By Rakesh Kapoor
An Introduction of Shri Moni Baba (The Silent Saint) Vishno Dass Ji
श्री श्री मोनी बाबा विष्णुदास जी – एक परिचय
As I have already explained in other post Installation of an idol of an Enlightened Himalayan Saint- Part-1 that Shri Shri 108 Moni Baba (The Silent Saint) Vishno Dass ji was an enlightened saint, who remained silent for more than 30 years and hence derived his name as Moni Baba . He was addressed as Guru Ji (religious preacher) by his disciples. It was in June 2023 that an idol of Shri Moni Baba Vishno Dass Ji was installed in a Temple situated in a Himalayan village “Chalali” in India. Guru Ji had stayed in this temple for few years.
He left his physical body in the year 2009. It is our desire to bring out his teachings for the benefit of coming generations and our contemporary generation. We wish to incorporate our experiences as well experiences of other disciples through writings in this space over a period of coming years . I pray for his grace in our endeavor.
This village Chalali is situated in Himachal Pradesh state of India. It is part of Lower Himalayas and is under the shadow of Dhaualdhar Range. It is about 3-4 Kms from very famous temple of # Mata Chintpurni . The village is typical of many villages in mountains with road at an higher elevation and houses on downside at lower contours/elevation, with respect to National Highway leading to Dharamshala, an Important Hill Station of Himachal Pradesh. In earlier days most of houses were slate-roof houses, which have slowly given way to concrete construction.
Village -Chalali in Himachal Pradesh
Temple in Chalali-Shri Moni Baba (Guru Ji) stayed for many years
Guru Ji (Moni Baba Vishno Dass Ji) had spent many years in that village and in fact wanted to make an Ashram in the village, which somehow didn’t materialize and he established an Ashram in Haridwar called “Bajrang Dham”. He did his worship (पूजा) , meditation (साधना) and Penances (तपस्या) in this village and some places nearby including Kaleshwar (popularly called as Kalesar)- A place about 15 Kms from Chalali by a newly constructed road and situated on the banks of Beas River and also at Dharamshala Mahanta (About 8 Kms from Chalali and about 4 Kms beyond the temple of Godess Chintapurni).
Our whole childhood was spent in this village and we have very pleasant memories of that stay. During those years, whenever Guru Ji was there in the village, it was a routine for many villagers and children to go to the place, where he was staying, in the evening. He was provided with an independent room by one of the well off villager and an ardent disciple of Guru Ji, Lala Jagat Ram Ji. In those days , not many villagers had spare rooms and availability of an independent room suitable for a saint was rare.
Guru Ji (Moni Baba Vishno Dass Ji) had a very straining routine, that he had set for himself. He used to get up before 4.00 AM. He Will go out a long distance for a walk to attend to nature’s call. He will take bath in a water pound. He will come back to his adobe, before sunlight. Sometimes he used to take one person for his company. Duty was fixed beforehand and anyone who was asked to accompany always happily agreed, considering himself to be lucky. In fact everyone who was assigned any of the work by Guru Ji was very happy to do the task.
He will always carry a metal bowl with him which he will bring back, filled with water. He will use this water for his Pooja (worship).
After coming back, he will settle for his long session of meditation, performing pooja and other rituals, which only he knew. What was known to all of us was that he will lock himself inside the room, in which no one was allowed and in fact none used to dare to go near that room during his spiritual session. Everyone was aware that he needed no disturbance during this period He will worship, chanted Mantras and other intense rituals, which are probably required to be done by Saints for achieving or even after achieving highest level of enlightenment.
He used to wear Red Dhoti (4-5 yards of pure cotton cloth wrapped around his body) during those days. In fact this was the only cloth that he used to wearg; winter or summer. He used to sit on a woolen blanket (Aasan), with water bowl on his side and meditate for long hours. It was routine for many students to bow their head in front of the room (the room being closed- an he being amidst his Sadhna/ worship.
