Yogananda, Paramahansa, 1893-1952; Yogis -- India -- Biography
All sorrow left me; I realized anew that God wants His children to
love everything as a part of Him, and not to feel delusively that
death ends all. The ignorant man sees only the unsurmountable wall
of death, hiding, seemingly forever, his cherished friends. But
the man of unattachment, he who loves others as expressions of the
Lord, understands that at death the dear ones have only returned
for a breathing-space of joy in Him.
The Ranchi school grew from small and simple beginnings to an
institution now well-known in India. Many departments of the school
are supported by voluntary contributions from those who rejoice in
perpetuating the educational ideals of the rishis. Under the general
name of YOGODA SAT-SANGA, {FN27-4} flourishing branch schools have
been established at Midnapore, Lakshmanpur, and Puri.
The Ranchi headquarters maintains a Medical Department where
medicines and the services of doctors are supplied freely to the
poor of the locality. The number treated has averaged more than
18,000 persons a year. The VIDYALAYA has made its mark, too, in
Indian competitive sports, and in the scholastic field, where many
Ranchi alumni have distinguished themselves in later university
life.
The school, now in its twenty-eighth year and the center of many
activities, {FN27-5} has been honored by visits of eminent men
from the East and the West. One of the earliest great figures to
inspect the VIDYALAYA in its first year was Swami Pranabananda,
the Benares “saint with two bodies.” As the great master viewed
the picturesque outdoor classes, held under the trees, and saw in
the evening that young boys were sitting motionless for hours in
yoga meditation, he was profoundly moved.
“Joy comes to my heart,” he said, “to see that Lahiri Mahasaya’s
ideals for the proper training of youth are being carried on in
this institution. My guru’s blessings be on it.”
A young lad sitting by my side ventured to ask the great yogi a
question.
“Sir,” he said, “shall I be a monk? Is my life only for God?”
Though Swami Pranabananda smiled gently, his eyes were piercing
the future.
“Child,” he replied, “when you grow up, there is a beautiful bride
waiting for you.” The boy did eventually marry, after having planned
for years to enter the Swami Order.
Sometime after Swami Pranabananda had visited Ranchi, I accompanied
my father to the Calcutta house where the yogi was temporarily
staying. Pranabananda’s prediction, made to me so many years before,
came rushing to my mind: “I shall see you, with your father, later
on.”
As Father entered the swami’s room, the great yogi rose from his
seat and embraced my parent with loving respect.
“Bhagabati,” he said, “what are you doing about yourself? Don’t you
see your son racing to the Infinite?” I blushed to hear his praise
before my father. The swami went on, “You recall how often our
blessed guru used to say: ‘BANAT, BANAT, BAN JAI.’ {FN26-6} So keep
up KRIYA YOGA ceaselessly, and reach the divine portals quickly.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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