The enclosed enlightening conversation with Swami Turiyananda, a direct disciple of Sri Ramakrishna took place on 15th July 1920. It was published in the Prabuddha Bharata Magazine and has been excerpted from there.
Swami Turiyananda
Swami Turiyananda: There is a mention of the Uttarayana (the six months of the sun’s northward passage) in the Mahabharata. Bhishma was waiting for the Uttarayana. By this no particular time is meant. It only shows that Bhishma had the power to die whenever he chose.
The scriptures do not mean by the word Uttarayana any time at all – it only means the Deva or angel identifying himself with that time. We can well understand this. It is like people coming forward to receive a distinguished visitor. I am reminded of an incident in this connection.
B. Babu got news that his father was ill. Before he reached the place, the gentleman had expired. As soon as he stepped into the room, he saw a shining figure. He wrote to me that perhaps it was his father waiting to meet him.
But suddenly the idea flashed in my mind that it might be some angel come there to escort the departing soul. B. Babu of course won’t tell an untruth. He is not the man to do so. Besides, I can very well understand such things as the following statement of the Gita:
“Fools do not perceive the soul when it departs from the body, or lives in it, or enjoys things through the help of the Gunas. But wise men see it doing all this.”
Swami Vivekananda used to say – “He who has seen a ghost is much greater that a mere book-learned Pundit”, because he has got an opportunity to form a conviction about the future life.
Credit:
This article is from the spiritualbee.com. It has been republished here with permission.
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