In 1990 I was requested to accompany a group of 23 French spiritual seekers to India. For this tour I had to decide which of the serious Ashrams and still-living authentic spiritual masters, to visit. More than one year previously I had heard about Swami Premananda. I was in a great hurry to meet this master about whom people had talked with much admiration. Unfortunately, our programme was very full and we could only allocate three days to visit Swamiji, and, as I was responsible for the group, I was afraid that such a meeting might not fit in with the wishes of the other tour members. Not only that - during a meeting with a realised being, anything and everything is possible - the experience might not be extraordinary and might simply consist of a test with the aim of eliminating the curious ones! The law of meeting a sage often needs a certain period of time in order that the instructor might know the motivations of the pilgrims. Therefore, I had some apprehensions, not being aware of the omniscience of Swamiji and his capacity to know immediately the quality of a seeker, as well as the nature of his past experience. Indeed, the meeting was going to be an exceptional experience for the group - as well as for the author.

Saturday and Sunday are the privileged days when the devotees get the opportunity of meeting Swamiji individually. During this contact, Swamiji is in a state of meditation and everyone can submit their problems to him and receive his blessings. My mind was solely occupied with the group and the first thing that Swamiji said to me was not to worry and that he would take care of the group and make them all happy! I have to admit that he fulfilled his promise far beyond my hopes that very evening.

On the last evening, Swamiji kindly allowed me to perform a Padapuja (ritual washing and anointing of Swamiji's Lotus Feet), which I personally feel is a religious act during which the ego is surrendered to the Guru. I will keep this Padapuja in my heart as one of the most wonderful ceremonies I have ever experienced.

After this, Swamiji invited us to ask any questions we wished. Swamiji continued late into the night and, seeing that our eyelids were becoming heavy, he generously agreed to continue the satsang the following morning.

That last day, just after the puja, the satsang continued. Swami was wearing a dhoti, the upper part of his body was not covered, and he came and sat like a father in the midst of his children. As the main questions had been asked, I dared to ask a last question concerning the benefit of the practice of japa. After explaining to us about the method and effect of this practice, Swamiji rubbed his empty hands together and from his right hand a japamala of small rudraksha seeds appeared, which he threw in my direction. Our group only had eyes for him and Swamiji, guessing the desire of some to get a mala as well, materialized some more japamalas in the same manner. Then he proposed to give the small Sivalingams in metal which he also materialized. It was a morning which we will never forget.

We were all ready to leave when Swamiji displayed extreme kindness by taking us to a large and famous temple in Trichy which is consecrated to Mariamma, an aspect of the Divine Mother, as well as being the Goddess of Rain. Sri Premananda Ashram pays particular attention to the female principle and the women in Swamiji's Ashram are allowed to perform pujas as do Brahmin priests in the temples. I have never seen this in India before, even though some great teachers, perceiving the coming of a cycle which will establish again the once dominant female principle, have left their Ashram in the charge of a woman after their own transition, complimentary to the male principle.

Entry to the temple is not allowed to non-Hindus, but the presence of the Master cancelled all prohibitions and the group could enter the heart of the sanctuary to worship. Afterwards we sat together in one of the temple halls and Swami Premananda explained to us the significance of the temple and its various symbols.

One can only love and admire such a Master, who, with an incomparable skill, handles the power of the word and the knowledge of the heart. Swami Premananda is pure energy, always in action, giving instructions unceasingly to construct buildings, to plant trees or, at other times, he teaches the orphans and surveys his Ashram. His actions have the authenticity of the perfect sage and are never predictable.

His only wish is to lead us to the feet of the Lord, to the Realisation of the Self, and in order to do this with sensitivity and intuition, he dissolves, or breaks, our mental structures, our artificial supports, our concepts and prejudices. He disorganizes our concrete and rational mind and stimulates us to question ourselves unceasingly by subtlely provoking circumstances in a manner that obligest he disciple to adapt himself, at any instant, to new and unforeseeable structures. All this is in order that habit should never be allowed to take over in the present moment and that one is always in constant awareness.

Putting our patience through a hard test, Swamiji makes us conscious of time being an illusion, which can easily be dissolved by looking within and concentrating on the inner presence of the self, which transcends time and space. Through his behaviour towards us, he pushes us towards the present moment, not giving time to regret or to remember a past gone forever. In the same way, he will not let us project towards ambitions of a hypothetical future.

Our equanimity is also tested, but it is his capacity to stir up our love, not only towards his form, but towards his divine principle, of which our own self is an integrated part, which predominantly persuaded us about his greatness as a teacher. In this way, he prevents the danger of attachment to or dependence on his exterior form, which, as we know, is always the main problem in the relationship of a teacher and disciple.

As we have understood it, the essential message of Swamiji is simple: to inform the world that a spiritual power exists which is omnipresent and which we call God. It is unique and worshipped in different forms in each religion. This unique God lives in the heart of all existence and has to be realized by every human being. To realize that we are one and that we are a particle of divinity can only be accomplished by changing our ways of thinking and living. The mind is the key to our imprisonment as well as of our liberation. Peace and non-restriction of the thought-principle can be attained through meditation. Before this, the mind has to be calmed and purified through ritual and right attitude in the heart while in the midst of day-to-day life.

The right attitude consists of the eradication of the belief that one is the body, in perceiving unity in diversity, in detaching oneself from the fruit of action, in loving without object - because the nature of the soul is love - in controlling one's passions and in having only one desire - the desire to be united with God.

He shows us that spiritual discipline must allow us to transform a competitive mind into a cooperative mind, to change desire into love, and, even more progressively, to abandon our attraction towards the erudition of externals in order to replace it by the knowledge of the Self.

I did not understand immediately which was the liberating technique taught by Swamiji. Today it seems to me that he has not a specific technique but that he works individually on each aspirant according to his capacities and his deep tendencies. He is beyond methods and gives complete freedom to his disciples, yet he corrects and rectifies the discipline which is undertaken by each individual. Even though he recognizes the validity of the ritual and of pujas as means of purification, it is in the spirit of non-duality that he really seems to enact. Swamiji knows the art of inducing reactions and through that he brings to light the presence of the covered ego. I experienced this myself and I consider that the short time I stayed in his presence has indeed brought forth, and allowed me to rectify, certain of my own limitations.

I am not in a position to convey the very essence of my Ashram experience because, as Dakshinamurthi, Swami Premananda teaches through silence. It is a true communion from soul to soul, a spiritual transmission of his force and love which slowly eradicates our egoistic tendencies and awakens in us a reality which is more inclusive and transcendent towards the God from whom we are made. There is no word which can translate what such a Guru represents. We can only observe his actions with attention and vigilance and understand his messages, realizing that even the smallest of his words are always charged with deep significance - which we must discover for ourselves during meditation. To talk about the Master while you live with him is almost impossible. What to say if one has just spent a few days in his Ashram?

There is one thing for sure - we can judge the tree by its fruits. We would not dare to judge the Master but we could see the quality of his disciples and feel the atmosphere of the Ashram. There we found a purity, a simplicity, a non-sectarian and dogmatic spirit and in the reception we received, we found a lot of generosity, love and veracity.

One cannot forget such experiences which bring hope for a better world in which Masters like Swamiji endeavour to serve with greatness, strength and compassion. After having received so much, it is our wish to participate as much as we can in the ever-increasing global, spiritual renewal, supported by the blessings of Swami Premananda.

OM PREMA SHANTI!

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