Monday, February 8, 2010

Gautam in Cave of Babaji - Utpalavati's Story

Gautam Dhar in Mahavatar Kriya Babaji's Cave on Dronagiri Mountain, Himalayas - Notice Energy Circles on RightGautam in the Cave of Babaji picture above: He writes of the spheres that appeared in the picture above: Energy Circles: Later while viewing the photos, I found one photo after another where energy circles could be seen on my right. I discussed this with my Uncle, Dr. Rajeev Kaushik, who is a Sahaj Yogi and has recently published a book with Rupa Publications on Kundalini Yoga describing his experiences and revelations. He explained that such energy circles and usually seen at charged and sacred places where sages have done tapas or establish their presence in astral form.

The link below contains the first excerpt from Gautam Dhar’s story that we printed two days ago: “In Search of Mahavatar Babaji’s Cave on Dronagiri Mountain, Himalayas, India. http://virtual-babaji-vishwananda.blogspot.com/2010/02/in-search-of-mahavatar-babajis-cave.html

Today
, we include a Part II excerpt. Also, we include a brief story of a similar experience to Gautam Dhar’s story that Utpalavati had in Badrinath, India while looking for Babaji in the Himalayas around Badrinath. Link to Gautam’s blog for his complete story: http://gdhar.com/2009/08/08/in-search-of-mahavatar-babajis-cave/

GUATAM’S
STORY EXCERPT PART II
Guide welcomes us! On a lighter note, I later pointed out to my Father a little incident that had happened earlier while we were inside the Smriti Bhawan up in the mountains after our visit to the Cave [of Babaji].Father had mentioned about the challenges involved in our trek (from the heavy rains to the difficult trek) and I had casually remarked back (almost boasting) “what more challenge can Babaji present us with?” We chuckled later that Babaji indeed gave us another small challenge by making us take the wrong route and getting us lost in the forest. The Lord works in mysterious ways to teach us lessons, both big and small in life.

Our trek back became very tiring due to the extra fatigue we had to undergo after losing our way up in the mountains. We took frequent breaks and just sat in silence to breathe in the mountain air. At one spot, we came across a Black Dog who was waiting on the edge of the mountain by a boulder and came running towards us as we approached that spot. Since I have never been close to dogs (that’s another story), my father cajoled him into making him go away. On a very interesting note, the dog stayed ahead of us all the way to Kukuchina and even stopped and waited for us as we took breaks during our trek back on the stony Himalayan path. We both had our own ideas about the dog, which would be revealed later to us by Sh. Netraballabh Joshi at Joshi Tea Stall.

Arrival back at Kukuchina: After about 55 minutes, we arrived at Kukuchina at 3:30 PM and Mr. Joshi greeted us with a smile. My father was quick to request 2 hot cups of Himalayan tea and a couple pieces of bread to chase away the fatigue of the trek. We also met Shri Netra Ballabh Joshi with whom we held discussion on Mahavatar Baba, Mahabharata, Ashwatthama, and other related topics. .. He also told us about the dog that had been guiding visitors on the 2 KM stretch back to Kukuchina for a few years now. I silently bowed down to the humble creature for his generous services and we later fed him with Biscuits and Bread as a small token of our gratitude.


Searching for Mahavatar Kriya Babaji on a Himalayan Mountain at Badrinath, India, by Utpalavati:

Realized and implemented by a series of spiritual experiences and a beautiful and profound etheric, vision-darshan of the Avatar Rama, in 2002, I traveled to Badrinath, India in the High Himalayas searching for Mahavatar Kriya Babaji. He first appeared to me around 1986 and began a series of meditations together with me in my etheric body, as we sat facing each other in padamasana in a certain cave in the Himalayas. Throughout this lifetime, I usually have a “main” spiritual teacher and work with many others in the etheric and in the physical simultaneously. From 1986 untill 2006, Babaji was never a “main” teacher but randomly would appear in my life and disappear again. All that changed when I met Swami Vishwananda in 2006 and Babaji has been consistently one of my teachers since then.

Even though I saw Babaji regularly in the inner vision and sometimes in the room with me, after the vision of Ram I decided to travel the Rama Trail in India and to go to Badrinath to search for him. I began the 5-week Rama Trail at Badrinath. But it was my quest for meeting The Immortal Babaji that captured my heart in Badrinath. I seriously trekked up the mountain above the Vishnu temple searching for Babaji and praying that like Lahiri Mahasays before me, Babaji would suddenly manifest in front of me and we would have meditation together and a talk in the Himalayas. My actions in my quest to see Babaji in the Himalayas were enacted with fervor and longing and a deep abiding love, even though I saw Babaji frequently in the inner eye, and in the etheric dimensions, and sometimes in the room with me.

