Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Moth and the Flame

A soul’s meeting with the Master: Part 2

Are You Ready For The Land Of The Sacred Peaks?
For This Is, Way Of The Mystics
The Pathways Of Millions Of Years Await You
Yet, However You Choose,
The Journey You Make Will Be Uniquely Yours.
Prepare To Be Humbled, To Be In Awe & To Be Touched.
Above All, Prepare To Be.

Greetings dear traveller!!

A voice in the distance calls out to me.



Sitting near the shores of the river Wanganui, a sacred river for the Maori culture (natives of New Zealand), I was reminded of another river, pure as pearls on the deep ocean floor, sacred, the river who stopped Alexander the Great in his tracks, the river where the transcendental knowledge of the Vedas was written, the river closest to my heart, that when I die I would love my ashes to flow with its waters, beyond the horizon into the sea of supreme consciousness, it reminded me of the river Beas & the Master who dwells near its shores.

I was walking along the river Wanganui one evening, as the ripples came near its shores, it felt like the same waters carried a message from the river far far away, its waters felt, as if they came running towards me after a long journey from the river Beas (India) & carried a message of love from my master. In a satsangi’s (one who follows the path of the masters) life he sees many amazing marvels of the master’s grace, how he shapes his child’s destiny to make him or her worthy to reside in the kingdom of heaven.

I was sent to a country far away from where my master dwelled, where the word spirituality would seem like a farfetched idea, where no one knew the chants of souls, where no one sang the melodies of shabd, it was the desert where my spiritual journey would take me from the worst to the best.

Missing my master, remembering his sweet words, I shed tears in his separation, I’m sure that the river shared my sorrow, my desperation to return to my master. When suddenly I heard the sweet melody of celestial sounds, a man was playing the Rabab (stringed instrument) along the banks of river Wanganui.



It was an evening sky, when the sun was about to set on the horizon, the sky was filled with a beautiful golden colour across the ocean, the river was calm. The moment was stopped in time, sweet fragrance filled the air, and a sacred vibe surrounded my being. Woven together with the divine touch & an angelic wave, my heart was pulled towards the sounds of silence.



His enchanting music made me rush by his side, when I looked carefully, my heart skipped a beat, his face reminded me of an old mystic I met during my journeys to Punjab, but how can that be? When I came closer he looked at me & said, “behold my dear traveler, your longing has called me to you”. Right in front of my eyes the Rabab player metamorphosed into the old mystic who had delivered the message of love to me, who showed me the gateway to my master & whom I had searched ever since my first meeting with the master.



I ran towards him like a child runs towards his grandfather, the words grand dad came out spontaneously from my being, I hugged him & the old mystic burst into a laughter “ho ho ho!! I’ve been looking for you my son, the master sent me to give you a message”. These words were sweeter than the ambrosia of all the worlds.

I asked the mystic “what words of wisdom has my master asked you to deliver?” the old mystic looked deep into my eyes & whispered “the master wants to meet you”.



In the silence of my heart
A lotus bloomed
A sound of silence
A ripple of peace
I was bewitched by those words
The call of the Master
The return to innocence

Silence captured my being, I lost all consciousness of this world & was blown away by the words that came out of him, at first I couldn’t believe what he just said, I’ve heard of tales where the pupil wait for the master’s glance of mercy, of only a chance to see him up close, of only a merciful word or two from the master, but the master calling his son to his abode was something which was beyond my reasoning & experience.

I asked the mystic again whether was this really the wish of the master, he replied, yes. He told me that when a soul longs to see the master, when the only thought of ones being is to be with the ocean of love, when a child cries every day, hiding his tears from the world, only to share his sorrow with the silence of the night, the master, being the supreme father, hears his call of love & in his immense mercy & grace, he calls out to his child & grants his wish of a celestial meeting with the master.

I can never forget that amazing day when the most important event of my life was about to materialize on the earth plane. The day was 3rd July 2009, I smiled at the old mystic & my consciousness left for the abode of the master. The mystic played his enchanting melodies & my soul rose to the realms of light & sound, I was off on the journey of a lifetime on the ship of Shabd.



Behold there we were at Dera (abode of the master). The memories of my first meeting with the master were brought back to my being. Now I couldn’t wait for the master’s glance. The Master had delivered the sermon for the bhandara (special congregation) & was in his room, busy in his daily routine. The mystic told me that it is time to be face to face with the Master himself. Now the heart beats had risen, my being was shaken. Meeting the master is one thing but being in his presence & talking to him face to face is something totally different. I had no idea what I would say to my beloved Babaji (master). I immediately thought of few questions that I wanted to ask my master. A disciple never realizes that the master knows all & everything in this cosmos, the master although appears human, is not from the same level of consciousness of which the disciple is familiar with. Not realizing my foolishness I made a list of questions for the master. The most important question in my list of ignorance was “what is the best technique for meditation with which I can rise faster to the realms of spirit?”

