Sitting under a mighty Chinar Tree
In Bettina Bäumer et Sarla Kumar (Eds.), Saṁvidullāsaḥ, Manifestation of Divine Consciousness. Swami Lakshman Joo, Saint Scholar of Kashmir Saivism: A Centenary Tribute, New Delhi, D.K. Printworld, 2011 (2nd revised ed.) (1st ed. 2007), pp. 193-210.
There are many who are grateful to Paul Reps for helping them to discover great Swami Lakshman Joo and his marvellous hermitage and the splendour of Kashmir Shaivism. I am one of those.
I
After reading Paul Reps’ “Zen Flesh Zen Bones” I was spell bound, not only with the encounter with Vijñāna Bhairava but I had a great wish to meet Swamiji whom Reps described in so few words yet it left a deep impression. A little later I found an article about him in some magazine with his picture, it was a very unusual photo but then all his photos are unusual because very few people remain so unaffected while facing a camera. Then I came across an introductory book about Kashmir Shaivism. Though the book was somewhat dull one could discern the majestic beauty of the language of that philosophical school, the structural grandeur, depth and the delicate mystery rooted in human existence and the whole creation itself. I then decided to visit Kashmir whenever the opportunity came and also meet the great man at his hermitage.
Sometime later one night I woke up with a marvellous dream : A friend gave me a very exquisitely carved gift box and asked me to carry it to a friend but warned me that it was to be a most difficult journey. I had to traverse the entire length of the Himalayas, run from peak to peak and do it in a single day. I had to start at sunrise and complete the journey at sunset. There I was to meet a friend of his to whom I should deliver the gift box.
I set out the very next morning and by the evening I had traversed the entire Himalayan ranges. At the end of the journey I found nobody waiting there. After the sun-set and much waiting I decided to open the gift box and found the message – ‘you yourself are that friend and this Himalayan journey was the gift meant for you’. It was in 1977.
Well, within a week I received a letter from Katyayani asking if I could plan a journey to Amarnath. I was overjoyed. After our Amarnath pilgrimage we went to Srinagar and the very next day we rushed to the hermitage of Swamiji. Luckily it was the day of his weekly public audience.
We learnt that he was at the Gupta Ganga Centre, so we went there and there we learnt that he had just gone back. Probably he was to give classes at Gupta Ganga but the previous night there was a big storm and a great giant of a chinar tree had fallen, covering a large part of the garden. It seems that Swamiji had organized the small crowd of the regular visitors and engaged them into a cleaning up operation that was a delight to see.
Different groups were doing different things. A group was busy sawing thick branches, another group was axing down smaller branches, still another group was busy chopping off still smaller branches with garden choppers. Some were breaking off tender branches.
Women had formed separate groups, they were taking off leaves and breaking stems and tender branches and arranging them in separate heaps. It was a swift operation, a clean job and they were doing it smilingly with dexterity and devotion, the job had to be finished on time. We could see that Swamiji had a sense of urgency and order.
There were other groups of ladies busy with cooking and serving the workers by turn. They offered us a meal but our help was refused.
In the afternoon we went to the hermitage. Sharikaji sat near the gate brooding, upon enquiring she silently pointed the way without looking up. In the spacious clearing in the garden we found Swamiji sitting on a chair facing a small crowd of 150 or so visitors. Here he was “Lakshman Joo, tall and shining” as described by Paul Reps. One could see he was majestic like a king, he had a certain innate authority. There was a certain elegance and depth in his presence and a totally unaffected air. His calm gaze followed us. We saluted him and sat down behind the crowd. One thing about his gaze, it was deep and steady, his expression never changed even slightly when total strangers arrived, he just calmly observed them.
He looked at us a few times then looked at other visitors, he talked gently and graciously with some, with others he joked and laughed like a child. Then suddenly he would look away from all, then he had a solitary and distant gaze. There was deep melancholy in it. Did it come from much solitude or from a certain visionary richness of which he was able to share very little because there were so few takers!
