Over the years there has been great interest and mystery associated with sages (Yogis with super natural powers) that live in the Himalayan region.
These advanced Yogis by virtue of their penance and Sadhna and mastery over Yogic practices, can choose to live for ever. They are therefore immortal and usually live in seclusion in the inaccessible portions of the Himalayas .They are known to be perpetually engaged in Sadhna and worship for the betterment of mankind.
The enclosed article is an amalgation of fascinating incidents related to encounters of ordinary people with such immortal sages and Yogis. These are accounts of ordinary people that have chanced upon these immortal sages in the Himalayan region, or have been helped by them in times of extreme distress and have chosen to write or talk about their magical experiences
The enclosed article is a direct quote from Akhand Jyoti Magazine, and is an article published in the March-April issue of the magazine in 2004.(Certain language modifications have been made to the quoted text for ease of reading).
These advanced Yogis by virtue of their penance and Sadhna and mastery over Yogic practices, can choose to live for ever. They are therefore immortal and usually live in seclusion in the inaccessible portions of the Himalayas .They are known to be perpetually engaged in Sadhna and worship for the betterment of mankind.
The enclosed article is an amalgation of fascinating incidents related to encounters of ordinary people with such immortal sages and Yogis. These are accounts of ordinary people that have chanced upon these immortal sages in the Himalayan region, or have been helped by them in times of extreme distress and have chosen to write or talk about their magical experiences
The enclosed article is a direct quote from Akhand Jyoti Magazine, and is an article published in the March-April issue of the magazine in 2004.(Certain language modifications have been made to the quoted text for ease of reading).
Quoted Text from Akhand Jyoti magazine:
The
mystery of Immortal Beings(Yogis) Living in the Himalayan region:
There was an incident of 1942 when the King of Kumaon invited an army officer of
Western Command, Mr. LP. Farrel for a picnic trip to the hills. There was a special
reason for inviting Mr. Farrel. In spite of his being a Britisher, Mr. Farrel was very
much interested in Indian religion, philosophy and culture.
He had a few opportunities of witnessing demonstration of miraculous feats of some Indian yogis. Under the influence of such events Mr. Farrel had become a pure vegetarian. That is why he always welcomed any opportunity to go towards the Himalayan wilderness, with the hope of meeting some saint or Yogi who could initiate him into spiritual Sadhana(worship).
He had a few opportunities of witnessing demonstration of miraculous feats of some Indian yogis. Under the influence of such events Mr. Farrel had become a pure vegetarian. That is why he always welcomed any opportunity to go towards the Himalayan wilderness, with the hope of meeting some saint or Yogi who could initiate him into spiritual Sadhana(worship).
Mr.
Farrel, the King and the Queen of Kumaon and their entourage reached a place near
Nainital( a place full of natural beauty in the region) .The place so enchanted them that they decided to camp there overnight . So, dozens of tents were pitched and the lonely place got
filled with the hustle and bustle of people . Gossip, merriment, eating and
drinking went on till midnight. Everyone went to bed exhausted with the whole day’s exertions, and immediately slipped into deep sleep.
The first phase of sleep was hardly over when Mr. Farrel felt that there was someone near his cot. He woke up to listen and heard a voice say clearly-"We need the place where your tents have been pitched. You vacate this place. If you are unable to understand this message then you should come to that Northwestern Hill in front of you. I will explain everything to you ."
"But who are you?" – saying this Mr. Farrel got up from the bed and lit his torch. But there was no one. He came out of the tent but there too no one could be seen nor could he hear anyone’s footsteps. After experiencing momentary fear he became normal and then went back to his bed again for sleeping. It was 3.30 a.m by his watch.
The first phase of sleep was hardly over when Mr. Farrel felt that there was someone near his cot. He woke up to listen and heard a voice say clearly-"We need the place where your tents have been pitched. You vacate this place. If you are unable to understand this message then you should come to that Northwestern Hill in front of you. I will explain everything to you ."
"But who are you?" – saying this Mr. Farrel got up from the bed and lit his torch. But there was no one. He came out of the tent but there too no one could be seen nor could he hear anyone’s footsteps. After experiencing momentary fear he became normal and then went back to his bed again for sleeping. It was 3.30 a.m by his watch.
Despite
his best efforts Mr.farrell could not find sleep again. Somehow he was managing to keep his eyes shut. Once again he felt someone’s presence. Still lying on the bed he opened his eyes and saw the shadow of a person standing in front of him. This time again he
uttered the same words- "Who are you"?. As soon as Mr. Farrel
lit the torch, the shadow vanished again . Mr Farrel's body started shaking and
perspiring. This army officer who did not get frightened by watching horrible bloodshed in a war, momentarily got un-nerved and dumbfounded by the mere imagination of a supernatural being. He lay awake in his bed with his eyes
closed till the morning but heard nothing more . A strange attraction was arousing
within him to see the hill mentioned by the shadowy presence. He put on his
clothes and shoes and silently came out of the tent and walked towards that
hill.
