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THE
PERFECT SAGE By Gisèle and Michel Coquet, France |
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| 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. | ||||
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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. |
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