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Lahiri Mahasaya:
At the age of 33 he met his Guru Babaji near Ranikhet in the Himalayas, who revealed to him the ancient missing form of Kriya-Yoga and instructed him to initiate any sincere seekers who may be so interested. Thus a prosperity of Kriya Yoga began in the year 1861.
"Sir", he said, "why do you, a Swami and a renunciant, show such respect to a mere householder?".
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Lahiri was the surname of Schyama Tscharan Lahiri, who lived from 1828 to 1898. Mahasaya is a religious Sanskrit title and means "magnanimous". Lahiri Mahasaya was a contemporary of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and a direct disciple of Mahavatar Babaji. He was the Guru of Swami Sri Yukteswar who was the Guru of Paramhansa Yogananda. Always soft and humble in contact with others, as a Christ-like spiritual teacher he was provided with great miraculous powers and took worldly responsibility as a familiy man as well.
In the only photo of Lahiri known to exist, he is shown with half opened and half closed eyes. This shows his attitude to be at the same time in the everyday outside world of normal life and in the internal world of spirit. Through his exemplary life he taught the people an age-old and nevertheless modern form of Yoga, which shows the correct balance between meditation and the fulfilment of wordly obligations.
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The following quote is written by British author and playwright W. Somerset Maugham and appears in his published work A Writer's Notebook:
It was supposed that something was wrong with the engine, so mechanics were sent for and they did all they knew, but still the train could not go. At last the station-master told the officials of the Yogi. He was asked to get in the train and it immediately started."
Lahiri Mahasaya has been recorded to be responsible for a similar Siddhi in connection with a woman disciple named Abhoya, and might possibly be the original source for Maugham's quote.
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Abhoya and her husband, a Calcutta lawyer, started out one day for Benares to visit the guru. Their carriage was delayed by heavy traffic; they reached the Howrah main station only to hear the Benares train whistling for departure.
The wheels of the snorting locomotive continued to move round and round, but there was no onward progress. The engineer and passengers descended to the platform to view the phenomenon. An English railroad guard approached Abhoya and her husband. Contrary to all precedent, he volunteered his services.
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It should be noted that Lahiri Mahasaya's guru, Mahavatar Babaji, although recorded as being born November 30, 203 AD, is said to be still alive, making him 1800 years old. Reports continue to surface of sightings and meetings with Babaji. It is said that in 1954, at his ashram near Badrinath, in the Garwhal Himalayas, Babaji initiated S.A.A.
Ramaiah into a complete system of 144 Kriyas, or practical techniques, involving postures, breathing, meditation, mantras and devotional techniques. Others have reported seeing him as late as October 1999.
Said to be associated with the mysterious Gyanganj (Jnanaganj) hermitage somewhere in Tibet -- a secret place of great masters. Gyanganj is also known as Shambhala and sometimes Shangri-La.
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