The room will open after about 11.00 AM i.e his session of Pooja and rituals continued for nearly 4 to 5 hours. He, alongwith devotees present at that time will perform Aaarti ( prayer, chanting of verses in praise of Gods ) for his Ishth Dev (The Prime God, whom he was worshipping). He will take a glass of milk and then go back and sit on his Asana. Many people will come to meet him. Many people shared their personal problems with him ad he will provide solutions in the form of Mantra or giving some Yantras ,written on BhojPatra or asking them to pray to a particular diety etc. .
He will communicate with them through writing but will not speak as he observed Maun Vrat (lIterally means Silent fast or keeping a fast of remaining silent). He had divine sight and many times he will pronounce that Mr. XXX might come today evening and I have seen it that his pre-announcements were always correct. His disciples will always seek his permission while departing.
Sometimes some devotees (Who came from other towns) used to leave without the permission, fearing that if he says “NO” they will miss out on important work or job. So they will just slip, thinking that HE will not know. However invariably, on such occasions devotees will face difficulties- either they will not get transport or the transport will get broken down or such similar incidents will happen. Many will come back after frustrating wait for the bus etc, without any success. And when they will come back- he will just smile and say– “They were in hurry to go”.
He will intimate them- that their work will not suffer and God will take care of the requirement. And most of the time it will be taken care of- by whom – no body knows- or may be everyone knows. He will tell them that he stops them because the time of departure was not correct. There have been many such experiences by all disciples of Guru Ji.
The thought of Installation of an Idol of Shri Shri 108 Moni Baba Vishno Dass ji- the Silent Himlayan Saint
श्री श्री मोनी बाबा विष्णो दास जी महाराज की मूर्ती स्थापना का विचार
The idea of installation of an Idol of Shri Shri 108 Moni Baba Vishno Dass Ji flashed in our mind some where in 2015. Thereafter It will crop up sometimes and then just dissolve after few days. However it was a strong feeling, somewhere by the end of 2019, that made us give an order for making a Marble Idol to a shop in Pahar Gunj. The shop was known to Mr. Sunish Sharma, another disciple of Guru Ji. The shop was Gita Marbles and the owner, Mr Rakesh Aggarwal, was a religious person and had been in business of making marble Idols for many years
The process of preparation of the sculpture/ Idol involves preparation of bust of the statue in Clay. It is shown to the persons who ordered the statue for assessing the similarity with the picture/photo, based on which statue is to be made. We had seen the clay bust somewhere in January 2020. The shop owner promised to make the idol ready by March 2020 and deliver us for installation. We planned to install the Idol sometime after April 2020. The best time for installation of Idols of Saints is considered to be during Utrayan (Summer Solstice-i.e The time when Sun is moving towards North) which occurs from January to July/August in India).
Delay in installation- the Mystic Angel
The mystic angle started thereafter. The first wave of Corona hit India somewhere by end of February 2020 and continued till July 2020. India, as so many other countries in the world, was under lock-down and many lives were lost. We were not able to install the Idol and Utrayan period was over in Corona. In fact everyone was so terrified during that period that even Idea of installation of the idol took back seat in everyone’s mind. The idea of survival was uppermost in everyone’s mind.
It was only months after Corona was over that the idea of installation of the Idol of Moni Baba resurfaced. So we planned for next year again somewhere in May/June 2021. However the unpredictable and once in centuries occurrence of Corona, again hit India in March 2021 and it was more severe than 2020. Many people lost lives, there were lock downs and movement into Himachal was restricted. That way 2021 was also gone. So the plan was shifted to next year. However inspite of our best efforts it could not happen in 2022 and plan had to be shifted to 2023.
In between some people had expressed apprehensions about delay in installation and expressed that, may be Guruji is not very happy going there. However such voices were few. We and many of our fellow disciples had one strong belief that it was His calling that gave us the idea of installation and that had he not wanted, he would not have allowed us to move forward in the first place. Yes it was delayed, but there must be some reason behind it. We were aware of Guru Ji’s divine powers and had strong belief that it was his calling and that timing will be of His choosing and perhaps the time has still not come.
