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SoME time ago a North Indian newspaper published the following :—
Our worldless, selfless, and godly brother Sundar Singh has discovered the Christian hermit the Maharishi? at Kailash, who has for years been on the snowy Himalayas praying and interceding for the world. . .. You have revealed to the world the secret of one of the members of our mission the Maharishi at Kailash.
During his pilgrimage in Western Tibet the Saédhu was constantly searching for those holy men who retire to the snowy peaks and caves of these distant mountains, there to spend their last days in contemplation. Far from the dwellings of men in the silence of the eterna! snows stretches the Kailash range of the Himalayas, The mighty Indus has its source in this range, and its great tributary, the Sutlej, also takes its rise there. The Sutlej flows through the country of Sundar Singh’s birth, and at one point where the bed of the stream is 8,494 feet above the level of the sea, the rocky gorge presents a scene of awful sublimity, and is one of the natural wonders of the world.
On the summit of one of the mountains of the Kailash Range is a deserted Buddhist temple now rarely visited by man. A few miles from this temple dwells the great saint known as the Maharishi of Kailash, in a cave some 13,000 fect above sea level. All this region is the Olympus of India, the seat of Hindu holy myths, and it is associated in Hindu sacred books with the names of great and devout souls of all times. In one cave the Sadhu found the skeleton of some nameless holy man who had died whilst meditating there.
The seenery all around is grand and impressive, and amidst the everlasting snows, springs of boiling water bubble up from out the frozen ground. Some three days’ journey from this place is the famous Lake Manasarowar, an exquisitely beautiful and holy place. On the Lake float many fine swans, and upon the overhanging cliffs, in swect picturesqueness, are perched ancient Buddhist temples and monasteries. The Sadhu describes this as one of the loveliest places he has ever seen, but he also adds that here too are found the most cruel of nomadic tribes, who slay for the pure love of it, and thus convert the place into a terror to the harmless pilgrims travelling through it.
In the summer of 1912 he travelled through these regions alone and on foot, often refreshed by the beautiful scenes through which he passed, but more often fatigued to the last degree in his difficult and fruitless search for the holy men he hoped to meet there, He will never forget the day when, struck with snow-blindness and almost wearied to death, he staggered drearily on over snowy and stony crags not knowing whither he went. Suddenly he lost his balance and fell. Recovering from the fall he awoke to one of the greatest experiences of his life, for he opened his eyes to find himself lying outside a huge cave, in the shelter of which sat the Maharishi of Kailash in deep meditation.
The sight’ that met his eyes was so appalling that Sundar closed them and almost fainted. Little by little he ventured to make an inspection of the object. before him, and then discovered that he was looking at a living human being, but so old and clothed with long hair as to appear at first glance like an animal. Sundar realized that thus unexpectedly he had succeeded in his search after a holy man, and as soon as he could command his voice he spoke to the aged saint. Recalled from his meditation, the ‘saint opened his eyes and, casting a piercing glance upon the Sadhu, amazed him by saying, “Let us kneel and pray.” Then followed a most earnest Christian prayer ending in the name of Jesus. This over, the Maharishi unrolled a ponderous copy of the Gospels in Greek, and read some verses from Matthew, chapter v.
The Sadhu heard from his own lips the account of his wonderful life. He claimed to be of very great age. The roll from which he had read he explained had come down to him from Francis Xavier, and the Sadhu noticed that it was all written in Greek Uncials, and may therefore prove to be of value to scholars should it come into their possession. The Saint said he was born in. Alexandria of a M-thammadan family, and was brought up to be a zealous follower of the prophet. At the age of thirty he renounced the world and entered a monastery in order to give himself up entirely to religion. But the more he read the Qur’an and prayed, the more unhappy he became. During these days of spiritual distress he heard of a Christian saint who had gone over from India to preach in Alexandria, and from him he heard words of life that filled his hopeless soul with joy. He now . left the monastery to accompany his teacher in his missionary journeys. After some time spent thus, permission was given him to go on his own account to preach the Gospel wherever God sent him. The Saint then started out on an evangelistic campaign that continued a very long time.
At last, wearied with his strenuous labours, the Saint resolved to spend the remainder of his days in the secluded spot where Sundar found him. During the years spent in this place the Saint has learnt much about the products of the mountains and jungles around him, by means of which he has been able to subsist to this day. When the Sadhu first met him he was chilled to the bone by the bitter cold. The Saint gave him the leaves of a certain plant to eat, which having caten he immediately felt a comfortable glow steal over his body.
The Sadhu had long conversations with him about holy things, and heard many strange things from his lips. Some of the excellent illustrations Sundar uses in his sermons were given him by this aged Saint. The Maharishi belongs to the Sanyasi Mission. His astonishing visions, as related to the Sadhu, would, if written down, read like another Book of Revelation, so strange and, incomprehensible are they. The Sadhu himself warns readers and hearers of these visions that common interpretations can never disclose their meaning, since the Saint has to clothe his ideals in language that cannot be taken literally. Sundar Singh has visited the Maharishi three times, and hopes to see him again at some future time.
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