The Encounter with the Master Yogi
Rhythm! This is the key word. Each person
Has a rhythm that is natural to them.
The dining hall of the hostel was not very large. In truth, it was a small room with a kitchen separated by a counter where the guests stored their food and utensils. In the middle of one of the walls was a fireplace which was kept lit during mealtimes and during the night. In front of the fireplace were various stuffed chairs. Near the opposite wall was a long table that could accommodate 14 people. On the wall was a map with mountain trails and showed the lakes of the region.
In the morning, Ferhelin (A 29 year-old woman, who is the main character of the book) left the chalet where she had slept and went to the dining hall. She was preparing breakfast when she noticed an older man wrapped in a cream-colored shawl sitting on the sofa near the fireplace, holding a cup of steaming tea in both hands. “He is from India,” she imagined. After eating her breakfast she went to a chair to the left of the fireplace and took a seat. She greeted him with a good morning and presented herself.
He was a Master Yogi from Madhuban — the Honey Forest — as he told her.
After a few moments of silence in which he drank his tea, she warmed herself near to the fireplace, and then they began to speak.
He asked her if she had any suggestion for special places to visit in the region.
Ferhelin spoke of the beautiful scenery of the region, especially the old bridge and the mountain trails.
She was filled with the sensation that the encounter with the Master Yogi was not just coincidence. She clearly felt a connection with him. She did not know how to explain the feeling, but it was clearly there. He felt like an old friend.
As she got to her feet she said that in a few minutes she would be taking a walk on the trail that passed by the bridge and that if he cared to accompany her he was welcome.
On perspectives
A little while later they were there, moving down the trail that was encircled with trees. The morning humidity was still visible, both on the trees and the ground. As they descended the sun began to appear through the openings in the trees and the visibility cleared. They could hear the sound of the water.
“It’s the river,” she thought.
Moving down the trail, they walked in silence. Ferhelin walked in front, her new acquaintance behind.
When they reached the bridge, the Master Yogi spoke.
“May I ask you what you are thinking?”
Ferhelin, with her caring and friendly nature — characteristic of Brazilians, as the Master later said, — gazed fixedly for an instant and responded.
“You know, sometimes we have experiences that are so beautiful. That is what happened to me yesterday in this place.”
The Master just smiled, waiting for her to continue.
“But, at other times, everything seems confused, and we lose hope. Then time passes, and we return to the ‘normal’, everything clears up again. It is difficult to understand this process. It is not very clear to me just how this happened,” she said.
Soon they were on the bridge and the Master Yogi gazed admiringly at the scenery. Ferhelin remembered the singular experience of the previous day looking at the same scenery.
“If you look closely you will see that it is all a question of perspective. Our mental attitude is also subject to changes, just as all life is. It is an aspect that I have come to understand and realize,” he said in his Indian accent and using the language of the spirit.
“What I have observed is that the feeling of confusion and the loss of hope appears when our mental levels are at a low point. What happens is that we straighten the horizon of our minds, and our vision gets shorter, sometimes becoming petty and egotistical. We lose our sense of the whole, our horizon becomes shorter and we lose focus. As well as our focus, we lose our capacity to perceive and manifest that which we should feel at that moment. If we keep our horizon wide, we open up our perspective,” he said.
“Interesting. What you are saying is that what occurs is an error of perspective on our parts? Let me see. When we are depressed or feeling low, we straighten the horizon and shorten the manner in which we see. In doing this, what we see are the problems and the difficulties around us, which then reinforces pettiness and egotistical attitudes. Is that correct,” she asked, synthesizing the thought as she looked at the Master Yogi and waited for his response.
“That’s close,” he responded as he continued to walk. “This can happen also because of external influences. Like someone’s personal opinion, or through the media. Sometimes, this exaggerates the value of an event or subject. This can also occur as a result of our personal moments. In the end, it is a question of being in tune with things. The fact is that we can get in tune with things that place us in a ‘low place.”
Ferhelin remembered her talk with the Mountain Girl. The aspect of inter-correspondence and that ‘beauty is in the eyes of the beholder’ came to mind.
An ostrich attitude
“Sometimes, we are on the top of an enormous mountain. From there, we can see a great distance, so far that it can be difficult to see things in the distance with clarity. What happens is that even being on the top of the mountain, sometimes, we choose to lower our heads and forget that the horizon exists. We lose our vision, and our focus simply disappears, as if there were no perspectives. It is what is called an ostrich attitude. Each person makes the choice, consciously or not,” said the Master, looking to the top of the mountain.
“How can that be avoided,” asked Ferhelin.
“As human beings, it cannot be completely avoided. Not at this time in history,” said the Master.
Opportunity to observe
“But should this be the question? To avoid? Why should we avoid? On my journey I encountered a female Master Yogi that I will never forget. Her life objective was to inspire happiness in others.”
Ferhelin’s eyes sparkled brightly when she remembered her locomotive quality, her motive quality that she perceived during her experience with the Mountain Girl. “Am I experiencing happiness at this very moment,” she asked herself. “Yes,” she thought.
“This Master Yogi, with more than sixty years of experience practicing Raja- Yoga , has clearly defined her role in the world. She doesn’t judges others or look for defects in them. She is very wise and observing. Her clear perception of her role in the world is her guide to her actions. She is a person with an immense level of responsibility and is the principal person responsible for an international organization affiliated with the United Nations. And she is dedicated to providing benefits to people all around the world. She confronts problems and conflicting situations on a daily basis. If you were to meet her, you would find it difficult to understand how she deals with so many responsibilities and remain so light and happy. Her contentment is contagious. Would you like to know just what is so special about her?
“Yes,” responded Ferhelin, interested in understanding how to maintain her happiness in an unstable world.