Meditation is a state of heightened awareness - a
conscious alertness. At times, this awareness can transcend the physical body,
leading one to realize: "I am not this body." In such moments, one might even
forget the existence of their bodily form. When consciousness merges entirely
with itself, "you" might lose awareness of time and space, yet your body
continues to function and play its part in the theater of ordinary life.
This was notably the case for Captain Lal Chand during World War II,
while he served in the British army. He fought valiantly against the
Germans, earning a medal for bravery. However, he confesses that he
has no recollection of these events. This period of his life was
recounted to him by others. His memory is instead filled with
experiences of profound bliss in deep meditation. While his body was
engaged in battle, his soul seemingly transcended, soaring beyond
time and space. It was only later that his Surat, the ultimate soul,
re-entered his body, re-connecting him with the temporal and spatial
world.
Captain Lal Chand, like many other illustrious souls
featured on this site, was a devotee of
Baba Faqir.
Initially, he established his own small ashram in the deserts of
Rajasthan. Later, he moved to Chandigarh, where he ultimately left
his body at the age of over 100 in 2019. I captured these photos in
1995. What these images fail to convey is his frequent practice of
meditating motionlessly, like a piece of wood, for several hours at
a time.
