Experiences shared by Sri Ramesh Jain
I was extremely fortunate to have had Swamiji’s darshan in 1995. It was through my first guru, Rajendra Brahmachari Ji, that I had Swamiji’s darshan. My first meeting with Swamiji happened in P. Gopal Krishna (PAO) garu's house. I had the fortune of witnessing a beautiful discussion on spirituality that day and in the very first meeting itself, I was put on the journey towards enlightenment.
Not only does one experience extreme bliss by being in Swamiji’s sannidhi, but every living being on whom Swamiji has His drishti, is subjected towards spiritual progress. In that way, Swamiji had planted the seeds of spirituality in a novice like me in the very first meeting. We were often amazed at how Swamiji would explain subjects of great depth and magnitude in the most simple words that could be understood by a layman.
My wife and I once visited PAO garu’s house to have Swamiji’s darshan. On that day, we were fortunate to spend some time in private with Swamiji. We were seated with Swamiji in the verandah. It was a hot summer afternoon, with the temperature soaring at 40 degrees Celsius. It was at noon that Swamiji started talking about a subject that we were never earlier exposed to. Since we were new to it, we could hardly understand and comprehend it. However, Swamiji went on to spoke undisturbed for 3-4 hours and we listened to Him with rapt attention in a completely mesmerized state. At around 3-4PM, the subject had hit a peak of spirituality and we suddenly experienced a change in atmosphere. The sky had filled with clouds and there was a cool breeze around. In stark contrast to the summer weather, a heavy downpour had begun. Swamiji later explained that, when a great saint talks about such high subjects, the weather becomes congenial. Surrounded by divinity, that was one of the most beautiful experiences of our lives.
As time passed, my wife and I grew closer to Swamiji and often visited Srisailam. On noticing our interest in spirituality, Swamiji gave us the opportunity of having many personal sessions in the goshala or in the verandah outside Swamiji’s quarters. Swamiji’s presence, His sannidhi and His words are invaluable. Through Swamiji’s fluid, experiential way of imparting wisdom, I was able to attain the state of Samadhi.
After every session with Swamiji, I would immediately start my contemplation, ‘nidhidhyasa’, on the subject. My wife and I would spend all night thinking about it. During the night, our minds would get churned and the essence of the subject would dawn on us, which we would very excitedly share with Swamiji the next morning. Swamiji would be very pleased and appreciate us. While contemplating, my head would often become heavy and I would be required to lie down for the next 3-4 hours. When I mentioned about it to Swamiji, He clarified that my mind was expanding in order to absorb the heavy subject being told by Swamiji. As it was experiencing a sudden expansion from its usual limited, contracted state, it is very natural to feel heavy.
In a very short span of meeting Swamiji, He became our whole world. We would be engrossed in Swamiji’s thoughts all through the day. That was possible only through His grace. We once got the opportunity of visiting Swamiji’s taposthanam along with Him. Swamiji resided in a hut outside Sri Dorairaju garu’s house in Kariyar. The other devotees who accompanied us were visiting the place where Swamiji did His tapas, next to the Banateertha Falls. On learning that Swamiji was not going with them, we chose to stay back. Swamiji asked why we weren’t accompanying them. To which I replied, “Swamiji, when Siva Himself is here, what use is Sivaloka to me?”. Swamiji gave a subtle smile and appreciated me. While everybody else was away, Swamiji spent time with us and gave us a beautiful experience.
Swamiji bestowed His grace on us and chose to stay in our house for 15 days, which are the most unforgettable days of our lives. Early in the morning, we would wait outside Swamiji’s room for His darshan for about 2 hours. After Swamiji would wake up and give darshan, we would all have coffee with Him. The experience of having Swamiji’s darshan so early in the morning, sharing coffee with Him and being an audience to His wonderful talk is inexplicable. For that reason, we would call those sessions as ‘Coffee Moksha Sessions’.
Although Swamiji would be present physically with us, sometimes He would transport to a different plane. In such instances, sometimes, Swamiji would sit rooted to a spot for hours together without talking and in other times, He would talk about mystic subjects. We once visited the coffee plantations in Yercaud with Swamiji. Suddenly, Swamiji sat down on a dirty slab, outside a hotel situated in a crammed street and started teaching a spiritual subject. Swamiji chose to sit in an inhabitable environment and spoke eloquently for hours about the subject. This is an example to prove that time and place are never a barrier to Swamiji’s divine grace. Swamiji never misses an opportunity of benefitting His devotees in their spiritual progress. Even when Swamiji’s physical condition was non-cooperative and He was deeply suffering with illness, He guided all His devotees towards their respective paths and showered His blessings on everybody.
When Swamiji was hospitalized with illness, He was in a very uncomfortable position and could not even sit up in bed. For two straight days, Swamiji hadn’t eaten anything and was in an unconscious state. As I approached Swamiji’s bed, He instantaneously opened His eyes, sat up on His own and started teaching me a spiritual subject. In that moment, Swamiji’s body was glowing with radiance. Even when Swamiji was in such a painful physical state, He still thought solely about the development of His devotees. That incident sent a wave of shock to everybody present in the hospital.
Swamiji is a living God, He is the Poorna Brahman and like His name, Swamiji truly is Poorna Ananda.
