Swami Vishwananda's 1st Meeting Mahavatar Babaji

Through an inner prompting to surf the Internet last night, and not knowing for what I was looking, I was yet assured that it was Babaji who was urging me to search. Prompted to Google, “Mahavatar Babaji," I skimmed the titles listed in the first few pages. I was ready at about page nine to stop, as I did not feel energy on any of the entries as to it being the one prompting my feelings that there was something that I should notice. So I left Google. Mahavatar Babaji then said with crystal clarity: “Page 14.” After locating Page 14, the article below is the one on that page that resonated with my heart knowing that it was to this page Babaji was directing me. I read with delight again of Swami Vishwananda's first meeting with Mahavatar Babaji.

After reading the article, then came Babaji’s prompting to place this article on VBV today. I had not read this article before, nor did I know of its existence. I have heard Swami tell the story more than once of his first meeting with Mahavatar Babaji at age five. I am always enthralled, and hang on his every word on the rare occasions I am present when he tells the story. Strangely, I always feel that somehow I know about it in a kind of “remembered” way. For those of you who have read this article, and those of you who have not, may you be blessed by Mahavatar Babaji and Swami Vishwananda as you read it for the first time, or perhaps yet another time. -Utpalavati

BHAKTI MARGA: Relationship between Mahavatar Babaji and Sri Swami Vishwananda

Note: This article was on "Google - Mahavatar Babaji" page 14, less than 24 hours ago my time when Babaji directed me to it: Now... Colorado, USA June 17 at 3:00 p.m., with people reading this blog and clicking on the article, it may be located on page SIX. I have written this note in case anyone is searching on page 14 :) -Utpalavati

Sri Swami Vishwananda speaking: "My tradition, actually, is the tradition of Mahavatar Babaji, a great master who lives in India. I was initiated by him and other masters come through his tradition also. He is the same Mahavatar Babaji who is in Parmahansa Yogananda's lineage? Mahavatar Babaji is in this world, actually, but he's not accessible to everybody.

"I am asked often to tell the story of when I first met Mahavatar Babaji. It happened when I was five years old. I ate one of the most poisonous seeds in Mauritius and I was admitted in the hospital. One day there was a man standing by the window of the hospital, outside, giving sweets to the children in the children's ward. All the children gathered around and he was giving his sweets to them. And I asked him: 'Tell me why you are here.’ I saw his loving eyes and I still remember his eyes. He looked deep in my eyes and said, "I came here to visit all my children and especially you." Of course, five-year-old kids don't understand much about it.

"Babaji held my hand. He put one sweet and one Mauritian rupee into my hand and said, "Do you know who you are?" I really could not understand what he meant by that. And he said, “Look behind me, do you see the light?” I looked behind him but could not see any light. I said, "No, I don't see any light." He said, "Look properly in that direction." And the second time that I looked, I saw bright light, like the sun, and around it there was another halo of light. And with a smile, he said, "That's you." It was very beautiful, but still the mind could not understand it. Then after that he said to me, “I have to go now because your parents, your mum and your auntie are coming." He just disappeared. That is how I met Mahavatar Babaji for the first time.

"Babaji's message is a message of love and unity. It's a message of reconciling one's self, one's mind, with one's true self, the message of self-realization. And his message is very simple. Actually, it's a message of love, how you can apply the universal love in your daily life in whatever you are doing."

Swami Vishwananda's loving veneration of Babaji: "When you fall at the feet of Babaji, think of Babaji and pray to him: 'If you could create this big palace, if you are the source of everything, why will I need just a palace? Isn't it better than I take you completely? You are the ultimate. You are the goal of all life. Let me have you!' In the same way, do not waste your time in wanting things that you know have their limit. Desire the ultimate, and you shall have it! Remember always the Divine Love, the Divine help, the Divinity ultimately within yourself. You are an instrument of this Love, and instrument of this joy and bliss and happiness. You have to reflect it, and for you to want to reflect it, you have to really want that reflection."

The following is an excerpt from the book Unity with the Divine. It is Mahavatar Babaji speaking through scribe Utpalavati (Jean Peterson). Babaji: "The following epistle is addressed to the disciples of Sri Swami Vishwananda; I am his guru. This Epistle serves as introduction of those to you who feel you do not know me or do not, as yet, remember me. Please read this Epistle standing true to your Divine Heart nature, and you will comprehend fully what I am writing indirectly to each of you "between the lines."

Part of the Epistle reads:“In this age, the Kali Yuga is ascending from its long, dark descent and is now rising into the New Age of Golden Light. We encourage you to hold the hand of an enlightened Master, your teacher or your Satguru, and take the steps necessary to evolve yourselves into higher consciousness. We aim to lay out the steps to enlightenment, one by one, in Unity with the Divine. I say to those of you reading these Epistles, ‘Take the hand of your teacher, your guru, your Satguru; take my hand and let us walk together into the light, the life-force of The Divine. Inside all of you exists the seed crystals of Prema, (love), Sathya (truth), Dharma (right action), Shanti (peace), Unity (oneness) and Ahimsa (non-violence). Let yourselves be aware of all these in every thought, word and deed. And you will be free."

Babaji speaking about Swami Vishwananda: "Sri Swami Vishwananda is a different kind of Spiritual Teacher. Once he taught within the traditional structure of the Guru Disciple Relationship wherein the disciple surrenders to the Guru, body, mind and soul. I tell you truly from the heart of Babaji, even then, Swami Vishwananda knew what He was doing! He, in Divine Truth, was teaching His disciples, through life experience and a great challenge, a different kind of lesson than that of ‘surrendering body, mind and soul to the Guru of the past!" -Babaji

Swami Vishwananda says: "I don't teach the way a normal teacher will teach you. I teach you through life, through experience, through challenges. That's how you will build up your spiritual strength. If you are not strong enough you will not be able to make it, because to get self-realization, to get God-realization you can't be weak. You have to be very, very strong to get it, that's how life is."

We refer you to Swami Vishwananda's website for information on the "Guru Disciple and Teacher Student Relationship as He teaches and relates to his disciples and students. And, in truth, this has been Swami Vishwananda's "New Way" of teaching from His beginning! http://www.bhaktimarga.org./