120. Does hell exist?

Years ago (probably twenty-five), somebody casually remarked, “There is no hell, just heaven. God is kind and merciful; therefore, there cannot be a hell”. That remark gnawed on my mind for years. The more I thought, the more I was convinced that there cannot be a hell.

Few years ago, I came across the book; ‘Finding the joy within you, by  Sri Daya Mata’ and found this story:

“Master (Swami Yogananda) was once talking to a very dogmatic man. He said to Master, “Do you not belief in hellfire and damnation?”

Guruji replied, “No, except that man creates a Hades right in here and now. He makes out of this world and his own life a heaven or a hell, depending upon his behavior…..”

The man was not convinced and kept on arguing. Master changed the subject. After a few moments Guruji said:

“Isn’t it true that you have a son who is causing you great suffering because he drinks and indulges in bad behavior………”

The man’s jaw dropped “How did you know? Yes this has been the greatest sorrow of my life”

“Then may I make a suggestion”

“Yes”. The man was eager for a solution.

“All right take him out for a walk in the hills, and have two trusted friends waiting there for you. They should pounce upon him and bind him. Then let them build a huge roaring fire. Let them throw your son in the fire”

The man was flabbergasted. “Are you mad to make such a suggestion?”

“Exactly so! Yet you ascribe such behavior to God, who created you and instilled in you that love for your child. How dare you attribute to Him feelings so callous and punitive that He will take all of His children that have done wrong and cast them in eternal flames?”  

Swami Ramdas (blog 82-85) writes:

“In one place, a school master came for discussion. The schoolmaster was in favor of Shuddhi movement (reconversion of Muslims and Christians to Hinduism) while Ramdas was against it, as Ramdas opposed every effort on the part of anybody to create differences in religious faiths. That all faiths lead to the same goal is a most beautiful and convincing truth. At the end the friend exceeded the limits of decent talk.

Next day at the same time, the friend came again. He could scarcely talk, he could only whisper. His throat was choked up.

‘O Maharaj, he exclaimed, falling at the feet of Ramdas, “God has punished your slave for using such rough words to you yesterday…..’

‘O friend, Ramdas is really sorry to hear this, but be assured of this; God never punishes. God is love and is always kind…………the so called evil is of our own making.’

At once, pulling Ramdas’s right hand the friend rubbed the palm on his throat, and strange to say, his throat cleared and he began to talk more clearly and in a few minutes he was alright!

‘Behold Maharaj, how powerful you are!”

‘You make a mistake, dear friend; Ramdas is a poor slave of Ram, possessing no powers at all. Your faith alone has cured you, and nothing else.”                   

119.  Two Unique visions of Swami Yogananda

I should have added these visions of Swami Yogananda in my account of him in blog 79-81; I am rectifying that mistake, because the two visions are profound and unique.

Cosmic consciousness. His Master struck him lightly on the chest and he had the vision of cosmic consciousness. I am giving an abbreviated version; complete description is in his autobiography (see the list). His body became motionless and still. His breath was drawn out as if by a huge magnet. People in distant streets were visible and moving. His ordinary vision was changed to spherical, he could see on the sides and the back of his head. He saw a white cow that was leisurely approaching. As she passed behind a brick wall, he could still see her. Master, his body, the pillared courtyard, the furniture and floor, the trees and the sunshine, occasionally violently vibrated. All objects in his vision tumbled and vibrated. Everything in his vision finally became a luminescent sea.

               He experienced an oceanic joy. He realized that the Spirit of God was an exhaustless bliss. A swelling glory in him enveloped towns, countries, continents, the earth, stars and galaxies, and floating universes. The whole cosmos was gently luminous, and resembled a lighted city at night, seen from a distance. On the farthest edges, was an undiminished mellow radiance. It was indescribably subtle, unlike the gross light which made the planetary picture.

               The divine dispersion of rays was from an Eternal Source blazing into galaxies, transfigured with ineffable auras. He saw the creative beams condense into constellations, then resolve into sheets of flame. Irradiating splendor issued from his heart (nucleus) to every part of the universal structure.

               Suddenly, he came to his senses. His guru ( Sri Yukteswar ) was standing motionless before him. “Don’t get over drunk with ecstasy. Let us sweep the floor”. He got hold of a broom and started sweeping the floor. He realized that his master was teaching him balanced living.

