I searched, but was unsuccessful. I prayed to God sincerely from the core of my heart, "My Father, My Lord, kindly lead me to the goal. You are formless, but your manifestation in the form of the Master can help me physically, mentally, and spiritually to reach Thee quickly." My God listened to the prayer of my crying soul. He sent you to me. Still, I was not free from confusion and doubt. The Holy Gita declares that doubt leads to problems, confusion, and even destruction. The Hindu Scriptures declare the incarnation of God in human form just as the Bible prophesied the coming of Jesus. The scriptures describe the signs by which one can recognize them. God has given us the opportunity to perceive all those qualities in thee. With the passage of time, I have come to understand the vastness and greatness of your spiritual attainment.
One of the most ancient yogic scriptures declares the qualities of the realized and divine Master:
Shanto danto, kulinasca vinita shuddha veshavan
shuddhachara supratishtha shucir daksha subuddhiman
ashrami dhyananishtascha tantra mantra vsharadah
nigrahanugrahe kshama gururityabhidhiyate
(Tantra Sara)
"He alone can be called the Guru or Divine Master who is free from all attachment to the senses; who has thorough control of the mind, ego and other internal instruments. He is born into a spiritually well-established family, is humble, wears clean garments, has noble and ideal behavior, pure in thought, words and actions and is always merged in the Soul. The guru is constantly alert, pure in intelligence, lives in an ashram, is well-versed in scriptures, is always in a meditative state, and is able to eliminate negative qualities of the disciples and shower love and purity."
Divine Master, when I met you, I witnessed every one of these qualities fully manifested in you. While I grew closer and closer to you I knew that truth was in my reach. Shri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, a great spiritual master of the modern world, once said, "You should see a monk in the day as well as in the night. You should observe him very closely and then can you realize what he is." I followed this direction. Before accepting you as my guide and guru, I observed you very closely. O loving Master! You also did not hesitate to reveal thyself to this child in every respect.
Born in a highly spiritual and aristocratic family of good social status, well educated in modern science and technology, you were still not satisfied. Your soul, seeking for Truth, was crying neti, neti "Not this, not this." Your soul was yearning for the realization of the Absolute. bhumaiva sukham, nalpe sukhamasti because real peace, bliss and joy can be perceived in the Absolute, the God, not in the limited sense objects.
Your radiant physical form is unique. divya bhagavati tanu: Such physical appearance is unparalleled. Your eyes are fixed always in infinity, your face is full of grace for all humanity. Dressed in fire colored saffron, you seem to be a brilliant fire to burn all the weaknesses and negative qualities of your disciples and all the people who love and follow you.
Your every thought, word and action is not only pure, but also is always helping the seeking souls to follow the path of spirituality, the truth. You are always engrossed and merged in soul consciousness. You are the Holy Master, who has attained the state of nirvikalpa samadhi (the pulseless, breathless, deathless stage) and you are paramahamsa .
By your touch, the impurities and restlessness of a person disappear. Not only are you constantly alert, but you also teach every disciple to be alert to the soul in every breath. Constant alertness to the inner self is the price of liberty. Eternal vigilance makes one free from negative qualities and helps one to be established in purity and truth. You are tactful in practical life. Your teaching is aimed at the all-round development of the disciples: physical, mental, intellectual, and spiritual.
You renounced all worldly attraction and attachment and stayed in the holy atmosphere of the ashram of your great guru, Shriyukteshwar. For more than sixty years, you have been an ashrami. You always teach us to be conscious of the soul abiding in the body house, which is the real ashram. You are a nitya mukta, an ever-liberated soul who is helping all your disciples to be always meditative and watchful and to remain established in truth.
In this life, although this child came in touch with many masters, monks, philosophers, and spiritual persons, he could not find another who equals you in teaching practical spirituality, universal love, and universal truth. Your speech is the essence of all holy books, such as the Vedas, the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita, the Brahma-sutras, as well as the Bible, the Torah and the Koran. Your talk is extraordinary. Your metaphorical explanation of the Holy Scriptures is unique and elevating.
My Divine Master! This disciple bows at your holy feet and prays to be ever guided by your every word.