The Master I found

[Guest guest]

Namami Sankaraachaaryam, sarvalokaika Poojitham

 

With permission blessings and grace from HH Swamy Vijeyendra

Saraswathi garu of Shri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham Paramacharya and

miracles

 

The Master I found

Robet Walser

It was in the year 1961 (towards the end of November) that my meeting

with His Holiness took place. I was then on my third visit of India.

Twice, previously I had come to India and had traveled all over the

country devoting many months to the quest of a genuine Master of

Spiritual Light and though I had been able to meet quite a few so-

called saints (many of them being famous even in the West) still my

heart remained dissatisfied, for they certainly did not measure up to

my conception of a real God-man. I had begun to doubt even the

existence of such a God-man in India. Nevertheless, I decided to

embark on a last trial, one last quest.

This time, I did not go about in the usual way, viz., by asking,

enquiring, checking etc., but devoted much of time to silent

concentration and praying for Divine Guidance.

I wanted to start my quest from Madras this time. One day, after an

hour or so of intense prayer to God (that He may lead my steps in the

right direction) I decided to leave the room and to go out for a walk

on the beach. As I was passing through the hall of my hotel I was

unexpectedly stopped by a South Indian gentleman who addressed me

like this: " The Master you are looking for is not far from here. His

name is..... " . and it was then that I heard for the first time

mentioned the name of His Holiness Sri Sankaracharya! Amazed by this

evident :lead " - though still a little skeptical, I decided to follow

it. But the nice and helpful gentleman was unfortunately not able to

give me the exact whereabouts of the Saint. He just knew he was in

some small village in South India, and that was all he could tell me.

I left Madras, but it turned out to be quite an elaborate quest. For

I got the most contradictory answers to my questions. No two answers

were alike, though the people seemed very friendly and eager to

volunteer all they knew about the whereabouts of the great man. It

was extremely frustrating and irritating! I spent quite some time

chasing the elusive and ever-fleeing Saint, until I finally finding

him, perhaps even doubting the very existence of the man. And then,

one night as I was lying on my bed in one of those rather depressing

railway retiring rooms, there was knock against my door. As I opened,

there stood a young taxi driver. He would take me to Sri

Sankaracharya, he said, for he knew exactly where to find him. For

some strange reason I trusted the young man and just told him to be

ready to leave very early next morning. My trust turned out to be

well placed! After only a few hours of driving inland, following a

very small and dusty road, we arrived (it was almost 10' clock) at a

small temple near a village called Elayattankudi.

The numerous Brahmins present immediately reassured me that I had

finally reached the goal of my quest. " I have come long was to seek

His Holiness " said I.

" Yes, yes. He is expecting you! " came the incredible answer.

People had warned me that it would be difficult to be received by the

Saint, and that even in the event that he would receive me, I'd

probably have to wait for a long time! Well, in less than five

minutes, I was standing before His Holiness!

I felt immediately that I was standing in the presence of real

Greatness. What simplicity, what peace, what silence! A strong wave

of veneration walled up from my heart. At last through GOD's mercy I

had found what I had been looking for all these years! Although Sri

Sankaracharya could not possible have heard of me before or known me

in any human way, he nevertheless seemed to know everything about me.

It was extraordinary! He did not need to ask me all those questions

that I had been accustomed to answer in the presence of all those

other so called saints, such as, " Where are you from " What do you do?

Why have you come to India " - questions that made them appear to the

more like curious reporters rather than omniscient saints! Here was a

man who could see through me and read my mind like an open book

without having to ask one single question! A wonderful sense of peace

descended on my soul as the great and gentle man proceeded to answer

all my conscious and my unconscious questions, without my having to

ask them verbally! A sense of genuine and deep love for this loving

man flooded my heart and my feeling of tremendous gratitude as I

listened silently to his wonderful words. What a memorable hour this

was!

Before I left, he blessed me and asked me to concentrate on him that

very evening at 8 O' clock, when I would be back in Trichinopoly.

Furthermore, I had to promise that before leaving India I would write

to him and tell him about my further experiences in India!

That same evening back in Trichy I discovered the real meaning of the

word " blessing " ! As I was concentrating (as agreed) on His Holiness,

I suddenly felt such an terrific spiritual strength that it almost

overwhelmed me! What a concrete and tangible experience that blessing

was!

Once should not be astonished at my enthusiasm provoked by the

experience of real blessing! Up to that moment in Trichy I had been

thinking of blessing only in terms of the empty, meaningless

forceless gestures of Western priesthood and Popery! But this was the

revelation that the blessing of a true Saint meant a transmission of

tremendous spiritual power, a power as real and tangible as

electricity and not just the meaningless sprinkling of water on

things, animals and people!

I have not seen the Jagadguru since, but our spiritual contact has

never been interrupted. Sometimes I write and the amazing thing is

that his answer invariably strikes at the vital point of each

question, leaving me awed at the incredible insight of the Great

Master! So, as you can see, distance is no hindrance to a close

spiritual contact... all I have to do is to concentrate let me end

this short article by saying once more that it was indeed a blessed

day when I met His Holiness Sri Sankaracharya.

Great Master of Spiritual Light

I shall not miss this sacred opportunity to send His Holiness-with

the whole of my heart-my very best wished and to express my great

reverence for Him and the great admiration in which I hold him. May

god keep His Holiness in good health for the benefit of all sincere

spiritual aspirants and devotees. I am honoured to be one of them and

I know that we all need His Holiness.

How often have I not said to myself in these last few years : " Thank

Heaven that such a being like Sri Sankaracharya of Kanchi Kamakoti

Peetha exists. "

He is the greatest Light of India.

I've looked all over India for spiritual guidance. But nobody could

satisfy my thirst, for all the so called Indian Saints (and among

them were famous names) just did not make the weight : and then I had

the extraordinary chance to meet Him.

The moment I saw Him I felt unmistakably that I was in the presence

of the Great Master, of a Spiritual Light. After all these

disappointments I have begun to doubt and to think that it was no

more possible to find in India what I was searching for. But in the

presence of His Holiness all my doubts vanished. His Holiness

justifies the claim that India still has a spiritual treasure to

offer.

All these years I have carried Him in my heart with undiminished love

and genuine respect. Whenever people complained to me about the

incredible number of spiritual charlatans in India who post as saints

and there by help in discrediting spiritual India, I reply " Ah yes,

you are right. But do not forget. There still is a Sankaracharya that

makes us all the rest. Go to His Holiness if you can, and all your

doubts will be dispelled " . Verily, one has to love and respect Mother

India for having given birth to such a unique Son.

As long as I exist His Holiness shall always live in my heart as the

greatest figure I ever had the privilege to encounter. With infinite

respect and all my love I greet His Holiness with devotion on this

momentous occasion.