--- In [email protected], bob_brigante <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > [NOTE: Brahmachari Satyanand had been a disciple of Guru Dev for > many > > years. He later worked with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi to help bring > > Transcendental Meditation to the world. ] > > > > > > Brahmachari 'Swami' Satyanand speaking c1967 about Guru > Dev's 'nirvana': > > > > 'When in 1953 Guru Dev left this mortal frame and attained nirvana I > > was at Benares, another place of pilgrimage for Hindus, and at that > > moment I was staying in the ashram of Guru Dev. Everybody knew that > I > > am very attached to Guru Dev and devoted to Guru Dev, and then news > > came to Benares that Guru Dev has attained nirvana. I was sitting > > somewhere with a group of my friends and the news was relayed there. > > When my friends heard that Guru Dev was no more they were very > anxious > > about me and when they conveyed that news, they were rather alert to > > appraise whatever reaction is and what happened, I simply, when I > > heard that news I became very sad, very sorry and I just kept my > head > > on the table before me. And all of them were very anxious what will > > become of me. But soon after, while I was very morose, sorrow, sad, > > entire world was empty for me and I did not understand what to do > > without Guru Dev, just a half a minute or two seconds after, a flash > > came and it appeared to me that Guru Dev was scolding me; > > > > "What a fool you are! > > You have been with me for all these many months and years, and you > > heard my discourses too. > > Is it a moment of feeling sorry? > > Why should you be sorry today? > > And you think that I am gone, where am I gone? > > Till now whenever you wanted to meet me, you had, you had to come to > > the place where I was, and today when I have attained nirvana, I am > > everywhere, I am omnipresent. > > Where have I gone? > > Very foolish for you to mourn on this occasion. > > I am with you, here, there, everywhere. > > Why should you be sorry?" > > > > And the moment this flash came, my face became very brilliant, I > > became very cheerful. And when I raised my head, my friends who were > > standing there, very anxious and held in suspense, they were upset > to > > see my brilliant and cheerful face. And then they said, "What has > > happened to you?" I said, "No you can't understand, nothing has > > happened to me, I am alright, now let me go back to the ashram and > > make the necessary arrangements".' > > > > > > ********************* > > From Vasistha's Yoga http://tinyurl.com/6xndt , p. 47: > > RAMA asked: > > Lord, what are the characteristics of Jivanmuktas (liberated while > living) and Videhamuktas (liberated ones who have no body)? > > VASISTHA replied: > > He who, while living an apparently normal life, experiences the whole > world as an emptiness, is a Jivanmukta. He is awake but enjoys the > calmness of deep sleep; he is unaffected in the least by pleasure and > pain. He is awake in deep sleep; but he is never awake to this world. > His wisdom is unclouded by latent tendencies. He appears to be > subject to likes, dislikes and fear; but in fact he is as free as the > space. He is free from egotism and volition; and his intelligence is > unattached whether in action or in inaction. None is afraid of him; > he is afraid of none. He becomes a Videhamukta when, in due time, the > body is dropped. > > The Videhamukta is, yet is not, is not "I" nor the "other." He is the > sun that shines, Vishnu that protects all, Rudra that destroys all, > Brahma that creates; he is space, the earth, water and fire. He is in > fact cosmic consciousness -- that which is the very essence in all > beings. All that which is in the past, present and future -- all > indeed is he and he alone.
Toward the end of a lecture at TTC I brought up this question to Maharishi: "When someone reaches Unity Consciousness, does that mean they are just like, for example, Lord Krishna?" Maharishi quickly responded, "No, that requires a series of incarnations into bodies much finer than the physical." At that, he abruptly ended the lecture. It appeared that he didn't wish to pursue it any further. Depending on one's point of view, the following extensive explanation from Swami Krishnananda may give some clarity to that question. You have to read at least the the whole first page to begin to 'get the picture'. Go to link: http://www.swami-krishnananda.org/realis/realis_6a.html