               The guru told him later, that it was the Spirit of God that sustained the universe. He is transcendent and aloof in the uncreated void. Those who attain Self-realization in this world live in similar twofold existence: conscientiously  performing their duties in the world, and yet immersed in an inner beatitude.

               This Divine experience comes with a natural inevitability when the seeker is ready. His intense craving begins to pull at God, with an irresistible force. The magnetic ardor pulls the cosmic vision in the seeker’s range of consciousness.

               Sri Yukteswar taught him how to summon the blessed  experience at will, and also how to transmit it others, when their intuitive channels were ready. He also told him that one may control the whole universe, but find the God elusive still. Spiritual advancement is not be measured by one’s display of outward powers, but solely by the depth of his bliss during meditation.

               Ever-new joy is God. He is inexhaustible

A lesson, that he learnt, was that without controlling the breath and the wandering thoughts, the Infinite as One Light cannot be perceived. These two, are like storms, that lash the oceans of light into waves of material forms, such as houses, trees, humans, and animals. As often as he quieted these two natural impulses, he could visualize all the forms melting into one luminous sea.

Body made of light. One day, after writing a chapter of his autobiography, as he was sitting on the bed in a lotus position, he looked at the ceiling. He saw that the ceiling was dotted with mustard colored lights, scintillating and quivering. Innumerable pencils of light merged into a shaft and fell on him.

               His physical body lost its grossness. He felt as if he was floating on the bed, barely touching the bed. The body became weightless and moved to and fro. His surrounding, the walls and furniture were as before, but the lights on the ceiling had multiplied, and they hid the ceiling. He looked at his arms. He could move them, but they were weightless.

               A voice spoke to him, as if it was coming from within the light. “This is the cosmic motion picture mechanism, shedding its beams on the white screen of your bed sheets; it creates a picture of your body. Behold your body is nothing but light.” He understood that the divine reproduction of his body was similar to the picture produced on a cinema screen, coming from a booth.

               This vision lasted for a long time. He saw his body in the faintly lit bedroom. Though he had many visions in his life, but none was ever more singular.

               He spoke entreatingly, “Divine light, please withdraw this humble body into Thyself; even as Elijah was drawn up to heavens, in a chariot of flame”.

               His supplication was evidently startling. The beam disappeared. His body came back to its original shape.

112. God part sixteen

 

We were discussing prayers. When granted, they are a convincing proof of God

    4. Swami Yogananda prayer (blog 79). Before he started on his journey, like any other normal person, he had cold feet because of the enormity of the task. He became anxious. Would he not get lost in the materialism of the West?

One early morning he started praying to God to hear from Him regarding this mission. He vowed that he would continue praying, till death, unless he gets Divine assurance that he won’t be lost in the utilitarianism of America . Several hours passed. His moaning and sobs continued. His head was reeling. He thought his brain would burst. Finally there was a knock at the door. A young man, whom he recognized as Babaji, was standing. Babaji said that the Divine Father had heard his prayers. Babaji had been sent to reassure him that his mission had the Divine sanction, and that he will be protected.

                          The following three prayers have the quality of last appeal

 

        5. Prayer for debt relief.  I know of a man who was in great financial trouble. He had incurred huge amount of debt. He prayed and prayed to God. He shed so many tears that he developed breakage of skin under his eyes. One day he read in a book a certain vazeefa (a spiritual saying asking for Allah’s help), which had to be performed under strict conditions, for a number of nights. He performed that vazeefa with copious weeping. One day, at the spur of the moment, he brought a prize bond (a sort of Government lottery). His bond won the first prize. The money was still short of his debt. Suddenly, a customer bought a parcel of land from him. Within a week or so of the completion of his prayer, he was completely debt free

        6. Mufti Sahib’s prayer to feed the Guests I have mentioned the late Mufti sahib in the Foreword of book 2.  Mufti sahib lived in poverty. He was once Imam in a mosque in Lahore, drawing meager salary. He would send most of the money to his family who lived in the village. One day a number of guests came to him from his village. They expected lunch (it is an old village custom) and that also roast chicken. They thought that well dressed Mufti Sahib will have money, whereas Mufti Sahib had very little money. He felt very embarrassed and humiliated. He went to his room and said a short namaz. After namaz, weeping, he prayed to God to help him.

