Find out who the seer is

Harilal soon discovered that the Maharshi never gave private interviews, so he decided to try to confront him when the hall was as empty as possible.

He ate his lunch in the ashram. After the meal, the Maharshi went back to his room with his attendent. No one followed him. Though Harilal was unaware of it, there was an understanding among the inmates that visitors should not go to the Maharshi between 11.30 am and 2.30 pm. Chinnaswami wanted Bhagavan to rest, but since Bhagavan would not agree to a rule which prevented anyone from approaching him, a compromise was arrived at: his doors would remain open, but visitors and devotees were encouraged to let him rest during that time.

Harilal followed along behind the Maharshi, thinking this was the perfect time to have him to himself.

Making use of tracking lessons imparted by Mum Lioness, the four cubs followed along behind Harilal, keeping nicely out of sight. Nobody seemed to catch the scent of baby lion and baby leopard on the breeze, maybe because Mum Lioness had shampooed all of them, head to toe, with coconut shampoo the previous evening so all traces of mud and chocolate sauce and iddli crumbs and berry juice were washed away.

Krishnaswami, the Maharshi's attendent, tried to put Harilal off till later. "Not now. Come back at 2.30."



But the Maharshi overheard Krishnaswami attempting to dissuade Harilal. He told Krishnaswami that Harilal could come in and see him.

Harilal approached the Maharshi belligerently. "Are you the man who came to see me at my house in the Punjab?"



The cubs, listened from just outside the door, were shocked! They looked at each other with eyebrows raised high. Had they been right to try to get this North Indian to stay? They all felt the urge to rush up to the big visitor, claws clicking on the smooth floor, and tackle him. Once they had him pinned (and judging by his size, they might need Med Tiger and Mum Lioness to each seize a paw), they would somehow convey to him -- through some combination of nipping and whispering and even a little tickling to restore his humour -- that Bhagavan was to be addressed with FULL RESPECT! None of this gruff-toned accusatory business. But then they remembered in the nick of time that the Hurry All chap was the Self too, and all was unfolding according to Bhagavan's plan. Remembering this, they relaxed again and cuddled up in a little heap, interested to hear what the North Indian would say next. How amazing the Self was! What a show it put on at times.

The Maharshi remained silent in the face of Harilal's belligerence.

Harilal tried again. "Did you come to my house and tell me to come here? Are you the man who sent me here?"

Again the Maharshi gave no answer.

"Have you seen God?" Harilal asked. "And if you have, can you enable me to see Him? I am willing to pay any price, even my life, but your part in the bargain is that you must show me God.'

This time the Maharshi spoke.

"No," he said. "I cannot show you God or enable you to see God because God is not an object that can be seen. God is the subject. He is the seer. Don't concern yourself with objects that can be seen. Find out who the seer is." Then he added, "You alone are God," as if to rebuke Harilal for looking for a God who was outside and apart.

Harilal was not impressed with this at all. It sounded like one more excuse, to be added to the long list of excuses from swamis all over the country. But this one had promised to show him God, and now he was not only telling him he could NOT show him God, he was saying no one else could either!