| tion_start --> | | | | Nityananda asked him either to produce a ticket or |
| "Siddha" means the one with "siddhis," or yogic | | | | get off the train. |
| powers. Bhagavan Nityananda was one such great | | | | Nityananda obediently got off and just squatted next |
| Siddha. | | | | to the tracks. |
| Although I've never met him in person, I had the | | | | But when it came to moving the train forward, the |
| good fortune of meeting his equally great disciple | | | | machinist discovered that the train would not move |
| Baba Muktananda in America and it's through Baba | | | | for some strange reason. No matter what they did, |
| that I got to know this truly fascinating mystic and | | | | the train would not budge an inch as if nailed down |
| master yogi. | | | | by an invisible force. |
| There are three stories about the taciturn Nityananda | | | | After some time the passengers who knew |
| that for some reason made a deep impression on | | | | Bhagavan understood what was going on and |
| me. | | | | immediately recommended the conductor to invite |
| In the first story, Indian tax collectors approach | | | | Nityananda back onto the train. |
| Nityananda and start to harass him about his taxes. | | | | Running out of all other options and having a train |
| Although well-known for roaming the countryside | | | | load of people to deliver to the next station, the |
| non-stop with just a loincloth to his name and having | | | | conductor gave in and invited the holly yogi back on |
| no material possessions whatsoever, Nityananda was | | | | the train. |
| still squeezed by the tax collectors for hiding his | | | | And as soon as Nityananda climbed back, the train |
| wealth. Perhaps enjoying their power over this shy | | | | shivered back to life and started to chug along |
| yogi who hid his powers from the outside world, | | | | towards its next stop on the route. |
| they bothered him with insistent demands to reveal | | | | # # # |
| where he was hiding his "treasure chest." | | | | The third story is the most lyrical of all and it's an |
| Sick and tired of his tormentors, Nityananda at long | | | | eye-witness story. |
| last caved in and told the taxmen to follow him to a | | | | One dark night Bhagavan was drinking his cup of |
| swap. | | | | coffee sitting on the low wall in the back of his hut. |
| And when they reached the crocodile infested | | | | His back was turned to the jungle. While they were |
| swamp, Niyananda dived straight into the water and | | | | watching their master in awe as most disciples do |
| disappeared from their sight. | | | | whenever they get the chance (another name for |
| And according to the legend, when the Nityananda | | | | "guru watching" is called "satsang" and is supposed to |
| surfaced again, he was holding in both of his fists | | | | bestow numerous benefits on a disciple even if |
| brand new gold coins and precious jewels. | | | | nobody talks anything) they noticed a huge tiger |
| "Do you now understand where I'm hiding my | | | | approaching Bhagavan from the jungle. |
| treasure at?" Nityananda asked them. Throwing the | | | | Since they were seeing the ferocious animal but |
| gold coins and jewelry on their heads, Nityananda | | | | Bhagavan, who was sitting with his back to the dark |
| admonished the taxmen not to bother him again. | | | | forest, could not, they grew very apprehensive. |
| Shocked and horrified by what they have just | | | | Some of them tried to "warn" the great yogi about |
| witnessed, the government official disappeared in a | | | | the "impending disaster" but Nityananda very calmly |
| hurry and never came back. | | | | continued to sip his coffee (his favorite drink). |
| # # # | | | | And when the tiger reached Nityananda, he stood up |
| Another sweet story again involves the | | | | on his rear legs and placed his massive paws on the |
| consequences of harassing Nityananda. | | | | Bhagavan's shoulders and just stood there, as if |
| Bhagavan, never staying at any one spot for too | | | | listening to the heart beat of the great illuminated |
| long, used to travel a lot on trains crisscrossing the | | | | master. After staying in that position for a while, the |
| Indian continent. Since most of the conductors were | | | | tiger quietly returned to the jungle. |
| familiar with the strange blessings that visited those | | | | His disciples interpreted this experience as the need |
| who treated the famous yogi well, they did not | | | | for the tiger to get the Master's "darshan," or |
| bother him and allowed him to travel without a ticket. | | | | blessings. |
| But one day a diligent conductor who did not know | | | | |