               As he finished his prayer, there was a knock at the door. The landlord was standing. The landlord said, “My wife told me Mufti Sahib Need’s money. We had been discussing for some time to give you monetary assistance”. With that he gave Mufti Sahib some money that was sufficient for the food expenses.

               7. Mufti Sahib’s prayer to spend Eid with his family. Eid is like Christmas in Western countries. It was eve of Eid. A person who told me this story said that it was his habit to visit various shrines in Lahore on Eid eve and help the needy. As he reached the shrine of Mian Mir, he thought of checking on the Imam, the Mufti Sahib, whom he had never met. He thought, ‘we always give money to the poor, nobody checks on middle class people. Maybe he needs money’. He went in the back to Mufti sahib’s quarters. A man was sleeping outside on a cot. He woke him up. It was Mufti Sahib. Without any preamble he took some money from his pocket and offered it to Mufti Sahib. Mufti Sahib accepted the money and said normally I would not have taken the money, but this money seems to be sent by God.

               “I would have not told this story but you are special, an instrument of God. A while ago I was feeling sad. Tomorrow is Eid. I wanted to spend Eid with my family in the village, but I did not have bus fare. I performed a short  namaz, and with tears, told God, how much I would have liked to spend Eid with my family”

               I fell asleep. Next thing I know, was you , shaking me awake.

 

111. God Part Fifteen

 

5. Prayer. There is no more convincing proof of the existence of God than His answering to a strange and unique prayer. Sometimes it is not unique but has the quality of last appeal, “God! In this whole universe, only You can help me”

When such prayers are answered, the strange circumstances make it extremely unlikely that it is a coincidence; the only other possible explanation. But if you are bent upon rejecting it as an intervention of God, you can always fall back on probability, according to which everything is possible; as Brian Green explains, if you throw the 693 double-sided pages of "war and peace", there is about one in 10¹⁸⁷⁸ chance (10 ⁹ make a billion ) that they will fall in exact order. See, it is possible.

I will provide 4 examples of unique prayers answered, due to their uniqueness, or just the will of God. I have already narrated them in other books. I feel guilty to repeat them. I repeat them, mainly not to break the narrative, and also the other books may not be available to the reader (although they are available, free, at the internet, but people in developing countries don’t have easily available computers and electricity) or he may not take the trouble to get the book (not many people care about God)         

                                                                                                                                                                                                          1. Shahab’s prayer (see blog 65). “Then I prayed to God with utmost sincerity that I don’t know if the story about Bibi Fatimah is correct or not. Oh Allah, I beg you to allow the spirit of Fatimah to ask her exalted father to grant my request. The request is that I want to go on the path of quest of God. I do not have the capability to follow the standard paths. I should be set on Awaisia path, if that path is a reality and not a fiction.

Several weeks passed. I did not mention my prayer to anybody. I myself forgot about it. Then one day I received a strange letter from Germany from my sister-in-law. Here is a verbatim excerpt:

 

“The other night I had the good fortune to see Fatimah, the daughter of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) in my dream. She talked to me most graciously and said ‘tell your brother-in-law Qudrat Ullah Shahab, that I have submitted his request to my exalted father who has very kindly accepted it”

 

  Why did Shahab not get direct confirmation, such as an overwhelming thought in his mind, that his prayer has been answered?  Because, this way, through the sister-in law (who knew nothing about shahab’s prayer), it was made dramatic, immediately believable, and taken out of the realm of chance. Furthermore it was filled with intimate detail. Please note, that Shahab addressed the prayer to God and not Fatima^pbuh or prophet Muhammad^pbuh. So it is a proof of God

                                                                                                                                                                                          

      2. Mr. Shevani’s prayer ( see blog 67) He would some time pray to Allah for a very strange wish. He prayed to God to meet the greatest Qalander (high grade Muslim mystic) of this period, and live with him.

