pilgrim. He no longer had desire for any worldly object, and had formed a resolution to go to heaven to attain God. Seeing the unusual radiance of the snow, he began to climb higher. Looking at the high, snow-covered peak he said, “O Mountain, I seek nothing from you. I have nothing to ask of you, for my desires have been extinguished, but seeing your immensity and beauty, I am charmed and awestruck. I love you for the sake of love alone. I look at you for the sheer joy of it. In the looking, life has merged in your beauty, so to speak. Reward and expectation are trifling things; love for love’s sake is the best.” “A person sees the world in accordance with the expression of his own nature,” said Swamiji one evening. “The external world is nothing but the bubbling up of our own inner power taking the form of objects present before us. We are taking these in and calling them “other” or external world. There is no certainty about there being a real external world, and if there is, it exists in a trifling way. The external world is created by self-projection. But whether there is an outside world apart from my mind is doubtful. One person sees the world as peaceful, another as a cyclone, a great upheaval. One person sees all as his friends, his boon companions, another sees the world as his enemy, trying to do him harm. And if there is an external world, whatever is needed for making that appear real is supplied by our own projection.” He told an illustrative story.     “A thief was out in the night for robbery. When he had gone a little way he saw on the side of the road something sticking up. Thinking that another thief was crouching there for the same purpose, he said, ‘Well, brother, how goes the night’s work? There is a long night ahead; what will you get from sitting in one place? You’ve got to go around a bit, to pick up something.’ No reply coming from the other figure, he said: ‘What, friend? You are crouching there over a nicely-stuffed bundle and have hit upon real pile of notes, eh? So you’re not wanting more. And I am yet to find mine, so I’m off on the road for roaming about.’ And away he went.     “A bit later a drunkard came along and saw that figure sticking up. He said, ‘Well, friend, like a hawk poised to swoop you are lying in wait for your prey. But I shall have a round, and then come and snatch her out of your mouth.’ Then a sadhu came along. Seeing the same sight he said, ‘Oh, you are having a perfectly fine time all by yourself. You are sitting here beside the road making japa throughout the night, and you must be thinking me a fool to travel along the road and then fall asleep. Let me not leave your company: I too will sit here and do japa all the night. He sat near the figure and told his beads. Early in the morning the thief and the drunkard returned that way. They too sat near the figure in the dark, one by one, each taking it for what he had expected. Slowly the dawn came and then they saw that it was neither thief nor drunkard nor sadhaka, but only a tree stump! Then they revealed to each other their minds.  So is the world – something expressing one’s own conviction.” Aum | About | Calendar | Articles | Stories | On-line books Bulletin board | Books & tapes | Links | Search | Contact