Omniscience of Swami Vishwananda

Swami's Vishwananda's Omniscience
A devotee of Swami tells the following story: . . . Once I went to Italy where Swami was giving audiences. I wanted to bow down to him but because of a knee condition, I was unable to do so. Immediately, he said: “I know; I know everything that happened.” He let me know with a reassuring gesture that we would not even mention my knee injury. He said, “Otherwise do you have a question?” In a flash the thought raced through my head: "He knows everything!". . .
At another time in my home, we were having tea in our living room. Swamiji was silent as were we. Along one wall there was a shelf on which books stood two rows deep in several sections. Breaking his silence, Swamiji told his disciple, who was with him, to remove the book from the left in the lowest section and hand it to him. Swami said, “This is the most read book in the house.”

The disciple placed the worn and well-thumbed book on the table in front of him as Swami had requested. As he leafed through the book, one could see how in some passages certain sentences had been marked in different colors. Without looking up, Swami repeated, still leafing through the book, “This is the most read book in the house.” Then he looked directly at me. This was my book of books, no one but I knew how often I had read it over the last fifteen years. The book was Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahamsa Yogananda. Swami had allowed me to experience his omniscience.

Utpalavati: In the end, everything is within, and we must have faith that it is omniscience that one perceives in such experiences and stories. They all can be explained away by the “stupid mind” as Swami Vishwananda calls it. One must experience the truth of such stories with the heart where God, one's own Divinity, is seated.

I have told this story of Swami’s inherent omniscience many times, and I take this opportunity again because I love telling this story. And in meditation this morning I felt inspired to write about Swami's omniscience here today. You may disbelieve my story, think it is just a story, or relate to it however your faith in Swami reveals itself, or however it is you are about such experiences: In 2006 I met Swami and went to one Darshan only, and three months later I stopped by his ashram in Germany for three days and then flew with him, through his grace, to his 28th birthday celebrations in South Africa. (The last two years 2009 and 2010 Swami has celebrated his birthday privately.) In those days in 2006, Swami and his disciples were in the throes of experiencing icon painting. Every night there was a wonderful atmosphere of spiritual celebration as He and His disciples painted happily away into the wee morning hours.

On one such night, I wanted to ask Swami a question, which I had been informed was within the protocol, at the time, if one could find a lull in his painting. I was so intimidated by his obvious spiritual attainment, and the thought of who he might really be in essence, that I could not gather the courage to ask my question. I truly believed that Swami was omniscient and telepathic, and I felt absolutely sure that I could ask my question silently and he would respond, perhaps internally. I can say that since birth, I have been blessed through God's grace, with many teachers in the etheric realms who work with me, and whom I can see and hear in the physical body and world.

At one point during a break Swami was taking from painting, he was speaking with a young man sitting on the floor looking up at him. After some time, I phrased my question in my mind and very strongly, and with absolute confidence, repeated the question three times silently, internally: “Swami please come over here to where I am sitting so that I may ask you a question?” I had unshakable faith that Swami would hear me, but did not know if He would act on what I was asking or not, and I knew that he might answer me in another way.

To my delight, at that moment Swami casually walked over to me and stood looking into my eyes. I was mesmerized, as it seemed I was looking into eternity through his eyes. Also, I was as if paralyzed, as I simply could not say anything! Finally, I thought, “One of us should say something, because this is at the point of “an awkward moment.” Precisely then, Swami threw his arms out wide to his sides perhaps telling me that He had heard my silent question and was open to responding if I would ask the question verbally! At the time, Swami's gesture of open arms reminded me of Christ Jesus as He often is portrayed with arms open wide. Knowing Jesus as a life-long friend and spiritual guide, I immediately felt at ease with Swami as, with arms still open wide, He then simply and emphatically said: “What? I’m here!"

Be still, and know that I am God: . . .
I will be exalted among the heathen,
(unenlightened ones who do not acknowledge God)
I will be exalted in the earth.
Bible: King James

Be Still and Know that I Am God