One day a bearded well dressed man came to his house. The man said that he has received orders through some secret channels to take him to a recluse mystic in FATA (federally administered tribal area). That man did not know, why?. Actually, the man who was also a mystic, initially thought that he was going to take some sick man to the recluse, because, only people with incurable sicknesses went to the Great Qalander.

As I have already told, Mr Shevani quit his comfortable world, and died 11 months later.

Only God knew his prayer, nobody else. Only God could make its fulfillment possible. Mr. Shevani would not have believed that his prayer had been answered, unless a pious man who had nothing to gain, came to take him. He went with his own free will, three days later. Mr Shevani was given dozens of opportunities to back off

  3. Giri Bala’s prayer. ( see blog 80 ) This woman saint from India had not eaten or taken liquids for over fifty six years. She said she was twelve when she joined her husband. She had the problem of overeating. Her mother-in-law shamed her relentlessly. One day she was so distraught by the constant taunting that she said that from now onwards she was not going to eat!

She prayed to God incessantly, and begged Him to send a Guru who will teach her to live without food. She fell in a spell like state. She went to the river to take her bath. As she came out of the river, still in wet clothes, in broad daylight, her master materialized before her. He said that her prayer was heard by the God, and He was deeply touched by its extraordinary nature, and he was the Guru she had asked for. From now onwards she will get her nourishment through astral light. The Guru cast around them a protective aura so that nobody could disturb them. Then he taught her secret and sacred mantra and techniques which she had to perform daily for the rest of her life.

 

To be continued

 

110. God Part Fourteen

 

The section on spirits and life after death continues

 

               7. Sri Daya Mata writes about her guru, Swami Yogananda, in her book ‘ finding the joy within you’. “One day (after his death), as she was praying in front of his picture, for some guidance regarding an important matter, his living form emerged from that photo image.” Guruji blessed me and…..”

               8. St Teresa of Avila saw Jesus Christ many times ( blog 77. I am repeating it for people who have not read Part 2) First, the Lord was pleased to reveal to her only His hands, the beauty of which was indescribable. This was her first vision of Jesus Christ with the eyes of her mind. She never had any vision of Jesus with worldly eyes

A few days later she saw the Divine face

The Lord later granted her the favor of seeing Him wholly, on many occasions.

He showed Himself to her in various forms: in His resurrection body, His wounds, as He was on the Cross, in the Garden, and sometimes He would be carrying the Cross. She was very desirous of seeing the color of His eyes, or His height, but could never do so, the image would disappear altogether.

               For skeptics who might say that she may have imagined that she saw Jesus. Here is an event in which the person she saw was Jesus because a very powerful miracle was performed, which only he could perform (Blog 78. I am repeating it for people who have not read Part 2). St Teresa was earnestly begging Jesus to restore vision to a totally blind man. The Lord appeared and talked to her. Then He said that He would always grant her anything she asked, because she won’t ask Him anything which did not tend to His glory. The vision was restored within a week.

               9. St Teresa of Avila saw Fray Peter of Alcantara many times ( blog 78. I am repeating it for people who have not read Part 2). He did severe penances for forty seven years. He slept only for an hour and a half each night for forty years. What sleep he took was sitting down. He could not lie down in his cell which was only four and a half feet long. He never wore a hood or shoes. His only dress was a habit of sackcloth. It was a very common thing for him to take food only once in three days. Sometimes he would go without food for a week. Once he spent three years in a house of his Order, and could not have recognized a single friar, because he never raised his eyes. Since his death she had more discussions with him than when he was alive. He advised her on many subjects. She beheld him in great bliss. He always appeared as a glorified body. He told her that the penances he had done been a happy thing for him, since they had won him such a great reward.

               10. I have already mentioned the pilot who died in an air crash.( blog 103). His spirit came in a vision to Indra Devi. Here is an excerpt from Indra’s letter to the bereaved mother:

“ A. came yesterday afternoon in my vision. He kept alternately opening and closing his fists and looked away while talking…….. He burst into tears and said: “ They ( the airdrome people ) are not telling the truth, Ma. I did what they said. They were sending just the opposite message (i.e, not to bail out)”

               Confirmation of Indra’a vision came in a most unexpected way…..A.’s radio communication with the airport had been overheard by an independent source who reported A. had flown around and around, sending frantic messages to the airport authorities who directed him to save the plane and not bail out.              

