June 2009.
On a trek to Tapovan via Gomukh. Gomukh is where the sacred Ganges emerges from the glacier. The apex from what it emerges resembles the triangular contour of a Cows face. Hence the name.
Enroute the trek, we had a camp Bhojbasa. It was a quaint little village on the banks of the river Ganges. We reached the camp site by 1 pm, had lunch, and then later in the afternoon, few of us decided to explore the village. There was a very elegant, stone and mud dwelling just adjacent to the river about 700 meters from our camp site.
We casually enquired and were told that a very respected hermit, a yogi, lived there since a many years.
I was very keen to meet up with any Rishis or Sadhus, whenever I trekked the Himalayas. There have been many reported cases of those fortunate few and their tryst with an inconspicuous, egoless, realized soul. I recollect reading a book by Swami Rama- Living with Himalayan masters, and even Sri M's book making mention of such encounters.
We anxiously approached the hut and found a disciple or attendant keeping guard. We asked him if we could meet with the sage. He asked us to wait and went into that dark hut. He reappeared after a few moments and said, we could meet the sadhu. We were ushered into the dark but, which had incense sticks and a single oil lamp burning with a steady flame.
We saw the elderly sage, in the gente light seated on the floor in conversation with two gentleman. They were introduced as a yoga teacher from Slovakia, and the other was his guide. The sadhu asked us to wait while he addressed a few doubts of the Yoga teacher from Slovakia.
The foreigner, was apparently very well versed in Hindu philosophy and asked the Sadhu a question, that truly left me spellbound. He asked the Sadhu-
"Which path to realisation was the best ? Jnana Yog or Bhakti Yog?
There are many roads to Rome. In indian philosophy, realization could be achieved by Karma Yog, or the path of carrying out ones responsibilities and roles to perfection, Jnana Yog, which is the path of knowledge, Bhakti Yog, the path of devotion and surrender and a few more like Hatha Yoga about which I'm not too knowledgeable.
The Sadhu took a deep breath, and after a very pregnant pause answered this very deeply philosophical question.
He said, Adi Shankaracharya the first of the Shankaracharya lineage was a very scholarly Yogi well versed in all the scriptures like Vedas and Upanishads. Despite all his knowledge, his penance, his deliberations, innumerable scholarly texts he had authored, meditation and spiritual practices, he felt he had still not sought his goal of realisation. He one day set aside all these scriptures and hermeneutic knowledge and composed a few verses that were dedicated to surrender and devotion to the Lord. "Bhaja Govindam".
In this prayer, Adi Shankaracharya highlights the importance of devotion for God as a means to spiritual development and to liberation from the cycle of birth and death. The prayer leaves no doubt that the renunciation of our egotistical differences and surrender to God makes for salvation.
Our turn to ask was next. But we were too overcome with the purport of his earlier monologue. We just bowed down to the Sadhu and took his permission to leave.
This picture is at Bhojbasa taken back in June 2009.
On a trek to Tapovan via Gomukh. Gomukh is where the sacred Ganges emerges from the glacier. The apex from what it emerges resembles the triangular contour of a Cows face. Hence the name.
Enroute the trek, we had a camp Bhojbasa. It was a quaint little village on the banks of the river Ganges. We reached the camp site by 1 pm, had lunch, and then later in the afternoon, few of us decided to explore the village. There was a very elegant, stone and mud dwelling just adjacent to the river about 700 meters from our camp site.
We casually enquired and were told that a very respected hermit, a yogi, lived there since a many years.
I was very keen to meet up with any Rishis or Sadhus, whenever I trekked the Himalayas. There have been many reported cases of those fortunate few and their tryst with an inconspicuous, egoless, realized soul. I recollect reading a book by Swami Rama- Living with Himalayan masters, and even Sri M's book making mention of such encounters.
We anxiously approached the hut and found a disciple or attendant keeping guard. We asked him if we could meet with the sage. He asked us to wait and went into that dark hut. He reappeared after a few moments and said, we could meet the sadhu. We were ushered into the dark but, which had incense sticks and a single oil lamp burning with a steady flame.
We saw the elderly sage, in the gente light seated on the floor in conversation with two gentleman. They were introduced as a yoga teacher from Slovakia, and the other was his guide. The sadhu asked us to wait while he addressed a few doubts of the Yoga teacher from Slovakia.
The foreigner, was apparently very well versed in Hindu philosophy and asked the Sadhu a question, that truly left me spellbound. He asked the Sadhu-
"Which path to realisation was the best ? Jnana Yog or Bhakti Yog?
There are many roads to Rome. In indian philosophy, realization could be achieved by Karma Yog, or the path of carrying out ones responsibilities and roles to perfection, Jnana Yog, which is the path of knowledge, Bhakti Yog, the path of devotion and surrender and a few more like Hatha Yoga about which I'm not too knowledgeable.
The Sadhu took a deep breath, and after a very pregnant pause answered this very deeply philosophical question.
He said, Adi Shankaracharya the first of the Shankaracharya lineage was a very scholarly Yogi well versed in all the scriptures like Vedas and Upanishads. Despite all his knowledge, his penance, his deliberations, innumerable scholarly texts he had authored, meditation and spiritual practices, he felt he had still not sought his goal of realisation. He one day set aside all these scriptures and hermeneutic knowledge and composed a few verses that were dedicated to surrender and devotion to the Lord. "Bhaja Govindam".
In this prayer, Adi Shankaracharya highlights the importance of devotion for God as a means to spiritual development and to liberation from the cycle of birth and death. The prayer leaves no doubt that the renunciation of our egotistical differences and surrender to God makes for salvation.
Our turn to ask was next. But we were too overcome with the purport of his earlier monologue. We just bowed down to the Sadhu and took his permission to leave.
This picture is at Bhojbasa taken back in June 2009.
No comments:
Post a Comment