Describing
this incident Mr. Farrel has himself written: "The way to the place where
I was directed to reach was very difficult, narrow and dangerous. I was not at
all able to climb up by myself but I was constantly feeling that somebody was showing
me the way and was providing me the energy to climb up. After a hard effort of
three and a half hours I could climb up. It seemed difficult to go ahead due to
heavy breathing and perspiration. So I sat down on a square stone, lying down
on it to take some rest.
Hardly two minutes had passed and the same voice awakened me. ‘Mr. Farrel! Now you put off your shoes and slowly climb down the stone and come to me. With these words in the ears, I looked around and saw that a saint, with very weak constitution but brilliant splendor on the forehead, was standing in front of me.I thought.... I had never met or seen him earlier. "Then how could he know my name"? He was here, then how did his shadow reach in my tent in the night? There was no communication link like a radio or a microphone etc between us. Then how could his voice reach me?
Several such questions arose in my mind. Putting a stop to the unending trail of questions the sadhu said-"Whatever you have heard and seen cannot be understood by ordinary human mind!". To gain understanding , one has to do long sadhana and the practice of yoga, abandoning the worldly pleasures and attraction of the senses. There is a specific purpose for which you have been called here."
Hardly two minutes had passed and the same voice awakened me. ‘Mr. Farrel! Now you put off your shoes and slowly climb down the stone and come to me. With these words in the ears, I looked around and saw that a saint, with very weak constitution but brilliant splendor on the forehead, was standing in front of me.I thought.... I had never met or seen him earlier. "Then how could he know my name"? He was here, then how did his shadow reach in my tent in the night? There was no communication link like a radio or a microphone etc between us. Then how could his voice reach me?
Several such questions arose in my mind. Putting a stop to the unending trail of questions the sadhu said-"Whatever you have heard and seen cannot be understood by ordinary human mind!". To gain understanding , one has to do long sadhana and the practice of yoga, abandoning the worldly pleasures and attraction of the senses. There is a specific purpose for which you have been called here."
Farrel
could not make out whether the saintly person was a human being or a godlike person . The
thoughts arising in his mind were being constantly read by that person like an
open book. Mr. Farrel climbed down the rock and in a short time reached the
place where the Sadhu was sitting. The place was so small that only one person
could take rest there. There was nothing else there except the fire burning in the Dhooni
(firepit).
Farrel
further writes- "The Sadhu patted me on the back with his weak hand and I
was stunned how could this electricity like power be there in that old body. My
body that was almost breaking with pain due to exhaustion - now seemed light
like a flower. As an humble gesture of respect for him I knelt down and touched
his feet. I had seen many sadhus; but I have always felt that sahdus and saints
who had influenced Indian philosophy and increased its dignity were not those
who were roaming around on the roads but they were truly devoted persons who lived in total seclusion. Their physical bodies might weigh 80-90 pounds but the intensity of their energy and power was more than that of thousand bombs going off together and
they were the storehouses of knowledge."
The
Sadhu continued to tell me-"I have inspired a youth to reach the place where your tents
have been pitched. He was my disciple in his previous birth. His sadhana is
half-completed. Now I want to guide him again to undertake his sadhana and
penance for the universal welfare of mankind . But the memories of his previous birth are
dormant. The impressions and circumstances of this current birth are attracting him and keeping him away from his incomplete task.
Therefore he is unable to take up his sadhana again. I have called him to me through
subtle inspiration. If he comes here and is unable to locate the directed
place, then he will get confused and will go back to his home again . If that happens , whatever I want will not
become possible, Therefore, please vacate that place immediately."
Mr.
Farrel said – "Lord! Please tell me also a few things about my previous
birth "? The Sadhu replied-"My son- These siddhis (accomplishments)
are not for demonstration. They are meant for some special purposes and it is
better that they are utilized for that purpose only. Of course, if you wish you can be
present at the time when I show this young man who i have invited the events of his previous birth. Now you
go. People are searching for you in the camp. I too am in a hurry."
Mr.
Farrel returned to the camp. Indeed, people had been searching for him. Mr.
Farrel narrated the incident to the King. They then left that place and pitched
the camp some 200 yards away.
By
the evening of that day, a young man did indeed come searching for that place.