               11. I have already written an account of the soul of Mirabai coming repeatedly to Indra Devi, ( blog 88. I am repeating it for people who have not read Part 2)  Mirabai is one of the most famous saints of India. Her songs of love and yearning for Lord Krishna have been sung by devotees for the last five centuries. Her spirit started communicating with Indra. Indra became a ward of Saint Mira. Mira sang her songs in original Hindi of that time to Indra, who would then dictate them to Dilip, who would then sing them back to Indra. She eventually dictated more than eight hundred of such songs. The songs were in a language that Indra did not even know!( her folks spoke Punjabi and Urdu, although Urdu is similar to Hindi ). Here is an account of her first visit:

“ One morning while Dada was singing in his flat, Indra saw a beautiful lady dressed in Rajasthani dress. She was slim, extremely graceful and had the most lovely eyes. She sat next to Dada, beating time, and seemed to be lost in music. Indra wondered why she was not wearing the white ashram dress of other ladies. “ She must be a visitor or a close friend of Dada.” Indra decided, but when the lady got up to leave with the others, she cast no shadows and her feet did not quite touch the earth.

               12. Finally, no body, in history has, while still alive, become one’s own spirit connected with his motionless body, except Paul Brunton!

I have already narrated the circumstances, which made this unprecedented event happen ( see blog

92) I will narrate only the part when he became the spirit, in the Great Pyramid:

 

‘The other priest made him lie flat on the stone sarcophagus. He did something. Brunton felt an ascending paralysis, which started from his feet and rose to his brain. He was conscious but completely paralyzed. He felt like being going out of a hole and passing out in space.

He was free.

He had changed into a mental being. He felt blissfully free, in this fourth dimension.

Somebody turned him from a horizontal to a standing position. He was both standing and floating simultaneously.

He gazed down upon the deserted body of flesh and bone, which was lying prone and motionless on the stone block.

He noted an umbilical cord like faint silvery string connecting him, the new him, to the motionless body on the stone.

A distinct idea formed in his mind;

“………..now I have proven that I am a soul. I do not need convincing anymore. I can exist apart from my body.”

 

 

 

 

109. God Part Thirteen

 

The section on spirits and life after death continues

 

               4. A restless spirit. Shahab writes (blog 65-6 ). “I was allotted a house at 18 Civil Lines Cuttack, Odisha, India. It had the reputation of being haunted. Strange events started happening. One night the light went out and then came back automatically. Somebody knocked at the door softly, three times. As I opened the door, there was smell of perfume, rustling of silk dress, and a white ring of smoke. Another night, cigarette case got opened and couple of cigarettes were lying on the bed. One night I could not find my slippers. They were later found, rolled up, in the pillow. Every third or fourth night, faint knock at the door would occur. All the events were pleasant and mischievous. Nothing sinister.

               One night, there was sudden silence and then an explosion. For the next several months, for approximately three and a half hours each night (from about 11pm to 3 am), I was harassed and persecuted. I was not physically harmed. Here are some examples. Almost daily there was rain of stones and bones, which later left awful smell of dead fish, burnt peppers, or gutter. Once, whole day and night, whatever I would eat would have stones or sand in it. I peeled a banana; its center was filled with sand, like a thermometer is filled with mercury. I had a dining room table weighing 150 to 200 pounds, it started rising in the air, till the china on it was hit by the blades of ceiling fan and went smashing. Then, the table came down with a crash. Its one leg grazed my right big toe which is numb till today. Sometimes telephone would ring for an hour. One night it was raining heavily, somebody rang a bicycle bell, and yelled ‘postman! Telegram for you’ I opened the door. A uniformed postman was outside. When I extended my hand, instead of the postman there was a human skeleton, laughing, its upper and lower teeth striking each other. I ran inside and closed the door. There was sound of nails scratching the door for few minutes. Sometimes red blood would come from the taps. Sometimes I would hear the sounds of horses running outside.

