Prior to leaving his house and after he left, Siddharth was an austere atheist. He believed that god was either in every particle or he wasn’t even there. As he set about his venture he discovered a meditator and a great yoga-guru, Alar Kalam. He became Siddharth’s first spiritual teacher.
Kalama had reached Akinchinapi/ Spere of nothingness level of formless dhyana/Samadhi. In the beginning he taught Siddharth the significance of breath. He trained him with various breathing practices such as Anulom pranayama, breath control, breath meditation and other yoga forms. Moreover he enlighten him on the importance and outcomes of desires.
“Man and nature are separate. Man is consciousness and nature is matter. When man and nature get bind together with one another due to desire, then a being is born. Like human, plants, animals, birds. But do remember, freedom from desire solely is liberation.”
He spoke during one of his lectures.
One day while meditating, Siddharth felt distracted due to his out of control thoughts of the the past times. The thoughts of misery he had witnessed before. Unsettled, he went to his master. Kalam eased him down. Pointing at the clouds above he said his thoughts were just like clouds and he (his consciousness) was like the colossal sky. Few moments later the clouds disappeared. Gautama realised that thoughts come and go. But his awareness stays at a standstill. His guru instructed him to watch whatever passes through his mind.
Once when guru Alar Kalam was busy milking the cattle Siddharth came up to him.
Kalam: You came Siddharth..
Siddharth: without seeing how do you you realise I’m there?
Kalam: there’s no difference between a Guru and a mother my son. A mother recognizes her child with a little disturbance.
He offered his student the pot of milk.
Kalam: have this. This sattvic aliment will calm your mind.
Siddharth: [Accepting the pot] whether I’m worthy of your compassion or not I’ve no idea. But I have a request from you.
Kalam: speak son
Siddharth: when it’s the time for begging do wake me up from my meditation. I don’t want others to be bothered because of me.
[Others had to share their alms with Siddharth when he couldn’t go to beg]
Kalam: bothered? Who? Do remember Siddharth, here priority is given to meditation. Not to begging. I’m your guru. I know full well who’s worthy of meditation and who’s worthy of begging.
[he added]
Kalam: do not hesitate and tell me where have you reached in meditative state?
Siddharth: master, firstly I felt I was afloat in the air. And then slowly and gradually the awareness of time faded away.
Kalam: Very auspicious signs!
Siddharth: then I experienced absence of time. And as soon as I lost my focus, pain surrounded me. And my mind was getting restless.
Kalam: there’s no need to be sad upon mind being restless. Ahead of this you have to experience an endless absence of time. What’s substantial, it’s the trap of the mind. If you you go deeper into mind, you’ll discover there’s nothing at all. It’s a complete void. Be unshakable; if your mind wavers, you shouldn’t waver.
* * *
Over the days Siddharth was going deeper and deeper in his meditation. One day he sat still underneath a tree with his eyes shut. And didn’t wake up for two days. Concerned about his well being his companion told the guru about this. His master eased him down by enlightening him that Siddharth had accomplished breath. He had reached a stage where he had left his personal works far behind. The diet he was getting was spiritual pleasure. Where he had reached it wasn’t easy to reach.
Guru Kalam went and sat by Gautama. Soon Siddharth opened his eyes.
Kalam: your focus lost after two days.
Siddharth: I wasn’t even aware of the time, master. This time I had an experience where I had become light as a feather. Somewhere far I was afloat in the blue sky. Firstly like birds, then like clouds I rose higher. And then slowly and gradually the awareness of the body faded. I felt as if I am like a tree, attached with Earth; and my arms were extending far up till infinity.
Kalam: wonderful! Then?
Siddharth: then I experienced an eternal zero in all directions. Such a cosmic peace like there was a waterfall of serenity; bathing in which I was absolutely blissed out. I experienced this.
Kalam: now there’s no difference between you and me.
Siddharth: No master!
Kalam: the state of meditation to which I took seventy years to attain, you did that in just two months! I’m blessed.
Siddharth: equipollency of you and me- Not at all! Until I was in meditation my mind was still. As soon as I lost my focus, pain and restlessness encompassed me. Master, show me the way to freedom from this suffering.
Kalam: whatever knowledge I had I poured it into you my son. My vessel is empty. I have nothing with me to give you.
Kalam put forward an offer to him to lead the community. For they were at the same level in knowledge. Siddharth said he wanted some time. He pondered over and recognized that he had to go beyond this. Next morning he told his master that he wished to leave the community. To his astonishment Alar Kalam agreed at once. As Siddharth asked for the directions Guru said that Udraka Ramputtra would instruct him further. And Siddharth left. As he walked away Kalam did something which was surprising to his followers. He rubbed his hand against the footprints in the soil which Siddharth had left, and applied it over his forehead (as a veneration to the divine). When one of his scholars asked why was he doing so, Kalam uttered emotionally-
“You too apply the soil of his footprints to your forehead. It’s uncertain whether such opportunity would knock again….. Behold, there goes the Yugpurush! After aeons such a man incarnates on Earth”
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