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> 第八十一章 Babaji，The Yogi-Christ
第八十一章 Babaji，The Yogi-Christ
第八十一章 Babaji，The Yogi-Christ Of Modern India
The deathless Babaji is an avatara。This Sanskrit word means“descent”；its roots are ava，“down”，and tri，“to pass”。In the Hindu scriptures，avatara signifes the descent of Divinity into fesh。
“Babajis spiritual state is beyond human comprehension，”Sri Yukteswar explained to me。
Krishna，Rama，Buddha，and Patanjali were among the ancient Indian avatars。
Babaji has stated that he gave yoga initiation to Shankara，ancient founder of the Swami Order，and to Kabir，famous medieval saint。His chief nineteenth-century disciple was，as we know，Lahiri Mahasaya，revivalist of the lost Kriya art。
The Mahavatar is in constant communion with Christ；together they send out vibrations of redemption，and have planned the spiritual technique of salvation for this age。The work of these two fully-illumined masters-one with the body，and one without it。
That there is no historical reference to Babaji need not surprise us。The great guru has never openly appeared in any century。
“Whenever anyone utters with reverence the name of Babaji，”Lahiri Mahasaya said，“that devotee attracts an instant spiritual blessing。”
The deathless guru bears no marks of age on his body；he appears to be no more than a youth of twenty-five。Fair-skinned，of medium build and height，Babajis beautiful，strong body radiates a perceptible glow。His eyes are dark，calm，and tender；his long，lustrous hair is copper-colored。A very strange fact is that Babaji bears an extraordinarily exact resemblance to his disciple Lahiri Mahasaya。The similarity is so striking that，in his later years，Lahiri Mahasaya might have passed as the father of the youthful-looking Babaji。
Swami Kebalananda，my saintly Sanskrit tutor，spent some time with Babaji in the Himalayas。
“The peerless master moves with his group from place to place in the mountains，”Kebalananda told me。His small band contains two highly advanced American disciples。After Babaji has been in one locality for some time，he says：‘Dera danda uthao。’（Let us lift our camp and staff。）He carries a symbolic danda（bamboo staff）。He does not always employ this method of astral travel；sometimes he goes on foot from peak to peak。
Babaji can be seen or recognized by others only when he so desires。
His disciples were sitting one night around a huge fire which was blazing for a sacred Vedic ceremony。The master suddenly seized a burning log and lightly struck the bare shoulder of a chela who was close to the fre。
‘Sir，how cruel！’Lahiri Mahasaya，who was present，made this remonstrance。
‘Would you rather have seen him burned to ashes before your eyes，according to the decree of his past karma？’
With these words Babaji placed his healing hand on the chela‘s disfgured shoulder。’I have freed you tonight from painful death。The karmic law has been satisfed through your slight suffering by fre。
On another occasion Babajis sacred circle was disturbed by the arrival of a stranger。He had climbed with astonishing skill to the nearly inaccessible ledge near the camp of the master。
‘Sir，you must be the great Babaji。’The man‘s face was lit with inexpressible reverence。’For months I have pursued a ceaseless search for you among these forbidding crags。I implore you to accept me as a disciple。
When the great guru made no response，the man pointed to the rocky chasm at his feet。
‘If you refuse me，I will jump from this mountain。Life has no further value if I cannot win your guidance to the Divine。’
‘Jump then，’Babaji said unemotionally。‘I cannot accept you in your present state of development。’
The man immediately hurled himself over the cliff。Babaji instructed the shocked disciples to fetch the strangers body。When they returned with the mangled form，the master placed his divine hand on the dead man。Lo！he opened his eyes and prostrated himself humbly before the omnipotent one。
‘You are now ready for discipleship。’Babaji beamed lovingly on his resurrected chela。‘You have courageously passed a diffcult test。Death shall not touch you again；now you are one of our immortal fock。’
During my visit at Ranbajpur with Ram Gopal，“the sleepless saint”，he related the wondrous story of his frst meeting with Babaji。
“I sometimes left my isolated cave to sit at Lahiri Mahasayas feet in Benares，”Ram Gopal told me。One midnight as I was silently meditating in a group of his disciples，the master made a surprising request。
‘Ram Gopal，’he said，‘go at once to the Dasasamedh bathing ghat。’
I soon reached the secluded spot。The night was bright with moonlight and the glittering stars。After I had sat in patient silence for awhile，my attention was drawn to a huge stone slab near my feet。It rose gradually，revealing an underground cave。As the stone remained balanced in some unknown manner，the draped form of a young and surpassingly lovely woman was levitated from the cave high into the air。Surrounded by a soft halo，she slowly descended in front of me and stood motionless，steeped in an inner state of ecstasy。She fnally stirred，and spoke gently。
‘I am Mataji，the sister of Babaji。I have asked him and also Lahiri Mahasaya to come to my cave tonight to discuss a matter of great importance。’