The mystic said “it is time my dear traveller”, we started walking towards the house where the master would meet us. This was the first time in my life that I was looking at Babaji’s house at such proximity. We walked inside the pathway leading towards Babaji’s office where the master does his work.

The old mystic had a face of reverence & told me to sit outside on a bench. He pointed out to me that the window in front of us was the window of Babaji’s office. The surrounding was beautiful & covered with trees & flowers. The ambience was calm & only the sweet chirping of the birds was heard. We both sat outside & waited for the master’s call. Beautiful photos of previous masters adored the walls outside. Now the moment to meet the King of Kings was approaching soon.

The door keeper waved at us & we started walking towards the door. Now my heart was singing with joy, I felt like being in a dream. Was I really going to meet Babaji in person? Will I really have the opportunity of a lifetime to see him & talk to him? I couldn’t wait for the door to open.

The old mystic went ahead & it was my turn to open the door, slowly like the rising sun’s rays embraces the blue sky at dawn, I opened the door & behold there he was, face like that of angels, wearing a white turban sacred & gorgeous in every sense of the word, pure white kurta (shirt) & trousers, my dear Babaji was sitting on his chair. I felt as if I was looking at the Lord of the Universe. He was busy talking to someone on the phone. I stood at the door & gazed at his beautiful being. Babaji looked at me & with a wave of his hand asked me to come in & take a seat. The old mystic was already seated by my side & right in front of me, there he was, the shining sun, the morning star, the life force energy of his disciples, there was Babaji himself. I got the opportunity to get his divine darshan (glance of the master) for 10 mins while he was talking on the phone. Then Babaji kept the phone down, my heart beats got faster, the anticipation of hearing the master’s first words to me was really overwhelming. Then he looked at me with the sweetest smile I’ve ever seen, a charming face, what an amazing face it was & with a loving gaze he said “Hanji bête!!”(yes my son).

My master called me ‘Son’ this moment in my life is beyond words can ever express. The feeling one gets when their master calls them his son or daughter, with so much love, is beyond comprehension. I have no words to express the joy my soul felt at that moment, it was dancing on the rhythm of love, my joy knew no bound, my happiness had no limit, I was in the presence of God, I was in the presence of the WORD MADE FLESH. Not even one’s parents can ever call you their son, the way my beloved Babaji called me. This call of the master is sweeter than all the bliss of the cosmos, this call touched my heart & pierced my soul.



I folded my hands & my heart sang a prayer, oh merciful master what have I done to deserve an audience with the King of Kings? Yet you remembered your child. When all the ways to you were closed, you opened the gateways of bliss, when all the waters couldn’t quench my thirst, you opened the ocean of love for me to drink. Days on end I prayed to thee, now that day has come to pass, oh master how shall I face you now and how will I hide behind my sins of the past, how will I ask for your grace? I do not have the strength to withstand your being, help me to save this moment in time forever, so that whenever I feel like being in your presence I can withdraw in the depth of my heart & see your smile once again.

Babaji started talking to me & it was the most amazing experience of my life on the Earth plane. Being with the master makes you realize how powerful he is, his being was radiating with the light of Shabd. Babaji is really beyond words. His voice is so sweet that it feels like a beautiful melody of flute is resounding by the mountain valley. His aura showers waves of love to whom ever comes in contact with this amazing Saint of Beas. Being face to face with & talking to him in person, I truly realized what my master really is.

Babaji always seemed like an enigma to me, he was always this wondrous being walking amongst us but the most amazing revelation I had with this meeting was that I completely felt at home when I was with him. Babaji’s love for his children is not only a fiction, a mere theory but its realities are way beyond the human comprehension. My soul felt as if I had known the master since aeons. His comforting smile, his melodious voice & his divine presence made it so much easier for me to talk to him & have a divine conversation with the Lord himself, born in human flesh. I was truly in the presence of the Christ of my time.



During the conversations with the Master I realized how the Master was invisibly shaping my inner being, the significance of the word darshan (divine gaze) made complete sense to me now. I learnt many things about the master’s true being, I understood why Saints always say that the master & shabd are one. Before this experience words like these had only a theological significance for me but after meeting the master I understood what it really meant & how true these words were.

