Once there was a spiritual aspirant named Krishna Das. He was in search of an enlightened master. He was 25.
When he was a little kid, he saw an enlightened person leaving his body. He told the exact time of his death and at the same time, he left his body. He was overflowing or bursting with an ineffable joy while leaving the body. This incident has become a turning point in Krishna das’ life. This decided the course of his life.
He used to attend every spiritual gathering in the town. He did not marry so that he could dedicate himself entirely to the service of the master and fulfill his life’s only mission that is God-realization. He started firstly running away from home in search of the master and used to come back, but later on, he ran away once for all and ended up as a vagabond. He went to various pilgrimage places to search his master. He did not find any genuine master, however, he found many frauds and half-baked spiritual people who claimed that they are enlightened, but their presence and guidance could not give him the even the glimpse of the spiritual world. So he left them in just a few days.
Finally, he decided to go to the Himalayas. At that time journey to the Himalayas was not easy as nowadays as this was a story which happened almost a five decades back. It was all on the feet. It took two months him to reach the Himalayas from where he was. During the journey, he met various saints and hermits who were very advanced spiritually, but still, they were not enlightened. They have to yet accomplish a great task which is self-realization. He had a philosophy that a blind cannot lead a blind. To realize my true self, I must come in contact with such a person has got enlightenment.
When he reached the Himalayas he was filled with an awe to see the majestic Himalayas-an abode of Lord Shiva and myriad of great yogis. It was more fresh and alive than what we see in the pictures and paintings. Mind was calm like no other day, but cold had been just unendurable. He was ravenous and exhausted, but there was nothing but white snow.
He had minimum clothes to protect himself from the unbearable chilled breezes of the Himalayas. In the night, the temperature went even more down. He was quivering from gelidity. He thought that he would not survive till morning.
‘All my life I just searched a perfect spiritual master, but did not find him, but now I am going to die. To meet master is my last wish. O, God! Be Gracious if I ever loved you more than anyone else in my life. Would you not fulfill my last wish?’Prayed Krishna Das and fall asleep.
It was extremely dark night as it was a new moon day. Suddenly a voice came. Your search ends here. I have been waiting for you for many years. Finally, I have found a true disciple who dares to die in search of truth.
The voice seemed off the wall in the midnight, especially in the Himalayas, yet he opened his eyes. He found a luminous figure. He was having a snow white long beard and moustache. He wore only a dhoti (a long loin cloth) in such a cold climate. His eyes were having uncanny shine and attraction in them. His whole body was shining like pure gold. He seemed as if he were an angel.
‘I accept you as my disciple’, said the luminous figure.
‘I accept you as my guru as I can’t help it. An irresistible force is attracting me towards you. You are my master’, Krishna Das said.
‘I am Krishna Das, I surrender myself fully to you ’, he added.
‘Who are you, divine being, my master, my life?’
‘I am a Hatha Yogi and living in the Himalayas since two hundred years. When I got enlightenment, I felt an utter disgust for the world and decided to live in the Himalayas. I have found only one true disciple so far, His name is Chaitanya, and another one is you. Everyone seeks a genuine master, but no one wants to become a genuine disciple or a seeker.’ said the luminous figure. ‘If they become a genuine disciple, they would right away find the genuine master. If you are sincere enough you would realize God in this very life that I assure you.
Path of spirituality is full of trial and tribulations. If one is not alert or aware all the time he might lose his precious gems in just a few seconds.
What is your name, master? Asked Krishna Das
My name is ‘Urdhvareta.’
He asked what’s your name means.
The word ‘Urdhava’ in Sanskrit language means up and ‘retas’ means the vital energy of the body. The people whose vital energy moves upward always and reverse is not possible that person is known as ‘Urdhvareta.’
One becomes ‘Urdhvareta’ when he follows celibacy in body, mind, and speech for twelve years.
‘Do you know what your name means?’ Hatha yogi said.
‘Yes, I do. It means servant of Krishna.’
Hath yogi becomes glad to hear this.
‘So come with me’ Hatha yogi said.
He just followed the Hatha yogi. He did not ask any question as to where to go and why to go etcetera. He had full trust on Hatha Yogi.
Hatha yogi took him into a cave which has a tiny orifice, covered with a snow so that the cave can be camouflaged, but from inside it was very big.
Chaitanya came to receive them. Hatha yogi told Chaitanya to give dhoti to Krishna Das and went to his room.
Krishna das asked Chaitanya that from you were here
‘Since 25 years, I am here.’, Chaitanya replied.
‘What is your age? ‘Krishna Das asked.
‘I am just 40 years old’, Chaitanya said.
‘Does Master is really more than two hundred years old?’, Krishna Das asked.
Chaitanya replied one you had accepted him as your master then why to doubt him. In spirituality, nothing could be achieved without trusting the master. You must have hundred percent faith in him as well as on his words.
Anyways, how many books we would read to become Hatha yogi.
‘Not a single book’, Chaitanya said.
‘Then you give me your notes as I have a poor memory’, said Krishna Das.
‘No notes as well’
‘I am not a Hatha yogi, but I know Hatha yoga is very difficult. Many could not master one posture even in six months.’, Krishna Das said.
Chaitanya told him to have a rest. ‘The rest you will know tomorrow.’, Chaitanya added.