               All were not illusions and hallucinations, because each morning before my 2 servants would come from their quarters, I would gather all the stones, bricks, and bones, from the room and dump them outside in the pond, so that they should not know what was happening. The stones would be dry, despite heavy rain outside. My obstinate nature prevented me from leaving. I relied on verses of Holy Quran for protection from evil forces. The verses had great power. One night I played my gramophone. Instead of the singer’s voice, screeching, terrifying screams or a woman’s sobbing came out. I wrote a famous verse of Quran, in Arabic, on a piece of paper and put the paper on the record. Screams stopped and singer’s voice came. I removed the paper, and the terrifying screams resumed. As a test, I wrote the Urdu translation of the verse on the record. It did not work. I wrote it in Roman numerals, it did not work. It worked only if written in Arabic. Ultimately I found the truth. Eighteen to twenty years ago, a young Hindu woman named Bimla Kumari, a college student, was smothered to death and buried in that house, by her British lover, an officer. She was in advanced pregnancy and the lover killed her to hide the affair. He had since died. The old mother of Bimla was alive and, still waiting for her daughter in Allahabad. The spirit of Bimla was trying to inform her mother, in some way. Secondly, she also wanted her bones to be properly taken care of, as per Hindu religious customs. The spirit of her British lover was trying to prevent all this to happen, with all of his evil powers.

He was using all means to scare me, as he had done to all previous tenants, so that I should abandon the house, and his evil deed remain hidden.

               Bimla’s mother was informed. By a government order, on her request, the corner of the room was dug.  Her bones were found. Her body was cremated in the proper Hindu custom, at a burial ghat. The same day all evil happenings ceased in the house. It was no longer haunted.  Peace came.

               5.  I have already recounted the spirit of Sri Yukteswar coming back after his death, in a Bombay hotel room, and talking to Yogananda for about 2 hours (blog 80. I am repeating it for people who have not read Part 2).              Resurrection of Sri Yukteswar.

This is the most amazing, unprecedented story in all of the spiritual or religious literature. I cannot say enough about its uniqueness. Nobody has come back in this world, after his death, and told some of his experiences of other world(s), in great detail, or any detail. Nobody has ever come back, except as a spirit. Period.

Readers must, by now, be familiar with Sri Yukteswar, the guru of Sri yogananda. About three months after his death, he reappeared in a Bombay hotel room where Sri Yogananda was staying. It happened in afternoon while he was sitting and meditating in bed. The whole room was transformed with light and splendor. Sri Yogananda was filled with ecstasy as he saw Sri Yukteswar. He tightly embraced his master, Sri Yukteswar

“ My son” the master said, tenderly

“ it is really me, in flesh and blood body….from cosmic atoms I created an entirely new body, exactly like that cosmic-dream physical body…….. buried in the sands of Puri”

 He was resurrected in another planet Hiranyaloka (Illumined Astral Planet ). The inhabitants of that planet were highly developed spiritually, but still they had some impurities that required further purification. Sri Yukteswar was assigned, by God, to help them in the purification process.

               6. Swami Yogananda writes. “An aged woman (Ma) was Sri Yukteswar’s disciple. On the evening of March 16, 1936, Ma arrived at the ashram and asked to see her guru.

               ‘Why, Master died a week ago!’

               ‘This morning at 10^o clock he passed in his usual walk before my door! I talked to him for several minutes in the bright outdoors'.

 

To be continued

 

 

108. God part twelve

The section on spirits and life after death continues

          1.  In a village, Miani, Pinddadan –khan , Pakistan, there lived a young Hindu boy in nineteen thirties. One night in a dream, he met the spirit of Prophet Muhammad ^pbuh . He instantly recognized the holy prophet and said Sir, what are you doing so far away? The prophet replied “son, I have come here only for your sake.” prophet asked if there was a mosque nearby? I think, they said the Namaz (I don’t have the author’s book in front of me. I am writing from memory. The essentials are anyway correct). Prophet took the boy to Kaaba (the center of Islam) and converted him to Islam (the boy, in later life showed the place to his wife and children. It was exactly as it was in dream).

               The holy prophet said “from now onwards you are a Muslim. You have tough time ahead of you. Great troubles will fall on you. Remain steadfast.  I will pray to Allah for you.” It is worth noting, the holy prophet did not say I will help you, but I will pray to God to help you.

