Swami Sri
Yukteswar
Swami Sri
Yukteswar
Sri Yukteswar did
not meet his guru Chyama Charan Lahiri early in his life.
Swami Maharaji did
not write a lot during his passage on earth. Only two books written by him
are known: The holy Science - written in 1894 and a commentary upon
the first six chapters of the Bhagavad-Gita.Evolution unfolds from era to era like a circle. "Kali Yuga" is the period of ignorance, lasting 1.200 years ( more or less from 500 a.c. to 1.700 a.c. ).
Dwapara Yuga is the electrical age, lasting 2.400 years ( more or less from 1.700 to 4.100 a.c. ).
Treta Yuga in the mental age, lasting 3.600 years ( more or less from 4.100 to 7.700 a.c. ).
Satya Yuga will be the most evoluted age, lasting 4.800 years ( from 7.700 a.c. to 12.500 a.c. ). At this point, the involution starts, and takes place in a reverse order. ( Satya yuga from 12.500 a.c. to 17.300, Treta Yuga from 17.300 a.c. to 20.900 a.c.,
Dwapara Yuga from 20.900 a.c. to 23.300 a.c., kali Yuga from 23.300 a.c.
to 25.500 a.c. ). This process is practically endless. The more evolute the
era, the easier is for people to get liberation from the cycle of death and
rebirth..
See: The
Ages
This one was
Swami Maharaji's picture that Yogananda used to like the most.
The episode of abrupt end of Priya Nath's College education, referred
to above, may be of interest, as this would give an insight into the mental
make up of the man destined to be a famous religious and spiritual leader
that he became in after life. One day he was listening to a lecture in a
class on Physics. The teacher was explaining the functions of the human eye
and comparing it with the functions of a simple photographic camera. He explained
that rays of external objects after passing through the lens of the eye formed
real inverted images on the retina, and that the same were seen by the individual
as erect due to 'visual impression.' Priya Nath could not appreciate how
the inverted image formed on the retina could not seen erect. He stood up
and asked the teacher, who repeated what he had said earlier. But this could
not satisfy Priya Nath's curiosity; he repeated his question at which the
teacher became irritated and remarked that if his explanations were not
understood it was as well that the alumni left his class. A very serious
young man as Priya Nath was such rude and unwarranted remark of the teacher
was sufficient provocation for leaving the class. He not only left the teachers
class but he left as well the College for good. This, however, did not mean
that all the doors of knowledge in modern science had been blocked against
him. He approached the Principal of the Calcutta Medical College and by
persistent requests persuaded him to give him permission to attend classes
on scientific subjects such as Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Physiology, Anatomy
and the like in that College. He was not preparing to become a physician;
hence there was no question of appearing for examinations or following the
curriculum of the medical college. He attended the classes to acquire knowledge;
sometimes he attended classes on the same subject more than once, when he
felt he needed to understand a point clearly and thoroughly. He attended
various classes in the Medical College for about two years and acquired fair
knowledge on the aforementioned subjects.
Courtesy of Kashi
It is said that Swami Sri Yukteshvar at one time had written a spiritual
commentary on the Bible which, however, was not published. Once he spoke
about it to a French gentleman who was holding some official position in
the administration of the French settlement of Chandernagore with whom he
had friendship. This Frenchman was very much impressed by what he heard and
wanted to read the manuscripts himself. Accordingly the manuscripts were
handed over to him.
When the two met next time the Frenchman expressed that he had been overwhelmed
by what he had read exclaiming, "You will revolutionize the entire Christendom
once these are published." He proposed that he might be permitted to take
the manuscripts to Metropolitan France where he would like to show these
to the scholars there, during his forthcoming visit on leave, promising to
bring them back on return. Sri Yukteshvar agreed; but he did not get back
the manuscripts as the Frenchman never came back to India again.
The invaluable manuscripts were thus lost to futurity. Nobody knows what
the commentaries were like as Sri Yukteshvar did not discuss the subject
with anybody. However, he bequeathed to the grateful world in its place the
Holy Science.
Courtesy of Kashi
It is said that Swami Maharaj used to say the following to disciples at
initiation:
"Hear this! You should never think that you will be liberated by this touch
or that a carriage will be ready to just take you up to heaven! YOU SHOULD
NEVER ALLOW YOURSELF TO GET THIS BLIND FAITH WAY OF THINKING TOWARDS ACHEIVING
TO KAIVALYA!!! The initiating touch of the Guru just helps to encourage to
realization. You yourself have to practice with greatest sincerity to achieve
the Divine Goal and this will be through your own self efforts."
Courtesy of Kashi