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> 第六十一章 The Sleepless Saint
第六十一章 The Sleepless Saint
“Please permit me to go to the Himalayas。I hope in unbroken solitude to achieve continuous divine communion。”
Seized by one of the unpredictable delusions which occasionally assail the devotee，I felt a growing impatience with hermitage duties and college studies。By then，not yet had I fully surveyed his towering stature。
“Many hillmen live in the Himalayas，yet possess no God-perception。”My gurus answer came slowly and simply。“Wisdom is better sought from a man of realization than from an inert mountain。”
I repeated my plea。Sri Yukteswar vouchsafed no reply。I took his silence for consent，a precarious interpretation readily accepted at ones convenience。
In my Calcutta home that evening，I busied myself with travel preparations。
The following morning I sought out Behari Pundit，my Sanskrit professor at Scottish Church College。
“Sir，you have told me of your friendship with a great disciple of Lahiri Mahasaya。Please give me his address。”
“You mean Ram Gopal Muzumdar。I call him the‘sleepless saint’。He is always awake in an ecstatic consciousness。His home is at Ranbajpur，near Tarakeswar。”
I thanked the pundit，and entrained immediately for Tarakeswar。I hoped to silence my misgivings by wringing a sanction from the“sleepless saint”to engage myself in lonely Himalayan meditation。
At Tarakeswar I approached a famous shrine。Hindus regard it with the same veneration that Catholics give to the Lourdes sanctuary in France。
I entered the sacred Tarakeswar shrine；the altar contains nothing but a round stone。My own mood at the moment was so austere that I felt disinclined to bow before the stone symbol。God should be sought，I refected，only within the soul。
I asked a man about the way。
“When you come to a crossroad，turn right and keep going，”he fnally pronouncedoracularly。
I stumbled on for two hours。
“Welcome clang of a cowbell！”My repeated shouts eventually brought a peasant to my side。
“I am looking for Ram Gopal Babu。”
“No such person lives in our village。”The mans tone was surly。
I touchingly explained my predicament。He took me to his home and offered a hospitable welcome。
“Ranbajpur is far from here，”he remarked。“At the crossroad，you should have turned left，not right。”
After a relishable meal of coarse rice，lentil-dhal，and curry of potatoes with raw bananas，I retired to a small hut adjoining the courtyard。
As the first streaks of dawn penetrated the fissures of my dark room，I set out for Ranbajpur。An occasionally-met peasant would inform me，invariably，that my destination was“only a krosha（two miles）。”In six hours the sun traveled victoriously from horizon to meridian，but I began to feel that I would ever be distant from Ranbajpur by one krosha。
Heat pouring from the avoidless sky was bringing me to near-collapse。As a man approached at leisurely pace，I hardly dared utter my usual question，lest it summon the monotonous：“Just a krosha。”
The stranger halted beside me。Short and slight，he was physically unimpressive save for an extraordinary pair of piercing dark eyes。
“I was planning to leave Ranbajpur，but your purpose was good，so I awaited you。”He shook his fnger in my astounded face。“That professor Behari had no right to give you my address。”
Considering that introduction of myself would be mere verbosity in the presence of this master，I stood speechless。His next remark was abruptly put。
“Tell me；where do you think God is？”
“Why，He is within me and everywhere。”
“All-pervading，eh？”The saint chuckled。“Then why，young sir，did you fail to bow before the Infnite in the stone symbol at the Tarakeswar temple yesterday？1 Your pride caused you the punishment of being misdirected by the passer-by who was not bothered by fne distinctions of left and right。Today，too，you have had a fairly uncomfortable time of it！”
I agreed wholeheartedly，wonder-struck that an omniscient eye hid within the unremarkable body before me。Healing strength emanated from the yogi；I was instantly refreshed in the scorching feld。
The saints censorious attitude vanished。
“Young yogi，I see you are running away from your master。He has everything you need；you must return to him。Mountains cannot be your guru。”Ram Gopal was repeating the same thought which Sri Yukteswar had expressed at our last meeting。
“The Himalayas in India and Tibet have no monopoly on saints。What one does not trouble to find within will not be discovered by transporting the body hither and yon。As soon as the devotee is willing to go even to the ends of the earth for spiritual enlightenment，his guru appears near-by。”
I silently agreed，recalling my prayer in the Benares hermitage，followed by the meeting with Sri Yukteswar in a crowded lane。
“Are you able to have a little room where you can be alone？”
“Yes。”
“That is your cave。”“That is your sacred mountain。That is where you will fnd the kingdom of God。”
“Young sir，your divine thirst is laudable。I feel great love for you。”Ram Gopal took my hand and led me to a quaint hamlet。The adobe houses were covered with coconut leaves and adorned with rustic entrances。