 The boy remained Muslim, despite his parents begging him to stay Hindu. At partition in 1947, all his family left for India, but he stayed in Pakistan. He became highly educated and retired as Principal of local college. He wrote his biography “ al-zulmat-a-fin Noor, by Ghazi Ahmed” 

One day a visitor came to his house. The visitor said he has a message from Prophet Muhammad ^pbuh and his dearest companion Abu Bakar ^pbuh. The man had some chronic leg problem. He had been in pain. Doctors advised amputation. Just before surgery, he fell asleep. He had a dream, in which he saw people going in a building. He followed others. There he saw the holy prophet^pbuh. The prophet told him that his leg has been cured. Then he pointed to a man by a table and said ‘that is my friend Abu Bakar^pbuh .  He has a message for you to carry’.  Abu Bakar told him to memorize your name and address and personally deliver the message to you; Ghazi Ahmed. That is why he had come. Here he thought that the visitor had read his book and wanted to meet the author. He had not even heard of the book.

               2.  I have recounted Swami Ramdas’s vision of Jesus Christ ( blog 85. I am repeating it for people who have not read Part 2)  Ramdas was in a cave in Himalayas. He had been fasting (except water) for 5 days, thinking incessantly of God. There was no light in the cave. Suddenly, one night, the cave was filled with a strange light. Ramdas opened his eyes, and found a shining person sitting before him. Something in him at once told him that this was the great prophet Jesus Christ. He was dressed in a long chocolate colored robe. Locks of hair were falling on his shoulders. His face showed utmost sweetness and serenity, glowing with divine radiance. Most prominent were his eyes which glowed like stars. Ramdas was transfixed and went into ecstasies. There was another man with him but Ramdas’s eyes were only on Christ. Christ spoke a few words, but Ramdas could not understand him. This vision lasted for maybe few seconds. Ramdas was lost in ecstasy for the whole night

              3. In April 1943 he was party to a wonderful event. He was visiting his friend Sri Krishnaprem in Mirtola, India. In the evening he was singing to his three friends a deeply spiritual song, written by him, with deep emotion. The song is “ Krishna: the evergreen”. As he reached the last line, he forgot himself, and tears started flowing down his cheeks.

When the song ended, a deep silence ensued. Some eyes were teary.

One of them said, “ You know Ma was standing, listening, at the door”

They were horrified, because Ma ( guru of Krishnaparem ) was deathly sick and bedridden

They rushed to her room. She was sitting in her bed, oblivious, in smadhi.

When she came out of smadhi, she asked them. Did you see Him?

“ See who?”

“ Krishna was here. First he came for a second in my room……and stepped across the threshold……I could not follow Him that way…….till I reached the verandah……..and saw Him standing beside You (Dilip), listening…….Yes, Baba …..I did see Him, with open eyes….as I often do…….You didn’t see?”

“No, Ma, but I did feel…….”

But she went on…… “And He was standing…..beside you……..in person……looking so…..so tenderly…..at you……And I….I appealed to Him: “ O Thakur, give him the blessed boon of vision…so ..so he may see You….You Yourself have come down to hear his song….blessed blessed boy”

I bowed down, kissed her feet and wept.

Krishnaparem said later, that he also had felt His presence vividly

            4. I have already recounted this incident of Data Gunj Bakhash ( blog 64.  I am repeating it for people who have not read Part 2) In 1918, there was an epidemic of plague in Lahore. Three sons of a rich titled man of Lahore named Rai Bhahadar Saran Das fell victim to the disease. Three top physicians of Lahore, Col Bhola Nath, Col Amir Chand, Col Sutherland (principal of King Edward medical college) treated them but of no avail. Rai Bhahadar was disconsolate. He narrates ” One night while everybody was asleep, I saw a white bearded person wearing a shining dress, with a staff in one hand and a rosary in other, reciting something at the foot of my son, Gopal Das’s, bed. At seeing a stranger I became worried and asked “who are you?”. He did not reply and kept on reciting. Then he went to my other son Roop Ram’s bed and did the same. Then that venerable person came to me and said,” I am your neighbor Gunj Bakhash. I could not stand your sorrow and anguish. So I came to pray. Now don’t worry. Merciful God will cure them”. All three sons recovered.).

To be continued
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(1) Maira kabool-a-Islam by Ghazi Ahmed