A nebulous light was rapidly foating over the Ganges；the strange luminescence was refected in the opaque waters。It approached nearer and nearer until，with a blinding fash，it appeared by the side of Mataji and condensed itself instantly into the human form of Lahiri Mahasaya。He bowed humbly at the feet of the woman saint。
Before I had recovered from my bewilderment，I was further wonder-struck to behold a circling mass of mystical light traveling in the sky。Descending swiftly，the faming whirlpool neared our group and materialized itself into the body of a beautiful youth who，I understood at once，was Babaji。He looked like Lahiri Mahasaya，the only difference being that Babaji appeared much younger，and had long，bright hair。
Lahiri Mahasaya，Mataji，and myself knelt at the gurus feet。
‘Blessed sister，’Babaji said，‘I am intending to shed my form and plunge into the Infnite Current。’
‘I have already glimpsed your plan，beloved master。I wanted to discuss it with you tonight。Why should you leave your body？’The glorious woman looked at him beseechingly。
‘What is the difference if I wear a visible or invisible wave on the ocean of my Spirit？’
Mataji replied with a quaint fash of wit。‘Deathless guru，if it makes no difference，then please do not ever relinquish your form。’
‘Be it so，’Babaji said solemnly。‘I will never leave my physical body。It will always remain visible to at least a small number of people on this earth。The Lord has spokenHis own wish through your lips。’
As I listened in awe to the conversation between these exalted beings，the great guru turned to me with a benign gesture。
‘Fear not，Ram Gopal，’he said，‘you are blessed to be a witness at the scene of this immortal promise。’
As the sweet melody of Babaji‘s voice faded away，his form and that of Lahiri Mahasaya slowly levitated and moved backward over the Ganges。An aureole of dazzling light templed their bodies as they vanished into the night sky。Mataji’s form foated to the cave and descended；the stone slab closed of itself，as if working on an invisible leverage。
Infnitely inspired，I wended my way back to Lahiri Mahasayas place。As I bowed before him in the early dawn，my guru smiled at me understandingly。
‘I am happy for you，Ram Gopal，’he said。‘The desire of meeting Babaji and Mataji，which you have often expressed to me，has found at last a sacred fulfllment。’
My fellow disciples informed me that Lahiri Mahasaya had not moved from his dais since early the preceding evening。
“He gave a wonderful discourse on immortality after you had left for the Dasasamedh ghat，’one of the chelas told me。For the frst time I fully realized the truth in the scriptural verses which state that a man of self-realization can appear at different places in two or more bodies at the same time。”
The deathless Babaji is an avatara。This Sanskrit word means“descent”；its roots are ava，“down”，and tri，“to pass”。In the Hindu scriptures，avatara signifes the descent of Divinity into fesh。
“Babajis spiritual state is beyond human comprehension，”Sri Yukteswar explained to me。
Krishna，Rama，Buddha，and Patanjali were among the ancient Indian avatars。
Babaji has stated that he gave yoga initiation to Shankara，ancient founder of the Swami Order，and to Kabir，famous medieval saint。His chief nineteenth-century disciple was，as we know，Lahiri Mahasaya，revivalist of the lost Kriya art。
The Mahavatar is in constant communion with Christ；together they send out vibrations of redemption，and have planned the spiritual technique of salvation for this age。The work of these two fully-illumined masters-one with the body，and one without it。
That there is no historical reference to Babaji need not surprise us。The great guru has never openly appeared in any century。
“Whenever anyone utters with reverence the name of Babaji，”Lahiri Mahasaya said，“that devotee attracts an instant spiritual blessing。”
The deathless guru bears no marks of age on his body；he appears to be no more than a youth of twenty-five。Fair-skinned，of medium build and height，Babajis beautiful，strong body radiates a perceptible glow。His eyes are dark，calm，and tender；his long，lustrous hair is copper-colored。A very strange fact is that Babaji bears an extraordinarily exact resemblance to his disciple Lahiri Mahasaya。The similarity is so striking that，in his later years，Lahiri Mahasaya might have passed as the father of the youthful-looking Babaji。
Swami Kebalananda，my saintly Sanskrit tutor，spent some time with Babaji in the Himalayas。
“The peerless master moves with his group from place to place in the mountains，”Kebalananda told me。His small band contains two highly advanced American disciples。After Babaji has been in one locality for some time，he says：‘Dera danda uthao。’（Let us lift our camp and staff。）He carries a symbolic danda（bamboo staff）。He does not always employ this method of astral travel；sometimes he goes on foot from peak to peak。
Babaji can be seen or recognized by others only when he so desires。
His disciples were sitting one night around a huge fire which was blazing for a sacred Vedic ceremony。The master suddenly seized a burning log and lightly struck the bare shoulder of a chela who was close to the fre。
‘Sir，how cruel！’Lahiri Mahasaya，who was present，made this remonstrance。
‘Would you rather have seen him burned to ashes before your eyes，according to the decree of his past karma？’
