It is truly a great experience to meet an enlightened spirit, in those moments one is able to gain true insight within the self. Over the years of my journey I met many great divine spirits and was fortunate and blessed to be able to sit with them and learn.
Chidakasha a space within the self is something which everyone seeks and holds as precious. It is more precious and divine when one remains a disciple forever for then the Divine Enlightened Spirits forever remains with them guiding them, holding them to the light and showing them the real essence of knowing the self in the true manner with every passing moment.
So many years have passed yet it is as fresh as the event of yesterday. The day which literally transformed my life forever and allowed me to grow and evolve to meet My true Master (Sat-Gurudev) later on cannot be forgotten as some small event. During the period of 1992-92 while working for a software company I had to travel a lot to places and most of regions were either in U.P, M.P. or Rajasthan. My heart was seeking out many more things than which I had experienced over the last 2 years where I had a glimpse of someone who was special, making me remember someone way back to 1977 when I had accidentally met this Aghoree in a temple at Kerala. That Aghoree Baba had said many things which were like mystical notes for me and allowed me to travel into a path of seeking answers through logical mind. Two years back i.e. 1990 I had glimpse of the Aghoree again, but just as he used to come mysteriously similarly he used vanish without any traces. During the service one such travel I had to undertake was to go to Chitrakoot to train people in the Chitrakoot university on programming there. I had known that such a travel was in pipeline but never was I ready for it, for during that period I had been suffering from high fever, but I donot know my heart went and accepted the tour programme.
How was I to know that I am going to be blessed to meet such a divine spiritual energy force Ācharyagüru Swami Shri Chidananda Bharati ji on a day when the world celebrates it as a day of Love. For a seeker of truth and love what more can one ask, find a Guru-Tūlyā Ãtamiya Bandhan. Through His holy presence in14-Feb-1992 I could experience the Divine grace of a Guru; in Him I found the Sākha and Badhü that I certainly miss to this date. His grace bestowed the space one seeks, in the cacophony of the world I remained in peace and in silence. I had travelled nearly 650 km from Delhi on a official trip to Chitrakoot re-establish the connection within me.
Chitrakoot is a Hindu pilgrimage spot; as per Ramayana, Lord Ram and Sita had stayed here for 11 years of their 14 years of Vanavasa(exile). Chitra means beautiful and koot means mountain, this place is unique for it is situated on the border of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. Normally people stay here for a day or two while visiting Kahjuraho or Allahabad or they visit here for gaining punya (pious) of seeing this pilgrimage site.
In 1992, this was my first of the many visits to Chitrakoot and I donot know why or what reason, I took a Dharamshala(low budget rest house) near the ghat itself. Though the Dharamshala was not very good but it was manageable. The university was very near, it could be reached just by 5 minutes of walk from the place I had stayed. I had reached on Thursday and found that it was a holiday for them for two days, since none of the administrative staff was there, I felt it was going to be a dull two days for me. I managed to spend Thursday quietly had wonderful food at “Shree Kamadgiri Bhawan”, read a few books and slept early.
Throughout the day I had this uncanny feeling that someone is following me, yet I was not able to see the person nor the shadow. I tried to ignore it and spend the day, though in night I felt better. It was a divine plan that I could not comprehend.
The whole night I could keep on hearing Ramkātha (Stories of Lord Rama) being chanted and sung from different places of the city, early morning it became bit calm and quiet. By 4:00 am it again started, so I found it better to wake up. Had my bath and walked down to the Ramghat, wherein River Mandakini has been flowing for over a million years, being silent witness to the transformation of human beings from seekers of enlightenment to materialistic hunger.
I was trying to visualize how in Treta Yuga, Lord Rama and Sita had walked on the same ghats that still exist. I was totally engrossed in the thoughts when I felt a soft warm touch on my shoulder, upon turning I saw this Sadhu, long beard, soft eyes, long matted hair and with a soft voice he said:-
कहाँ थे अब तक| बहुत देर लगाते हो आने मे| (where were you, you took so much time to come’
His voice had a softness which was gentle and for a moment I was only looking upto him.
He again repeated the question.
I stood up and looked upto him and asked ‘ कहाँ बाबा. शायद ग़लती हो गयी है आप से -where baba, maybe you have made a mistake’ my experiences in pilgrimage spots had shown me that fake Sadhu’s many times have a psychological approach to cheat.
But here I did not have doubt; he looked old, really old. Hands were wrinkled, face was filled with wrinkles. Back was bending yet there was something in the eyes. His eyes were sparkling with life, love and care.