After satisfying himself in all respects, he sat down where the tents had been pitched earlier. In the meantime,
Mr. Farrel also reached there. His curiosity was getting more and more intense
as the time passed. In a short while the Sadhu also reached there. Mr. Farel and the
young man touched his feet and stood waiting for his instructions. The place
was in the centre of a grove of trees.. After lighting a fire, the Sadhu did some
puja, recited some mantras and told us to sit down in a meditating posture. A
ray of light emanated from his forehead and a circular spot of light appeared
on the trunk of a thick tree. Then whatever was seen in the spot was just like
a cinema where they saw the characters actually walking and talking. Like a
movie, they saw the events of the previous birth of that youth with their own
naked eyes. In between the pictures, the youth used to get excited and would say – ‘Yes-yes
I had done that’.
At
the end, that youth touched the feet of that sadhu and said "Lord! Now my
attachment with the mundane world is broken. I am ready to take up the
unfinished sadhana of my previous life. Please guide me so that I can complete
the unfinished task."
The
Sadhu said – "My son! Today you take rest here. In the morning, you return
to your home. At an appropriate time, I will call you." After that Mr
Farrel did not know when that youth was called again? What became of him later and
with what name did he became popular? But with this Mr Farrel became a staunch devotee of Indian
religion and spirituality. This incident has been narrated by Mr. Farrel
himself in an article in the May 17, 1959 issue of Saptahik Hindustan (a weekly
Hindi magazine).
A
similar incident is said to have happened in the life of a famous Indian
yogi Sri Shyama Charan Lahiri, popularly known as Lahiri Mahashay, in the book
"An autobiography of a Yogi", authored by Swami Yogananda. Lahiri Mahashay
happened to be Yoganand’s Dada Guru. Lahiri Mahasay was also called Babaji, and was an immortal
siddha purusha of the Himalayas, who taught Yoganada, the science of Kriya Yoga so that the knowledge continued and did not become extinct.
Indian
scriptures are filled with descriptions of immortal souls like Shiva, Bhairav,
Hanuman, Ashwatthama and many such Siddha Purushas. There is a story in Kalki Purana, which
goes like this. When Lord Kalki saw that the entire world had sunk neck-deep in
perversities (like sexual indulgence, anger, greed, attachment, ego, laziness, etc.) and the light of their souls had been extinguished, he decided to guide the
masses groping in the darkness of ignorance. The darkness was dense. The entire
world was badly trapped in the materialistic pursuits and the pleasures of the
senses.
Lord Kalki felt that he lacked the power required for this awakening of the masses. Then his spiritual mentor Parashuram called him to the Himalayas and made him undertake a penance at a place where he (Parashuram) himself had undertaken penance. This penance awakened in Kalki an enormous power, which was needed for the transformation of the era. Lord Parshuram was born in Vedic Yuga, which came much earlier than the Kaliyuga. His presence in Kaliyuga too is an indication of his immortality and a testimony of the fact that immortal souls like him are still present in the Himalayas.
Dr. Hari Dutta Bhatta, has given an interesting description of his mountaineering experience of Janwali (Garhwal) hill, which is located 22000 feet above sea level. This narrative was published in Dharmayuga (Hindi weekly, 23 rd August 1964 issue). He was convinced that some supernormal power saved him and his group from getting buried under a landslide. All these incidents prove the fact that immortal souls possessing fierce supernatural power are still present in the Himalayas and they will remain there for an infinite time.
Lord Kalki felt that he lacked the power required for this awakening of the masses. Then his spiritual mentor Parashuram called him to the Himalayas and made him undertake a penance at a place where he (Parashuram) himself had undertaken penance. This penance awakened in Kalki an enormous power, which was needed for the transformation of the era. Lord Parshuram was born in Vedic Yuga, which came much earlier than the Kaliyuga. His presence in Kaliyuga too is an indication of his immortality and a testimony of the fact that immortal souls like him are still present in the Himalayas.
Dr. Hari Dutta Bhatta, has given an interesting description of his mountaineering experience of Janwali (Garhwal) hill, which is located 22000 feet above sea level. This narrative was published in Dharmayuga (Hindi weekly, 23 rd August 1964 issue). He was convinced that some supernormal power saved him and his group from getting buried under a landslide. All these incidents prove the fact that immortal souls possessing fierce supernatural power are still present in the Himalayas and they will remain there for an infinite time.
Can the Immortal existence Yogis of the Himalayas be scientifically validated ??
To further validate the existence of the Siddha Purushas, or immortal beings in the Himalayas, modern
scientists are also actively engaged in the research for finding the elixir of
life. Zoologists of Russia, France, Britain, Germany, USA, etc. have been
investigating for a long time the process of aging and death. On the basis of
the results obtained so far, they have concluded that death is not an
inevitable phenomenon. Aging is a kind of disease. If it be possible to find a
cure for it, a person could live for a thousand years. The modes and methods of Kayakalpa (rejuvenation) mentioned in Ayurveda also prove this fact.
In
fact death is the result of collapse of life sustaining mechanism in the body.
