By the spring of 1948, Balan decided and moved permanently to Ananda Kutir with the Goal of finding the purpose of human life. He undertook a pilgrimage to chardham with Bhaskar Menon his cousin who was newly initiated into Sannyas by Swami Sivananda. Balan vowed to repeat Lord Shiva’s name throughout the pilgrimage, for his true motivation was to attain enlightenment.
While visiting Gangotri, yamunotri, Kedarnath & Badrinath, Balan & Bhaskar Menon met many Mahatmas and were inspired by their Vedantic vision and life. Finally, Balan & Bhaskar Menon arrived at Badrinath, where Balan stayed back and did 6,00,000 Shadakshari Mantra Purashcharan from 20th June 1948 to 14th August 1948. Purascharan is the chanting of a mantra for a fixed number of days with a disciplined and austere routine of religious observances.
Meeting Mahatmas
1. On route to Gangotri, Balan met Swami Tapovan who told him “During the entire journey, keep a continuous unbroken Brahma-Vichaar(Contemplation on Truth), just as even while one is walking, one remembers a loved one who is far away.” Unknown to Balan, Swami Tapovan knew him through his articles published in the National Herald.
2. Sri Phalahari Baba, dressed only in a loin cloth, spent his days in continual meditation. He observed continuous silence(mouna), When the pilgrims met the Baba, he was weak due to a month’s fast. When asked about his health, he simply wrote in sand,”It is the nature of all flesh to be now healthy, now sick, now fat, now lean. We are not to be concerned with these transformations of the body, for we are the indestructible spirit.”
3. Nearby was a slightly larger hut of Sri Raghunath Das. After asking the three seekers where they came from, he sat facing them in total silence for some 10 minutes. It seemed as though time stood still and the world ceased to be. “If we do not receive the meaning of this silence, it could only mean a weakness in our own understanding. The true life is in meditation and in renunciation.” Menon concluded to himself.
4. The following morning, Balan met with Sri Krishnashram, a naked ascetic who also remained in continuous silence. When Balan asked him for a message for his fellow aspirants at the Sivananda ashram, he wrote - “Drink the true, pure Ganga water, not this river water. Visit the inner source. The guide to lead you is in you. You must only develop faith and love. There is no God beyond or besides you. Accept renunciation and end all outer activities. Delve within and reach the inner source. Drink the true Ganga water.”
5. At Badrinath, Balan met an aged Sadhu who was in poor health with an ulcerous sore on his leg. There were actually maggots on the wound. Just at the moment that he intended to suggest that he take the sadhu to a doctor, one of the maggots fell from the leg. The sadhu picked it up, placed it back on the leg, and told it, “There my Son.” Then he looked straight into the eyes of Balan and told him, “Dont you know that it is all only matter? Matter feeding matter.” Mind is matter and affected by its companion, the body. However, the Master’s inner peace is never disturbed by the agonies of his body or the ravings of his mind. The sadhu was found dead on his straw mat the next morning.
At Badrinath, Balan did 6,00,000 Shadakshari Mantra Purashcharan from 20th June 1948 to 14th August. 100 malas a day. 56 days. Purascharan is the chanting of a mantra for a fixed number of days with a disciplined and austere routine of religious observances.
Design Notes
Sceptic to Sannyasi
In this exhibit, there are digitally printed panels in the form of sails that rise from the water and extend up into the sky. Made of light tensile fabrics, they are dynamic and metaphorically represent the journey of Swami Chinmayananda from a Sceptic to a Sannyasi. The panels are situated on the river as the events depicted during this time of his life occurred around the river Ganga.