Then suddenly he turned his attention towards us and shot a couple of perplexing and indiscreet questions over the heads of the crowd, it was very unpleasant to hear personal questions publicly! Instead of being angry I looked at Katyayani and laughed, a mildly angry retort came from Swamiji: “you need not laugh!” He had a sonorous voice. He looked away, then after some time he looked again and asked: “what brings you here”? I: “We thought it would he nice to have your Darshan and always waited for this opportunity.”
Swamiji very seriously said: “It is not like other ashrams, we don’t sing bhajanas here, it is a place of serious studies.” (I had known great Dr. Nataraja Guru saying this to people to discourage unwanted visitors.)
“We knew this”.’
“How do you know about this place?”
“Through the book of Paul Reps and an article about you we came across somewhere.”
A little silence: “Do you find here what was described there?”
I: “Yes Swamiji, we do.” The talk was between me and Swamiji, gentle Katyayani was silent all the time.
A little later the crowd thinned but not before every one was served delicious tea and parathas. Then Swamiji asked us to go near him. In the meanwhile he talked to a few other people by turn, it seemed, every one received his attention by turn with a gaze, a smile or a few words or a joke, all with a completely unaffected manner.
Then one young man got up, he was the sole Western visitor in the crowd apart from Katyayani, He had to shout as he was at the other end: “Swamiji, I have a question.” Swamiji just looked and waited. The gentleman recited a Sanskrit verse and asked:” What does this verse mean?”
Swamiji: “This verse contains the whole of Kashmir Ïaivism. I shall explain it later in a class. We don’t have enough time today.”
Then Swamiji said: “He is my student Mark Dyczkowski.”
Then I broached the subject of Kashmir Śaivism: “I realize how little I would really know about this subject, this magnificent philosophy since I don’t know Sanskrit.”
He calmly looked at me for some time then said: “You will have this knowledge, you will get there!”
Finding me puzzled he said: “Trust my words, you will get there.”
Then he took out five cardamoms, counted five and gave them to me. Seeing this some other people also asked for it, he laughed and said: ” No, no, you cannot have it by asking for it.” But one man just won’t go away empty handed so he gave him a fruit but he insisted on having cardamoms. “No, no, not that”, and laughed like a child again.
He then asked me: “Do you know something about Kashmir Śaivism? Have you read something?”
“Very little and that too through translations only.”
Then I told him about a few things I had read and when I mentioned Abhinavagupta by K.C. Pandey he smiled: “Oh, you have read that too, good!” Then knitting his eye brows: “My advice to you is don’t read too much, try to understand it. I: “Anyway, I cannot read Sanskrit and I am not ready to give many years of studies to it.”
He: “That is not necessary, you need not worry about that.”
By then he had become very affectionate and asked: “Where do you live”?
“Swamiji, at present we are staying at Vrindaban.”
He smiled and said: “It is a very pure and beautiful place, I have been there once.” Then he was very fatherly and very seriously said: “I would like to advice you to stay away from gurus, there are many wicked gurus there. Both of you are very innocent and young, don’t ever fall into traps. You may also meet some real saints if you are lucky.”
I: “We have no wish to associate with gurus. It is the peace and beauty of the place that attracts us there.”
It was then truly the most beautiful oasis in the world. Like many other places which have been damaged seriously by unplanned growth, this place is no exception, alas!
Then there appeared Denise Hughes, we were not introduced that time, that came during the second visit a few months later. She was carrying a basket filled with peaches. She bent low to show it to Swamiji, she had a shy and fearful look of a little girl. Swamiji examined each fruit carefully then said: “I sent you to pluck fruits carefully, not too many not too fast. Some of the fruits could have stayed on the trees for some more time, what was the hurry?” There was mild pain in his voice.
Then again: “I sent you not only to pluck fruit also to become aware of the divinity of the trees, you must do it with respect and awareness.” She was slightly sad and silent after the gentle rebuke. She just nodded and withdrew.
The crowd had mostly dispersed, the twilight hour was fading fast, there was silence for a long time. Then Swamiji spoke: “Won’t you be coming again? I think you will.”