The gradual reduction in the efficiency of the body organs is the cause leading to death. If the life sustaining mechanisms are kept healthy
and if the process of cell renewal is kept intact, a human being could be kept
alive for an infinite time. Genes are immortal so there is no inevitability of
bodily death.
After
studying Ayurveda, one can easily conclude that ancient seers and scholars had
identified several herbs, fruits and chemicals, which help in the rejuvenation
of the body. There is a popular phrase that explains this : "A person does not eat food; it is
the food that eats a person."
Our physical body is nourished by blood. The latter provides oxygen to the entire body. Oxygen and other nerve fluids sustain consciousness in the body. All this is accomplished and sustained by emotions. It is the thoughts and emotions that give rise to secretions of hormones. These hormones control the metabolic processes within the body. Therefore, it appears that the responsibility of keeping the body healthy rests with our emotions and thoughts which are the real essence of life. There is a bird called ‘Salyon’, which gets sick after laying eggs. After investigation it has been found that after laying the eggs, her pituitary gland (which is centre of thoughts and emotions), gets excited and it starts secreting a hormone called A.C.T.H in huge quantities, which leads to her sickness. This has been found in the case of some other creatures as well. This shows that, if a person makes his thought process robustly positive and keeps his food light, he can keep himself alive and active for a long time.
Our physical body is nourished by blood. The latter provides oxygen to the entire body. Oxygen and other nerve fluids sustain consciousness in the body. All this is accomplished and sustained by emotions. It is the thoughts and emotions that give rise to secretions of hormones. These hormones control the metabolic processes within the body. Therefore, it appears that the responsibility of keeping the body healthy rests with our emotions and thoughts which are the real essence of life. There is a bird called ‘Salyon’, which gets sick after laying eggs. After investigation it has been found that after laying the eggs, her pituitary gland (which is centre of thoughts and emotions), gets excited and it starts secreting a hormone called A.C.T.H in huge quantities, which leads to her sickness. This has been found in the case of some other creatures as well. This shows that, if a person makes his thought process robustly positive and keeps his food light, he can keep himself alive and active for a long time.
Modern
science has no knowledge of the thought control mechanism. Is there power
in the sentiments and emotions of a human being such that they can catch in its purest form the life (genes/ prana ) floating
in the sky? This vidya (knowledge) is known only to accomplished Indian Yogis. Modern day scientists are now agreeing with the existence of such a process . For example in 1975 some zoologists of
Strasberg carried out an experiment for changing the genes of a duck. Two
ducks, one of Campbell variety and the other of Pekish variety, were chosen.
The DNA of the first were injected in the second and that of the second one
were injected in the first. This gave rise to change in the color of both.
Within a few days the dust colour of Campbell started appearing in the Pekish
variety and the neck of Campbell variety started getting white.
Science
can perform only a few experiments of this type. Changing one or two chromosomes
is the first step towards success. The reproductive cells of a human being
contain about 10 billions pairs of nucleotides and every pair has 46
chromosomes. It is difficult to change the behavior of a person without
changing them. Then there are several cells in the body, which after being
formed never change. The question of keeping them healthy is even more of a daunting task. It will take a long time for modern scienctists to search the solution for
this. To study the ageing process further, scientists have suggested that atmospheric temperature should be subzero. Mr Clark in his book ‘Space Odyssey’ has written that in order to undertake a space voyage lasting for 200 to 400 yrs, it will be essential to keep the space voyager in the sleeping state at sub zero temperatures.
The science and knowledge already exists in the science of yoga and the ancient Indian Vedic methods. Looked at from this angle the existence of immortal beings in the perennially frozen regions of the Himalayas cannot be considered as a myth.
In
fact, the Himalayan region has been a special haven of true Yogis and Mahatmas from
times immemorial. The likes of great yogis who have lived in this sacred region
cannot be found elsewhere. It is said that there is "Gyangaj Yogashram" in Tibet,
which is a training institute for Yogis. . This Siddhashram
isolated in the subtle-physical realm and is therefore not accessible or visible to ordinary
persons. Only awakened and gifted Sadhaks have the privilege of
entry into this Siddhashram.
*******
Source and credits:
Akhand Jyoti Magazine published by Gayatri Pariwar. The magazine is based on the writings of Acharya Shriram Sharma.
http://www.akhandjyoti.org/?Akhand-Jyoti/2004/Mar-Apr/ImmortalBeingsHimalayas/
Akhand Jyoti Magazine published by Gayatri Pariwar. The magazine is based on the writings of Acharya Shriram Sharma.
You may also like to read two excellent and related books that have fantastic descriptions of the Himalayan regions as well as descriptions of the sages living in secret regions of the Himalayas in their astral formats. The books also describe the purpose and mission of these saints .
1. My Life its Legacy and Message.2. Companions in Solitude.