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Date Posted: 14:31:59 02/15/05 Tue
Author: H - 28 Jan 2005
Subject: Re: The Ramakrishna Order and Yogananda
In reply to: Sundarar - 26 Jan 2005 's message, "Re: The Ramakrishna Order and Yogananda" on 14:26:23 02/15/05 Tue


If you read many books on yoga you will see many Indian yogis are afraid to look into a saints eyes for fear of them hypnotizing them. This is all over in Swami Rama's book "Living with Himalayan Masters".

A yogi is someone who attains to some spiritual state by own effort. A saint may be of a superior class relying on surrender alone. Contact with a real saint may be a shocking experience for some people with traces of ego left. Here is an anecdote that illustrates this well.

A small incident that happened [in his teens] proves beyond doubt that he was really a pure being. There was a Yogi at Tiruvottiyur who used to squat stark naked on the pyal of a house and watch the men passing along the street. It was in utter disregard for sinful humanity that he thus displayed his nakedness. Being able to see through people at their wicked hearts he used to call them by names of animals such as a pig, a donkey, a dog, a fox etc. According to him there was not a single human being among them all. One day saint Ramalingam passed that way. The naked Yogi had never seen him before, but at the sight of him he suddenly stood up out of reverence, covered his nakedness with his hands and exclaimed, "Here at last comes a pure human being!"

[...] His close disciple during [his final years] was Purushotham Reddy. He attended to the needs of the Swami. He cleaned the meditation room and put things in order. One day when the Swami ended his meditation and opened his eyes Purushotham Reddy happened to meet his gaze. He saw blinding beams of light in the eyes of the Swami. This sudden encounter with such a divine phenomenon was too much for him. He fell down unconscious. The Swami told the other disciples not to disturb him and that he would be all right in a few days. Purushotham regained consciousness only after a few days, but as a result of the mind-bogging experience he had lost his power of speech. Normalcy of speech was restored only after a month.

Having experienced such a wonder, Purushotham later requested the Swami to initiate him into the mysteries of Yoga. The Swami answered him thus: "To awaken the hidden powers of the body through yoga is not necessary for all. Of course you will encounter strange things and see some light. But this will enhance your pride and mislead you. So instead of practicing yoga you must learn to love all living creatures as truly as you love yourself. When you achieve this you will have achieved everything."

-- M.L.Thangappa (ed.), Songs of Grace - Selections from St. Ramalingam's poetry with a short biography of the Saivite Saint


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