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第八十三章 The Christlike Life
第八十三章 The Christlike Life Of Lahiri Mahasaya
Lahiri Mahasaya，quietly living as an ideal householder，could not hide his innate glory。Slowly，from every part of India，the devotee-bees sought the divine nectar of the liberated master。
The English office superintendent was one of the first to notice a strange transcendental change in his employee，whom he endearingly called“Ecstatic Babu”。
“Sir，you seem sad。What is the trouble？”Lahiri Mahasaya made this sympathetic inquiry one morning to his employer。
“My wife in England is critically ill。I am torn by anxiety。”
“I shall get you some word about her。”Lahiri Mahasaya left the room and sat for a short time in a secluded spot。On his return he smiled consolingly。
“Your wife is improving；she is now writing you a letter。”The omniscient yogi quoted some parts of the missive。
“Ecstatic Babu，I already know that you are no ordinary man。Yet I am unable to believe that，at will，you can banish time and space！”
The promised letter finally arrived。The astounded superintendent found that it contained not only the good news of his wifes recovery，but also the same phrases which，weeks earlier，Lahiri Mahasaya had repeated。
The wife came to India some months later。She visited the office，where Lahiri Mahasaya was quietly sitting at his desk。The woman approached him reverently。
“Sir，”she said，“it was your form，haloed in glorious light，that I beheld months ago by my sickbed in London。At that moment I was completely healed！Soon after，I was able to undertake the long ocean voyage to India。”
Day after day，he organized many study groups，and played an active part in the growth of a large high school in the Bengalitola section of Benares。His regular discourses on the scriptures came to be called his“Gita Assembly”，eagerly attended by many truth-seekers。
A signifcant feature of Lahiri Mahasayas life was his gift of Kriya initiation to thoseof every faith。Not Hindus only，but Moslems and Christians were among his foremost disciples。Monists and dualists，those of all faiths or of no established faith，were impartially received and instructed by the universal guru。
The great guru encouraged his various students to adhere to the good traditional discipline of their own faith。Stressing the all-inclusive nature of Kriya as a practical technique of liberation，Lahiri Mahasaya then gave his chelas liberty to express their lives in conformance with environment and up bringing。
“A Moslem should perform his namaj worship four times daily，”the master pointed out。“Four times daily a Hindu should sit in meditation。A Christian should go down on his knees four times daily，praying to God and then reading the Bible。”
The masters omnipresence was demonstrated one day before a group of disciples who were listening to his exposition of the Bhagavad Gita。As he was explaining the meaning of Kutastha Chaitanya or the Christ Consciousness in all vibratory creation，Lahiri Mahasaya suddenly gasped and cried out：
“I am drowning in the bodies of many souls off the coast of Japan！”
The next morning the chelas read a newspaper account of the death of many people whose ship had foundered the preceding day near Japan。
The distant disciples of Lahiri Mahasaya were often made aware of his enfolding presence。“I am ever with those who practice Kriya，”he said consolingly to chelas who could not remain near him。“I will guide you to the Cosmic Home through your enlarging perceptions。”
Lahiri Mahasaya carefully graded Kriya into four progressive initiations。He bestowed the three higher techniques only after the devotee had manifested definite spiritual progress。
Among many saints who received Kriya from Lahiri Mahasaya may be mentioned the illustrious Swami Vhaskarananda Saraswati of Benares，and the Deogarh ascetic of high stature，Balananda Brahmachari。For a time Lahiri Mahasaya served as private tutor to the son of Maharaja Iswari Narayan Sinha Bahadur of Benares。Recognizing the masters spiritual attainment，the maharaja，as well as his son，sought Kriya initiation，as did the Maharaja Jotindra Mohan Thakur。
In 188，Lahiri Mahasaya was retired on a pension。With his availability in the daytime，disciples sought him out in ever-increasing numbers。The great guru now sat in silence most of the time，locked in the tranquil lotus posture。He eldom left his little parlor，even for a walk or to visit other parts of the house。
The master now permitted his disciple，Panchanon Bhattacharya，to open an“Arya Mission Institution”in Calcutta。Here the saintly disciple spread the message of Kriya Yoga，and prepared for public beneft certain yogic herbal medicines。
The Arya Mission Institution undertook the publication of many of the gurus scriptural commentaries。Like Jesus and other great prophets，Lahiri Mahasaya himself wrote no books，but his penetrating interpretations were recorded and arranged by various disciples。Some of these voluntary amanuenses were more discerning than others in correctly conveying the profound insight of the guru；yet，on the whole，their efforts were successful。Through their zeal，the world possesses unparalleled commentaries by Lahiri Mahasaya on twenty-six ancient scriptures。
Sri Ananda Mohan Lahiri，a grandson of the master，has written an interesting booklet on Kriya。
Just as Babaji is among the greatest of avatars，a Mahavatar，and Sri Yukteswar a Jnanavatar or Incarnation of Wisdom，so Lahiri Mahasaya may justly be called Yogavatar，or Incarnation of Yoga。By the standards of both qualitative and quantitative good，he elevated the spiritual level of society。In his power to raise his close disciplesto Christlike stature and in his wide dissemination of truth among the masses，Lahiri Mahasaya ranks among the saviors of mankind。
His uniqueness as a prophet lies in his practical stress on a defnite method，Kriya，opening for the frst time the doors of yoga freedom to all men。Apart from the miracles of his own life，surely the Yogavatar reached the zenith of all wonders in reducing the ancient complexities of yoga to an effective simplicity not beyond the ordinary grasp。
New hope for new men！“Divine union，”the Yogavatar proclaimed，“is possible through self-effort，and is not dependent on theological beliefs or on the arbitrary will of a Cosmic Dictator。”