In the morning, Hatha yogi asked Krishna das that whether you had any training in Hatha yoga before.
Krishna das said he had been practicing some sort of meditation and few breathing exercises, but not Hatha yoga.
It started with a powerful and poignant invocation.
Then Hatha yogi asked him what did you think that how many months you would take to learn Hatha yoga.
Krishna das said that even though he had been spiritual from an early age yet he neither had a flexible body nor a sharp intellect.
Do not worry about your body and intellect as I am transmitting Hatha yoga into your system. I would transmit Hatha yoga into your very bones. Just close your eyes. Whatever learned could be forgotten but whatever transmitted could never be forgotten or erased from the memory. Be ready.
Just in half an hour, Hatha yogi transmitted all the yogic science into Krishna Das.
It was just like downloading files.
‘Right now, you know all about hatha yoga and capable to do any posture, but to master you have to do yoga meticulously and perseveringly for twelve years. Then you can reach to the acme of Hatha yoga and may have enlightenment.’, said Hatha yogi.
He was impregnated with the esoteric science of Hatha Yoga impeccably. Now the mysterious Hatha Yoga was demystified with this transmission process.
He practiced all the difficult asana (postures) with an extraordinary ease. He could not believe that it was he who was doing such postures.
Krishna das dedicated himself to these yogic practices and within six months he had got ‘siddhis’ (Yogic super natural powers).Then He could levitate, get invisible, become light as a feather and heavy as an elephant, change forms and shapes of the body etcetera.
He showed his feats of siddhis to his master. Hatha yogi did not surprise as these things were very natural or normal for him. Albeit the master warned Krishna das that initially these things seem pleasant but if you keep using them, then they can become the cause of ruin or downfall so do not pay any heed to them. I have only four teachings. First, is shun attraction for siddhis, second is shun women before 12 years of celibacy, third is never miss your yogic practices and the last but not least always follows your master order.
From today onwards I would never pay any heed to siddhis and follow your all teachings. I would remain celibate throughout my life. I would obey your teachings.
But just after few months he gained got attraction towards the siddhis. He could not resist the learned for siddhis. He loved the siddhis.
He told himself that I am not misusing them so I can use them. He spent so many years to find master but when he found him he started following his mind instead of his Guru. Soon his mind became his Master
It takes years to reach a goal. But when we reach there we often forget the struggle to attain that Goal.
Just after nine months of stay at the Himalayas, he started thinking that if he would go to the world he can mesmerize the world with his supernatural powers. I would use them for the welfare of the people only. And one day he left the Himalayas without informing the master and Chaitanya
Initially, he went to a village, where he cured many people with his ‘siddhis’. The people of the village started worshipping him as God. He like the name and fame. This created ego in him. He really started considering himself as God. Soon, he becomes renowned as Himalayan Master.Once a rich widow, from a nearby city, came in that village. She bowed down to Krishna Das and said,’O god you are ever pure, accept me as your disciple.I have a very big mansion.No one lives there you can meditate there without any disturbance. I want to take you there. In my city hundred of people are suffering from various ailments. you can cure them. Many people would be benefitted.I would love if you come at my mansion and stay for few months at least.
He likes the proposal and agreed to stay in Widow’s house. A thought came in his mind that his master’s teaching did not allow him to live with women. Immediately his mind said that rule is for the disciples only and I am the master. That is why I am able to cure so many incurable diseases and the widow has a faith in me. She seems a spiritual lady so I am not vulnerable to lust there. She used to offer him sumptuous dishes. Soon, he had become a gourmet. He started skipping his fasts just for the sake of taste and used to gourmandize himself at all meals on all days. A yogi should not eat much or less. Nevertheless, he had become popular in the city as well. Many people from far-flung places started coming to see the mysterious Himalayan yogi who cures fatal diseases just by touch.
One day, by chance, no one came to meet him maybe he had cured almost all the diseased people in the city. His propinquity to the widow had increased. She was a gorgeous widow. She told Krishna das that Guruji(master) I am going for a bath. Suddenly, this provocative statement enamored him and lust arrested his mind. A desire to see her while bathing aroused in him. He used his power to become invisible to see the widow bare. In this way, he started watching her, off and on, while taking bath or changing clothes in invisible form without her knowledge. She was a young widow. Her husband had died just after one week of their marriage.
One day Krishna Das confessed to the widow that he ogled her without clothes by using his powers. Instead of getting angry, she blushed.She too felt love for Krishna das, earlier she was afraid to express it, but after Krishna Das’ confession her fear vanished and love replaced it. She started massaging feets of Krishna das in the night.
Initially, the relationship between them was pure but soon it turned into a worldly relationship.Krishna Das and the widow fell in love with each other. Outside they show to people that they had a relationship of Guru and disciple, but inwardly they were enjoying the life that any husband and wife could enjoy. On account of breaking celibacy and stopping yogi practices to enjoy the worldly pleasures, his siddhis left him. Soon his hands become normal hands. They left the healing powers and powers of blessings. People started reporting that they were not healed. Soon the widow got pregnant. The widow and Krishna Das decided to leave the city.
To hide the truth from the public they shifted to an unknown place and settled there.They started living as a normal householder. A great yogi turns into an ordinary householder.