Chapter - 14 : Soaking In The Fount Of Eternal-life

  Soaking In The Fount Of Eternal-life

"تجلی گر تو خار نور-ی-دهات است
بی تاریکی درون ابی هیات است" [Masnawi]
English translation - 

"Tajalli, if you say so, is the light of dhat [read as - zaat]
Within darkness lies the fount of eternal life.”

 Laalaa Ji has written in his ‘autobiography’ [published first in the aforesaid Periodical - ‘Farrukh’, in Urdu and then again repeated in a Hindi magazine, ‘Adhyatma Dhaara’ अध्यात्म धारा run by his elder grandson, Shri Akhilesh Kumar Ji], the English translation of which reads as under -
 

Vishwarupa Darshan

“Ultimately a day dawned when the Supreme Father [Jazib Haqiqi] turned His kind attention towards me and He sent an embodiment of His great power in the form of a living human being to show his real sympathy towards me. It was ‘Vishwarupa Darshan’ [Vishwarupa (Sanskrit: विश्वरूप, lit. 'universal form', IAST [International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration]: Viśvarūpā [is an iconographical form and theophany of a Hindu deity, most commonly associated with Vishnu in contemporary Hinduism. i.e. the cosmic form of Brahman - God], which in the form of Aatma Darshan [in the form of individual soul] showed the path to me and holding my hand in a split moment took me to unknown heights. It was that place where everything of the universe shine with its splendor and glory. Whatever [beatific] did I see; that did I see and whatever I got [the heavenly bliss] is indescribable. You can find a glimpse of this account in those verses of the first chapter of Shrimad Bhagavad Gita where Arjuna lays down his weapons, out of dejection and confusion and refuses to fulfill his duty to fight with the enemy, like me. If Lord Shri Krishna with His splendor and glory had not pulled out Arjuna from that situation and if on the request of Arjuna had He not filled Arjuna’s heart with his ‘Jamaali Surat’ [peaceful-benevolent form], the result would have been entirely different. In short, I was pulled up to the success and I was not left alone to discharge my duty, rather he occupied the dark and impure recesses of his heart to remain always with me.”

During those days the District Collector of Farrukhabad was an associate of Laalaa Ji’s father. When he learnt the tragic facts, he convened Laalaa Ji to his office in Fatehgarh and appointed him as a ‘Paid Apprentice’ in his office at Rupees Ten per month. Although, this salary was not much it was adequate to somehow meet the basic needs of his family. The rent that he could afford to pay could provide him with only a tiny house in which the entire family could barely sleep. Besides that, the only space that was left could just be used as a kitchen. Laalaa Ji had ample spare time at his disposal, which he used to spend in studying philosophical and religious books. It was not possible to find a separate place in the existing room in the house to store and read those books. While he was looking for the same, someone informed him about space available in the ‘Madarsa of Mufti Sahib’ for a nominal rent. It was a coincidence that he got it. This occasioned to recall his father’s time, during those days, the arrangement of such that at home ladies and gents had a separate place for living. On occupying that room in the ‘Madarsa’ he assumed that arrangement had resurfaced. Now he used to go to the living house, where the other family persons were living, for food and other necessary requisites only, otherwise, besides the office time and was generally confined to this room, because he did not like wandering here and there aimlessly, from the very beginning. 

There is interesting synchronicity between Laalaa Ji and Maulawi Sahib [Hazrat Maulana Fazl Ahmad Khan Sahib, R. A.]. The Prophet has said - “God created souls two thousand years before the bodies.” The excellences and perfections that manifested themselves in him were first in the forecast of God, though last in point of manifestation, among the Prophets. This is the same as the Arabic saying - “first thought, then action.” An engineer thinks of constructing a building. In the plan in his mind, there exists a fully constructed and finished building; but it is only then that actual construction begins. So far as he is concerned, the fully - constructed house already exists in his thought; although material construction is his last act, there have been many stages from start to finish - the digging of the foundation, the collection of materials, the raising of walls, the putting up of the roof. There are mere intermediaries to bring his thought into full material existence.

The creation of the children of Adam could not be complete until a perfect man was born amongst them - one who perfected the object of creation. In him, we believe creation reached its perfection when it accepted the blessed soul of the Prophet. God first makes an estimate, and brings it into objective existence; just as an engineer draws up a plan on paper. The engineer draws up the plan with his pen, but it is the knowledge of the engineer that sets the pen in motion. Similarly, God draws up His plans with the pen of His Power on the tablet of His knowledge. Remember that a tablet is simply an object, which has the aptitude of being engraved upon; and a pen is an object which draws up figures on this tablet. This pen and tablet are not a reed and an oblong board. Materiality is not a condition of their existence. The pen and tablet of God must be suitable to His hand; they are free from material existence. The truth is they are spiritual essences.

