Mystics, Masters, Saints, and Sages Read online

  PRAISEFOR

  MYSTICS,MASTERS,SAINTS,ANDSAGES

  “A fascinating collection of first-person accounts—across centuries and across

  religious traditions—of the experience of awakening, all held together by the

  commondenominatorof‘SurprisedbyJoy.’”

  SylviaBoorstein,authorof It'sEasierThanYouThink:TheBuddhistWayto

  Happiness

  “Each time you read of one of the encounters with the infinite you feel the tug for yourownrealization.”

  RabbiZalmanSchachter-Shalomi,pastholderoftheWorldWisdomChair,Naropa

  University

  “Equanimityofthemind,contentment,self-reflection,andassociationwithspiritual

  seekersarethefourwaystospiritualenlightenment.Anaspirantofthespiritualpath

  can choose any one of the four. Association with spiritual seekers includes reading the life histories and teachings of saints and sages, spiritual masters, and God-intoxicatedpeoplewhoaremergedintheirdevotiontoGod,bothhistoricallyandin

  the present. Through this book, Bob Ullman and Judyth Reichenberg-Ullman have

  helpedothersfulfillthatneedofassociationwithspiritualseekers,saints,andsages of the East and West, historical and present. I wish them success in their efforts to servepeoplebyvariousmeans.”

  BabaHariDass,authorof SilenceSpeaksfromtheChalkboardofBabaHariDass

  “Finally,abeautifullyconciseandreadableoverviewoftheenlightenedconditionas

  it is expressed through a wide variety of personalities, both historical and

  contemporary.”

  Adyashanti,OpenGateSangha,authorof TheImpactofAwakening

  “Mystics,Masters,Saints,andSages offers a myriad of reflections of the profound potential we have for awakening to our true nature. These inspiring life stories of personaltransformationinspireustodiscoverandembodyatrulyuniversalspiritat

  theheartofourhumanityandtoliveinawaythathonorsit.”

  Dr.JoelandMichelleLevey,authorsof LivinginBalanceand SimpleMeditation

  &Relaxation

  2

  3

  Copyright©2001byRobertUllmanandJudythReichenberg-Ullman

  AllRightsReserved.Nopartofthisbookmaybeusedorreproducedinanymanner

  whatsoeverwithoutwrittenpermission,exceptinthecaseofbriefquotationsin

  criticalarticlesorreviews.Forinformation,contact:ConariPress,2550NinthStreet, Suite101,Berkeley,CA94710-2551.

  ConariPressbooksaredistributedbyPublishersGroupWest.

  CoverPhotography:©KamilVojnar/Photonica

  CoverandBookDesign:ClaudiaSmelser

  LIBRARYOFCONGRESSCATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATIONDATA

  Ullman,Robert.

  Mystics,masters,saints,andsages:storiesofenlightenment/RobertUllmanand

  JudythReichenberg-Ullman.

  p.cm.

  Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex.

  ISBN1–57324–507–0

  1.Religiousawakening.2.Spirituallife.I.Reichenberg-Ullman,Judyth.II.Title.

  BL476.U552001

  291.4′2′0922—dc212001002853

  PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmericaonrecycledpaper.

  010203DATA10987654321

  4

  WededicatethisbooktoBabaHariDass,asilentyogiwhohaspatientlyguided andinspiredusandisalivingexampleofwhatitmeanstobeliberated.

  5

  MYSTICS,MASTERS,SAINTS,ANDSAGES

  Acknowledgments

  Foreword

  Introduction

  1Gautama,theBuddha(624–544B.C.E.,Nepal)

  FromSufferingtoNirvana

  2Hui-Neng(638–713,China)

  FromIlliterateWoodcuttertoSixthZenPatriarch

  3YesheTsogyal(757–817,Tibet)

  LadyoftheLotus-Born

  4JalaluddinRumi(1207–1273,Afghanistan)

  IntoxicatedwiththeBeloved

  5ADiscipleoftheKabbalisticSchoolofAbrahamAbulafia(1240–1291,Spain)