Then we took our leave. There was a feeling that this most unusual human being belonged so much to the sublime landscape of the valley like a great chinar tree.
II
Very soon in the following season of autumn we were back in the valley. This time the mother of Katyayani wanted to visit the famed valley so we accompanied her. The beauty of the place in autumn was exhilarating, it was all clear, shining and so fresh.
After settling down in a wonderful house-boat the very next morning we went to the hermitage of Swamiji. We found him, two very elderly visitors with charcoal fire in the verandah, talking in very low tones. All dressed up in winter robes looked very ancient. After offering our salutations we sat down. He didn’t say a word for quite some time. He just looked at us without any change of expression, then looked away at the fire and then at the Kashmiri visitors and said very few words to them, they looked at him with such a reverence as if they were in presence of a living god. Then after some time he turned towards us: “How did you come? you didn’t inform me!”
I: “We did but not getting any reply we decided to check if the letter reached.”
Then he remembered: “Yes, yes, I received it, can you come tomorrow afternoon?”
As we were leaving Katyayani’s mother was saying audibly: “I don’t understand people like this” She was furious. Swamiji exchanged no pleasantries, didn’t even reply to our greetings, didn’t even give us a pleasant look.
One may ask if he was a gentleman? To this I would say yes he was a gentleman very gracious and charming and a very delightful conversationalist, and entertaining host. But was he a regular gentleman as social conventions demand every time? No, despite of all his very rare refinement, elegance and cosmopolitan qualities, which was amazing when one thinks that he grew up and lived in solitude, he was not a gentleman on all occasions as some would have liked with their particular demands. His moods were governed by his profound and unpredictable inner nature, he had no time for pleasantries or affected mannerism. For a newcomer it could be a real disaster sometimes.
The next day we were back, on the way we stopped at a honey shop specializing in lotus honey, the honey seller was a Kashmiri gentleman, he was more than a hundred years old. He asked us where we were going, when we told him he raised his arms and exclaimed: “Lakshman Joo is such a splendid human being!”
We found Swamiji resting, his back turned towards us, Denise Hughes was massaging his legs, he asked her: “Did they inform me before coming?” She told him “yes, they did.” He jumped up and sat down comfortably and smiling like a mischievious little boy fixed his gaze upon us and asked us the same, very personal questions he had asked a couple of months back! Hearing this I roared with laughter and told him: “I have now caught you with your game and this time you will not succeed in upsetting me sir! You had precisely asked these very questions last time, no?” Hearing this he too began to laugh and we all laughed.
He was silent for a long time, then: “You look like a saint with your white kurta and lungi and hair and beard.
“No sir, I am not a saint as far as I know and have no wish to be one. I have adopted this dress since I lived in South India and it is very comfortable.
“Do you wear this kind of dress when abroad”?
“No Swamiji, there I wear trousers like everybody else.”
“Why?”
“There I wear Western dress so I don’t invite unnecessary attention.”
“You are so right, why invite unnecessary attention.”
Conversation continued like this with intermittent silences.
“You must have met many spiritual personalities, can you tell me about them?” He asked.
“One I am meeting right now.”
Smilingly he asked: “And others?”
“Well, some I met are completely unknown, some are known only to small groups and some others are widely known … Among the famous J.Krishnamurti, Anandamayi Ma, Vinoba Bhave, Gopinath Kaviraj ji….”
When I mentioned J.Krishnamurti he appeared very pleased, his eyes shone. Later I learnt that Swamiji went to the cottage of Dr. Karan Singh in Srinagar to the group meetings of Krishnamurti a few times and had told Mrs. Jayakar that on hearing Krishnamurti’s words he was in “ecstasy”.
Then he asked me about my readings into Kashmir Shaivism in translations. I told him of the very little that I knew but when I told him about a very old translation of Spanda Nirnaya in English published by the Government of Maharaja of Kashmir, he frowned: “That is a useless translation. Just a word to word translation … without understanding and experience one cannot translate such profound texts.”
