Finding a true saint is like looking for a diamond in a coal mine. It is more likely to occur by happenstance rather than by any effort on our part. The world is full of con men who position themselves as agents of God. It is easy to be fooled, so be careful if you set out on a journey to find one. However this is a story of a Harvard trained westerner’s encounter with a true saint.
Richard Alpert, an ex-professor of Harvard University, bumped into this saint almost by accident. The name of the saint was Neem Karoli Baba, known to most of his followers as Maharaj-ji. Most westerners who met Maharaj-ji were simply sent away. He would tell them, “You already have a teacher in Jesus. Just follow his words. You don’t need me. Go away.” But there must have been some connection between Richard Alpert and Neem Karoli Baba and so the saint accepted him and showered his grace on him. This led to his complete transformation into the world famous Baba Ram Dass.
Upon his return back to the US, Baba Ram Dass went on to author the best-selling book “Be Here Now”. This was instrumental in making Neem Karoli Baba famous. This saint was the same person who Steve Jobs went looking for when he went to India, but the saint had passed away and the meeting never happened.
Later Ram Dass said, “People ask me more about the miracles that Maharaj-ji performed. But the most extraordinary aspect of him were not the miracles but the love that one felt in his presence.”
You may also like: Shavasana as the doorway to meditation.
Credits: This is a you-tube video.