The saint seated me on the umbrageous bamboo platform of his small cottage。After giving me sweetened lime juice and a piece of rock candy，he entered his patio and assumed the lotus posture。In about four hours I opened my meditative eyes and saw that the moonlit fgure of the yogi was still motionless。As I was sternly reminding my stomach that man does not live by bread alone，Ram Gopal approached me。
“I see you are famished；food will be ready soon。”
Rice and dhal were quickly served on large banana leaves。
The marts of men seemed remotely dim as I squatted by the yogi in the isolation of the tiny jungle village。The cottage room was mysterious with a mellow light。Ram Gopal arranged some torn blankets on the foor for my bed，I ventured a request。
“Sir，why dont you grant me a samadhi？”
“Dear one，I would be glad to convey the divine contact，but it is not my place to do so。”The saint looked at me with half-closed eyes。“Your master will bestow that experience shortly。Your body is not tuned just yet。As a small lamp cannot withstandexcessive electrical voltage，so your nerves are unready for the cosmic current。If I gave you the infnite ecstasy right now，you would burn as if every cell were on fre。”
“Sir，have you not been singleheartedly seeking God for a long time？”
Behari must have told you something of my life。For twenty years I occupied a secret grotto，meditating eighteen hours a day。Then I moved to a more inaccessible cave and remained there for twenty-fve years，entering the yoga union for twenty hours daily。I did not need sleep，for I was ever with God。My body was more rested in the complete calmness of the superconsciousness than it could be by the partial peace of the ordinary subconscious state。
Around midnight Ram Gopal fell into silence，and I lay down on my blankets。Closing my eyes，I saw fashes of lightning；the vast space within me was a chamber of molten light。I opened my eyes and observed the same dazzling radiance。
“Why dont you go to sleep？”
“Sir，how can I sleep in the presence of lightning？”
“You are blessed to have this experience；the spiritual radiations are not easily seen。”The saint added a few words of affection。
At dawn Ram Gopal gave me rock candies and said I must depart。I felt such reluctance to bid him farewell that tears coursed down my cheeks。
“I will not let you go empty-handed。”The yogi spoke tenderly。“I will do something for you。”
I stood rooted to the ground，peace rushing like a mighty flood through the gates of my eyes。I was instantaneously healed of a pain in my back，which had troubled me intermittently for years。Renewed，bathed in a sea of luminous joy，I wept no more。
There I made a second pilgrimage to the famous shrine，and prostrated myself fully before the altar。The round stone enlarged before my inner vision until it became the cosmical spheres，ring within ring，zone after zone，all dowered with divinity。
I entrained happily an hour later for Calcutta。
Seized by one of the unpredictable delusions which occasionally assail the devotee，I felt a growing impatience with hermitage duties and college studies。By then，not yet had I fully surveyed his towering stature。
“Many hillmen live in the Himalayas，yet possess no God-perception。”My gurus answer came slowly and simply。“Wisdom is better sought from a man of realization than from an inert mountain。”
I repeated my plea。Sri Yukteswar vouchsafed no reply。I took his silence for consent，a precarious interpretation readily accepted at ones convenience。
In my Calcutta home that evening，I busied myself with travel preparations。
The following morning I sought out Behari Pundit，my Sanskrit professor at Scottish Church College。
“Sir，you have told me of your friendship with a great disciple of Lahiri Mahasaya。Please give me his address。”
“You mean Ram Gopal Muzumdar。I call him the‘sleepless saint’。He is always awake in an ecstatic consciousness。His home is at Ranbajpur，near Tarakeswar。”
I thanked the pundit，and entrained immediately for Tarakeswar。I hoped to silence my misgivings by wringing a sanction from the“sleepless saint”to engage myself in lonely Himalayan meditation。
At Tarakeswar I approached a famous shrine。Hindus regard it with the same veneration that Catholics give to the Lourdes sanctuary in France。
I entered the sacred Tarakeswar shrine；the altar contains nothing but a round stone。My own mood at the moment was so austere that I felt disinclined to bow before the stone symbol。God should be sought，I refected，only within the soul。
I asked a man about the way。
“When you come to a crossroad，turn right and keep going，”he fnally pronouncedoracularly。
I stumbled on for two hours。
“Welcome clang of a cowbell！”My repeated shouts eventually brought a peasant to my side。
“I am looking for Ram Gopal Babu。”
“No such person lives in our village。”The mans tone was surly。
I touchingly explained my predicament。He took me to his home and offered a hospitable welcome。
“Ranbajpur is far from here，”he remarked。“At the crossroad，you should have turned left，not right。”
After a relishable meal of coarse rice，lentil-dhal，and curry of potatoes with raw bananas，I retired to a small hut adjoining the courtyard。
As the first streaks of dawn penetrated the fissures of my dark room，I set out for Ranbajpur。An occasionally-met peasant would inform me，invariably，that my destination was“only a krosha（two miles）。”In six hours the sun traveled victoriously from horizon to meridian，but I began to feel that I would ever be distant from Ranbajpur by one krosha。