In the hindsight, it was mystical that inspite of everything being ready, we were not able to install the Idol in 2020. Sometimes we thought that perhaps a thought about self praise for installing the Idol might have cropped up in mind- and it was nature’s way of teaching that you can’t do anything till HE wants it to be done. One should always be grateful to HIM for whatever you get or whatever good you do. You are just a medium (हम केवल निमित्त मात्र हैं). The happenings of these events in the intervening period made us more humble towards life.
Fixing of Date for installation
The date for installation was fixed after consulting Pandit Ji and it was planned for June in the year 2023. We again went to the shop in Pahar Gunj, where the Idol was ready except that it required repainting, due to lapse of almost 3 years since it was first made. Time for transportation of Idol was fixed. Other arrangements like finalization of Pandits (Priests) and arranging other material; which is quiet elaborate exercise was being taken care of by my brother who had taken on himself almost complete responsibility of installation of Guru Ji’s Murti. He visited the village almost a month before actual date for installation and fixed up logistics there.
The Idol was finally transferred to Chalali on 28 th May and was received there by our friends Mr. Kundan and Mr. Jitender there, whom we had already intimated about the dispatch of the idol. Both of them were devotees of Guru Ji and were instrumental in success of the process. The idol of saints or Gods will always be kept with their eyes covered with a cloth form the time of its final preparation by the sculptor. The cloth will be opened only after the vedic process of installation- of infusing life in the Idol is complete.
The process and Sequence of Installation of the Idol of Moni Baba Vishno Dass Ji
The process was set rolling once the dates for installation was fixed. It was going to be almost for 4-5 days. days programme and in a village which we had left almost 35 years before. The purpose and nature of the event was just driven by some unexplained force- and we had a strong feeling that it is Guru’s Grace that was driving it and that it was his desire to go to the place where he had spent so many years. The enlightened Saints like him, who have achieved the pinnacle of enlightenment have powers to guide anyone into doing anything.
Many books have scientifically explained about the powers of Yogis who were able to perform Miracles and he was definitely one of them. Guru Ji had sometimes told us that people who really achieve those levels of enlightenment do not showoff those powers. He had also told that those powers recede if Saints who attain them, show off them and that these are God given powers which should be used only for the benefit of people.
He told me one story that during his days of Tapsaya, he was travelling and came across a very enlightened Saint, who used to throw stones and behave like a mad person. Guru Ji met him and offered food items etc., which he accepted. Guru Ji (Moni Baba Vishno Dass Ji ) came to know through conversation that this enlightened saint used to behave in that particular manner because he wanted the normal public to be away from him , so that he can concentrate on his meditation and other spiritual rituals.
During one of the conversations with Guru Ji, when I had read few books about some Saints, I had asked him that he has not taught us the process of Kundalini Jagran, which many Gurus are teaching or even advertising for teaching such acts. He explained me that it is very difficult process and not as easy as made out to be. Your body and mind has to prepare for many years to receive the extreme energy and that if the energy is not handled properly, it can damage body and mind. He advised me that BHAKTI MARG (The path of meditation), is the best marg (Path) for family people and one can achieve good levels through this path.
After listening to his advice, I realised that I was totally unaware of the depths of the path of Tapasya and the powers that come with it and It was so naive of me to have considered myself knowledgeable after reading certain books. The experience which these saints like Moni Baba Vishno Dass Ji gather through years of experimentation in the laboratory of their body and mind is beyond our imagination.
Coming back to the process of installation of the Idol of Moni Baba Vishno Dass Ji, the process is an elaborate one and it surprises me that our ancient books, and our predecessors have codified each process of life including this process of installation of an Idol of Siants or Gods. I Will Explain the process and events during these 4-5 days in my next post. (Refer- THE POST Idol Installation of Himalayan Saint- Part-3)
May Guru’s blessings be showered on all of You till then.
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