It was more than two decades back that I read ‘Autobiography
of a Yogi’ by Paramahansa Yogananda. His guru Sri Yukteshwar was the disciple
of Lahiri Mahasaya. Babaji was the guru of Lahiri Mahasaya. When I saw the
picture of Babaji, I couldn’t look into his eyes for long time; they were so
powerful and penetrating. I read somewhere that Babaji still appears to those
who call him sincerely, and was fascinated by that statement.
Ananda Kriya Ashram
In May 2018, we were looking for a place to go for 3 days
just to meditate. We chanced upon Ananda Kriya Ashram and booked for June 8th
to 10th.
We reached the Ashram by 11. 30 am on 8th. I loved
the energy and vibration of the place. To my joy, I found a photo of Babaji in
our room. I kept the small Shivling and Nandi that I carry during travels in front of the photo, brought a flowers and
kept them too.
After browsing through
their library and with some guidance from Dharanaji (the meditation teacher), I
picked up some books to read.
Introduction to meditation
At 3.30 we assembled in the meditation hall where Dharanaji
gave us an introduction to meditation. It is important to keep the physical
body still and relaxed, with the spine erect to have good meditation
experience. He showed us different props that can be used to achieve that
objective and encouraged us to experiment with them. I liked the brick and another
small foldable stool, which helps to keep the spine erect, keeping away any
pressure on the knees and ankles.
Meditation hall all to myself
The meditation timings of the ashram were 7 to 8.30 am and 6
to 7 pm. Dharanaji would start with some chants, lead us onto deep meditation
and then end the meditation with a prayer.
On 9th evening, he couldn’t be there for 6 to 7
pm meditation but he kept the mediation hall open for whoever wanted to
meditate. Inside the hall there were photos of Lahiri Mahasaya, Babaji, Jesus,
Krishna, Yukteshwar and Paramahansa Yogananda.
As I entered the hall at 5.45 and looked at Babaji’s photo,
I perceived tears flowing from his eyes, and was sort of confused. I started
my meditation at 6 pm, and I was all alone in the hall.
You have taken too long to come back
As I closed my eyes for meditation, I had a spontaneous
recall of a past life. I saw myself as a teenage boy. Babaji was walking ahead,
and I was tagging along reluctantly. He saw great potential in me but I was
pulled by the worldly pleasures and ran off from there.
Now when I got
connected with Babaji during meditation, he remarked, ‘ So you have come back
at last.’ Then I realised that I had perceived tears of happiness on his
photograph.
A deep meditation
I went into a deep
meditation, practising the ‘Hong Sau’ technique that Dharanaji had explained
earlier. Suddenly I felt that my head was cut off from the back, below the
medulla oblongata, which is the seat of ego. The head was hanging onto the
chest, still attached to the body in the front area.
Old sanskaras being burnt
With every exhalation, blood, representing the accumulated
old sanskaras, was flowing out, into a violet flame that was consuming it.
Meanwhile I saw Babaji sitting in a small temple, which had
a golden dome. There was an idol of black Shivling, with a live snake around
it. The temple was on the top of a hill and I could sense the presence of adivasis
in the valley below. Babaji was performing Havan in front of the idol and the
door was closed.
Losing the head finally
The blood was flowing out of my body for some time, and when
it finished, my head which was attached to the front of the body was severed
and thrown into the violet flame.
Meanwhile, from the Havan kund where Babaji was performing
havan, my new head came out of the sacred fire and travelling through the air,
came and got attached to my body.
Sensing my husband’s aura
Suddenly I felt my husband’s aura beside me. He had gone
with Dharanaji and they were supposed to return by the end of meditation time,
at 7 pm. So I thought some other inmate of the ashram must have entered the
hall quietly and sat down for meditation. I was curious to see the person who
was having the same aura as that of my husband. I contained my curiosity and
continued with meditation.
At 7 pm, I heard Dharanaji starting the prayer and later I
noticed that it was indeed my husband who was sitting near me for meditation.
Contrary to their expectation, they had returned earlier and then they came and
joined for the meditation.
I am eagerly waiting to see the changes in my life that this
meditation experience must have brought to manifest.
Sri. Paramahansa Yogananda