Then again he asked about the mystics I had met: “When you met these mystics and saints, did you ask them for teachings? What did they teach you?”
“When I met them, I asked very few questions, I preferred to remain silent and just feel their presence.”
“You have a right attitude, one shouldn’t ask many questions to such people.”
After some time I said: “When I see you I feel I am sitting with a very ancient personage, who has seen many centuries passing before him.”
With a very serious but very gracious look he pointed towards the mountain slope converging into his garden: “You know the whole of Kashmir Śaivism took shape right here!” Then he went into deep thought and remained like this for quite some time.
Katyayani asked only one question, it was about Lilian Silburn. Swamiji smiled broadly: “You know she loves me very much and treats me like a child, she is so funny, such a delightful person, not just a wonderful scholar. She visits fun-shops in Paris to find funny gifts for me. Last time she sent a big parcel, when I opened it a paper fist sprang up into my face!” Then he jiggled.
Then there was a rather long spell of silence. We all were still. The whole landscape shone with an exceptional light. Everything was magical and distinct, every sound was clear. It appeared that awareness had extended to greater distances. I later wondered, how was it possible to hear rustling of far away lotus leaves and gently creaking sounds of boats swaying in their moorings at a considerable distance and sounds of far away mountain-streams. All of a sudden a veil had been removed from the whole creation for some time.
The long spell was broken as someone came to deliver a large steel food box wrapped up very nicely in a cloth from a friend.
“Hum, let us see what it is” Swamiji observed and with great curiosity opened the box. “Oh, we have something very nice here to go with our tea, an apple pie!” Then looking at us: “See, you chose the right day to come.” How did they know that I had guests here?” It was always like this with him, deeply serious, then suddenly like a child, playful.
Then tea came, Kashmiri tea, very delicious, served in bronze bowls. Swamiji cut the pie in precisely equal portions, then tasted from each piece, savoured and contemplated then, “yes it is well cooked, each side tastes the same.” Then he gave each of us our share.
After tea, after such a happy day an unpleasant and very ridiculous drama unfolded. A young American with beard and long hair, dressed in a funny way appeared on the scene, followed by a younger man and very young woman. The young couple looked gentle and innocent, perhaps they were following their “master” who looked very arrogant and silly and had an unfriendly, wicked look and a sarcastic smile. He probably was full of undigested “paperback mysticism”. They sat down in the furtherest corners. Swamiji just ignored them.
In the meanwhile I asked Swamiji a question: “Is it possible to enter a certain state where one would touch upon the source of all languages and know them all?”
“Yes, it called Para Vac, I sometimes enter that state.”
“Then you know all languages in that state?”
“Yes, I can but when in that state I have no wish to know any of the languages. But I don’t stay in that state for very long time. I enter into it then the door closes and I am out again.”
At this stage the visiting American “master” took over the discussion. “Is there someone who throws you out?”
“No one throws me out, I am thrown out because of my inabilities.”
Again the intruder asked: “Why do you wear the sacred tuft of hair on your head?”
“It is my tradition, I respect my tradition.”
Then again: ” Do you eat meat”?
“No, I stay away from it.”
“Why? can’t you get clean meat?”
Swamiji: “I abhor it, can’t you understand it? “
Then he asked: “May I sit on your seat for sometime?”
“No, you can’t.”
“Why not? it is just a seat!”
Prabha Devi ji had come, she sat down, Swamiji laughingly turned to her: “Look, he wants to sit on my seat!” All of us laughed. Again the visitor: “What is so funny? Why all of you are laughing? It is just a seat.”
Then he asked if he could sit near Swamiji, when this was granted he tried to go closer by a few inches with each move and tried to share the seat even if only on the edges. This time though with a smile Swamiji was physically pushing him away. The visitor tried to force his way still closer. Now Swamiji gave him a very stern look and told him: “Behave, go back!” The fool was scared out of his wits and peevishly retreated at once and went back to the corner, his young followers had a very painful expression, they were almost in tears to see their idol come crashing down, the idol too looked pathetic and humbled, then quietly left.
