MY DESIRE HIMALAYA'S
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ON THE BANKS OF THE RIVER SARASWATHI, NEAR THE VILLAGE OF SONAR LINGA, LIVE A SAGE. IN THIS FAR-OFF REGION OF NORTH CENTRAL HIMALAYA, AMIDST SNOW-PEAKED MOUNTAINS, THE SAGE GAZED DOWN ACROSS THE SARASWATHI AT THIS LAST OUTPOST OF THE HIMALAYAN ROUTE. PERCHED HIGH ON THE SLOPES AT ABOUT 8000 FEET, SONAR VILLAGE APPEARED AS NOTHING MORE THANA FEW BROWN HUTS CLESTERED TOGETHER. A VILLAGER OR TWO CUT WOOD IN THE TALL PINE FOREST, A FEW BIRDS CHIRPED HERE AND THERE. MEADOWS DOTTED WITH PINES ROLLED OVER THE SLOPES, SILENT, LUSH AND LOVELY. GRAY BOULDERS OF VARIOUS SIZES LAY ALL AROUND THE VALLEY. SARASWATHI KUND, THE SOURCE OF THE SARASWATHI RIVER, WAS ONLY ONE DAY'S GIKE AWAY. THE WEATHER WAS COLD, WET, FRESH AND INVIGORATING.
DAWN VANISHED INTO THE RISING SUN ON THE EASTERN PEAKS OF THE RANGES. THE SAGE EMERGED FROM HIS WOODEN HUT CARRYING A BEGGING BOWL IN HIS HAND AND PROCEEDED TO THE RIVER. HE WALKED ERECT WITH A BEARING WORTHY OF A SAGE. HE STOOD TALL, WITH A BROAD FOREHAND AND MATTED HAIR FLOWING DOWN TO HIS WAIST, SCANTLY CLOTHING COVERED HIS LEARN BODY. HIS SERENE AND PLEASANT COUNTENANCE DISPERSED ALL DOUBTS WITH ITS GUESS HIS AGE, BUT JUDGING BY HIS PHYSICAL APPEARANCE, HE WAS ABOUT SIXTY.
AFTER FINISHING HIS BATH IN THE COLD RIVER, THE SAGE RETURNED TO THE HUT AND PUT THE WATER-FILLED BOWL INSIDE. AS HE CAME OUT OF THE DOOR, A YOUNG MAN DESCENDED THE SLOPES AT THE BACK OF THE HUT. IN A SHORT WHILE, THE STRANGER REVERENTLY APPROACHED THE HOLY MAN, AND WITH AWE TOUCHED HIS FOREHEAD TO THE SAGE'S BARE FEET. FROM HIS CLOSED LIPS THE HOLY MAN UTTERED A SIMPLE HNU-A SORT OF RELAXED ACKNOWLEDGMENT. THE YOUNG MAN STOOP UP, HIS FACE BEAMING, EYE SHINING AND SWEET SMILE DANCING ON HIS LIPS. IN NO TIME HIS FATIGUE, SEEMINGLY FROM A LONG JOURNEY ON FOOT, VANISHED. WITH A LITTLE IMPATIENCE HE WAITED FOR THE NEXT MOVE FROM THE HOLY MAN.
THE SAGE SAT DOWN ON A NEARLY FLAT STONE AND BABE THE STRANGER TO SIT IN THE ONE OPPOSITE.
SO YOU HAVE COME "SATYAKAM" ASSERTED THE SAGE WITH SATISFACTION. HOW DO YOU KNOW MY NAME SIR? YOU SEEMED TO KNOW I WAS COMING, DIDN'T YOU?
WITHOUT REPLYING DIRECTLY TO THE QUESTIONS, AS IF TAKING THEM FOR GRANTED, THE SAGE CONTINUED, AFTER YOU TAKE A BATH, EAT AND REST FOR TODAY, TOMORROW YOU'LL RECEIVE YOUR FIRST LESSONS ON THE SPIRITUAL PATH.
BUT SIR, I WANTEDTO SAY SO MUCH ABOUT MY SEARCH, MY DIFFICULTIES, YOUR WHEREABOUTS, MY ASPIRATIONS...'
CUTTING HIM OFF IN MID-SENTENCE, THE SEER SAID ABRUPTLY WITH A FIRM AND MEASURED TONE, "THERE NEEDN'T BE ANY FORMALITIES OR INTRODUCTION BETWEEN A DISCIPLE AND A GURU OF BIRTH ACQUAINTANCE.'
SO YOU ARE MY GURU FROM BIRTH TO BIRTH! SAYING THIS WITH ASTONISHMENT AND SATISFACTION, HE BECAME CHOKED WITH EMOTION. HIS EYES BRIMMED WITH TEARS. HE CLOSED HIS EYES SLOWLY WITH UNSPEAKABLE JOY, AND TEARS ROLLED DOWN HIS CHEEKS AS HIS HANDS INVOLUNTARILY FOLDED IN THE MANNER OF RESPECTFUL GREETING. HIS FOREHEAD BENT DOWN A LITTLE, BUT HE COULD NOT HOLD HIMSELF FURTHER AND FELL SPONTANEOUSLY AT THE FEET OF THE MASTER.
