Chapter VI

Master’s Training "Sinah-dar-sinah" Heart to Heart, and through "Sijda", Spiritual Trance – The Miracle of the Present Age

Here an important question arises with regard to the Master's education and knowledge. When he left his native home of Surat, he had not studied beyond the 3rd or 4th vernacular standard. We may say he was almost uneducated. What miracle therefore transformed him from a veritable state of illiteracy to be a Master of Knowledge in all its branches including sciences, known and unknown, within the short span of his three years' stay at_ Mt. Demavand? In this connection it is important to state, that the usual method of imparting school training through books was not resorted to in his case. The methods employed were what the Master described as "Sinah-dar-Sinah" (heart to heart), and through "Sijda" (a sort of visualization before hism mind’s eye of objects and events relating to the earth or the seven Dakhyu’s, invisible planes of the Space under Meher Yazad, or the planetary heavens and beyond) in a sort of spiritual cinematograph about which more will be said later.

Preparatory to his training by the above two methods, however, the four powers called 'Atash’, fire-energies of the brain which remain latent in-ordinary worldly people were first caused to be developed by making the Master practice strictly all the Zoroastrian laws of purity (Ashoi), and of the Zoroastrian anti-microbe Baaj' rites to be observed before and after partaking of meals, attending Nature's calls, etc. We shall soon have occasion to deal at some length with the above four 'Atash' fire energies.

About the method of "Sinah-dar-Sinah" by which the Master received 1/8th of all his knowledge, it is 'stated in the Introduction to his “Ilm-e.Khshnoom Series No. 1” (p.7):

"This knowledge of Khshnoom is not ordinary material knowledge, and this knowledge is received as an inheritance by disciple from his Master imparted from heart to heart. This 'Khshnoom' is not knowledge to be acquired by reading and writing or committing books to memory, but this knowledge is imparted through the grace of the Master after the disciple has gone through the discipline of certain Zoroastrian religious practices and rites".

 

The Master Placed under a Lady Teacher for His Primary Training

About the Master it is reported that at the colony of Saheb-Dilan known as "Firdaus' (Paradise) on Mt. Demavand he was at first kept in charge of a lady teacher by the name of Banoo Tannaz. In the book on "Ancient Zoroastrian Educational System" (p. 177) it is said:

"That lady teacher in accordance with our system of religious training at first gets every child to learn by heart every letter of the Avestan language with proper 'Imla', correct pronunciation. When those letters are perfectly memorized the child is taught to write in a correct artistic style, and to read, with proper 'Karahat', proper intonation and modulation."

It will be seen, therefore, that the Master was first taught to read and write Avesta and Pablavi.

The reason why a female teacher is by nature more suited than a male for imparting primary training is explained (on p. 172 ibid,) that the female sex possesses in her eyes a power nine times more effective than that in a male, and which is known as "Vanthvo Frado", (Yt. 5,1) i.e., one of the five magnetic powers (Frad) present in water in its original, natural and pure state. Owing to the high extent of this Vanthvo-Frado power in a woman, she possesses in herself the art, as it were, of placing in the mouth of the opposite party whatever words she likes. Consequently, a child picks up more easily what is imparted by a female teacher than by a male.

As stated before, the knowledge of Khshnoom was imparted to our Master by two methods, technically known as (1) the "Sinah-dar-Sinah" (heart to heart); and (2) the 'Sijda", spiritual trance. This knowledge of Khshnoom includes not only the dry bare-bone philological knowledge of the Avesta-Pahlavi-pazand languages, but also a profound knowledge of the inner scientific exposition of the great laws underlying the Zoroastrian religious observances and practices commonly known as "Tarikat” and of religious ceremonies for the benefit of the living and for the peace and progress of the dead.

{GL_PAGE:72: In "Sinah-dar-Sinah" a master gets the disciple to go through various exercises of Zoroastrian purity to develop gradually the four latent "Atash" (energies) of the brain of the disciple referred to on p. 31 of the book called Ancient Zoroastrian Educational System as

1. Atash-i-Dara.
2. Atash-i-Neryosangh.
3. Atash-i-Khoreh, and
4. Atash-i- Frah,

as a result of which the soul displays the powers of Airyaman, Saoka and Ashi in greater or lesser degrees. It is there explained as follows:

Owing to the development of the Atash-i-Dara the soul begins to imbibe very quickly the "Gosho-srut-Kherad", i.e. the knowledge acquired from the Master through personal hearing by the ear. This is because it develops in full force real faith born of a devoted heart towards his own "Ilm", knowledge, and towards the bestower of that knowledge – the holy Prophet and towards all agencies that preserve and propagate that knowledge, such as the Saoshyants, the future benefactors, the Zarathushtrotemos, the heirs to the seat of Zarathushtra, and the Raenidars, the Resuscitators of the Faith, and the Olemas, the (holy) savants of the Faith.

