The Invisible Yogi

Once a yogi was making arrangements for some poor people and their families to be fed in the ashram. He frequently did so and on such occasions he did everything himself.

Away from, him his disciples were discussing how their master's master could be invisible and thought perhaps their own master was not as great as his own master. They had never seen their master perform any miracles. Some disciples also doubted whether it was at all possible for a man to become invisible. One of them even totally denied the truth of being invisible in any case. He was a retired science teacher. Everyone was curious to see some miracle, but their curiosity could never be satisfied. But a heated debate meandered on for hours. Finally it was concluded that being invisible was just a possibility, while to some it was a white lie.

The yogi's invitees came to attend the feast. He also ordered his disciples to partake of the same. In the evening when all of them were relaxing, a disciple wanted to ask the master a question. But the master being a perfect seer said, "Instead of bothering yourselves with questions and engaging in lengthy debates, always meditate on your question. The answer will definitely come to you. You are not the body or merely encapsulated blood, flesh and bones. Each of us is a divine being. More correctly speaking, you are the very God you are worshipping everyday. Man is God. Every living creature is God. After many many births, the creature is bound to acquire enough spiritual strength to become a human. "

"This is impossible. . . !How can dogs, cats, monkeys, cattle etc become human beings. . ?Are they doing good deeds to acquire 'punya' like human beings. . ?"said an outspoken disciple.

The yogi had a hearty laugh. The other disciples laughed too, some of them did so derisively.

The master lost his temper and his eyes appeared like two burning coals. The disciples started to run. The master caught a disciple (who had asked the question) by the hand and said, "Sit down. . . . ! I will tell you how a monkey becomes a human being. Let us say you are a monkey. You are sitting in a tree. It is raining heavily and it is extremely cold. Meanwhile, you are also observing a man who lives in a house that is sufficiently warm. You also think of living in such a warm house. You also manage to see from the tree the man is eating good hot food. You have the same desire to eat the same. Your thought about these things matures, becomes very strong after many years or births. Then you become a man who lives in a warm house and eats good hot food. . . Got it. . ?"

The disciple looked still unconvinced or fully unenlightened. The yogi therefore said, 'When an animal carcass is destroyed, its thoughts or longings don't die or are still alive and destined to bear fruit at any cost. . . "

"Then thought is at the root of creation. . . ?" said the disciple.

The yogi nodded confirmation.

The other frightened disciples who were very much acquainted with their master's strange and peculiar behaviour had come back and were listening to him. One of them dared to ask a question, but before that the yogi said, "You want me to explain how a yogi can go invisible. You also want me to perform some miracles. . . . . But I must now go inside the ashram for a minute."

The disciples were waiting for the master's return.

An hour passed. They were worried. They carried out a thorough search of the small ashram. There was no other extra door of the building. When they were thus struck with wonder, they saw the master coming towards the ashram with a little boy.

They were happy to see their master return. But each of them was puzzled. On approaching his disciples, the master said, "Now you are sure it's possible to cause miracles and become invisible."

"O my supreme Master. . We are ignorant. Please make us understand how it's possible to be invisible. . . "said a humble disciple.

The yogi explained, "I really became invisible for the first time upon your insistence. You thought I had left the ashram. . . but I hadn't. I was right where you had seen me. Just imagine how unlimited is space. The sun, the moon, the stars and everything visible including all living and non-living things have come come out of pure nothingness. . . . That immeasurably powerful nothingness does have the tremendous potential to take back into itself all that has come out of it. It can destroy billions and billions of worlds and universes into the minutest possible invisible atoms. This is how the visible becomes the invisible. . The infinite space is nothing but infinite energy called the Supreme Being. . . . . "

The disciples saw the master shedding tears. In a tear-choked voice, he said, "Don't call Him energy in a stupidly scientific manner. He is always at work. My master was none but He alone. Anyone who realises Him becomes Him. When you find Him, you become Him with all His divine attributes. People fear they might lose their identities in Him. It is wrong to think so. . . He loses Himself in you. . . You become God. "

The master was crying. A disciple said absent-mindedly, "But how come God being all-powerful creates weak and imperfect human beings and other living forms. . . ?"

The master smiled tearfully and said, "Children, now go and meditate and think of the Lord. I will bring to your notice the truth of being imperfect human beings and other living creatures. The answer to your second question is pending. . I must start my own meditation too. . May the Lord bless you. . !"