Main Gate of Madarsa Mufti Sahib

Immediately upon entering Muftisahab’s ‘Madarsa’ from the main gate there is a stone building, which is Mosque. Adjacent to it, there is a bigger building starting with a raised platform, which is the ‘Madarsa’ [school of Islamic education]. Starting from the left of this building there is a series of cells = कोठरियाँ in an ‘L’ shape ending at the main gate. In between these rooms, there is a small gate, which opens into a narrow street that goes parallel to the school. In this street, his [of Laalaa Ji] above-mentioned house is situated where other members of his family reside.  

The Class-rooms where Maulwi Sahib taught the students.

In the series of these small rooms, the third room from the main gate was occupied by Laalaa Ji and the last, which is adjacent to the school building and almost just opposite the main gate was occupied by one ‘Maulvi’ Sahab [a well- learned person of Islamic Philosophy], who used to teach children, of human-beings and of some invisible-beings, such as Jinn [Although generally invisible, jinn are supposed to be composed of thin and subtle bodies. They can change at will. They would favour the form of snakes, but also appear as Scorpios, lizards or as humans. Usually, the jinn does not interfere with humans, but live in their own societies structured as tribes, similar to those of pre-Islamic Arabian tribal systems.] in this school. He rarely used to go out of school. His life was grounded in teaching the students and in the ecstatic simultaneously.

 Laalaa Ji had a deep attachment with the premises of ‘Madarsa Mufti Sahib’  and, therefore, knowingly or perchance he used to pass through this school building even without a reason. For quite some time it continued like this. Although one is not able to see the soul one gets attracted towards the body occupied by it, in the same manner, he could know it only after getting a glimpse of Maulvi Sahab who is a flower of rose which is exhaling the fragrance all over.

Doesn't look pertinent to repeat that the small gate of the school premises opened in the street just in front of the rented house where his [of Laalaa Ji] family resided. Intentionally, however, Laalaa JI used to take a circuitous route through the main road in front of the school to reach his room in the ‘Madarsa’ premises. The reason for doing this was nothing else except the attraction of Maulvi Sahab. Not much time had passed that he, himself, could not grasp how the chain of salutation [started saying him “Aadab-arz Huzur”]

"Aadaab-arz Huzur", the salutation

 was begun while passing through his room without any formal introduction. It was also not identified by Laalaa Ji as to how a silent blessing started flowing towards him, in response to his ‘salutation’  from the other end, which made him feel so energized and elated that he developed such an addiction to it that he had no control upon him.

The Gallery leading to narrow lane

 It was a landmark [historical and epoch-making event] in his [of Laalaa Ji] life during the evening of December 1891, when he returned late from his office due to some abnormally excessive work. As he walked down on foot it had become dark by the time he returned home. Though it was not the rainy season but that day it was raining with dense clouds and frequent lightning. It was raining continuously and he was completely drenched. Water was flowing down through his body. Why he alone, anyone in that situation would have been shivering badly in that cold and rainy weather. He was in such a bad state that he could have been an object of pity for anyone. Without giving a thought to his own condition, he, like majnuu.n•مجنوں with shaking feet, was rushing towards his room in the Madarsa-premises. When Maulvi Sahab spotted him and his loving and kind gaze took him in its fold. He immediately felt a warm activation taking place in his heart. Like a piece of iron gets pulled towards a powerful magnet, he was drawn towards that Angle like a person in the form of ‘Maulvi Sahib’ and reached very close to him. Salutation, today was expressed through eyes, in a hesitant, overwhelmed and dream-like state. He looked at Laalaa Ji. How fortunate he was assuming himself and sooner he heard him saying - “Oh! In this stormy weather you are coming at this time”. Laalaa Ji started sinking into the ocean of his love. He gradually lost all his senses. Tears started rolling out of his eyes continuously and the rain outside was arousing a feeling of unity. O! Voice, your existence has proved meaningful today; O! Eyes, you are fortunate; O! Ears, your effort has fructified today. This blissful union be auspicious, auspicious, and auspicious.

Anybody can look back to no keener intellectual pleasure than those moments in the premises of Madarsa with the sleet howling outside, and their budding relation of a Guru and disciple in the calm rhythm of deep-rooted esotericism, “emphasizing the purpler passages with lifted voice and gesticulating finger.”

Laalaa Ji has expressed through his biographical sketches in Urdu [now translated into English], in his memoirs are being extracted here.

