One day, about mid-morning, Sri Chinmoy was relaxing in the breakfast area and disciples were lingering about meditating and relaxing. I was leaning against a pillar, a little way away, meditating and feeling peaceful. After a while Sri Chinmoy got up and left and the disciples dispersed. I stood up straight and that is as far as I got because from around the corner came a most glorious vision that transfixed me to the spot.

The vision was so intense I could not even breathe – I saw an exquisite, extremely beautiful young girl of about 17 years old, very pale and unearthly, with the most flawless and perfect complexion and features of anyone I had ever seen. She had a halo/aura of the purest white all around her and she herself was all white – dressed in white and with incredibly white skin – and with a sternness, purity and sweetness of expression that I have also never seen before. She was very slim and fine and my whole concentration was drawn to her and her luminosity filled my entire vision. She was magnificent (I cannot even describe it because the English language is too limited), grand, majestic and I knew I was looking at Absolute Purity. Her intensity was so strong that I thought I would explode – her being took up my entire focus – it was impossible to look elsewhere. I was getting so desperate for air at this point that I was starting to black out – but still I couldn't take a breath – and I tried hard!

She looked vaguely familiar but I knew I had never seen such a perfect, serene and beautiful creature before. As she was going past me, her luminosity sort of dissolved and her physical came into view – and it was Hiranmoyi! – one of Sri Chinmoy's students from Canada. In the few seconds (which seemed like a lifetime!) that she had taken to go past me I had been rooted and unable to breathe, but when she passed by I was released from a sort of spell or mesmerisation and could breathe again. I felt weak, humbled, amazed and inspired, and had to stay leaning against the pole for about ten minutes to recover somewhat. I saw the world with new, fresh eyes for a few days afterwards. In that time, whenever I saw Hiranmoyi, I could see a special radiance and sparkle about her which told me that this girl – this perfect being – was actually present and I was awed.

It took me five years to reveal to Hiranmoyi this very personal revelation that I had had with regard to her, and she gave me a special sari to commemorate it. Whenever I see or wear the sari it reminds me of the experience, which is still so powerful and vivid that I can recall distinct details about it as if it had happened yesterday.

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