THE HIDDEN LIGHT (BY YOGI SATYARKA)

[Guest guest]

He: Child, fix your mind here (touching my heart), sit quietly for one

hour daily in any lonely place that gives you peace. Day by day, you will be

steadfast in meditation. Then you will see that the world is only a theatre on

which the opposite forces play their natural roll with their exits and

entrances to the ring-in and ring-out of Time. Then you will never be affected

by the good and the bad sight, just as the duck is not affected by the billow

and the hollow depths of these waters. Be within here and see everything like a

play. See even the events of your life like a drama and be a peaceful witness

doing what you can, unattached.

 

I: thank you, Mahatma; this is good advice for me. I shall be that. But

who are you, speaking to me so kindly? Whence are you?

He: child, I am one who wears this carnal cloak and wanders here and

there mad after God. I wear this cloak

for the past forty years. I come from the North and go to Rameswar.

Like you I stay only in solitary groves and am glad I have found you today.

 

A mysterious devotion caught hold of me. I saw his face intently; his

face was charming like the crimson sun that rises up. But travel and neglect

had told upon his body. He was middle sized; he wore a cloth a shirt and a

shawl. His body was bits lean but well formed. I saw in him, the first man that

cared a pin for the opinion of others and for the eccentricities of the passing

world. I had an attraction for such men; I had seen many saints and ascetics

before but none like him. He had not the least trace of the spiritual egoism

and pontific arrogance that often characterise gurudoms. I asked how I should call him. “

do not know myself late in my life when I happened to be wandering with Bhairagis. God is my father. His grace my mother, to feel

His omnipresence is my study and to live in Him is my life.” Quoth He.

 

I: Sir, where food and sleep and home and friends I do not care. My

thoughts of these petty things are dead. Food will seek him who makes

Divine-communication his only food. He who fees birds also

the birds of Divine-Love.

 

I: “Revered sir, I have found my Guru in thee; please give me the

joy of serving thee. Let thy gracious presence sanctity me for a few days. I

shall have the fortune of bringing food for Thee.

He:

How can you bring food? Parents will take you to task.

I:

I shall manage; lease be here! !

With these words the saint went into the grove and sat like a statue I

ran to the town two miles off. I used to carry tiffin

to the school. I told my mother ‘ I shall take

my morning meal too along with the tiffin since I

have to go to school early’. I packed the food carefully took enough of pickles.

I plucked a few mangoes from the garden on the way and then ran up to the spot

for getting school and the teacher. It was eleven, I saw the saint floating in

the tank even like a duck. I left the food safe on the bank and took a plunge

into the water. He laughed at me. “ come bucha, I shall teach you how to float…” Since I

had been practicing pranayam, I was able to hold

breath according to his directions; He taught me and I too had the joy of

floating upon water. From that day this was one my Sadhanas.

I used to meditate floating upon water.

 

We came assure and I washed all his cloths and dried them. He wore my

cloth until that time. Then we partook of the food. “

It is excellent” remarked he and blessed me heartily.

 

After that, he enquired all about me and I told him how hungry I was for

knowledge and God-hood.Etc., etc.,

 

 

He gave me sound advice: “ my boy, give

proper attention to education without which you cannot make a man. Along with

it meditates as I have told you, before the morning and the evening Sun. The

Sun is the greatest and brightest evidence of God. The heaven is the temple and

the Sun His image. Keep this Sun as an image for meditation. Then, day by day

you will realise the Sun in the heaven of your Heart

and brain. Cultivate the brain by sound education and the heart by meditation

upon the All-Love. Love and Light are the heart and soul of real man. Cultivate

both. Do not waste even a single minute. Be busy in and out in sublime endeavours and God will lead you on and on; fear not…

 

Thus he spoke on and patted me on my back and gave me leave. I followed

his advice scrupulously and it led me on and on. I asked him to come to the choulatry in the town and stay there for a week. “ Go go”. He said.

Next morning I came to the grove. The birds were chirping “

Quit Quit!” I did not find him. I saw

his footprints and worshipped them and came home, a changed man. I never met

such a kind spontaneous teacher any where in my life. A study of the life of

Sai Baba often reminds me of that Hidden Light. I do not know as yet who he

was. But I am glad to know, thanks to Sri Sai Chitanya,

a similar saint that said to his

devotees “ Fear not: I am With you!”

Source Sai Sudha Aug 1944