Glorious Fifty Years of Wisdom and Service
A Souvenir released on Swami Krishnananda's 50th Birthday
A Few Moments with the Great Jnani Saint of Sivanandashram
by M. Kasipathy and Chandra Sekhar Das, Roukela
Our meeting with the great Jnani Saint—His Holiness Sri Swami Krishnanandaji Maharaj at Rishikesh is a great landmark in our life. Before meeting this Saint, we had a peculiar conception about him. On going through his writings and on hearing about him from inmates and Sadhak-brethren, our conception has been doubly confirmed that it is difficult for ordinary Sadhaks like us to stand before him, whom we understood to be the Embodiment of Jnana of the highest order. It is very interesting and worth mentioning here as to how our conception has undergone a dramatic change.
We had been to Ashram last time in the month of July, 1971 to participate in the Sadhana Week. On the first day itself we had the fortune of having his holy darshan. On having his Darshan and hearing his reserved type of talk with H.H. Sri Swami Chidanandaji Maharaj, we felt that our already-formed conception was hundred percent correct. This conception further took its deep roots on hearing his nectarine non-stop deliverances on 'Practice of Sadhana' during Sadhana classes. But on the third day during evening Satsang suddenly one of us was asked to meet him in the Satsang hall. With the mixed feelings of fear and reason for the call, he went and prostrated. During those five minutes with him, he felt as if he was in the mother's lap. After this short meeting, struggle went on within him whether or not already-formed conception was correct.
During our three weeks stay there we were seeing him and hearing him very often as his presence was felt everywhere in every activities and in every functions. During those meetings, our conception was wavering from this end to that end. We were wondering whether the feeling at every moment was correct, whether he is a sober, dry Vedantin or a loving mother full of affection and Prem!
However, we decided to meet him before leaving the Ashram. A day before our leaving the Ashram, we proceeded to meet him at his residence (Kailash Ashram) with doubts—whether he will give us interview or not, if at all he gives interview whether he will talk freely with us or not, if at all talks whether we can understand him and face him or not.
With this wavering feelings, however, we reached his residence and to our astonishment we found him strolling on the verandah. Further to our great astonishment, we were warmly welcomed by him, and he started asking us all about our stay, etc. We felt as if we were talking with our own kith and kin.
On his own accord he started talking very freely about the highest Truth, putting it in a very simple and easy style. The gist of the discussion took place between him and us is given below in our own words:
"To realise or to know one's own Real Nature is not so easy. A Sadhak should struggle very hard to attain perfection. He must have adamantine Faith, unceasing perseverance, strong yearning for Liberation. To become one with that Transcendental Reality is not so easy. We can say that those Saints who are spreading the Divine knowledge might have reached either the FOURTH or FIFTH Bhumika in the spiritual ladder, knowing the Awareness or slightly enjoying the Bliss, but might not have become one with IT. To attain THAT is difficult but not impossible.
He is also stated that it may be possible when one of us wanted to seek clarification by way of questioning whether is it not correct to say that on becoming one with the Supreme Reality or merging in Para Brahman, one comes down to a particular Bhumika, according to the Will of the Divine, for the betterment of the mankind!
He continued that attainment of Beatitude is a gradual process. When one ascends this spiritual ladder step by step, then he may attain the Blessed State of Nirvana-Bliss. Now-a-days, the spiritual aspirants start doing things in their own way. Once a while they get a little experience, they lose interest and feel dejected if they do not get that experience again. But they do not know that the nature of the Divine Experience is such that it is difficult for anybody to keep for long. IT comes like a flash and goes likewise and once one gets such an experience, he will hanker for it again and again though he may not be able to get IT as and when he wishes. When one of us sought clarification that why is it so that after one enjoys the Bliss once for a while he pines for it and he feels as if he lost something very near and dear and That does not come when he seeks for but comes on its own even when he is not trying for it, Sri Swamiji Maharaj told us that the nature of Bliss is like that and only it comes when It chooses!
Again on seeking a clarification as to what would be the result of such a Bliss when one experiences in dream and whether it will materialise or not in the wakeful state, we were told that it is a sign of progress in the spiritual path. When again sought clarification that when such a Experience of the Dream State (Swapnavastha) also continues for some months, day and night, in wakeful state (Jagrath avastha). What it signifies, we were told that it is one of the best experiences a Sadhak rarely gets and it is a very good sign and he who gets such an experience is very fortunate."
After another 3-4 minutes talk we prostrated to him and he blessed us. This meeting day was very significant for us and was unexpected. He gave us such a scope to freely discuss with him which we never neither dreamt nor thought of. We thought that 2-3 minutes interview might be given to us but to our utter surprise we were with him for about forty minutes.
This few moments of holy company and close contact with him dispelled the wrong conception formed from its roots and we felt we were at home during those few moments with him.
He gave us a send-off, asking us to visit Ashram often.