Three Stories of Equal Significance

The first story

More than two years ago, I had nearly finished half of the last year of my university degree.I couldn't have expected the biggest crisis in my life to arise at this time.On the outside, things looked pretty good.But on the inside, it was turmoil.For two weeks, I was paralysed with stress, anxiety and fear of nearly anything I could think of.I couldn't talk to anyone except the closest in my family.I'm lucky to have a supportive family and group of friends, and I was able to dig myself out of this hole.It was a really hard time, and I don't recommend it to anyone.I'd had my worries, but it had never been this bad.Maybe because I had never sought to truly help myself.But I'm glad things have happened the way they have. What made the biggest difference to me was reading a book that mum brought home for me to read.It was about a woman with agoraphobia - fear of having panic attacks, hence leading to staying in their house or a safe place all the time.She told her life's story and how she had overcome fear, thanks to a man by the name of Dr. Ainsley Meares.This was an amazing story and I connected with it immediately.After reading this, my life turned a big corner.

The second story

Dr. Ainsley Meares is no longer in this world.But while he was, he did some remarkable things.In the days of shock therapy and other crude methods for mental sicknesses, Dr. Ainsley was a pioneer in Australia with the treatment of hypnotherapy.He found this quite useful in helping people relieve the tension in their lives.While hypnotherapy was an effective method, Ainsley was not content with its benefits, and sought to find a treatment which the patient could administer themselves.From a scientific background, Ainsley was not familiar with ancient spiritual therapies of the East.At this time, the late 1950s, it was rare for medical practitioners to be looking to the East for advice.But for Ainsley, it seemed like there might be an answer for him there.

So Ainsley left his wife and children for a short time, in order to gain some knowledge and insight in to how people overcome pain, both physically and mentally.He had an idea that the physical and mental sides were not exclusive from each other.Ainsley started his journey in Burma.He met a yogi there, just in a clearing, full of old rubble and junk.From here, he traveled to India to research yogis and Buddhist monks.He came across amazing people who were put into wooden boxes and buried underground for days, and came out in fine condition.After India was Nepal.This is where the trip reached a climax of sorts.He was told about a very old yogi in the forest just north of Khatmandu.Some speculated he was a thousand years old, the locals thought 200, but it was later confirmed this man was 135 years old at the time Ainsley met him.The middle-aged doctor walked through the forest and came to a clearing.There he met the yogi.Ainsley described him as having a very strong aura around him, possessing a calm he had never seen nor experienced.

Ainsley was allowed to sit with this man for a few hours each day.He visited every day for nearly two months, and learnt a considerable amount from the old man.This man did not look over the age of a hundred, Ainsley remembered, yet he was twice the age of the average person at the end of their life.From his early travels, the yogi could speak English and Ainsley was curious about the man's condition."Do you feel pain," Ainsley inquired."I feel pain, but there is no hurt in it," the old man replied.He gave a simple example: when he was walking in the forest and his foot stepped on a sharp rock, he was aware of the rock and knew it to be something avoided, but their was no physical or mental reaction of the sensation of pain arising in his mind.

So Ainsley sat with the old yogi for some time, and learnt how to meditate.He learnt ways of dealing with the sensation of pain.Once returning to Melbourne, he embarked upon a journey few doctors in the West have followed.To prove that these new findings would be useful, he experimented on himself.First, he went to the dentist to get a bad tooth pulled out.This was to be done without anaesthetic.If there was severe pain, he would let the dentist know immediately.He experienced no pain during the treatment and there was little blood.He recovered well.When he'd proven to himself that this technique was effective, he started to teach terminal cancer patients.The people who came to him had tried everything but had lost hope completely.They experienced an intense amount of pain.Most had a few months to live.They were taught how to sit and be still, and to go beyond the pain.And they were instructed to practice for several hours a day.Most of these patients, he wrote, went beyond the pain.Some actually recovered and others died peacefully.He went on to teach all sorts of people, with physical and mental sicknesses.He died in his late 70s and passed on his teaching to a woman who had recovered from Agoraphobia.She is my teacher.

