The Equinox (Volume I, Number III)

HALF-HOURS WITH FAMOUS MAHATMAS a woman, and as I entered one of the men, an American, was saying: “OQ Mahatma! I haven’t the faith, I can’t get it!” To which His Holiness roared out: “You sheep are!... 1 no want sheep! ... tigers I make... tigers tear up sheep, go away! . . . no good, get intellect... get English! . . . no more!!” The three then departed, and I was left alone with the Blessed One. Neither of us spoke for about ten minutes, then at length, after a go or two at his snuff-box, he gave a loud grunt, to which I replied in a solemn voice: “O Mahatma, what is Truth?” “No Truth! All illusion,” he answered, “ I am the Master, you become my disciple; I show you all things; I lead you to the ultimate reality . . . the supreme stage of the Highest ... the infinite Ultimatum .. . the unlimited omniscience of eternal Wisdom—All this I give you if you have faith in me.” As faith is exceedingly cheap in this country, I offered him unlimited oceans of it; and at this he seemed very pleased, and laughed: “Ha! ha! You make good tiger cub . . . you tear sheep up...allis illusion!” Then after a pause: ‘De vouman,” pointing to the door, “is no good!” And then, without further hesitation, he entered upon a veritable Don Juan description of his earthly adventures. This I thought strange of so sober- minded a saint, and so put to him several questions concerning the Vedanta philosophy, and its most noted exponents, to see what he really did know. “Do you know Swami Vivekananda?” I asked. 285