  Kabbalah:TheSecretNamesofGod

  6SaintCatherineofSiena(1347–1380,Italy)

  TheBrideofChrist

  7Kabir(circa1440–1518,India)

  BeyondDogmatoDivinity

  8GendunGyatsoPalzangpo(1475–1541,Tibet)

  PoemsofaMadDalaiLama

  9SaintJohnoftheCross(1542–1591,Spain)

  TranscendingtheDarkNightoftheSoul

  10Hakuin(1686–1769,Japan)

  FallingDownLaughing

  11TheBaalShemTov(1698–1760,EasternEurope)

  TheHeavenlyHasid

  12Bahá'u'lláh(1817–1892,Iran)

  InBondage,YetFree

  13RamakrishnaParamahamsa(1836–1886,India)

  TheEcstaticLoverofMotherKali

  14RamanaMaharshi(1879–1950,India)

  IAmNottheBody,IAmtheSelf

  15Swami(Papa)Ramdas(1884–1963,India)andMotherKrishnabai(1903–1989,

  India)

  ThereIsOnlyRam(God)

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  16ParamahansaYogananda(1893–1952,India)

  BringingCosmicConsciousnesstotheWest

  17MeherBaba(1894–1969,India)

  TheUniversalLoveofanAvatar

  18Krishnamurti(1895–1986,India)

  IAmGodIntoxicated

  19FranklinMerrell-Wolff(1897–1985,UnitedStates)

  PathwaysThroughtoSpace

  20PeacePilgrim(Early1900s–1981,UnitedStates)

  WalkingforWorldPeace

  21GopiKrishna(1908–1984,India)

  TheAwakeningoftheKundalini

  22LesterLevenson(1909–1994,UnitedStates)

  ReleasingforUltimateFreedom

  23JeanKlein(Circa1916–1998,Czechoslovakia)

  FromIndividualtoImpersonal

  24RameshBalsekar(1919–present,India)

  ItHadtoHappen

  25RobertAdams(1928–1997,UnitedStates)

  TheSilenceoftheHeart

  26BernadetteRoberts(1931–present,UnitedStates)

  TheJourneytoNo-Self

  27DeepaKodikal(1941–present,India)

  BecomingtheCosmosWithoutLeavingHome

  28Gangaji(1942–present,UnitedStates)

  WhoAreYou?YouAreTHAT!

  29EckhartTolle(1948–present,Germany)

  ThePowerofNow

  30A.H.Almaas(?–present,Kuwait)

  FindingEssencethroughtheDiamondApproach

  31Shantimayi(1950–present,UnitedStates)

  TheCanneryEnlightenment

  32MataAmritanandamayi(1953–present,India)

  EmbracedbytheDivineMother

  33SuzanneSegal(1955–1997,UnitedStates)

  CollisionwiththeInfinite

  BibliographyandSuggestedReading

  InternetResources

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  Index

  abouttheAuthors

  8

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  WE THANK all of those beings, known and unknown, who have had the sincerity, courage, and unfaltering dedication to put finding God above all else. We express profound gratitude for having the exceptional fortune to have met personally
or to havesatwiththefollowingspiritualteachers.

  Adyashanti, Ammachi, Avatar Adi Da, Baba Hari Dass, Byron Katie, Chagdud

  Rinpoche,HisHolinesstheDalaiLamaforhiswonderfulforeword,DeepaKodikal,

  Eckhart Tolle, Gangaji, Guru Mayi, Jean Klein, Kalu Rinpoche, Karunamayi,

  Kriyananda, Tsering Everest, Mother Hamilton, Mother Teresa, Pir Kalimi, Pir

  VilayatInayatKhan,RamDass,RameshBalsekar,ReshadFeild,SantKeshavadas,

  SatyaSaiBaba,SeungSahn,Shantimayi,SheikhSuleimanDede,ShlomoCarlebach,

  ShreeMaa,ShriShivabalayogi,ShriShriAnandamurti,SwamiChidananda,Swami

  Ganapati Satchidananda, Swami Krishananda, Swami Muktananda, Swami

  Satchidananda,TonyParsons,YogiBhajan.