It took some time before we again started from where we were earlier.
He introduced Prabhaji to us, then another elderly lady Kamlaji, then finally he introduced Denise Hughes: “She is Mrs. Denise Hughes. She and her husband are my students. They have a very nice house, they have money and they have their personal Swamiji!”
Then Kamlaji and Prabhaji got up, Prabha gave me her Hindi translation of Para Praveshika and Kamala ji gave me her translation of Pratyabhijña Hridayam. Then Swamiji sent for another book, it was his own commentary on Kramastotram called Kramanaya Dipika also in Hindi. He gave me saying: “Krama Stotram is said to be by Abhinavagupta. It is my commentary but you have to pay for it.”
It was a ridiculously cheap print, just as I was getting ready to pay he said: “You need not pay, you can have it.” Then he signed it with “with my warm blessings.”
I was grateful for all these gifts.
Then I asked: “Why so little is known about this profoundly beautiful philosophy?”
“It is my misfortune” was his reply. Then I told him: “However much I love the grandeur and beauty of Kashmir Shaivism, I would have to rely solely on a few translations available[1] and my knowledge will amount to a few glimpses only.”
He assured me: “No, you can have this knowledge, you don’t have to know Sanskrit, there is also direct teaching.” Then he turned to Denise Hughes: “She and her husband don’t know Sanskrit, they are receiving direct teachings from me.”
Then he told her : “Please give your address and take his and you should both always stay in touch and please share with him whatever I teach you.”
She looked at me somewhat surprised and nodded in affirmation.
Perhaps it was too much to ask of her. If a father gives nice toys to his child then asks to share them with a visiting child, the child wouldn’t like it though agreeing. I wrote her a couple of times and she never replied. However, I am glad that after many years they are letting some of those precious teachings go public.
I then asked: “Are there any other Acharyas besides you, in this tradition in Kashmir?” Suddenly there was a profound sadness in his gaze, he sighed and then: “None that I know of, as far as I know I am the only one, the last one.” Then laughingly added: “I wish there are some and even better than me, if I come to know about them I would go to them to pay my respects.”
Then I asked: “What happens after you Swamiji?”
“Well, the philosophy would be always there, I have done all I could do to the best of my abilities, the future is in the womb of the future, no use pondering about it,” and laughed again.
At this point a gentleman walked in, I learnt soon as he introduced himself, that he was disciple of a very famous and popular Guru whom I always regarded unworthy of notice and considered him a charlatan. He would draw from many sources and market vulgarized versions of everything he could lay his hands on, to indiscreet, uncultured and uninformed or misinformed crowds, usually his followers were noisy, arrogant, deluded and shallow, but his gentleman was extremely humble and polite. When Swamiji finally looked at him questioningly he very timidly said – “Swamiji, I am a disciple of ………..he has explained Vijñana Bhairava many times I was never satisfied but when I read your version (he was referring to Paul Reps’ version with Swamiji’s help) I decided to make a pilgrimage to this place.” Then Swamiji looked very graciously at him then pointing to a spot in the garden: “Come on such and such day if you are staying for some time, I will take you there and I shall personally speak to you on this text, you will be the only student to sit with me that day.”
Then: “Paul Reps was a wonderful person, he truly was a wonderful person.”
“Now, I have these visitors but later we shall find enough time to sit together. You have made a long journey, I won’t let you go empty handed.” Then gently laughed. The gentleman left after bowing, smiling with gratitude.
Then I think it was my last question: “Where can one find Rudra Yamala?” He looked surprised: “Why are you looking for this lost text, only a fragment of it survives.”
It was actually a request from a friend in Delhi, when I told him this he said gravely: “Don’t search for any text for other people, search only for yourself if it is necessary.” Katyayani said “Swamiji is right!” These were very few words among others she uttered that day, the talk was mostly between Swamiji and myself, but the whole conversation had intervals of long silences and this made it a richer experience. Later Katyayani told me: “Now I know what the word Rishi means, we had been sitting in the presence of a very great Rishi today.”