In proportion to the development of the "Atash-i- Dara", the "Atash-i-Neryosangh" gradually brightens up. Owing to this the soul begins to acquire in three lower to higher gradations the power of "Airyaman". Because of this he begins to acquire the power of reading from afar the "Mithra" or the thoughts of others, and he begins to gain from Nature the higher form of "Aata, (gift, inspiration; intuition).

Thereafter, in proportion to the development of the Atash-i-Dara andthe Atash-i-Neryosangh, the "Atash-i- Khoreh" brightens up. As a consequence of this the soul acquires in three lower to higher gradations the power of "Saoka", owing to which the soul begins to get "Mukashafat", i.e. acquires the power of hearing sounds however far off, as well as the "Nada", or Sounds patent or latent - from the in-visible worlds. And on being attuned with Yazats they can also hear their Sounds.

Finally in proportion to the development of the Atash-i-Dara, Atash-i- Neryosangh and Atash-i-Khoreh, gets brightened up the "Atashi-Frah". In this way the soul acquires in three lower to higher degrees the best power of "Ashi", owing to which the soul begins to get "Mushahadat", that is, acquires the power of seeing things howsoever distant or the (subtle) things of the invisible worlds, and enters the stage of gaining from Nature the "Hilam", inspiration of the higher grade of "Amru" or inspiration of the higher type. In the lower stage of this "Hilam" he attains the stage of "Sijda-i-Nimroo", i.e., acquires the power of seeing with the spiritual eye with the help of the Ustad Saheb; and in the higher stage of "Hilam" he gains the power of "Sijdii-i.-Amru" as a result of which is evolved the power of seeing with the spiritual eye independently without the aid of the Ustad Saheb (Master).

The soul that has advanced to the stage of Atash-i-Dara, Neryosangh, and Khoreh, gains only the lower stage of Hilam, i.e. Sijda-i-Nimru; but the soul that has developed the Atash (energy) of Frah attains the higher stage of Hilam. i.e. Sijda-iAmru.

Our Master told us that 7/8ths of the knowledge imparted to him was through the method of "Sijda", literally meaning adoration. This was done by making him fall into a kind of spiritual trance by accelerating the motion of his higher consciousness, and then making him see, as if, in a sort of cinematograph what the physical eyes or powers of the mind could never behold. The Master said he was shown how Nature worked in its own unseen ways. He could see the Kehrps, the invisible spiritual bodies of the great kings and warrior- saints of ancient times. The remaining 1/8th of his knowledge was imparted to him orally by the method of "Sinah-dar-Sinah", explained above. It was in this way that the enigmatical lines in the Shah-Nameh were explained to him.

While speaking of the knowledge that he obtained by the "Sijda" method" the Master used to say, that in the Sahebdilan colony at Demavand Koh as the "Aivisroothrem Gah" commences, i.e., the "Gah" properly begins (72 minutes after sunset), there are held every night in its spacious hall, classes for imparting knowledge to common men and women. The members of the entire Saheb-dilan community are also admitted there. The ladies present themselves with a partial veil on the face, and sit in a separate apartment reserved for them in that hall. The people of the special class and the laity return to their dwellings late in the night, but the Khas-ul-khas sahebs, i.e. the exceptionally privileged of the privileged Masters, the Magavs, enter into Sijda, a kind of spiritual trance (referred to above) with their chief, the holy Sraoshavarez, during the whole Ushahin Gah i.e. the period after midnight up to dawn. Of this "Sijda" the higher type is called the "Sijda-i-Amroo" and the lower, the "Sijda-i-Nimroo" explained above.

Some incidents of ancient Iranian history or other past events dealt with in the evening classes are visualized to them in this state of trance. For example, they are shown the battle of the great warrior-saint Tehmtan Rustam with the Safed- Dev or the White Devil, as well as the unseen noumena of Nature like the first dawn of the pre cosmo-genesis creation. When such scenes are to be visualized, the Sraoshavarez Saheb or his deputy makes all members present, form a circuit by each member linking himself with the next one by a kerchief. Then they are all made to recite together a particular "Nirang" or sacred formula.