सालो हो गये यहाँ पर, आपके बचपन मे भी खबर बेजे थी. ग़लती बाबा से नही हो सकती, उन्होने चुना है आपको यहाँ आना था| – For years I have been waiting for you,in your childhood also message was send. Baba never commits mistake, he selected you to come here’
Somehow my mind went 15 years back and I again saw Baba, but could not recollect seeing this Sadhu there. Before I could say something, he just took my hands and for two days it was more like a fairy tale for me.
The divine Sadhu was to be my Ācharyagüru Swami Shri Chidananda Bharati ji, so many questions so much was passed through the period I stayed in Chitrakoot.
I was blessed to learn at the holy places like the Kamadgiri (interestingly it means a hill that can fulfill the desires), Atri Ashrama, Janaki Kund, Sphatik Shila, Gupt Godavari, Ram Ghat, Hanuman dhara.
During my stay there and in later on period also my trip to Chitrakoot in the wee mornings and evenings were spend at his holy feet learning the truths from Upanishad. So many times we had done parikrama(circumambulation) at Kamadgiri parvat and we used to sit near the Shri Kamatnath temple or near the Bharat milap mandir.
I learned the true form of dhyana from Ācharyagüru ji at lakshman pahadi, it made me realize the difference between the so called meditation, contemplation done by so many people and the dhyana as taught in the traditional manner.
At Atri ashram when we went, I got many glimpses of Baba but whenever I used to ask about him; Gurudev used to smile and say wait for some more time. I felt at home at that place and it was fact that many a times I used to get into state of Samādhi which was only get released in the morning when I used to take bath and used to go for training staff at the college. It was a daily walk of 16 kilometeres and I many times used to get surprised how Gurudev used to walk all the distance without even feeling the tiredness.
One day I received a message from Office to return back for the course was over and I told Gurudev about it, Gurudev then took me to Gupta Godavari and in the Godavari River I had my first diksha. I bowed to him to seek his blessing and he said ‘ बेटा मैं तुम्हारा गुरु नही, मैं तो एक आचार्य हूँ जिसका काम सिर्फ़ तुम्हे ज्ञान देना था, बाबा से मिलो| -rise O child I am not your Guru, I am a teacher, I was ordered to give you knowledge, meet Baba’
That was Jñāna Diksha and even though Gurudev never agreed to the fact that he was my Guru but for me I bow my head in reverence for he was the divine medium who bestowed me with the knowledge of the scriptures and became a path to meet Gurudev Aghor Baba Pinakin ji.
Param Pujya Ācharyagüru ji was a peerless interpreter of the scriptures. Most of what I know of scriptures and its sublime secrets are centered in his discourses. His thoughts were never bound and cast by the traditional and outdated processes or baseless concepts rather it was live and vibrant in form and understanding. When he used to give discourse or even when he was silent he used to pass to me ineffable knowledge.
This knowledge and understanding I could grasp through my happiest moments with Ācharyagüru ji who as per his wishes used to manifest the unthinkable by the materially inclined mind. Only a true Guru can comprehend the laws of the nature and is then able to work on the subtle laws governing the consciousness, supra consciousness levels of the inner mind and nature and manifest the required in the outer realm.
Quiet evening would be more of delight for those was the times when his discourses in sublime silence became treasures against time. His every utterance was like a measured cup of nectar filled with drops of wisdom. Thoughts were more measured when it came from him; even thoughts with philosophical aspect came from him like a fragrant exudation of soul. In his divine presence my mind was more alert and aware that I was in the presence of manifestation of God himself.
Ordinary love is selfish with desires and satisfactions while divine love is without conditions, without boundary and without change. The flux of human heart is lost forever the moment touch of pure love is there and whenever my mind falls from the divine ecstatic bliss of universal energy, I have found him to be there in many forms and in many ways who helps me to bring my body mind and soul in the divine ecstatic state of universal energy.
14-Feb-1992(Friday) at 06:50am on the banks of river Mandakini changed my life forever.
My dear friend and disciple Mele’ has shared this beautiful message of Ācharyagüru ji “Distraught was I for the command I had received but the owner was not there, the moment, place and destination was all right yet the owner never came. The command I knew can never fail yet this body was frail and mind lost control for a great responsibility was put on my feeble shoulder. The sun was rising showering its rays on the flowing water yet I could see not the one who had to come. Sitting there along the bank I thought of lighting a small fire for removing the cold. While picking up the small twigs and woods I was about to trip on a stone then I found someone holding me as if He was waiting for me to fall. He was there as per the command, like a child I could see, one who is pure, one who has come for the dharma. I could see the light at two places and I knew it was going to be tough for me to teach someone who has come to transform and change the whole belief system. Let it be let it be my heart kept on saying He who commanded me knows better than me and I see only a child, a really innocent naughty intelligent child. So many years have passed yet I can see the innocence in the same manner which few in times of today will accept for today the world is after pompousness and show.”
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