The evening was turning into twilight hour and Swamiji appeared to be withdrawing into himself. Soon the last glow of twilight was fading fast. We got ready to take our leave but Swamiji was lost in deep thought. We waited but Swamiji wasn’t coming out of his contemplative mood. He had a remote inward gaze but I also discerned a certain sadness and some worry, as if listening to rumblings of a distant storm that had not yet stirred. We bowed down and left silently.
It was such a wonderful day, like Pastoral Symphony of Beethoven, only a storm was missing but it was coming.
The evening sky was clear, the weather was peaceful when we boarded a very small and light boat. It was very pleasant, we were enjoying moving upon the tranquil waters. Suddenly the waters become choppy, at first it was windy, then very soon it was growing into a powerful storm. The sky was quickly dark. The last glow of the twilight and stars were blotted out. The storm let out terrible screams. Violent waves rose, ready to pour into the boat, the little boat appeared helplessly adrift.
Later when I read Swami Vivekananda’s poem “Kali the Mother” he wrote in his house-boat on Dal Lake after a terrible storm, I could see how true was his image: “The winds howled as if a thousand lunatics were let loose.”
Then came thunders and lightning and the little boat appeared so fragile between the dark sky and the angry waves of the dark lake. Suddenly the boatman used exceptionally powerful strokes and cut across the riotous waters and brought us under water willows growing around a very long beaten mud road going deep into the water body towards the floating vegetable gardens. The floating vegetable gardens were tossed about violently and loudly clashed in their moorings.
Then came showers and a few hail stones. The boatman said: “If showers and hail-storm continue we are in a very serious trouble, these trees cannot protect us. ” He loudly prayed to Allah. Suddenly the storm vanished and there were no more showers or hail-storms after initial start. It was very cold but the sky was absolutely clear and filled with stars. The lake was still again as if nothing had happened! The boat sailed smoothly again. My thoughts went to Katyayani’s mother who must have been so worried, and to Swamiji whose serene and smiling visage I could now almost see clearly. Upon reaching our house-boat we were welcomed by poor mother with great joy but emotions were chocking her, she had gone through terrible worry during the storm.
III
Many years have gone since we visited Swamiji. Neither me nor C.O. Katyayani again visited Kashmir since then. Kashmir was far away. The famed haven of tourists was too expensive a place. It continues to amaze me that those three visits to the hermitage of Swamiji are still so fresh in my mind as if it was only yesterday ! It is rare that so few and such brief encounters leave such a lasting impression.
But there has been a certain continuity unbroken since then and this partly I would like to share with those who revere his memory and with those who would continue to discover this most unusual phenomenon of a great human being. I would also like to add a few reflections.
Over the years I have continued to meet him though not regularly and always with some years intervals, I am talking about dreams. Some may call it blessing others would like to call it teachings. For me I would use words of Hölderlin: “How do we know the mystery? By guarding it we know it.” Therefore I shall make only a few references.
Once I was traveling by air and I dozed off and dreamt that I was in Swamiji’s hermitage, we talked a little, he told me about his heart problems and also said that he was wondering where I was. Later I learnt that it was around that time he fell ill.
Another time Katyayani was up early writing a review on a book sent to her. It was a book about dreams in classical Indian literature by Wendy O’Flaherty. I took my bath, had breakfast, got ready and went out for my walk, a little bit of daily shopping, etc. I was buoyant and fresh but as I was rushing down the stairs I felt a sudden spell of great sleep. I immediately went up again. She asked: “what? You just left and are back! did you forget something?”
“No” I said “I must have a little more sleep”. She was worried – “Are you unwell! you just woke up only sometime back.” I told her not to worry and to continue writing her review. I went into deep sleep which lasted only a few minutes then I walked up to her writing table, she was surprised: “But you said you were going to sleep?” “I did! Actually I made a dream journey to Kashmir to meet Swami Lakshman Joo. What time is it in India now?”
“May be six a.m. or so”.