Babaji’s being is not of this world at all, I felt as if I had the illusion of light sitting before me, as if his body was completely merged in the divine light & sound, his appearance was a mere projection of his higher self on this plane. Meeting the Master not only changed my whole understanding of the teachings of the masters but also gave me a deeper insight, towards the persona of the master & his work on the physical plane.

Babaji & I talked about all things metaphysical for about 20 to 25 mins, I couldn’t take my eyes off his radiant face, I cannot even start to express the joy one experiences, when one gets to see him smile. Meeting Babaji made me realize how all things run in complete surrender to his will. Although the master looks human to our eyes his powers stretch, way beyond the realms of this physical universe, seeing him in person made me understand how the grand orchestra of the universe dances on the tune of the Master’s will.



I teach and
They run away
I listen and
They come
My strength
Is my silence

--Akiane

Truly the Master is all mercy incarnated on the face of the earth to redeem the fallen souls. Meeting Babaji made me realize how much we take him for granted & how much love he still showers on his children. All the Master asks us to do is raise the level of our consciousness to the level of the Father & yet we cannot even devote few hours to his sweet will. At the end of our conversation I said to my beloved Babaji that I had brought a list of questions to ask but now after having met him all my questions have dissolved in the abyss of my ignorance & a new light of love has dawned in my heart. I bowed my head to my Master, seeking his blessings on the new journey of spiritual bliss that I was about to begin, I thanked him for his time & patience with us, I greeted my Master farewell & in my own little way said to him,”Babaji it was a pleasure”. I can still remember the smile on Babaji’s face, the gift of spirituality which Babaji gave me that day would always remain buried in my heart, it’s my treasure to keep & my bliss to enjoy. This meeting with the Master made me realize the answer to the most important question in my list of ignorance & the answer is LOVE.



Had had karte sab gaye
Behad gaya na koe
Anhad ke maindan mein
Rahe kabira soe

--Kabir

Everyone reached the land of limits
No one ventured into the realms of limitless
In the land of Anahad Shabd (the soundless sound)
Lies Kabira asleep (is the abode of Kabir)



Suddenly I realized that I was walking down the River Wanganui & night had dressed herself in the garment of stars. The lila (divine play) of the Master is one of many colours & enchantments. When, where & how the Master will touch the soul of the disciple & lead him to a new level of spiritual ecstasy is never known. Keep a watchful eye on the horizon within, keep an open door to your heart, listen to the sounds of the deep, resounding slowly at first & more enchanting they progress, remember the Master calls, only the ones with the pure heart hear his voice & only the ones with LOVE enter the Kingdom Of Heaven.



In The Upper Most Reaches Of The Cosmos
Beyond The Shadows Of The Great Mountains Of Trikuti
And Stretching Towards Eternity Beyond The Shores Of Maya
Lies A Region That Will Captivate Your Heart
And Touch Your Soul
Welcome Oh Soul
To The Inner Sanctum

Narrow indeed is the path of true love
For it can hold but one, not two.
When I was - ah! the Master was not,
But now the Master is, and I am not.
--Kabir

11 comments:

  1. WHT I CAN SAY APART OF WONDERFULL JOURNEY U HAVE SHOWN N MAKE US WALK TOO...HERE WITH U...BABAJI BLESS...AGAIN WONDERFULL

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  2. Very beautiful!

    Sometimes a think very strange this reverence by a master because here in Brazil we don't have this custom.

    A like it very much! Congratulations.

    Guilherme
    http://philosophia-aton.blogspot.com

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  3. its beautiful and congrats to you....

    :)

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  4. A beautiful relation of disciple with his
    Master, truly adorable.

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  5. I m so jealous of you bro so jealous but happy for you also you met the master our Baba Ji(Gurinder singh ji.What an amazing experience it must have been for you bro didnt you get goose bumps.WOW

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  6. Awesome....such divine love...I got my answer through it...HIS love is my onyl support :)

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  7. ah!...this rejuvenated my parched soul!loved every single alphabet of it...u know why?...cos each n every word is like a million candles lit in the glory of the master...each n every word carries a meaning fragrant like the incense rising from the deepest core of your being...feelings are pure...like those pure flowers showered in the way of the master...! Immensely beautiful!!!

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  8. Lovely and much inclined towards innerself... loved the way you put it.

    Regards

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  9. Excellent post, nice write!! Awesome reach, potrayal was the best! loved it!! keep up!

    yogi

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