Yogananda, Paramahansa, 1893-1952; Yogis -- India -- Biography
Sri Yukteswar’s forecast vanished from my mind, but reappeared
there many years later, shortly after my arrival in America. I was
a dinner guest at the home of Mrs. Alice T. Hasey (Sister Yogmata)
in West Somerville, Massachusetts. When a dessert of strawberries
was put on the table, my hostess picked up her fork and mashed my
berries, adding cream and sugar. “The fruit is rather tart; I think
you will like it fixed this way,” she remarked.
I took a mouthful. “What delicious strawberries!” I exclaimed.
At once my guru’s prediction in Simla emerged from the fathomless
cave of memory. It was staggering to realize that long ago Sri
Yukteswar’s God-tuned mind had sensitively detected the program of
karmic events wandering in the ether of futurity.
Our party soon left Simla and entrained for Rawalpindi. There
we hired a large landau, drawn by two horses, in which we started
a seven-day trip to Srinagar, capital city of Kashmir. The second
day of our northbound journey brought into view the true Himalayan
vastness. As the iron wheels of our carriage creaked along the hot,
stony roads, we were enraptured with changing vistas of mountainous
grandeur.
“Sir,” Auddy said to Master, “I am greatly enjoying these glorious
scenes in your holy company.”
I felt a throb of pleasure at Auddy’s appreciation, for I was acting
as host on this trip. Sri Yukteswar caught my thought; he turned
to me and whispered:
“Don’t flatter yourself; Auddy is not nearly as entranced with the
scenery as he is with the prospect of leaving us long enough to
have a cigaret.”
I was shocked. “Sir,” I said in an undertone, “please do not break
our harmony by these unpleasant words. I can hardly believe that
Auddy is hankering for a smoke.” {FN21-1} I looked apprehensively
at my usually irrepressible guru.
“Very well; I won’t say anything to Auddy.” Master chuckled. “But
you will soon see, when the landau halts, that Auddy is quick to
seize his opportunity.”
The carriage arrived at a small caravanserai. As our horses were led
to be watered, Auddy inquired, “Sir, do you mind if I ride awhile
with the driver? I would like to get a little outside air.”
Sri Yukteswar gave permission, but remarked to me, “He wants fresh
smoke and not fresh air.”
The landau resumed its noisy progress over the dusty roads. Master’s
eyes were twinkling; he instructed me, “Crane up your neck through
the carriage door and see what Auddy is doing with the air.”
I obeyed, and was astounded to observe Auddy in the act of exhaling
rings of cigaret smoke. My glance toward Sri Yukteswar was apologetic.
“You are right, as always, sir. Auddy is enjoying a puff along with
a panorama.” I surmised that my friend had received a gift from the
cab driver; I knew Auddy had not carried any cigarets from Calcutta.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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