The third story

I had been in Nepal for a couple of weeks now.My friends who had also been teaching in the Tibetan community had returned home for university.I was alone in Khatmandu, with a feeling that I was close to something.For the last two years, I've been disciplined with my meditation, knowing I did not want to go back to that cold, dark, scary place.Since starting my practice, I have always had a burning desire to visit Nepal.Now, I was here.I was looking for some yogis, on their own, in the forest.And I got what I was looking for.

I'd traveled up into the forest just north of Khatmandu, and staying in a nice Tibetan nunnery for a week.In his book, Dr. Meares had never mentioned the name of this forest, but I suspected I might be in the right place.On the fifth day, I decided to go searching.I tied my shoe laces of the gigantic new hiking shoes I'd just bought, and trudged into the green abyss.Locals said that the Shivapuri peak was very holy for both Buddhists and Hindus.I thought this was the best place to go first.They said there were wild animals inside here, but the only noises I could hear were distant bird songs, which gradually got softer and softer as I went deeper in.The tiny flying insects creating a hazy sphere around my sweaty head were trying my patience.I was trying to be one with nature.It was harder than I thought.I weaved through small canopies of lush green ferns and through slippery sands.I really wasn't sure that I was going the right way.As long as you're still going up, I thought to myself, you should be right.As long as a bear wasn't blocking the path.

After two hours through the forest, I was still heading upwards. I turned a small corner and out of nowhere came a scene from the jungle book.This was obviously a very special place.It was very quiet.The dense green forest was opened up and there was what looked like a fountain.I can't think of a word that describes my fear and awe.There must be one.I eased closer and noticed water trickling out of a small sculpted piece of rock.It was well carved into the shape of a wild cat.It looked angry.Not sure whether I'd reached my destination, I looked to see if there was more path going upwards.In the distance, I saw a light orange figure swaying on the spot.I couldn't see well and with my thoughts racing I guessed it was a wild monkey sitting on its throne.The king of the jungle.My imagination was getting carried away.As I walked towards it, I realized it was not a monkey.It was a man, and not just one.There were two hairy men dressed in plain, long-hanging cloths sitting on a small verandah.They were sitting at a small hut.Did they knew "my" yogi, I wondered.I was nervous as I got closer to them.They held their stares towards me.They seemed curious, yet very relaxed in their surroundings.I stopped and asked them for directions.I was too scared to ask about the yogi Ainsley Meares had come across.I still wasn't sure if I was in the right place.They directed me to the top of the mountain, and I left them.

Another half hour and I was at the top, sitting on a simple white shrine with Sanskrit written on it.There was a triton sitting at the front.I took of my wet shirt and lay it down to dry.For a few minutes I sat there and closed my eyes.The silence was penetrating.This was one of the quietest places I'd ever been to.There weren't even birds.The mist came closer than 5 metres.It was like being in another world. Up here would have been a nice place to live if you wanted to meditate, I thought.

After spending some time up there on my own, I decided to drop back to middle earth and visit the two bearded men.This time, there was only one sitting there.After pleasantries, he invited me to come onto the verandah for some chai.The two of them were babas.This one spoke good enough English for us to talk.His name was Tootki Baba, which literally means "Holy man who lives under a tree".Previously, he'd spent five years living under the trunk of a large tree near there, in a tiny hut big enough for a small toilet.In total, he had lived in the forest for 14 years.The old yogi who I was interested in must have been dead by now, I thought.Before I brought it up, Tootki Baba started talking about a man by the name of Shivapuri Baba.He mentioned this man was very well known in these parts, and said that he died a while ago.At the ripe age of 137.My heart skipped a beat or two.I had found him.This was my destination.We talked for a while, and he brought me a copy of the book that was about this old man and his teachings.It was written by an Englishman.After talking some more and still feeling excited, I felt my task here was complete and I left Tootki Baba to race the sun home.

At last, it had all come together.Indirectly, this old man in the mountains, so far away from me, and no longer in this world, had dramatically changed my life.He'd started me on a search.I was excited for many days after that.And coincidentally, it was his birthday after some days, so I went to the ashram in Khatmandu to attend the celebration.There were all sorts of people there, mingling together; rich, poor, holy men.All came to celebrate this old man's long life and the simple lessons he taught.Even Tootki Baba came down from the mountain to visit.It was a great day.