Magic and Miracles in the Himalayas: What to Read after Autobiography of a Yogi? (Part 4)
In part 1 of this series, we explored the history and impact of the international bestseller Autobiography of a Yogi, by Paramhansa Yogananda, and asked the question if there were other books that captured the “magic and mystery” of “old India”, particularly around the holy men, sadhus, fakirs, gurus that Yogananda.
Read Part I of the series here, which went over some background on Autobiography of a Yogi, and our first recommended book to capture some of the magic — the fact that the author (Sri M) claims to have met the same immortal avatar Babaji who started Yogananda’s lineage of Kriya Yoga, makes it a good first choice.
Here is a book that is a worthy successor:
The Incredible Life of a Himalayan Yogi: The Times, Teachings and Life of Baba Lokenath Brahmachari
This is another book that isn’t so well-known in the west, but is known within certain circles back East. I first heard about it via Om Times, which did a feature of it. It’s an incredible story of a Yogi who lived for more than 150 years, and spent a good number of those years meditating in the Himalayas.
One thing that makes this story unique (in addition to Baba Lokenath’s age), is his story. Also, this is the only of the books that’s not an autobiography, but a biography, written buy Shuddhaanandaa Brahmachari, who is a meditation teacher and was a follower of Baba Lokenath’s teachings when he was called to write the book. There are however, plenty of quotes from Baba Lokenath, and they are what makes this book truly magical.
Baba Lokenath and his trusted friend, Benimadhav, are taken in by a guru (called Guru Bhagwan) at a very young age and wander around India (in Bengal) and eventually make their way to the Himalayas. Their guru then mentors them for 50+ years. However, Baba Lokenath’s mentor is not himself enlightened, but he serves as a coach for his younger companions, who both achieve realization. Baba himself said:
“For more than half a century, my Gurudev took me through the most intense disciplines of yoga. With humble surrender, I followed his instructions, traversing the diverse paths of yoga. If I ever had any doubts, he would guide me like the most patient and loving mother through the subtle problem to a higher experience …. While in samadhi, heaps of snow would cover my body and would melt away. In that sublime state, I had no feeling of the existence of my body. I was in that state of smash (Cosmic Consciousness) for a long time. Finally, the effortless state of the Ultimate Truth was revealed. In that state of consciousness, there was no separation between me and any other Cosmic manifestation. The inner and outer all merged into each other as an expression of ultimate bliss, absolute joy. There is no state beyond this to be achieved in human life through total effort and Divine Grace.”
This (Lokenath’s enlightnment) happened when he was 90 years old, but the only person who didn’t rejoice when this happened was Lokanath himself. His Guru, thanks to the yogic practices, was well preserved at 150 years of age, but this was when Lokenath realized that his guru was not yet enlightened. He had guided both Lokenath and his childhood friend over decades towards this ultimate realization, but he himself had not reached it:
“Oh, Gurudev! I have crossed the ocean of this Mayic (illusive) creation, only to find you still in the middle. You have withstood so much pain for me. As a result, I have been liberated, while you remain in the same state. I am not patient! I am concerned about when you will be freed.”
This may be a unique situation in the annals of Yogic literature, where a disciple achieves the ultimate realization, called moksha in the hindu tradition and nirvana in the Buddhist tradition, before his teacher. But Guru Bhagwan saw that “millions would be affected” by Lokaneth reaching that state, and he embraced his now fully enlightented student and told him not to worry:
“Don’t cry. Your unparalleled success has opened my eyes … We will soon go to Varanasi. There, I shall give up this old, worn out body and come in my next incarnation to you. THen it will be your responsibility to recognize me and put me on the path of this grand synthesis of yoga from the beginning. Make sure I don’t commit the mistake again. Through you, the doors of eternal freedom will open to me.”
This is perhaps one of the most mystifying aspects of these stories — that the participants are aware not only fo their current life, their previous incarnations, but also future incarantions, often leaving something “undone” in one life, and then knowing that a particular guru will be there to help them in the next life to “complete” their outstanding tasks!
Another aspect of Lokaneth’s teaching that was unique was that he was embraced by Hindus (in which tradition he studied) but after being enlightened, he studied the Koran and the Islamic Suif traditions. They walked from the Himalayas to Kabul (in modern day Afghanistan) where they stayed with a renowned Muslim scholar. Then they went (walked, as a matter of fact) to Mecca and Medina and Lokenath became a well respected Sufi scholar of the Koran himself.
When he finally set up his Ashram in Baradi near Daka (in modern day Bangladesh, but back then it was all India), both Muslims and Hindus paid tribute to him and considered him part of their tradition! Lokaneth taugh at Baradi for more than 26 years before moving out of his body at the ripe age of 160! In a land where Hindu-Muslim tensions are still flaring up today, Baba Lokaneth’s example and words are an inspiration and should be read in Pakistan, Bangladesh, India and the surrounding areas! Lokaneth himself said, often: “I am a Mussalman”, and he was considered a Pir, a realized one in the Islamic mystical traditions! When he was questioned by his Hindu devotees why he said this, he said: “The word Mussalman is derived from ‘Mussalam Imaan’, which menas one in whom there is total Divinity.
After Kabul, the trio went to Mecca and Medina, and met a Muslim Pir who was accomplished, Abdul Gaffar (and was said to have lived to an even older age than Lokaneth), who took in the three travelers and heaped praise on them. After the trip to Mecca and Medina, Guru Bhagwan finally went to the Ganges and “discarded his body”, and after many travels (and amazing stories of magic and wandering), Lokenath and his companion Benimadhav separated, and Lokenath ended up in Bengal to set up his ashram.
Lokenath said once: “I have travelled extensively all over the world and have found only three brahmins: Abdul Gaffar, Trailangya Swami and myself.” — in this case a “Brahim… is the Knower of Brahman, the Supreme Truth, rather than a person born into the traditional Brahmin caste.” It’s telling that his ashram, which still exists in Baradi, is worshipped by both Muslims and Hindus and no violence is committed by either side!
There is much, much more in this book, which I will leave you to discover, including why Baba Lokenath, unlike many other gurus, almost always granted requests when people came to him asking for … well just about anything! He was like the genie in Aladdin, granting wishes, particularly for healing miracles and others, When people questioned why he did this, he suggested that if your child was in pain or suffering, would you not give them relief? He compared all of us to children, and was happy to take on people’s karma and to relieve suffering or grant wishes.
Each of these books, like Autobiography of a Yogi, reprsent incredible stories of magic, mystery, holy men, gurus and spiritual lessons in the Himalays. Some of them are largely unknown in the West.
The real reason to read these books is perhaps expressed in the sentiments of Baba Lokenth himself:
“I have wandered over the hills and valleys of the Himalayas so you do not have to!”
