Temptation-power almost succeeds

One day while Nigamananda was practising austerities, he passed by a temple owned by an elderly woman. The woman begged the sadhu to stay in her temple for some time, and he kindly listened to her request. Finally, when she begged him to take charge of the temple, he agreed. Afterwards, both of them became very fond of each other. She showed him all her motherly affection, and he showed her all his heart’s good qualities.

One day a beautiful young woman came into the temple. She became deeply enraptured with Nigamananda’s soulful beauty, and she did not want to leave the temple. Nigamananda and she had serious spiritual conversations, and he was very moved by her sincere spiritual qualities and deep spiritual understanding.

The owner of the temple did not like this at all. She felt that Nigamananda’s spirituality was being ruined. She insulted the young woman like anything in order to make her leave the temple. But the young woman had fallen desperately in love with Nigamananda, so she was adamant about staying there. And gradually Nigamananda also became weak.

Finally one day the young woman said to him, “I have amassed wealth, and I will take you to my place. I assure you, your spirituality will not be ruined. On the contrary, I shall help you to meditate all day and night. Let us get married. If we get married, then it will be natural for me to help you, and society will not criticise us. You will be able to expedite your Godward journey.” They decided to get married in two weeks’ time.

Before the two weeks had elapsed, one night in a dream Nigamananda’s Master appeared before him with a luminous face. The Master had a stick, and soon Nigamananda was shocked to see his Master striking and beating his girlfriend black and blue. The Master insulted her, beat her, and left her senseless. Then he blessed Nigamananda and said to him, “Leave this place immediately! This woman will not help you in your God-realisation, but will take away all the aspiration that you now have and turn you into a street beggar.”

Needless to say, Nigamananda obeyed his Master immediately.

Commentary: The sincere seeker has to be extremely alert all the time, for the forces of the lower vital can easily rob him. Until God-realisation dawns, he can always be tempted, and can easily swerve from the path of Truth and Light. The very nature of the outer world is temptation. In order to overcome temptation, the seeker has to be constantly vigilant, and always abide by the dictates of the inner will, not by the suggestions of the outer world.