“Perfect, it was early morning hour, I had made the dream journey. Swamiji had something important to tell me.”
Another time when in Korea I wanted to show some friends a photograph of Swamiji I thought I had brought with me from India. I couldn’t find it, I was sad, perhaps I had lost it. Then on the eve of the Easter Sunday, the day of resurrection I had a dream that I entered a cave. There was a picture of Swamiji there, with many fresh flowers placed around it, many lamps were burning. It was understood that he was no more and I shed tears and regretted that I did not visit him again after our last visit to Kashmir Then suddenly I saw him emerging from the dark inner recess of the cave, shining and smiling broadly: “Who told you I was dead? Look I am still very much alive in this world.”
A day later a letter arrived from Katyayani with two photographs of Swamiji, one taken by herself during our last visit and another by a friend who had just been there.
Some more years passed and during the last phase of his life I began to search for his news. I phoned Dr. Karan Singh, he told me that Swamiji was in Delhi but in complete seclusion at some location unknown even to him. The place remained secret because Swamiji did not want people to flock there. The people closest to him had brought him to Delhi, they thought he was not safe because of the violent events taking place in the valley.
Sometime later again I phoned Dr. Karan Singh, this time he told me that Swamiji unmindful of his safety had returned to his hermitage saying that he was already eighty or so years old and he feared no death.
Then much later after he had passed away I learnt that he was very ill so they brought him back to Delhi and that he breathed his last somewhere in the environs of Delhi but somehow I knew it that very day he passed away.
Nature has a way of celebrating all events of human life cycle and her own way to announce them. She did it that day again, in a dream.
In a dream I saw a multitude of celestial figures as one sees in the faded Central Asian Buddhist frescoes. They were not clear but still luminous, the sky was lit by a vague light though no source was visible. The figures were still, full of expectation and reverence. Then the scene disappeared and I heard a voice: “And thousands of gods gathered to welcome great Lakshman Joo to his true abode, and thousands of dundubhis resounded in the sky.” (It was somewhat like this –”Aur akash mein hajaron dundubhiyon ka nad gunj utha” referring to the sound of hour glass drums).
So the knowledge was swift but the news was late by several months.
VI
I am now going to add a few reflections then a few suggestions–
After meeting such a rare, phenomenal human being with most excellent qualities I have wondered a few times if it was a great tradition that created such a magnificent human being or the human beings like him created such a great tradition. Though it is true both ways, I like to emphasize that it is human beings like him that created such a great tradition.
The hey days of Kashmir Shaivism were over long ago but though fewer and fewer in number there were always some scholars and sometimes some acharyas otherwise such a big body of scriptures could not have been preserved. But two stars shine with peculiar intensity in the whole history of Kashmir Shaivism. One is Abhinavagupta who embodied the entire tradition and added many new dimensions to it. The other is Swami Lakshman Joo who also embodied the whole tradition and was its last blazing light, its final summary, and he liberated this great tradition from its traditional isolation and obscurity. It was his genius that manifested such excellent human qualities which drew wonderful scholars and other people to his place.
The traditional lineage ended with him but before that he threw a whole new light on this tradition and the study of Kashmir Shaivism spread to many far flung places among the scholarly communities, and also among people who are not scholars it found an ever growing audience.
Though the tradition was known to some extent to some serious Sanskrit scholars, the studies were limited. It remained largely confined to some Pandits in the valley. It was also one of the causes of its decay.
During the time of Maharaja Harisingh’s rule there was an attempt to rescue it from fast vanishing old manuscripts and many texts were printed but soon even these forgotten texts were, though now in print, gathering dust, yellowed leaves were falling apart, moisture was spreading through them.
It was the genius of Swami Lakshman Joo that gave it a new life and also liberated it from the traditional and personal domain of the Pandits and opened its doors wide to all those who would be interested in it, without distinction of caste, creed and nationality. It was a big change. It was late by quite a few centuries but finally when it came through him the world received a lasting and magnificent gift.
