CHAPTER VII
THE MASTER IN SAMADHI
The Master has Narendra seated by his side. He fixes his eyes on him. He moves down to sit closer to him. Narendra does not believe that God incarnates Himself. But what does that matter? The Master's love for him is still as great as ever!
Touching his person the Master says to him, "Dost thou feel that thy dignity has been wounded? Be it so; we, too, are of the same mind with thee and feel for thee."*
Did the Master see with his inner eye that, after all, Narendra was right in declining to admit that God could incarnate Himself? Is He not our own Father and Mother? Why does He not then strike the light in the inner chamber of the soul and give us the power of beholding the Blessed Vision as God Incarnate? Is not His own child justified in having a sense of wounded dignity upon being denied the inheritance of True Knowledge, which he may well claim to be his own by the right of birth?
* These were words addressed by her companions, the Gopis of Brindâvan, to Râdhâ, the greatest lover of God-Incarnate, Sri Krishna.
Disputation and the Realisation of God.
(To Narendra): So long as one goes on questioning and reasoning about God, one has not seen Him as the Reality. You two were engaged in disputation. That, however, was not to my liking.
How long may the noise last that is produced in a house where a feast is made, to which a large party is called? Why, so long as they have not commenced to eat. When dishes are served and the guests fall to, three-fourths of the noise is gone. Then the courses of sweetmeats—the more they are dealt out, the more does the noise subside; when the turn comes for the curds (the last course) only one sound is heard, 'soop-sup.' The feast over, the next thing for the guest is to go to sleep!
The nearer you come to God the less are you disposed to question and reason. When you come up to Him, when you behold Him as the Reality,—then all noise—all disputations are at an end. Then it is the time for sleep, i.e., for enjoyment which comes in Samadhi, in which one is in a state of communion with the Soul Divine.
Saying this, the Master gently strokes Narendra's person, touches his sweet face and caresses him, saying,
'Hari Om,' 'Hari Om,' 'Hari Om,' 'God the Absolute'
Why is he doing all this? Does the Master behold the Vision Divine manifest in Narendra? Does he behold the Real Man in the apparent man before him? Is this the same as seeing God in man?
What a miracle passes before the eyes of the disciples! Look on the Master, and see how his sense-consciousness begins to leave him! Look again, and see it has left him altogether! Is this the trance with semi-outer-consciousness spoken of about Gouranga (Chaitanya), God of Love Incarnate at Nadia! Even now, the Master's hand continues to rest on Narendra's body! Is he actually engaged in serving God (Narayana) manifest in the man before him and touching His feet? Or, is he breathing into him the Inspiration1, the Power that comes from Above.
Look! Yet other changes come over the Master! Behold what he says to Narendra with folded hands! "A song (do thou sing):—then I shall be restored—how else shall I be able to stand on my legs?—my Nitye2!—O! He is deep drunk, intoxicated with the wine of Divine Love, the Love for Gourânga (God-Incarnate)."
A short while and he is speechless again—speechless like a marble statue! Drunk with the joy of the Lord the Master goes on saying—
"Take care, Râdhâ, lest thou dost fall into the Jamuna, O! Thou art mad with ecstatic love for Him Who hath incarnated Himself at Brindaban, the Lord Sri Krishna!"
I Sakti-sanchâra.
2 Nitye or Nityananda, brother in the Lord of Sri Chaitanya. He was full of the madness of love for Chaitanya whom he regarded as God-Incarnate.
Once more in deep Samadhi! Getting back to sense-consciousness he repeats portions of a well-known song of Râdhâ—
"O! my friend, how far is that blessed woodland, the land where is to be seen my own Beloved One?
Behold; here comes the fragrance from the Blessed Person of my Beloved!
I am unable to take any step forward, oh my friend!"
Now he has lost all sense of the world—he does not bear in mind any thing or any person in his present state—Narendra is seated before him, but apparently he does not see him. He has lost all consciousness of time and place! The mind, the heart and the soul have all become absorbed in God!
Behold, he stands up saying, "Deep drunk with the wine of Divine Love, with love for the Fair Lord!" A few moments and again he takes his seat.
He says, "Yonder is a light coming this way—but I cannot even now say whence the light comes from. Now Narendra begins to sing:
SONG.
God-vision.
1. Oh Lord! Thou hast blessed me with Thy vision and so hast removed all my sorrows.
A charm hast Thou thrown over my soul!
2. Beholding Thee the Seven Worlds forget their grief!
What to speak of my poor self, so mean and unworthy!
Listening to the song the Master has once more lost all sense of the outer world! His eyes are closed. His body and limbs are still! He is in a deep Samadhi.
* * * *
The Samadhi over, he exclaims, "Who is it that will take me home to the Temple?"
A child looking for a companion! Left alone, it sees nothing but darkness round about.
It is getting late. It is the night of the 10th day of the dark fortnight in Falgun. The Master has set his face to go to the Temple at Dakshineswar. He is seated in the cab which will take him there. The disciples all stand on either side of the carriage to see him off. Even now he is deep drunk with the Joy of the Lord!
The cab rolls away. The disciples look on for a few moments and then go their ways each to his own home.