  SpecialthankstoMaryJaneRyan,whobelievedinthisprojectfromthestart,and

  toLeslieBerriman,HeatherMcArthur,ClaudiaSmelser,BrendaKnight,andtherest

  ofourConarifamilywhohelpedbringthisbooktofruition.AlsotoSatprakashofthe

  PiccadillyBookStallinNewDelhi,whohasthemostcompleteyetcompactspiritual

  bookstoreintheworld.

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  FOREWORD

  BYHISHOLINESSTHEDALAILAMA

  ASHUMANBEINGS,weallwanthappiness,peace,andreleasefromsuffering.Weoften

  thinkthattheenlightenedonesaresomehowspecial,differentfromus,withastateof

  mind that is unattainable to an ordinary person. And yet, each human being has an equal opportunity to attain wisdom, happiness, and enlightenment by cultivating a correctmotivation—asincereaspirationtobenefitallsentientbeings—andengaging

  indiligentpractice.

  Whether in the course of one lifetime or many, it is possible for each of us to overcome ignorance and delusion and find release from the cycle of life and death.

  The Buddha, like many of the individuals described in this book, was born an ordinaryperson.Hewasbroughtupasaprince,married,andhadason.Then,after

  observingthesufferingofhumanbeings—thattheygrowold,fallsick,anddie—he

  totally renounced the worldly way of life in his determination to find a solution to human suffering. Having undergone severe physical penance, he purified and

  illuminedhismindthroughintensemeditation,andattainedsupremeenlightenment.

  InthiswaytheBuddhasetanexampleforhisfollowers.Purifyingthemindisnot

  easy.Ittakestimeandhardwork.Butthisistrueofanyhumanenterprise.Youneed

  tremendouswillpoweranddeterminationrightfromthestart,acceptingthattherewill

  be many obstacles and resolving that despite them all you will continue until you haveattainedyourgoal.Buthavingattainedenlightenment,theBuddhadidnotretire

  intoisolation.Movedbyaspontaneousconcerntohelpothers,hespenttherestofhis

  lifeasahomelessmonk,sharinghisexperiencewitheveryonewhowishedtolisten.

  HisentiredoctrinecanbepresentedwiththeFourNobleTruths,thesubjectofhis

  firstdiscourse.Whatweseekishappiness;happinessistheeffectofacause;whatwe

  donotwantissuffering,whichhasitsowncauses.TheBuddha'sviewofdependent

  arising and his advice not to harm anyone, but to help whomever you can, both emphasize the practice of nonviolence. The practice of nonviolence remains one of themostpotentforcesforgoodintheworldtoday,forsuchpracticeisservicetoour

  fellowbeings.

  In this valuable, inspiring book you will find the stories of people known and unknown who have experienced and realized some aspect of the enlightened mind.

  Therichdiversityoftheirexperiencesisvast,yettheirrealizationshaveauniversal quality. From each of their stories, we can develop a greater awareness and

  appreciationoftheirspiritualjourneys,thepositivequalitiestheyembodied,andthe

  understanding and realization of the nature of life that they experienced. It is important to understand that each of these saints and sages was born an ordinary person. Some underwent intensive spiritual practices, including fasting, meditation, physical hardships, and great sacrifices in pursuit of Truth. Others were

  spontaneouslyawakened,perhapsasaresultofpositivespiritualmeritaccumulated

  frompreviousbirths.

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  Alltheworld'sspiritualtraditionshaveprovideduswithexamplesofpersonswho sought wisdom and practiced compassion in their lives. We can see that the

  illuminationofmindisauniversalphenomenon.ItcanhappenintheEastandWest,

  North and South, among all races and religions, even among people who have no religion.

  Wemustthinkofourselvesashumanbeingsfirstandforgetthedistinctionsthatin

  our imagination divide us. In this era of great change and upheaval, we must work urgently and diligently to ensure that everyone has the basic necessities for life, to ensure that everyone has political and religious freedom, and to protect the Earth fromenvironmentalexploitationanddevastation.

  June16,2001

  11

  INTRODUCTION

  WHATISENLIGHTENMENT?

