A number of miracles are attributed to Narayan Maharaj. Some revere him for his demonstration of divine powers, while a few criticize him for the use of powers. Narayan Maharaj never attached any importance either to miracles or to the comments of the people. Use of siddhis binds a sadhak to illusion, but through the Sadguru it helps the unbinding of karma of the persons concerned. In the hands of a sadhak, siddhis suppress Divinity, but in the hands of Masters they express Divinity. In one of His messages Meher Baba stated: "Miracles are justified . . . when they are performed for the purpose of drawing humanity . . . towards the final goal of realizing God; otherwise they are definitely an interference with the natural evolutionary process . . . Miracles, in the last analysis, are illusory . . . There can be no special point in producing some petty imitation illusions in the mighty infinite illusion already created by God." Like Sai Baba, Narayan Maharaj had drawn many people towards spirituality through the numberless miracles that "happened" about him, for which his divine presence was a passive agent.

Narayan Maharaj always instructed his devotees not to pay any heed to the supernatural events around him; he insisted, through simple talks to them, on the importance of Nam Smaran — wholehearted repetition of the name of God. He was not used to giving long sermons or spiritual explanations, but in the words he spoke there was an unearthly flavor which appealed deeply to the hearts of his devotees. He advised people to lead a spiritual life, an honest life based on what little understanding they had, and "the necessary guidance will definitely follow," he assured.

After coming in contact with Meher Baba, out of inquisitiveness I once wrote to Narayan Maharaj and received a prompt reply. He asked me to remain happy in the remembrance of the Lord. Perhaps this was his cardinal message to all who came into his contact.

In August 1945 Narayan Maharaj left Kedgaon for Bangalore, where special arrangements were made for the grand performance of most of the religious ceremonies mentioned in Hindu scriptures, all at one and the same time, but at different places on the same premises. It was an all-inclusive yajna — a sacrifice. The programs continued for three weeks, during which hundreds of people from all parts of India participated in various ways. Thousands of people were fed and received dakshina at the hands of Narayan Maharaj. As soon as this grand function was over in all respects, Narayan Maharaj most tactfully dropped his physical body on September 3, 1945, as the culminating act of offering himself on the fire of sacrifice. Was it an emblematic indication that the life of Sadguru is the all-consuming fire of sacrifice?

AWAKENING GRACE: Poems at the feet of the Silent Master

by Jeanne Foster

Hardcover, 48 pages, $4.95, Sheriar Press, Inc.