 'The moment I caught his gaze instantly something like an electric current passed through my entire body from the fingers of my feet to the vertex of my head. My body and mind got filled with a strange stimulating vibration. It appeared as if another soul was trying to subsume the existence of my soul in its own existence. And then I heard the sweet melodious voice of Maulvi Sahab, who was saying-“O! Son, go to your room and come back again after changing your drenched clothes to me for warming up your body by the side of the fire for some time before going to your residence”. This humble servant followed his orders and came back quickly after changing my clothes, to sit on his lotus feet. In the meantime Huzur Maharaj had lighted up an earthen stove (बरोसी - गोबर के कण्डे जलाने वाली अँगीठी], which by now was red hot. He made me lie down on his cot and covered me with his quilt. The bliss, absorption and light then were so intense and supreme that the force of rain and brightness of lightening both appeared dim in front of this flow. In my mind, heart and entire body, both within and outside, I was constantly feeling the same vibration. It was the feeling of divine bliss and a warm feeling of emotion in which it appeared that the soul wanted to absorb my mind and heart in it or one may say that my body and heart were getting absorbed in the soul, which was pulling the entire creation towards its Creator. At times I felt as if my entire body was melting and flowing down in the form of bright atoms and that I existed only in the form of light. This was the first occasion; I was in the company [Satsang] of Huzur Maharaj for about two hours. When it receded to rain, I took his permission to return home. On coming out of his room it appeared to me as if the earth, the sky, all creatures, all plants and trees, everything was merged in that light and was dancing. All the spiritual chakras from the lowest to the highest had awakened on their own and were singing the song in praise of their Beloved. Not only this but now the place and form of this “Ram Chandra” in this impious body had been taken by Samarth Sant Sadguru Huzur Maharaj Maulvi Shah Fazl Ahmad Khan Sahib Raipuri, Kaimganji, Naqshbandi, Mujaddidi, Mazahari. I returned home but did not feel like eating. Instead, my mind was totally sunk in that state of absorption and with that powerful experience. I lay down and fell into a deep sleep. At around four in the morning, I saw in a dream that some great saints were present in a large gathering of elite people. Instantly from out of a glow of light, a throne descended from the sky and a greatly divine and charming saint appeared to be sitting on that throne in front of the crowd. Immediately my revered Master Hazrat Qibla Janab Maulvi Fazl Ahmad Khan Sahab Quddas Sirrahu [holy soul-a title to show reverence] very politely produced this seeker before him. That divine soul accepted this humble servant and looking at me said-right from the time of birth your inclination is towards the Truth.’ The rest of his communication was not in words but a mental transmission which got registered directly into my mind. I woke up in the morning and after following the day’s routine this Murid [follower-disciple-lover] of Hazrat Qibla visited him in the evening and narrated to him what I had seen in my dream. He got so delighted that tears started rolling out of his eyes. He then embraced me and said-“in fact right from birth your inclination is towards the Truth; there is no doubt about it. This dream and these words were spoken about you may prove auspicious to you.” After this, he sat in meditation for a while and spoke as if he had recollected something-“you are in fact a dear and loved one. I used to see you daily when you crossed me and used to feel that you saluted me with full preparation. Every fibre of my body used to feel elated and blessings on their own used to flow; I used to feel that I was eager to touch you. For the whole day, I used to wait for you; I used to see you, console my heart and used to feel the intensity of your attraction, your love. Each day I sit with new expectations; whatever I have with me is all yours, you can take it whenever you want and so many other thoughts like this. I knew it was not waiting in vain and in this manner Resha-Resha (bit by bit) I started getting absorbed in you. My internal attainments started to reflect in you. My son! This is not a dream. Rarely a person like you come on this earth, for whom no one knows how many people including saints and Mahatmas lay their eyes and wait for hundreds of years. Yes, my son! It is you! It is a result of their prayers that what you have achieved in the very first sitting, people are not able to achieve even after practicing for years. I felt as if a child after spending the whole day away from his mother comes and sucks the entire milk from the breast of his mother and satiates his hunger, in the same manner, you have easily received the spiritual attainments of my whole life. My son, I am not only extremely delighted but feel proud that I got you. It is ordinary to be ‘Fanafilshaikh’ [to merge in the identity of the Master], Ins-ha-Allah [God-willing] Fanafilmuridi [merger of the Master with the disciple] would be proud of you.'

 

Continued ... ... ...

servus servorum Dei,

 Dinesh Kumar Saxena [Grandson, spiritual and de jure heir of H. H. Mahatma Ram Chandra Ji (Laalaa Ji) Maharaj of Fatehgarh (UP) India.]