Miraculous Experience Appears Upon Your Presence

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I will tell you another aspect of this knowledge. In the process of your meditation, involvement, strong meditation, strong involvement, strong devotion, sometimes we come across with some miraculous experiences. They may be positive or negative miraculous experiences. And I’m giving you the example of Nisargadatta Maharaj – it will be more focused.

Nisargadatta Maharaj, at the early stage, was very rich – he had eight to ten shops. His finances were very good when, in 1933-something, he came across Siddharameshwar Maharaj. One of his friends took him to Siddharameshwar Maharaj. He said, at that time, that “I’m not believing in any body-based Sage or Saint, I’m not going to bow down to him.” But he went there and listened to him, and there was a miraculous change in him. The base was (already) there. He was so much impressed, deeply impressed, and he bowed down to him spontaneously. Then he was having association with Siddharameshwar Maharaj for about three years, three and a half.

Why I’m quoting the experience of Nisargadatta Maharaj is so that it will give more focus to your devotional life.

So then, after about 1939, he left his family life and he went to have the experience of the spiritual world or spiritual experience. He faced so many problems, unbearable problems. He left his family life, he left everything. He had about ten shops, apartment tenants, a tobacco shop and all these things, but he wanted to have the experience of this spiritual knowledge. And he faced so many negative experiences: no money, nothing is there, wandering, wandering here and there.

Once he came across with such a barren land, and there was no water, nothing was there. He said it would be the last moment of his life. But in that barren land he saw long in the distance that one cottage was there. I’m talking about some devotional experience that appears when you’re having involvement in spirituality. Though it is not knowledge, not Reality, but you’re coming across such incidents, miraculous incidents. He had seen the cottage, and with great difficulty went to that cottage. One old man was there, and he gave him bread and all, water and everything. After taking some steps, he looked behind him and there was no cottage.

Nisargadatta Maharaj was rarely giving as examples his experiences, miraculous experiences. But I learned from him.

And then he wrote a poem: “My Master became a cottage for me, my Master became food for me, my Master became water for me.”

This happens in everybody’s case. Your Master can take any shape when you’re in difficulty. But you must have strong faith within yourself and with your Master. What happens is that negative and positive experiences during the process of this spiritual knowledge, spirituality, devotion – when you’re having strong devotion and strong involvement in your devotion, then you come across with such types of miraculous, positive or negative experiences.

Negative experiences means that you’re having some negative thoughts, depressive thoughts, some difficulty may be there just like Nisargadatta Maharaj. He faced so many problems in his life – so many problems, beyond imagination. But he did not lose his faith in his Master – his knowledge was very strong, exceptional, firm, total conviction.

There are some positive miraculous experiences also. He rarely said it, but: one time when he was sitting at his shop, he started giving water from his teapot, and some people in long cues were being cured by that water. But Siddharameshwar warned him: “What are you doing? This is not knowledge, not Reality. It’s distracting you from Reality.” So he stopped this.

So in my speech, what I’m telling you is: after having strong devotion you may come across with such negative or positive experiences. It is not knowledge, it is not Reality, it is not Ultimate Truth. But the point is that you might be distracted from the Reality. If you’ve got ego: “Yes, because of me somebody got a miraculous experience.” Suppose you visit some house and something miraculous happens: “Oh, my power is so much!” that ego may develop. So it is a precautionary measure in the process of your devotional spirituality.

So, during your devotion, if you come across such experiences, not to give so much importance. All experience, miraculous experience appears upon your Presence. That Presence, Invisible Presence, Anonymous Presence is Ultimate Truth. There is no value for any miracles. It is the nature of our human body, of the human being. If any miracles happen you bow down: “Oh, you’re a very great man”. Those miracles are within you. You’ve got tremendous power, but not to take ego. Suppose something happens, suppose you visited some places, and some miracles happen and people say: “Oh, because of you something miraculous happened”. Nisargadatta Maharaj was not taking any prestige, not taking any credit. He said: “If it happens, it is because of my Master. I’m not doing any miracles.” He never took ego.

So why I’m inviting your attention is because in your strong devotional life, spiritual life, it may happen. You may call them progressive steps. But not to stop there. Until you’ve got Spontaneous Conviction you’ve got to continuously involve yourself in devotion and spirituality. I’m giving alertness, cautiousness in the process of your devotional life, your spirituality. So, ignore it, it’s not Reality.