Yogiraj Sri Shyamacharan Lahiri Mahashay

Pranams at the lotus feet of Yogiraj!

Chapter - 10

 Lahiri Mahashay remembered the writings in Yogavashisht about supreme bliss.  The miseries, pain, and sorrows cannot harm the soul, it afflicts the body and sense organs.   The soul forgets its real nature of permanent bliss due to the ignorance and gets attached to the body and sense organs eventually suffer from pain, miseries, grief, and sorrow.   This material world is an illusion, we are soaked in the illusion, therefore, we forget the nature of the soul; we are acting as an instrument and move along with miseries, afflictions, fleeting happiness, sorrows, and grief.  All those sensual pleasures are short living,  they fasten humans more and more into the worldly bondage, ultimately they cause miseries, afflictions, and pain.  A person who understands the fact that the supreme soul who is the source of permanent bliss resides as the soul in all the living beings, so there is no difference in soul and the supreme spirit, eventually came to understand the eternal truth “Aham Bhramasmi”.  The person who understands the highest of the truth that there is no difference between soul and supreme soul, instantly relieved from the illusion and will not be tormented with the pain, miseries, or sorrows.  It is called knowledge of ‘Self’.  

Yogiraj Lahiri Mahashay used to demonstrate humility before his disciple; his home was a pilgrim place for all the pious people.  There were several people used to assemble to listen to his lectures on Bhagavad Gita.  There was Ramprasad Jaiswal who has the business of selling liquor was also one of his devotees of Lahiri Mahashay was present to listen to his speeches,  as usual, the pious people and Bhramin assembled were disliked his presence.  Once a scholar asked him “Don't you feel ashamed of yourself? Why do not you sit away, why are you sitting in the crowd of twice-born? move away from here, and sit in a corner.” Yogiraj felt miserable after listening to the harsh words of the scholar, he stood up from his seat, he called for Ramprasad and said: “ Ramprasad, come and be seated in my place.” Lahiri Mahashay changed his seat. Ramprasad was frightened to see one scholar shouted at him to move away, Yogiraj calling him to take his seat, he was so confused, he thought he must have made some grave mistake, seeing the pathetic situation of Ramprasad, Yogiraj said: “ Come here and take my seat.” He fell at the feet of Yogiraj and said “ Maharaj, kindly do not command me to do so. I cannot commit this terrible sin,”.  Immediately the Zamindar of Kashmipur, Rai Bahadur understood his foolishness, he rushed towards Yogiraj and apologized, and he moved towards Ramprasad and asked for forgiveness, later he took Ramprasad with him and made him sit with him.