In the Company of My Master (Volume-4)

Nothing is more precious to disciples than spending time with their spiritual teacher, especially when the teacher is a God- realized master. What a gift is this intimate view into Paramahamsa Prajnananandaji's cherished moments with his beloved Gurudev, the eminent Kriya Yoga Master Paramahamsa Hariharananda. Volume 4 of In the Company of My Master narrates Paramahamsa Prajnananandaji's apprenticeship with his master at Karar Ashram during 1987 to 1989.

Readers will find this book captivating, but its stories are much more than beautiful memories; they are a roadmap to Self- realization. Paramahamsa Hariharananda is the perfect master, a marvellous blend of unconditional love and infinite wisdom, equally adept at being in the world and beyond it. Paramahamsa Prajnanananda, his foremost disciple, was uncompromising in his commitment to his master. Their bond was impenetrable.

Gurudev Paramahamsa Hariharanandaji, humble and selfless, had only one wish for his disciples: to reach the state of realization then exceed it. His heart was fathomless.

The universe is a university where all human beings are students. They are destined to learn and graduate with Self-realization, the ultimate education degree. Evolution is the learning process where every person moves from one course to another. Knowingly or unknowingly everyone is on the path. Some accelerate with strong willpower and determined effort, while others delay completion by spending time in pleasure and fun.

At this university the first teacher is the Creator. All living beings are teachers; they serve in their own roles with unique contributions. Spiritual masters often say that we can learn from anyone if the mind, heart, and sense organs are clean, open, and attentive. An immemorial tradition exists in teacher-student relationships. It stems from ancient hermitages (gurukulams) and continues in modern residential schools and sophisticated institutes. The most beautiful relationship is the journey on the spiritual path leading to our Beloved God.

Before the era of reading and writing, verbal communication and direct demonstration were effectively employed as learning tools. That is why the other name for the Vedas is shruti, which means "remembering the teachings through attentive listening." Thus, remembering, recollecting, reflecting, recapitulating, and ultimately realizing were practiced in ancient times.

These methodologies were followed by the age of writing, note- taking, and reading. Sage Vyasadeva edited the Vedas and made them widely available to readers as human memory gradually became weaker. The ancient method of copying texts by hand was replaced by modern printing technology and ever-advancing electronic methods.