Paws for a Moment

In August 1993 I was unable to attend Sri Chinmoy's birthday celebrations in New York as I was a student then and money was scarce. (In fact, money has always been scarce but I'm trying not to have an issue with that!)

Anyway I was meditating in front of my shrine at home being a little upset and longing to be in New York when all of a sudden the whole scene dissolved away and I was in the middle of a grassy savannah. I could see far across the plain – looking from just over the top of the grass – there were trees and very slight undulations of landscape. It was so vivid that I was really quite freaked out as to what was happening. The experience was not an instantaneous flash but happened for a few minutes. I became aware that I was not alone – and a lion came into view. I froze but it seemed to ignore me. Then a few more came but they accepted my presence. There was a cub as well. I looked down and had an enormous shock when I saw two gigantic paws immediately beneath me. I was trying to work out whether I was being or had been eaten by a lion when the realisation hit that I was the lion and that the paws were mine! As soon as that happened the scene disappeared and I was back in my room – flushing hot and cold at the power of the experience.

I wondered if I had been a lion but then immediately scoffed at it – but something inside me said firmly that I was wrong. Then later the same day I had the same experience!! That knocked me. The following morning I had the experience again also – then I stopped denying it – said, "so I must have been a lion before," and something inside me said, "yes!"

Memory of the experience has given me confidence and the courage to open an enterprise and to do all sorts of things that I maybe would not have done otherwise.

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