Lahiri Mahasaya，quietly living as an ideal householder，could not hide his innate glory。Slowly，from every part of India，the devotee-bees sought the divine nectar of the liberated master。
The English office superintendent was one of the first to notice a strange transcendental change in his employee，whom he endearingly called“Ecstatic Babu”。
“Sir，you seem sad。What is the trouble？”Lahiri Mahasaya made this sympathetic inquiry one morning to his employer。
“My wife in England is critically ill。I am torn by anxiety。”
“I shall get you some word about her。”Lahiri Mahasaya left the room and sat for a short time in a secluded spot。On his return he smiled consolingly。
“Your wife is improving；she is now writing you a letter。”The omniscient yogi quoted some parts of the missive。
“Ecstatic Babu，I already know that you are no ordinary man。Yet I am unable to believe that，at will，you can banish time and space！”
The promised letter finally arrived。The astounded superintendent found that it contained not only the good news of his wifes recovery，but also the same phrases which，weeks earlier，Lahiri Mahasaya had repeated。
The wife came to India some months later。She visited the office，where Lahiri Mahasaya was quietly sitting at his desk。The woman approached him reverently。
“Sir，”she said，“it was your form，haloed in glorious light，that I beheld months ago by my sickbed in London。At that moment I was completely healed！Soon after，I was able to undertake the long ocean voyage to India。”
Day after day，he organized many study groups，and played an active part in the growth of a large high school in the Bengalitola section of Benares。His regular discourses on the scriptures came to be called his“Gita Assembly”，eagerly attended by many truth-seekers。
A signifcant feature of Lahiri Mahasayas life was his gift of Kriya initiation to thoseof every faith。Not Hindus only，but Moslems and Christians were among his foremost disciples。Monists and dualists，those of all faiths or of no established faith，were impartially received and instructed by the universal guru。
The great guru encouraged his various students to adhere to the good traditional discipline of their own faith。Stressing the all-inclusive nature of Kriya as a practical technique of liberation，Lahiri Mahasaya then gave his chelas liberty to express their lives in conformance with environment and up bringing。
“A Moslem should perform his namaj worship four times daily，”the master pointed out。“Four times daily a Hindu should sit in meditation。A Christian should go down on his knees four times daily，praying to God and then reading the Bible。”
The masters omnipresence was demonstrated one day before a group of disciples who were listening to his exposition of the Bhagavad Gita。As he was explaining the meaning of Kutastha Chaitanya or the Christ Consciousness in all vibratory creation，Lahiri Mahasaya suddenly gasped and cried out：
“I am drowning in the bodies of many souls off the coast of Japan！”
The next morning the chelas read a newspaper account of the death of many people whose ship had foundered the preceding day near Japan。
The distant disciples of Lahiri Mahasaya were often made aware of his enfolding presence。“I am ever with those who practice Kriya，”he said consolingly to chelas who could not remain near him。“I will guide you to the Cosmic Home through your enlarging perceptions。”
Lahiri Mahasaya carefully graded Kriya into four progressive initiations。He bestowed the three higher techniques only after the devotee had manifested definite spiritual progress。
Among many saints who received Kriya from Lahiri Mahasaya may be mentioned the illustrious Swami Vhaskarananda Saraswati of Benares，and the Deogarh ascetic of high stature，Balananda Brahmachari。For a time Lahiri Mahasaya served as private tutor to the son of Maharaja Iswari Narayan Sinha Bahadur of Benares。Recognizing the masters spiritual attainment，the maharaja，as well as his son，sought Kriya initiation，as did the Maharaja Jotindra Mohan Thakur。
In 188，Lahiri Mahasaya was retired on a pension。With his availability in the daytime，disciples sought him out in ever-increasing numbers。The great guru now sat in silence most of the time，locked in the tranquil lotus posture。He eldom left his little parlor，even for a walk or to visit other parts of the house。
The master now permitted his disciple，Panchanon Bhattacharya，to open an“Arya Mission Institution”in Calcutta。Here the saintly disciple spread the message of Kriya Yoga，and prepared for public beneft certain yogic herbal medicines。
The Arya Mission Institution undertook the publication of many of the gurus scriptural commentaries。Like Jesus and other great prophets，Lahiri Mahasaya himself wrote no books，but his penetrating interpretations were recorded and arranged by various disciples。Some of these voluntary amanuenses were more discerning than others in correctly conveying the profound insight of the guru；yet，on the whole，their efforts were successful。Through their zeal，the world possesses unparalleled commentaries by Lahiri Mahasaya on twenty-six ancient scriptures。
Sri Ananda Mohan Lahiri，a grandson of the master，has written an interesting booklet on Kriya。
Just as Babaji is among the greatest of avatars，a Mahavatar，and Sri Yukteswar a Jnanavatar or Incarnation of Wisdom，so Lahiri Mahasaya may justly be called Yogavatar，or Incarnation of Yoga。By the standards of both qualitative and quantitative good，he elevated the spiritual level of society。In his power to raise his close disciplesto Christlike stature and in his wide dissemination of truth among the masses，Lahiri Mahasaya ranks among the saviors of mankind。
His uniqueness as a prophet lies in his practical stress on a defnite method，Kriya，opening for the frst time the doors of yoga freedom to all men。Apart from the miracles of his own life，surely the Yogavatar reached the zenith of all wonders in reducing the ancient complexities of yoga to an effective simplicity not beyond the ordinary grasp。
New hope for new men！“Divine union，”the Yogavatar proclaimed，“is possible through self-effort，and is not dependent on theological beliefs or on the arbitrary will of a Cosmic Dictator。”
