Remembering the Masters

The Life of Lalaji Maharaj

Introduction:

Great men are not born accidentally. They are born when the world waits for them in eager expectation. Such is the phenomenon of nature. At the time when spirituality was tottering helplessly and solid materialism had usurped the position of spiritualism in human life and yogic transmission had become quite obsolete, the Great Soul of my Master descended down to earth in the form of Samartha Guru Mahatma Ram Chandraji Maharaj of Fatehgarh, U.P. This spiritual genius was born on Basant Panchami day, 2nd February, 1873. His life marks the advent of a new era in spirituality. He was in fact the nature's prodigy and his work in the spiritual field is beyond common conception. He has practically modified the system of Raja Yoga so as to suit the need of the time and the capacity of the people in general. He has made wonderful researches in this science and has made human approach upto the farthest limit possible and practicable for a man in the least possible time. He was completely dynamic so much so that even people not following him got transformed by the action of the effect radiating from him all the while.

There have been great saints of highest calibre in India almost at all times and they have by their teachings and preachings tried to guide through to uplift the masses to a higher level of consciousness. But, of all these, one who can foment us by his own inner powers would be the best for a guide in the spiritual pursuit. It is he and he alone who perceives our inner complexities, understands our real needs and knows how to conduct us along the path up to the final limit. Pranahuti or yogic transmission is of course the chief instrument he works with. That is the only effective process to introduce immediate change to regularise the inner tendencies of our mind so as to effect our gradual transformation. Under the present conditions, when the poisonous effect has over-shadowed the entire cosmos so as to attack every mind and keep it in a constant state of tumult and disorder, when the senses have all gone out of control, and when the individual mind is on the wings every moment, we stand in dire need of such a personality to take us along supporting us by His superior Powers.

This is what we had in the Divine personality of the Great Master referred to above. He introduced an improved system of Raja Yoga which later came to be known as "Sahaj Marg".¹

Early Life and Marriage:

Nearly all the events of the Great Master's life are shrouded in obscurity. He has left no autobiography. In due course, he became so popular and was so much loved by the Hindus as well as the Muslims that, like Kabir, everybody tried to put his own stamps to his teachings.

Lalaji Saheb used to recite Ram Charit Manas for his mother in uncommonly sweet and melodious tones, inherited by him from her. While a child, he inculcated in himself a deep love for music, and had an amazing aptitude for producing an exact imitation of the intonation, etc. of any song which he had heard only once. His mother's spiritual life had a great effect on him and he had, at that young age, developed a strong love for Reality. His mother breathed her last when he was only seven years of age and he was brought up by another lady who loved him dearly and whose affections were repaid by him in full. Lalaji had deep regard for her all her life. Once she wanted to give him all her property but he firmly refused to accept it and, on his own part, gave her presents and help throughout her life.

He was exhaustively educated in Urdu, Persian and Arabic by a private tutor, and learnt Hindi from his mother. He was also trained in Urdu verse. Later on he received his education at the Mission School at Farrukhabad. While at school he lived in a very small room. There lived a Muslim teacher also who coached children privately. He took a strong liking to Lalaji Saheb and sometimes used to help him in his studies. During his school life his love for realisation of God had greatly developed.

He was married to a noble lady of a respectable family. There was sufficient property left [from his aristocratic ancestors], but Lalaji could not live like a rich man as God had willed that he should become a Saint and show the real path to suffering humanity. His father expired some time after his marriage.

Youth and Physical Appearance:

Of perfect build and average height, Lalaji grew up into a perfect specimen of graceful manhood. His gracefulness was an outward expression of his inward harmony of soul. There cannot be a more glorious object in creation than a human being replete with benevolence, meditating in what manner he may render himself most acceptable to the Creator by doing good to His creatures. He had a wheaten complexion and attractive features. His broad and high forehead was indicative of the vast store of intellect lying within him, which he used not as one who uses a lamp for his own seeing, but like a lighthouse to guide those at the sea. Most remarkable were his eyes which were like two bright stars which appeared to see through everyone and everything. They were like serene lakes of immeasurable depth. Sleep and wakefulness seemed to lie intermingled and in repose in those eyes, which caused an awakening in a human being with a single movement of their lids. They were homes of silent prayer, or sweet, silent, rhetoric of persuading eyes. As he was under the influence of amiable feelings, his countenance had acquired a beauty of the highest order.