At this time, the spiritual vision of each of them is elevated to such a high level that each disciple sees but the trace of the Sraoshavarez Saheb and by the power of the "Nirang" and by the power of his own purity and righteousness as if in a cinematograph some great events of the past or scenes of Nature, as naturally as if they were just taking place. Due to this sublime process the events or scenes beheld leave on the mind a permanent indelible impression. In this way, Our Master, by virtue of his incomparable good fortune, had seen Nature's inconceivable ceremony of Creation relating to the First Dawn in Nature, that is, emergence of the pre-cosmo-genesis or pre- Universe Creation.

He said he had also the rare good fortune of hearing the sacred Celestial Music of Ahunavar (Ysn. 19), which pervades through Nature without a break.

He also saw the exquisite and the most sacred Kehrp i.e. the invisible form of the holy Spitman Zarathushtra. The splendor of the Khoreh (aura) of the Kehrp of the holy prophet was so intense that it dazzled Behramshah's eyes, despite the fact that the holy Kehrp was brought to his vision not directly, but through a curtain of Staota (invisible supernatural vibrationary colours) in between created by his holy Master. In this way through the grace of the holy Sraoshavarez Murzban, Behramshah was able to have a vision of some historical events and some great historical personages and Nature's various noumena.

The memories of such actual visions remained ever fresh in his mind – so deep was the impression left by them on the spiritual vision of the (Mutashareffa) supreme latent power of the brain.

 

Parting Ceremony of Holy Master's Benedictions

Our Master used to say that when a disciple has finished the education and training through Sinah-dar-Sinah and Sijda, the Sraoshavarez Saheb arranges for the "Afringan" ceremony for the purpose of conferring his holy benediction known as "Daham Afriti" on the, disciple before a large congregation. In this Afringan ceremony besides other things a glass of Sherbet or fruit juice is included, which (Sherbet) gets charged and infused with the Daham-Afriti or blessings on the disciple. And when the Afringan js over the disciple is made to drink this Sherbet. The knowledge already conferred by the grace of the Sraoshavarez Saheb now gets indelibly imprinted in the mind after drinking, the Sherbet replete with his blessings. He is now invested with the authority to spread the knowledge imparted to him.

Such blessings or Daham-Afriti were conferred on our Master when his training by the systems of Sinah-dar- Sinah and Sijda was completed. That is why he possessed so perfectly –the esoteric as well as the exoteric knowledge of the Mazdayasni, Zarathushtri religion. Only because of this knowledge and the blessings conferred on him, he could deliver public lectures on 'the' most abstruse subjects extempore without any notes, with perfect ease and freedom and without a break.

Besides his religious knowledge, he possessed profound knowledge of several sciences. This was possible, he said, because among the Saheb Dilan every disciple under training was imparted the knowledge of a certain high standard of all the natural sciences known and unknown. But as regards the subject or branch of study that a disciple had specially selected for himself, complete and perfect knowledge and training was given to him. Because our revered Master selected for special study the knowledge of the Zoroastrian religion, the Ilm-i-Khshnoom of the Zoroastrian religion was given to him in perfection.

On page 133 and onwards of the book Ancient Zoroastrian Educational System, a detailed explanation is given regarding the "Daham-Afriti” the 'blessings' of the holy Master, referred to above and the Myazd or the consecrated fruits etc. used in the ceremony. There is a reference on these pages to the "Jashan" ceremony also regarding the "Daham-Afriti".

After the Daham Afriti ceremony on the completion of the course of discipleship of our Master which covered the teaching of the esoteric philosophy of the Holy Faith and the practical life of purity through Sinah-dar-Sinah and Sijda, the Master was told that the time for him to return to India had come. As stated above, Behramshah was most reluctant to part from his Magav-Master, the holy Sraoshavarez. But the latter informed him that in order to complete his 'Kisas’, i.e. his former obligations in Nature he must return to India and pass through a married life. So with a very heavy heart our Master had to return to India.

 

Phial of Miraculous Liquid Presented to Master at Parting

When the Master left Mt. Demavand the priceless treasure of learning that was bestowed upon him was not the sole gift. But besides that, at the time of leaving, the Sraoshavarez Saheb presented him with a phial of miraculous liquid called "Aksir-i-Azam", which if applied to an ordinary piece of copper possessed the unique quality of turning it into gold as if by alchemy. Our Master was not born to serve, not to engage himself in the trade for his maintenance and though nothing had come to him by way of inheritance or a legacy, yet when he died on 7th July 1927, he left behind a large sum. His holy master had told him that the wealth he had got was destined for him in accordance with his ‘Kisas’, and that was why that gracious gift was bestowed on him.

