Part 21 (1/2)
Quiet evening hours often brought one of ainst time His every utterance was measured and chiseled by wisdom A sublime self-assurance marked his mode of expression: it was unique He spoke as none other in hed in a delicate balance of discriarb The essence of truth, all-pervasive with even a physiological aspect, carant exudation of the soul I was conscious always that I was in the presence of a living ht of his divinity autouests detected that Sri Yuktesas becoed the a pose, or of flaunting his inner withdrawal
Always one with the Lord, he needed no separate time for communion
A self-realizedstone of meditation ”The flower falls when the fruit appears” But saints often cling to spiritual forht approached, ht fall into a doze with the naturalness of a child There was no fuss about bedding He often lay doithout even a pillow, on a narrow davenport which was the background for his custo philosophical discussion was not rare; any disciple could summon it by intensity of interest I felt no tiredness then, no desire for sleep; Master's living words were sufficient ”Oh, it is dawn! Let us walk by the Ganges” So ended many of my periods of nocturnal edification
My early months with Sri Yukteswar culminated in a useful lesson-”How to Outwit a Mosquito” At hoht I was dise this prudent custom was honored in the breach Yet the insects were in full residency; I was bitten frouru took pity on me
”Buy yourself a curtain, and also one for hed and added, ”If you buy only one, for yourself, all mosquitoes will concentrate on ht that I spent in Serae the bedti were especially virulent But Master failed to issue his usual instructions I listened nervously to the anticipatory hu into bed, I threw a propitiatory prayer in their general direction A half hour later, I coughed pretentiously to attract odrone as the mosquitoes celebrated bloodthirsty rites
No responsive stir fro This was ic trance; it filled ht
”His heart must have failed!” I placed a mirror under his nose; no breath-vapor appeared To make doubly certain, for ers His body was cold and motionless In a daze, I turned toward the door to su experihter ”Why don't you go to bed? Is the whole world going to change for you? Change yourself: be rid of the mosquito consciousness”
Meekly I returned to uru had previously agreed to the curtains only to please ic poas such that he either could will them not to bite, or could escape to an inner invulnerability
”He was giving ic state I i must be able to pass into, and continue in, the superconsciousness, regardless of multitudinous distractions never absent from this earth Whether in the buzz of insects or the pervasive glare of daylight, the testiht come then indeed, but to worlds fairer than the banished Eden {FN12-7}
The instructive mosquitoes served for another early lesson at the ashrauru wasthe ancient texts At his feet, I was in perfect peace
A rude mosquito entered the idyl and co a poisonous hypoder hand Reprieve fro execution! An opportune a aphorisms-that on AHIMSA (harmlessness)
”Why didn't you finish the job?”
”Master! Do you advocate taking life?”
”No; but the deathblow already had been struck in yourwas the removal of DESIRE to kill” Sri Yukteswar had found my mental processes an open book ”This world is inconveniently arranged for a literal practice of AHIMSA Man may be compelled to exterminate harer or aniht to the air of MAYA The saint who uncovers the secret of creation will be in har expressions Allwho curb the inner passion for destruction”
”Guruji, should one offer himself a sacrifice rather than kill a wild beast?”
”No; hest evolutionary value because of unique brain and spinal centers These enable the advanced devotee to fully grasp and express the loftiest aspects of divinity No lower form is so equipped It is true that one incurs the debt of athing But the VEDAS teach that wanton loss of a huainst the karhed in relief; scriptural reinforce
It so happened that I never saw Master at close quarters with a leopard or a tiger But a deadly cobra once confronted hiuru's love This variety of snake is much feared in India, where it causes erous encounter took place at Puri, where Sri Yukteswar had a second heral Prafulla, a young disciple of later years, ith Master on this occasion
”We were seated outdoors near the ashram,” Prafulla told th of sheer terror Its hood was angrily expanded as it raced toward us My guru gave a welcoh to a child I was beside e in a rhyth the dread visitor! I re what fervent prayers I could uru, was nowattitude The frightful hood gradually contracted; the snake slithered between Master's feet and disappeared into the bushes