The Avadhoot Avatar Doctrine. The difference between an Avatar and an Avadhoot is that
the Avatar is involution of the Divine into the Human and the Avadhoot is the evolution
of the human into the Divine. It's all wonderful and great, what would you want me to say about
her? I've already said what I have about her, in my book, "Wings To Freedom". I've mentioned
my experiences with Anandamayi Ma. Of course, let me tell you one thing before I begin.
I'm a simple teacher, I'm not used to flattery. I speak English. I don't know the American
ways, sometimes they may like it sugar coated, but in my book I have called Anandamayi Ma,
in my opinion, the only avatar of the century. She's the only Avatar of the century. But
common people, people around say so and so is an Avatar. I honor and respect them all.
Maybe I'm not worthy enough to realize that they’re Avatars, let’s put the blame on
ourselves. But I did realize Anandamayi Ma was an Avatar because I saw on that occasion
she cast no shadow. The others ladies who I’ve seen, who claim to be avatars, who
are or may not be, they cast a shadow. And the experience I had with her, when I was
touching her feet, my hands went through her feet. There was no flesh no bone. If any of
the avatars or whoever you deem to be avatars can demonstrate that then sure, there are
sure signs of an avatar. People have not studied the doctrine of the avatars. I think in my
book also for you benefit, given the Avadhoot Avatar Doctrine. Who's read the Avadhoot Avatar
Doctrine? Okay. In this I've tried to clarify as much as possible the subtle distinctions
between an Avadhoot and Avatar. The distinctions are very fine. Everyone is great. It's an
evolutionary process. According to my realization, she was in every sense an avatar and I've
never seen anybody go into Nirvikalpa Samadhi with such as ease and Anandamayi Ma did. As
a matter of fact, it can be told by the Bhav she is in. In my book, I've included two photographs
of her. Right? Who has seen both the photographs? Now, there is a difference between the two
photographs and the states of Samadhi. One is a Bhav Samadhi and one is a Nirvikalpa
Samadhi [Supra-conscious States of Divine Communion]. I did not find it necessary to
clarify that as I left that for the reader to go ahead and make their own realizations,
not judgements, but their own intuitions about that. And it is not so easy. And the other
person that used to go into Nirvikalpa Samadhi but was very scientifically trained by [Gyan
Avatar] Sri Yukteswar, his great guru . How many of you have heard of Sri Yukteswar? It
appears you haven't because when I speak of Sri Yukteswar, I will always speak of Paramahansa
Yogananda, as his boy. Aye? Do you understand English? As his [Sri Yukteswar's] child. Do
you understand? When I speak of Yogananda alone, he is our beloved, a great being, a
divine soul and a great master. Do you understand? So this is how we do it in English. When the
father is there, we can liberties to speak about the son. And Yogananda was the spiritual
son, at ease any time, he was able to go into Nirvikalpa Samadhi. He demonstrated this in
life and death. The only Guru, of course, Vivekananda came here. He had a different
message. The only Guru who demonstrated this in life and death was Paramahansa Yogananda.
Some people in America have started things about Yogananda which I've refuted and I've
told them, look - if you can die and keep your body in a deathless state of radiant
light, 21 days or one month later like Yogananda did, then talk. Otherwise, shut up. Have I
made myself clear? So, there are, people who talk because this book came so, he was very
closely related with Anandamayi Ma spiritually. There is a photo of them together . You all
know about that. His was the most difficult task because he was one of the people who
came upon the Christian world in America. And when he came upon the Christian world
in America, he had to introduce the Science of Kriya Yoga, very sensitivity and very carefully
which led to his softening the techniques of Kriya Yoga. I wouldn't say diluting. I
would say, softening the techniques. So I hope you appreciate this fact,that the techniques
coming directly from the Himalayas would be a little different in the intensity than the
techniques you have got through the Self Realization Fellowship here. Which was the difficult task.
Firstly, Yogananda had to soften the techniques, people couldn't sit in lotus posture. They
couldn't sit in the Indian style. So he had to start with anatomy by giving them bone
softening exercises where they could sit in a happy sitting position. Then secondly he
had to come up against an ideology of Christianity which he introduced very gracefully calling
Babaji the Christ, the Yogi Christ of the modern world. But if you asked me today, I
would say No, Babaji is not the Yogi Christ of the modern world. Babaji is the Christos,
the Yogi Christos of the modern world. The Boss. The Soul Essence. Everyone has his Higher
Self. And this you will know. I don't want to argue or discuss this. When you meditate,
you will know who this "Lightning Standing Still" is, who this "Nameless One" is. [SPACE]
She was the bliss permeated mother. I had the good fortune to meet her on many occasions.
I had many sweet memories in the aura of this divine being. One rainy afternoon, I left
home in haste. I was homesick and wanted to be absorbed in her presence. On reaching her
ashram in Pune, I found the door to her room closed. I did not want to disturb her, but
stood in the rain, my eyes transfixed on the door, as if I would stare it open. It did
open, but only after I had practiced rain yoga for twenty minutes or so. A mild tapa
to wash away some negative karma before meeting with the divine, I thought to myself. She
smiled and called me indoors saying, I was a stubborn child. And I said so I was. Before
I sat I proceeded to touch her feet which she normally does not permit, but as I touched
her feet I was shocked to find my hands go through her bones and flesh to touch the floor.
My body was electrified at that. I remembered that an avatar is an illusion of light in
the illusion of the world. It can at will, to increase a person's faith, make one experience
his or her's body of light. No flesh, no shadow, no karma. How can a nobody have any karma?
An avataric being is karmaless when it does work in Maya. It leaves no samskaras. It's
like writing on water. When the non-liberated student does his daily chores or work, he
creates karma. It's like writing on the sand. Uplifted and wonder struck by this experience,
I settled in a trance-like state and saw her radiance flooding the whole ashram and the
countryside. As my body elongated, my consciousness left it to expand and merge in her wondrous
aura. I was blessed and when I opened my eyes, the surroundings were still radiant with her
presence. An hour later she said, you are your own guru. Go and spread the word of the
Lord in far lands. And she went into samadhi again. In all my travels and spiritual experiences,
in all my meditations and direct experiences, the realization that has dawned on me is that
Anandamayi Ma is the only woman avatar of the century. She is often loosely and wrongly
equated with popular, modern woman saints, yoga teachers or others of similar names.
We are blessed to have such divine avatars with us without whom pure spirituality would
have vanished from the face of this earth long ago.