  TO “ENLIGHTEN” means, literally, to provide knowledge or spiritual insight, to illuminatewhatwaspreviouslydarkorobscured.Thosewhodescribeenlightenment

  experiences recount a shift out of their ordinary frames of reference. Their

  worldviews become markedly different from what they had been before the

  experience.Manyindividualsreportneveragainbeingthesameandthattheirsense

  of individuality and separateness evaporated, often permanently. This alteration leavestheseenlightenedbeingsinastateoffreedom.Theyarestillthemselves,and

  yettheyarenot.Theycontinuetoliveouttheirlivesintheirphysicalbodies,yettheir identificationisnolongerconfinedtothebodyorthemind.Forsome,eventheworld

  itselfas anything morethan an illusion disappears.Those who attainenlightenment become liberated, released from the attachment to suffering and limitation of any kind.Theyareabsolutelyfree,andextraordinarilyawakened.

  Enlightenmentisanaspirationofmanyseekersregardlessofreligionorbirthplace,

  often pursued over the course of decades or lifetimes. There are those who believe enlightenment occurs primarily at birth. Some say whether or not one attains

  enlightenmentduringthecourseofhisorherlifetimeisamatterofdestinyorkarma.

  Othersdescribeitasanaturaloutcomeofseriousanddiligentspiritualpractice,and

  stillotherssayitcanhappentoanyoneanytime,byrealizingwhathasalwaysbeen

  one'struenature.Infact,someteachersofnondualismwouldgosofarastosaythere

  is no one to be enlightened because there are no separate beings. The focus of this book is on those beings who were not fully awakened at birth but went through a describableprocessoftransformation.Thisprocessisforsomeblissfulandecstatic,

  forothersarduousorterrifying.

  There is something palpably different about someone who has undergone an

  experience of revelation and transformation that leads to enlightenment. His or her countenancemayexhibitserenity,humor,andinnocentjoy,ortheseverefeaturesof

  yearsofausterity,orevenapparentinsanity.Thereisaprofoundrealizationofliving fully in the present moment: a deep sense of relaxation that arises from the understandin
gthatthereisnowhereelsetogoandnothingelsetodo.Amagnanimity

  and spaciousness is observed as compared to the finite, limited nature of the individualself,andacompletesenseofapparentindifferenceornonattachmenttothe

  world or social norms may also be present. Enlightened beings often exude a

  sweetness that draws others to them like bears to honey, or contrarily, some may displayacrusty,obnoxious,orobsceneisolationismthatdrivesawayallbutthemost

  persistentandworthyaspirants.Thoughmanyenlightenedbeingsseekseclusionand

  remainunknown,othersattractthousandsofseekerswhocometothemforblessings

  andteachings,theanswerstotheirinnermostquestions,freedomfromtheirworldly

  problemsandconcerns,and,ultimately,theirownliberation.Enlightenmentappears

  mysteriousandelusivetotheunawakenedyettheordinaryandnaturalstateofbeing

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  forthosewhoareliberated.

  The mystics, masters, saints, and sages here, drawn from the world's spiritual traditionsorfromtheirownindividualpaths,haveexpandedtheirhumanexperience

  toembracethecosmicoruniversalaspectsofhumanlife.Theyhaveachieved,orat

  least tasted, that which is desired but eludes the vast majority of human beings: profound peace, extreme happiness, and a deep understanding of truth. Although these masters and saints can inspire us, teach us, and show us the way they found peace, each of us in our own way must ultimately discover our own paths to self-realization,peace,andhappiness.Mayweallawakentowhowetrulyare.

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  CharacteristicsoftheEnlightenmentExperience

  Theactualexperienceofenlightenmentisuniquetotheindividualandiscolored,to

  some degree, by her prior experience, spiritual tradition, and culture temperament.

  Thoughthisishardlysurprising,theredoseemtobe,however,certainfeaturesthat

  arecommontoallofthosewhosharethephenomenonofawakening.

  To consider enlightenment as an experience at all can seem to contradict our notionsofno-mind,absorptionintotheinfinite,andemptiness,yetsomethingindeed