One saw sometimes a profound sadness in his eyes, it could have been because of his being alone with such an abundant knowledge and the fact that he was the last acharya of this great tradition. It came to the end with him but it is also true that “the Hinayana” of Kashmir Shaivism was transformed into “the Mahayana” of Kashmir Shaivism because of him.
Teilhard de Chardin, when he came across Tibetan Buddhism, spoke of it as “A strange and mysterious beauty whose time has yet not come.” The time had since then come. Similarly Kashmir Shaivism’s forgotten beauty too is now being discovered by the world. A band of dedicated scholars has made the task of great, lone Swami Lakshman Joo easier and the world is richer by their efforts.
Having written an account of my few meetings with Swamiji, I still feel that I have not paid sufficient tribute to him hence I am adding a few more words here.
Once Swamiji told a student the story of Macchhandanath and his twelve disciples who had renounced their kingdoms to follow him. Of these twelve princes six went to teach in different directions and the other six went into great wilderness forever, each living a solitary life away from the world. Then Swamiji told his student that he himself would have preferred the life in wilderness.
But then is it not true that he integrated both these aspects in his life? It was all too evident that he did. While he generously shared his rare gifts with all those who were receptive, his true domain was still the wilderness of solitude. He would wander off into that region in an instant and then would suddenly return. While sitting with people he would be suddenly absent and then suddenly be wholly present as a great teacher and as a most benevolent, affectionate and generous human being. It was this touch of wilderness that shone through his personality and gave it such a mysterious depth, power and luminosity.
Having known that vast wilderness he had no inclination or use for personal glorification, fame, great crowds and accumulation of wealth. Had he made a slightest move towards the stage of worldly fame, he would have been most likely the most famous and wealthiest guru of all the 20th century gurus. Who else had such manifold qualities?
He had all he needed to live a life of beautiful simplicity, elegance, contentment and generosity. He only gave and took nothing from the materialistic world. Once I was talking to Dr. Karan Singh and told him: “If I had ever decided to choose a guru, I would have made a request to Swamiji to take me as a disciple.”
“Why don’t you still do it”? He asked. I replied: “I sometimes like to sit under a great tree as a traveller but don’t wish to build a house there.”
I once sat for a while under the generous shade of that mighty tree and I am grateful for the rest of my life.
Lastly a few suggestions for scholars. There may be already some works that I have not come across. In that case I can blame only my ignorance.
1. A good biography, a true human biography of Swami Lakshman Joo is missing. Research into that field may yield rich material while many memories are still very fresh. If all of it is not gathered we shall be left only with hagiographies.
It is very likely that it may soon all turn into legends. I have already come across two different versions about his birth, about Swami Ram celebrating his birth and different stories about his leaving his home. And it all happened in such a short time!
2. Before Kashmir Shaivism fully took shape, Kashmir was a great cradle of Buddhism with all its different manifestations. At one time Buddhism and Shaivism were well intertwined in an open twilight zone as even today one sees in Nepal. A good study of that period is needed. One may also have to consult Tibetan travelogues still awaiting translation.
3. There is another curious period of socio-cultural history, the history of Kashmir’s Sufi movement which had some good interaction with Shaivism of the valley. A thorough study is needed.
4. The non-Sanskritic tradition of Shaivism that circulated among common people also had some most unusual personalities. The most celebrated case is Lal Ded but there were others too who survive in diverse legends. Some manifestations had continued till recent times.
Now, Swami Lakshman Joo too has become a part of that other tradition prevalent among people who have no philosophical interest. Legends about him and worship of his image is growing within the Kashmiri Pandit community. This too may interest some scholars.
5. Socio-economic-political-cultural history of times during which Kashmir Shaivism flourished and declined would be a very interesting contribution and complementary addition to the study of Kashmir Shaivism.
In the end of it all I thank deeply Bettina ji without whose suggestion I would have never written down all these pages.
Sharad Chandra (C.M.O.)
- 6.3.09 Varanasi.
[1] At that time, since then many translations and studies have come out.
sharadchandra 