Heat pouring from the avoidless sky was bringing me to near-collapse。As a man approached at leisurely pace，I hardly dared utter my usual question，lest it summon the monotonous：“Just a krosha。”
The stranger halted beside me。Short and slight，he was physically unimpressive save for an extraordinary pair of piercing dark eyes。
“I was planning to leave Ranbajpur，but your purpose was good，so I awaited you。”He shook his fnger in my astounded face。“That professor Behari had no right to give you my address。”
Considering that introduction of myself would be mere verbosity in the presence of this master，I stood speechless。His next remark was abruptly put。
“Tell me；where do you think God is？”
“Why，He is within me and everywhere。”
“All-pervading，eh？”The saint chuckled。“Then why，young sir，did you fail to bow before the Infnite in the stone symbol at the Tarakeswar temple yesterday？1 Your pride caused you the punishment of being misdirected by the passer-by who was not bothered by fne distinctions of left and right。Today，too，you have had a fairly uncomfortable time of it！”
I agreed wholeheartedly，wonder-struck that an omniscient eye hid within the unremarkable body before me。Healing strength emanated from the yogi；I was instantly refreshed in the scorching feld。
The saints censorious attitude vanished。
“Young yogi，I see you are running away from your master。He has everything you need；you must return to him。Mountains cannot be your guru。”Ram Gopal was repeating the same thought which Sri Yukteswar had expressed at our last meeting。
“The Himalayas in India and Tibet have no monopoly on saints。What one does not trouble to find within will not be discovered by transporting the body hither and yon。As soon as the devotee is willing to go even to the ends of the earth for spiritual enlightenment，his guru appears near-by。”
I silently agreed，recalling my prayer in the Benares hermitage，followed by the meeting with Sri Yukteswar in a crowded lane。
“Are you able to have a little room where you can be alone？”
“Yes。”
“That is your cave。”“That is your sacred mountain。That is where you will fnd the kingdom of God。”
“Young sir，your divine thirst is laudable。I feel great love for you。”Ram Gopal took my hand and led me to a quaint hamlet。The adobe houses were covered with coconut leaves and adorned with rustic entrances。
The saint seated me on the umbrageous bamboo platform of his small cottage。After giving me sweetened lime juice and a piece of rock candy，he entered his patio and assumed the lotus posture。In about four hours I opened my meditative eyes and saw that the moonlit fgure of the yogi was still motionless。As I was sternly reminding my stomach that man does not live by bread alone，Ram Gopal approached me。
“I see you are famished；food will be ready soon。”
Rice and dhal were quickly served on large banana leaves。
The marts of men seemed remotely dim as I squatted by the yogi in the isolation of the tiny jungle village。The cottage room was mysterious with a mellow light。Ram Gopal arranged some torn blankets on the foor for my bed，I ventured a request。
“Sir，why dont you grant me a samadhi？”
“Dear one，I would be glad to convey the divine contact，but it is not my place to do so。”The saint looked at me with half-closed eyes。“Your master will bestow that experience shortly。Your body is not tuned just yet。As a small lamp cannot withstandexcessive electrical voltage，so your nerves are unready for the cosmic current。If I gave you the infnite ecstasy right now，you would burn as if every cell were on fre。”
“Sir，have you not been singleheartedly seeking God for a long time？”
Behari must have told you something of my life。For twenty years I occupied a secret grotto，meditating eighteen hours a day。Then I moved to a more inaccessible cave and remained there for twenty-fve years，entering the yoga union for twenty hours daily。I did not need sleep，for I was ever with God。My body was more rested in the complete calmness of the superconsciousness than it could be by the partial peace of the ordinary subconscious state。
Around midnight Ram Gopal fell into silence，and I lay down on my blankets。Closing my eyes，I saw fashes of lightning；the vast space within me was a chamber of molten light。I opened my eyes and observed the same dazzling radiance。
“Why dont you go to sleep？”
“Sir，how can I sleep in the presence of lightning？”
“You are blessed to have this experience；the spiritual radiations are not easily seen。”The saint added a few words of affection。
At dawn Ram Gopal gave me rock candies and said I must depart。I felt such reluctance to bid him farewell that tears coursed down my cheeks。
“I will not let you go empty-handed。”The yogi spoke tenderly。“I will do something for you。”
I stood rooted to the ground，peace rushing like a mighty flood through the gates of my eyes。I was instantaneously healed of a pain in my back，which had troubled me intermittently for years。Renewed，bathed in a sea of luminous joy，I wept no more。
There I made a second pilgrimage to the famous shrine，and prostrated myself fully before the altar。The round stone enlarged before my inner vision until it became the cosmical spheres，ring within ring，zone after zone，all dowered with divinity。
I entrained happily an hour later for Calcutta。