Disposition and Temperament:

A good heart, benevolent feelings and a balanced mind lie as the foundation of character. It must be capable of standing firm in the world of daily work, temptation and trial and be able to bear the wear and tear of actual life. Lalaji was an illustrious example of this.

By nature he was always calm but was easily moved by the pains and pleasures of others. Possessed of a melodious voice, he was an adept at employing sweet language for communicating his thoughts and captivating the hearts of his audience. Rarely could he be angered. Not given to superfluous talk, he spoke as little as possible; but in answering questions put to him he dealt with them exhaustively, and seldom was the questioner left in doubt. In case there happened to be someone who could not understand him, he brought about the desired state in that person who acquired an experience and knowledge of the subject under discussion. Chesterfield observes that silence and reserve suggest latent power. Carlyle also says, "Speech is great but silence is greater." Mostly Lalaji Saheb kept his eyes down. He did not laugh aloud but simply smiled. His smile announced goodness and sweetness, and brightened others by its spiritual vivacity. A great lover of humanity, he often used things given to him with love in spite of his own dislike for those things. He hated flattery and though he loved his followers with all their faults, he was, at the same time, a strong disciplinarian. The discipline corrects the baseness of worldly passion, fortifies the heart with virtuous principles, enlightens the mind with useful knowledge and furnishes enjoyment from within itself. Hence Lalaji never failed to enforce stern discipline with love.

With a view to train his fellow brothers and disciples he performed the duties of a householder exceedingly well. He respected his elders and saluted them, exercised humility with those of his own age, and loved those who were younger than himself.

The Beginnings of Satsangh:

Lalaji was transferred from Kaimganj to Fatehgarh in the year 1908. He began, for most of the time, to live in seclusion and to remain lost in God. In the beginning, some teachers came to him and were transformed in no time. Finding a great change in themselves, those teachers told some students about the change wrought in their personalities without their own effort and this brought some students to Lalaji, and they also got transformed likewise. Learning of this amazing and novel method other people began to come, but Lalaji did not start mass or regular satsangh at the time. He used to transmit, cleanse and transform them saying that his work was that of a sweeper or washerman. Whoever came to him would be cleansed through and through. After his manas was cleaned he would get a guide according to his Samskaras. His motto was: No undesirable should be initiated but if one had come, he must not go back. He greatly hated to be called a Guru. About imparting training, he used to say that he was only a peon to his officer. He had simply to carry out the orders of Divinity without thinking about the success or failure of his efforts.

Lalaji established regular Satsangh from the year 1914 and started training his followers. He did not put off this work even during his illness. After his retirement in 1929 he began to give all his time to his noble work. He spent two to three hours every day on dictating books, articles and letters to satsangis. He was a great scholar of Urdu, Persian and Arabic, and had a sound knowledge of Hindi and Sanskrit. He had disclosed the hitherto unknown secrets of the Vedas, illuminatingly interpreting important 'richas' and bringing Reality to light. Controversial phrases and words commonly used in scripture, but generally misunderstood, were explained in such a simple way and in such easily understandable words coined by him that real knowledge became common property.

Alas! The Divine Light, the Ultimate Reality ceased to grace the earth with his material presence on August 14, 1931. When his illness got serious he began to remain immersed in thought of God and felt heart rending pangs of love. He would say: "As the coveted hour of merger with the beloved gets nearer, so increases the fire of desire of him." A few days before His Mahasamadhi, he said, "Many liberated souls are present around my bed. This is sure proof that the hour to be with my beloved is come."

In the end he was attacked by diarrhoea and consequently became so very weak that he could not walk by himself. On the day of leaving his mortal remains he came to the Puja room unaided, and all by himself lay on his bed with his eyes closed, never to be opened again. At 1:00 A.M. in the night the light, which had illumined and enlightened the hearts of groaning humanity with unparalleled love and changed the face of the earth, allowed itself to be extinguished. This great house of mad men, which we call the world, was left to be lit up by the small and big sparks he had lit.²

NOTES:

1. Excerpted from Messages Universal. Message 6: The Essence of Sahaj Marg. Message at Mysore, December 20, 1964.
2. Excerpted from chapter 1 in Truth Eternal.