At a time
when the self-help books were filling the book shelves world over and
the concept of spirituality was turning into a feel-good commercial
fad, a humble, middle-aged man sat under a banyan tree on a polluted
Mumbai street and talked about the electro-magnetic properties of the
thought-based sensations and their effect on neurons and body cells.
He never went to school in his whole life. And he was no typical guru,
for he said nothing that lifted the spirits and did nothing that satisfied
the intellectual urges. He did not want to convince anyone or try to
change the world. There were no theories, concepts, arguments or conjectures.
He spoke what he saw. There were a small number of young and old people
- eight in all - who had had glimpses of what he was talking about and
stayed put, embarking on a journey to the unknown. They called him Rao
Maharaj, Guruji, whatever they wished. He never called himself anything.
He was not associated with any sect, ashram, school of thought or anything
that puts any label on him.
For a very long time, what they experienced, talked and shared remained
between themselves. To hear about their experiences was astonishing.
What most people would consider a once in a lifetime moment or an incident
was a common occurrence for them. Out of body experience, communication
with unseen worlds and beings, visions, astral projection, thought-reading,
etc. were simply brushed aside as a part of the process. Whenever Rao
Maharaj spoke, the air/vicinity heated up and strange fragrances came
and went. Unseen to naked eyes, Rao Maharaj sometime mentioned how many
others were there listening to their conversations. To other enthusiasts
who came by hearing about him from someone, he gave healing initiations
and techniques with mantras. In the Western countries where there are
paid courses of Reiki and other such techniques, he gave full initiation
in both the hands in minutes. And the techniques were countless. They
came naturally to him.
In 1997 some of the group members decided to compile some of the texts
that they had written based on Rao Maharaj's talks and their conversations.
The result was a mixed Marathi-Hindi text that needed to be translated
in English. It was divided into chapters and bound in a manual-like
book that was kept as a reference for future sadhaks. A couple of years
later, it was also published on the internet. We are now publishing
the same in a series on chapters on this web site. The translation is
not perfect and at many places it does not do justice to that was originally
written in a different language. However, the essence is there. Do not
worry about the grammar and look for the subtle awareness behind the
words. In itself, it is one of the rare texts on actual spiritual experiences
in our time. It is not something that you will find in any of the self-help
books. It is more of a science of spirituality that comes only from
the process of self-realisation. Those who are on the path of truth
will be able to connect to it straight away. It is not the everyday
new-age, feel-good stuff. It is unique and rare.
Your feedback, questions and queries are welcome.
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