This reminds me of a story of a saint in India. He took a small group of people on a trip to one of his ashrams high in the Himalayas. On the way, they stopped at a game preserve to have a picnic lunch which they had brought with them. After lunch, the group along with the saint, decided to look for wild elephants, a service the game preserve keepers offered. Everyone was so excited at the prospect of seeing elephants in the wild and in their natural habitat. The saint quietly went along with the group. Later he told them that he found it strange that they were so excited to see wild elephants, when they were riding on tamed elephants in search of wild elephants! In retrospect, I think that my looking for Babaji had some of those same elements in it. And, still, I might look for Babaji in the Himalayas again someday!

On my trek up the mountain in Badrinath, at one point I looked across the valley and to my absolute amazement, on the opposite mountain and across the valley between the two, stood Paramahansa Yogananda in full view. I had the thought, “I wish you were walking instead on this mountain with me today.” And then Yogananda simply vanished.

A few steps ahead, after I had seen Yogananda, a dog looking like the breed we call, German Shepherd, came walking toward me from above on the trail. The dog stopped directly in front of me and I looked into his eyes. It felt like I was looking into the mesmerizing eyes of Babaji and into eternity. Our eyes locked for some time and a null zone-like quietness suddenly appeared all around the dog and me. It felt like time stopped, and sound and everything ceased. I felt like only the dog and I existed, and we were everything that is, as strange as that may sound. Finally, I decided to walk past the dog to the right side of the path. To my astonishment, the dog turned around and walked either ahead of me or beside me for the rest of the trek up the mountain. I called him, Yogi Dog!

I reached a place on the mountain where many waterfalls form a half circle around the mountain and a branch of the sacred Ganges River roars in white-capped water rushing down the mountain and into and past the town of Badrinath. The grass on a certain hill there looked like velvet and wild flowers of many colors and varieties were growing profusely in July of that year. I sat on the hill for about two hours in meditation and reverie. Yogi Dog sat there with me. Occasionally I would open my eyes as if prompted from within and every time, Yogi Dog would look as if he were meditating with me, but as I looked at him he would throw his head back and become alert again. Then he would look all around and I had the distinct feeling that he was somehow sent by Babaji to “guard” me and be my companion on the mountain seeking Babaji.

The clouds and misty fog began rapidly rolling down the mountain closer and closer. Suddenly, I realized that if the thick fog reached down to where I was sitting and then on ahead of me that I might not be able to find my way back to the village at Badrinath. So I decided to begin to walk back down to the village. Yogi Dog stood up as I did, and he walked down the mountain with me as he had walked up with me, either in front or beside me.

At the edge of the village, Yogi dog dropped back behind me for a moment. I thought that I would go to my hotel assuming Yogi Dog would go all the way there with me as he had been with me for hours. I intended to go to the kitchen and purchase some food for him. As strange as it may sound, I turned around with the intent to actually say to Yogi Dog to please come to the hotel with me and I would find food for him. Only a brief few moments had passed since I had seen him walking behind me. To my amazement, Yogi Dog had disappeared. I looked all around and even walked back up the mountain a short distance looking for him, but Yogi Dog simply had vanished as if into thin air.

I am certain that Mahavatar Kriya Babaji sent Yogi Dog to me that day. And, truthfully, while in the experience, it felt like Babaji walked beside me on that mountain and meditated with me that fateful day in Badrinath, the abode of Vishnu, the locals lovingly will inform you!

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wonderful, thanks so much! JGD

Unknown said...

Dear Utpalavati,
Thank you for sharing those two lovely stories with us. I felt like being there in the Himalayas myself.
Jay Gurudev!
Dakshesh

Anonymous said...

It appears the links to Guatam's story page have been blocked or captured by someone...they were working this morning - what causes this?

At any rate an inspiring story of a sojourn to Babaji's cave. Utpalavati's story is of equal inspiration and for those of us who can not or have not been privileged to make such a sojourn - we thank you - we are grateful for you sharing with us. Namaste.

Vishwananda-Swamini Vishwalakshmianandama said...

To 3rd Comment: Gautam's blog site is working functioning now. Please try again.

Melissa said...

Thank you so for sharing your story, how absolutely beautiful!!!! I acutally am a dog lover and a Babaji devotee, so I can so appreciate! I feel the omnipresence in the heavenly dog that we are so lucky to have living with us in our home. And my children and I adore this wonderful dog, and praise joy to seeing her all the time ~ (as if she is Babaji herself)!

Voiceoflight said...

It was indeed very mystifying to see the black mountain dog after 1997, when I had last seen him. We were on a pilgrimage to Babaji's/Lahiri Baba's cave in june that year. The dog came and leaned inside the van to lick the feet of my Guru Maharaj one by one. It accompanied Him all the way to the cave and back. It would NOT accept any biscuit or bread from anyone but Baba. After much cajoling and requests, Baba revealed the dog's story(previous life). I wonder if it is the same dog or another one. Maybe Netraballabh Joshiji can enlighten us. If someone goes to Kukuchina and finds out it will be agreat personal favour