In terms of exposure to great spiritual Masters, I am very fortunate indeed. From a very young age I used to regularly meet with Swami Chinmayananda whenever he visited Hong Kong, the city where I grew up. My father, in fact my whole family, had a very deep connection with him.
Swamiji lived an extraordinary life, filled with many hurdles and challenges. He was skeptical of religion in his youth. He became a freedom fighter, who was wanted by the British and was even imprisoned for a while. At one point, he fell devastatingly ill with typhoid and was miraculously saved by a compassionate passerby who nursed him back to health.
Swamiji then pursued a career in journalism, through which he gained exposure to spirituality. He became a regular visitor at Swamiji Sivananda's ashram in Rishikesh. Swami Sivananda initiated him into sannyas, and introduced Swamiji to his Guru, Tapovan Maharaj who lived an extremely austere life in Uttarkashi.
The last time me and my family had the good fortune to meet with Swamiji was in the year before he passed away. He gave me a very special blessing wishing me success. When I look back on that moment I think he must have foreseen how I would gravitate deeply towards spirituality in my life.
Before discovering my own Guru, I would often turn to Swamiji and his teachings in my moments of extreme self-doubt and loss. His story is one of deep tapas and endurance, overcoming many trials and tribulations, and a profound compassion to share the knowledge and joy of the Truth that he had discovered.
He is a demanding master. He teaches you to set the bar high - so high in fact that it should be unreachable. Why? Because that is the only way we can grow and evolve as humans on this earth.
Such is tapas.
I understand, admire and wholly believe this teaching. But as a seeker, it is one that is very difficult to live and experience. But his life is surely an example of hope - hope that we will one day experience the fruits of our tapas. The universe surely will not let us down.
Swamiji lived an extraordinary life, filled with many hurdles and challenges. He was skeptical of religion in his youth. He became a freedom fighter, who was wanted by the British and was even imprisoned for a while. At one point, he fell devastatingly ill with typhoid and was miraculously saved by a compassionate passerby who nursed him back to health.
Swamiji then pursued a career in journalism, through which he gained exposure to spirituality. He became a regular visitor at Swamiji Sivananda's ashram in Rishikesh. Swami Sivananda initiated him into sannyas, and introduced Swamiji to his Guru, Tapovan Maharaj who lived an extremely austere life in Uttarkashi.
The last time me and my family had the good fortune to meet with Swamiji was in the year before he passed away. He gave me a very special blessing wishing me success. When I look back on that moment I think he must have foreseen how I would gravitate deeply towards spirituality in my life.
Before discovering my own Guru, I would often turn to Swamiji and his teachings in my moments of extreme self-doubt and loss. His story is one of deep tapas and endurance, overcoming many trials and tribulations, and a profound compassion to share the knowledge and joy of the Truth that he had discovered.
He is a demanding master. He teaches you to set the bar high - so high in fact that it should be unreachable. Why? Because that is the only way we can grow and evolve as humans on this earth.
Such is tapas.
I understand, admire and wholly believe this teaching. But as a seeker, it is one that is very difficult to live and experience. But his life is surely an example of hope - hope that we will one day experience the fruits of our tapas. The universe surely will not let us down.