With these words Babaji placed his healing hand on the chela‘s disfgured shoulder。’I have freed you tonight from painful death。The karmic law has been satisfed through your slight suffering by fre。
On another occasion Babajis sacred circle was disturbed by the arrival of a stranger。He had climbed with astonishing skill to the nearly inaccessible ledge near the camp of the master。
‘Sir，you must be the great Babaji。’The man‘s face was lit with inexpressible reverence。’For months I have pursued a ceaseless search for you among these forbidding crags。I implore you to accept me as a disciple。
When the great guru made no response，the man pointed to the rocky chasm at his feet。
‘If you refuse me，I will jump from this mountain。Life has no further value if I cannot win your guidance to the Divine。’
‘Jump then，’Babaji said unemotionally。‘I cannot accept you in your present state of development。’
The man immediately hurled himself over the cliff。Babaji instructed the shocked disciples to fetch the strangers body。When they returned with the mangled form，the master placed his divine hand on the dead man。Lo！he opened his eyes and prostrated himself humbly before the omnipotent one。
‘You are now ready for discipleship。’Babaji beamed lovingly on his resurrected chela。‘You have courageously passed a diffcult test。Death shall not touch you again；now you are one of our immortal fock。’
During my visit at Ranbajpur with Ram Gopal，“the sleepless saint”，he related the wondrous story of his frst meeting with Babaji。
“I sometimes left my isolated cave to sit at Lahiri Mahasayas feet in Benares，”Ram Gopal told me。One midnight as I was silently meditating in a group of his disciples，the master made a surprising request。
‘Ram Gopal，’he said，‘go at once to the Dasasamedh bathing ghat。’
I soon reached the secluded spot。The night was bright with moonlight and the glittering stars。After I had sat in patient silence for awhile，my attention was drawn to a huge stone slab near my feet。It rose gradually，revealing an underground cave。As the stone remained balanced in some unknown manner，the draped form of a young and surpassingly lovely woman was levitated from the cave high into the air。Surrounded by a soft halo，she slowly descended in front of me and stood motionless，steeped in an inner state of ecstasy。She fnally stirred，and spoke gently。
‘I am Mataji，the sister of Babaji。I have asked him and also Lahiri Mahasaya to come to my cave tonight to discuss a matter of great importance。’
A nebulous light was rapidly foating over the Ganges；the strange luminescence was refected in the opaque waters。It approached nearer and nearer until，with a blinding fash，it appeared by the side of Mataji and condensed itself instantly into the human form of Lahiri Mahasaya。He bowed humbly at the feet of the woman saint。
Before I had recovered from my bewilderment，I was further wonder-struck to behold a circling mass of mystical light traveling in the sky。Descending swiftly，the faming whirlpool neared our group and materialized itself into the body of a beautiful youth who，I understood at once，was Babaji。He looked like Lahiri Mahasaya，the only difference being that Babaji appeared much younger，and had long，bright hair。
Lahiri Mahasaya，Mataji，and myself knelt at the gurus feet。
‘Blessed sister，’Babaji said，‘I am intending to shed my form and plunge into the Infnite Current。’
‘I have already glimpsed your plan，beloved master。I wanted to discuss it with you tonight。Why should you leave your body？’The glorious woman looked at him beseechingly。
‘What is the difference if I wear a visible or invisible wave on the ocean of my Spirit？’
Mataji replied with a quaint fash of wit。‘Deathless guru，if it makes no difference，then please do not ever relinquish your form。’
‘Be it so，’Babaji said solemnly。‘I will never leave my physical body。It will always remain visible to at least a small number of people on this earth。The Lord has spokenHis own wish through your lips。’
As I listened in awe to the conversation between these exalted beings，the great guru turned to me with a benign gesture。
‘Fear not，Ram Gopal，’he said，‘you are blessed to be a witness at the scene of this immortal promise。’
As the sweet melody of Babaji‘s voice faded away，his form and that of Lahiri Mahasaya slowly levitated and moved backward over the Ganges。An aureole of dazzling light templed their bodies as they vanished into the night sky。Mataji’s form foated to the cave and descended；the stone slab closed of itself，as if working on an invisible leverage。
Infnitely inspired，I wended my way back to Lahiri Mahasayas place。As I bowed before him in the early dawn，my guru smiled at me understandingly。
‘I am happy for you，Ram Gopal，’he said。‘The desire of meeting Babaji and Mataji，which you have often expressed to me，has found at last a sacred fulfllment。’
My fellow disciples informed me that Lahiri Mahasaya had not moved from his dais since early the preceding evening。
“He gave a wonderful discourse on immortality after you had left for the Dasasamedh ghat，’one of the chelas told me。For the frst time I fully realized the truth in the scriptural verses which state that a man of self-realization can appear at different places in two or more bodies at the same time。”
