I was aware that it was just a dream. Still in the dream, I also recollected the master telling a group of devotees once that nobody could dream about him unless he allowed it.

I bowed down in my dream and kissed his feet. He told me "Vichaar nahin karne Kaa." That is "Don't you worry about anything."

I thanked him and was about to bow down again when he raised me and embraced me: "Here, this is your place - in my heart."

I was touched, moved, and tears began to flow from my eyes. I remembered him twice before doing and saying the same thing - physically, of course, not in the dream.

My mind was very active during the entire dream session. And I was "aware" of its activity. I was "consciously" dreaming and watching my mind's activity - an unusual experience.

Baba continued, "When you first came to Prasanthi (Prasanthi Nilayam, or The Abode of Peace - his ashram), I said to you,'So you have come.' "

In one of my previous lives, I was called Ananda. Baba had made a public announcement of my "coming and growing up", but so what? I have had a great past life, again so what ? I must still strive to maintain my awareness in this life.

Baba nodded his head in affirmation. He knew well what went on in my mind in that dream,"Yes, yes, yes... Maintain your awareness and remain in love. There are no two tasks; 'My' Task is also your task. It is the Divine Task. Work for it, Ananda."

The Mysterious Lama

..."Death is a fiction. "The Lama came running to me, yes, literally running: "But then fiction is also life. Life is everywhere. Look, look, look.... Look around."

I Looked around and found the face of God everywhere as mentioned in The Holy Qur'an. I realized that God covered everything, as mentioned in the Upanishads. And that its Kingdom was within man, within each living being as Jesus had said. I thanked the Buddha within me for the realization.

I wanted to scream, to shout, and to tell everybody that I was free.

"So what's keeping you from that? Go and tell everybody that you are free," said the Lama.

But then I realized that I had never been bound anyway. I had always been free. I just did not know it.

"So now that you know - share your knowledge, your awareness. Go back to Indonesia, to the land that gave your birth, to your Motherland, and proclaim this truth for one and all to know."

"What truth, Sir? What is there to proclaim? Truth remains truth, even though not proclaimed. It does not increase by proclamation. Nor does it decrease by non-proclamation."

"Share that very knowledge with your countrymen. People are sleeping, wake them up."

"Here, in India, you can have a large following in a matter of days. People in the millions would flock around you, like they flock around Sai Baba and so many other gurus.

"There, in Indonesia, people will laugh at you. They will ridicule. At first they will not listen to you. Then when sections of society begin to listen to you , other sections will be jealous of you. They will not stop criticism.

"And yet Indonesia is your Destiny. India has enough Gurus and charlatans. The west has its share too. But Indonesia is dry. That is your work place, your Karma Bhoomi."

Did I have anything to share? Did I have anything of worth to share? The Lama looked to me compassionately, "Yes, you do have. You have Love. And nothing is more worthy than Love. You have experienced love in all its forms. You have experimented with it in many ways. You have seen all its facets. Share your love. For all that humankind needs is Love. It has been so in the days gone by, It is so now, and it will remain so forever."

"Love support life. Love is at the base of the entire creation. Without Love there is neither Existence, nor Non Existence. Universes come and go; Love remains. It does not come, and it does not go. It is all pervading, The Omnipotent and Omniscient One."

The Lama laughed, "You fear that you may fall. Listen, my dear friend, both the heights and the depths are imaginary. Love transcend Both. Move on with Love; live in love; act lovingly, and you will be all right. Trust Love. Have faith, believe in it. Love is trustworthy."

 

I trusted Love. I did have faith and believed in it What I lacked, I thought, was the "self-confidence" necessary for my new role.

"No, no, no - no self confidence is required." Then he repeated the same words with a different emphasis, "No-Self Confidence is required. Go beyond Self, attain to that Non-State of No-Self. Be confident of No-Self. Attain the Unattainable. Better still; forget confidence and no confidence. Let go of self and no-self. What remains then is Love, pure 100% Love - share that Love, Easy, simple - isn't it ?"