After returning to India, the Master kept touring all over the country for ten years. During travels, the master used to keep in his trunk small pieces of copper, and when the need arose he used to turn them into gold by the wonderful "Aksir-I-Azam" above mentioned, and then sell away the gold. The major portion of this "Aksir-i-Azam, he used up in travels alone. Had he saved the same, he could have had a considerably large sum of money. It was said that the master was cautioned in a dream by the Sraoshavarez Saheb in the following words "You have been given a cow, do not cut and eat it but milk it". After this admonition the master deposited his moneys in a bank.

When his travels were over he settled at Surat, and lived a simple, married life in that city for about 17 years. Thus for (10 plus 17 =) 27 long years he spoke not a word to any Zoroastrian about the ocean of knowledge he possessed. But as he said, he often used to converse at length with the Mulla, the Muslim Bora high priest of Surat, on many philosophical and religious topics. And the Mulla in admiration of the Master's superb knowledge invested him with a "khela'at" that is, a robe of honour.

 

Alchemy is not a Myth

Alchemy had originated first with the Magis of ancient Persia. It may have later migrated into Egypt. Its knowledge having become extinct since long from the outer world, the above-mentioned "Aksir-e-Azam" literally meaning 'supreme elixir or philosopher's stone' was considered a myth in certain quarters. How this belief is erroneous and based on absence of genuine knowledge will be realized from the following extract taken from "The New Standard Encyclopedia" published by the "Times of India", Bombay:

"Alchemy. Early form of chemistry associated with magic. It originated most probably with the Egyptians and was concerned chiefly with the transmutation of metals. The belief that the baser metal could be transmuted into gold or silver arose quite early and was held, among others, by the Egyptian alchemist Hermes Trismegistus, who wrote on the matter. The transmutation was effected, so it was believed, by the philosopher's stone, called by Hermes an egg………. The Greeks studied alchemy, especially in connection with their theories of the elements, but the art owes more perhaps to the Arabs, who learned a good deal about it when they conquered Egypt, and invaded the treasured learning of Alexandria.

The Arab alchemists carried their knowledge into Europe where the subject was much studied during the Middle Ages both by them and by the English, French, Dutch and other nations.

Among the Medieval alchemists were Roger Bacon, Albertus Magnus and Thomas Aquinas, but there were many others and quite a literature grew up on the subject. The more credulous occupied themselves with seeking to create living beings, while a number, Paracelsus among them, asserted that they had discovered the elixir of life, which was the philosopher's stone dissolved in alcohol.

In the 16th and 17th centuries the alchemists became more akin to the chemists of today. The alchemists of this time included Edward Kelley, Christopher, Baldwin, Sir Kenelm Digby and John R. Glauber. In the 18th century, James Price, called the last of the alchemists, professed to have discovered the philosopher's stone, but he committed suicide rather than repeat his experiment. Before his death, however, in 1783, Robert Boyle had rounded the science of chemistry and the age of alchemy was over."

From the above extract it will be understood that ALCHEMY IS NOT A MYTH, nor is it merely an ordinary chemical experiment, but is "associated with magic" i.e. with sacred mystic formulae, of which the holy sages of Mt. Demavand are past masters. Moreover, in the above extract, it is stated about 'elixir' that it was the 'philosopher's stone dissolved in alcobol' i.e. it was liquid. The 'Aksir-e- Azam' presented to our Master was also in liquid form. The English word 'elixir' in which the prefix 'el' stands for definite article 'the' and 'ixir' is the very word Aksir in Persian, meaning elixir, and 'azam' means supreme; the English dictionary meaning of 'elixir' is 'alchemiists' preparation designed to change metal into gold or (elixir of life) prolong life'. Thus, to repeat, alchemy is not a myth, but a truth.

Communication With the Holy
Sraoshavarez Through The Power of
"Nirang" (Sacred Formulae)

After settling down at Surat, the Master often held communion with the holy Sraoshavarez in Mt. Demavand through the power of some "Nirang" or "Nirangs" (sacred formulae).

As explained before, as regards communion in this way through 'Sijda' or spiritual trance, there are two grades-the higher being called the "Sijda-i-Amroo", and the other "Sijdai-Nimroo". In an interview, this writer was informed by the Master that a disciple who was fit to enter the 'Sijda-i- Amroo' or the higher grade of trance had to repeat continuously the 'Nirang' or 'Nirangs', and ,he would receive the answer from his Master. A disciple who can only enter the 'Sijda-i-Nimroo' when he desires to commune, is required to say the 'Nirangs' continuously and his Master may, if he wishes, respond or he may not.

This communion, the Master explained, is held through the medium of flashes of light, which could be interpreted by a certain method. To give a very crude material comparison, it would appear to be something like the Morse-code signaling at night between a post on land and a ship at sea with the aid of red electric bulbs.