THE MASTER TOUCHED SATYAKAM'S HEAD WITH HIS RIGHT HAND AND SLOWLY LET THE PLACE.
THE DAY MOVED ON, RYTHMIC IN AGELESS SPLENDOR, THE SKY WAS CLEAR BLUE, SNOW GLIMMERED ON THE PEAKS, A CROW OR TWO FLEW FROM ONE END OF THE VALLEY TO THE OTHER. WATER RUSHED IN THE RIVER, MAKING THE ONLY SOUND IN THE VALLEY. THE LURE AND ENCHANTMENT OF THE UNSPOILED WATERS BECKONED SATYAKAM TO RELAX AND ABSORB THE NATURAL BEAUTY.
SMOOTHLY AND METHODICALLY, SATYAKAM WENT ON FINISHING HIS CHORES, RESPECTFULLY TAKING, ON OCCASION, NECESSARY INSTRUCTIONS FROM HIS MENTOR, TILL THE DAY ENDED IN PEACEFUL DUSK.
CALLING HIM WITH A LITTLE INDIFFERENCE, THE HOLY MAN SAID, 'I'LL SEE YOU TOMARROW MORNING. YOU MAY RETIRE TO YOUR HUT NOW'. POINTING A LITTLE FARTHER SOUTH.
NEXT MORNING A FEW PATCHES OF CLOUD FILLED THE SKY, BUT SUNSHINE BROKE THROUGH - A BLESSING IN THIS REGION OF SNOW. THE RAINY SEASON WAS STILL TWO MONTHS AWAY. THE TWO SOLITARY FIGURES SILENTLY ASCENDED THE MOUNTAINSIDE BEHING THE MASTER'S HUT WHERE SATYAKAM HAD APPEARED THE DAY BEFORE. A SHORT WHILE AFTER, ON FAIRLY LEVEL GROUND ON THE SLOPE, THE MASTER SAT DOWN FACING THE RIVER. ON SLIGHTLY LOWER GROUND SAT SATYAKAM, LOOKING AT HIS MASTER AND WAITING ANXIOUSLY.
SATYAKAM WAS OF AVERAGE BUIL, RELATIVELY FAIR AND IN HIS EARLY TWENTIES. AN UNEVEN SCANTY BEARD HAD GROWN ON HIS FACE, GIVING HIM THE LOOK OF AN ASPIRANT, HIS HAIR HAD NEARLY GROWN DOWN THE BACK OF HIS NECK, BUT WAS NOT QUITE FLOWING YET. HE HAD A MORE OR LESS ROUND FACE, AND ON IT ONE COULD EASILY READ HIS TRANSPARENT SINCERITY, DEVOTION AND SELF-CONTROL. TRUTH WAS READY ON HIS LIPS ANYTIME. EVEN THOUGH HE WAS FATIFUED AND SOMEWHAT UNDERNOURISHED, HE APPEARED RATHER HEALTHY.
THE GURU LOOKED AT HIM AND SAID, "SATYAKAM, WE'LL START WHERE WE ENDED IN THE PREVIOUS BIRTH".
BUT I DON'T REMEMBER MY LAST BIRTH, SIR! RESPONDED SATYAKAM INNOCENTLY.
YOU'LL COME TO KNOW IT AS THE DAYS TO BY. THERE IS NO USE IN JUST TELLING YOU AND SATISFYING ONLY YOUR CURIOSITY. BETTER THAT YOU KNOW IT RATHER THAN SIMPLY BE INFORMED. SUFFICE IT TO SAY IT WON'T TAKE YOU LONG TO SEE YOUR PREVIOUS INCARNATION. YOUR PRESENT BALANCE OF MIND AND MERIT ARE WHAT REALLY MATTER. AND YOU HAVE THESE SUFFICIENTLY-TRUTHFULNESS, SELF-CONTROL AND SINCERITY.
FROM TODAY ONWARD FORGET CALCULATING TIME MEASUREMENTS OF DAYS, MONTHS AND YEARS OR EVEN BIRTHS. JUST WATCH THE SUN RISING AND SETTING. LET EACH DAY BE SIMPLY AND DAY AND EACH NIGHT A NIGHT. LET THE DAY FLOW WITH YOUR LIVING. BY THIS, A NEWNESS-EVER NEWNESS-WILL BE PRESENT WITH YOU. PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE WILL MINGLE INTO ONE, AND YOU'LL FLOAT INTO INDESCRIBABLE JOY-LIGHT, RELAXED AND FREE.
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