The Quest for Immortality: The Myths, Masters, and Magic of Eternal Life
Dec 12, 2024
Since time immemorial, Yogi’s, Alchemists and Kings have been searching for the secret for immortality. In Yoga there is a saying; ‘ageless body, timeless mind.’ There have been many whispered rumours about special sacred springs granting immortality or particular combinations of herbs, minerals and plants which greatly lengthen the life span.
Elixirs of immortality have been produced and sold for very high prices and yet for 99.9% people, death inexorably takes them. And what about the few who have defied death? What is their secret? Could it be that they have managed to achieve immortality? And is it possible that this secret could be available for one and all?
Modern Science and The Search for Immortality
Nowadays people don’t want to hear about anything unless it has been proven in a lab. For this reason, the search for immortality has taken a new turn, that of AI, medical technology, and the research going into creating hybrid humans who are made up of some organic physical aspects and some inorganic robot parts.
In my view, the desire to replace natural humans with hybrid / robot humans is missing the mark completely. It basically means that human consciousness doesn’t need to evolve; we can continue being as idiotic as ever and go on brazenly seeking immortality with the same low level of consciousness as before. This direction is certainly a sin against all that evolution of life stands for.
The Original Meaning of ‘Sin’ and True Intelligence
The original meaning of ‘sin’ is ‘missing the mark’, when human ignorance outweighs human intelligence. The phenomenon of intelligence happens when body, mind, soul and spirit are all aligned.
This happens most effectively when we place greater importance on the wisdom of the heart rather than rational thought offered by the mind. The intelligence of the heart takes its cues directly from spirit and from there, this refined intelligence is then conveyed to the mind. If we listen to the heart, we will always come back to reverence for life and appreciation of the miracle of life.
The Siddha Path and Its Teachings on Immortality
Down the ages, the secret of true immortality, including the pursuit of physical immortality, has been passed down through lineages of Yogis, with the most documented being that of Kriya Yoga and the devotees of the Siddha Path originating in Tamil Nadu, India. This path does not recognize the caste system prevalent in India and also works outside of the usual ideals of temple worship; therefore, they have often been ostracized by a Brahmin-ruled Hinduism.
Kumari Kandam: The Lost Continent
The Siddha path includes astronomy, astrology, chemistry, alchemy, botany, medicine, mantra, yoga, tantra, meditation, metaphysics and devotion. This lineage is thought by some scholars to have its origin in what is called Lemuria, (Mu) This continent is hypothesised to have existed south of Tamil Nadu (around 30,000 till about 10,000 BC) before it gradually sunk into the sea.
Tamil people call this ancient land with its highly developed civilisation, Kumari Kandam. There is a longstanding debate about the existence or non-existence of Kumari Kandam and in fact, the only proof we have is in some scriptural writings from ancient times. Scientifically, there is not yet any validation regarding this lost continent. During the Christian era, beliefs regarding resurrection and immortality transitioned from ancient Greek religion to early Christian thought, influenced by earlier Greek ideologies.
However, there is an ancient stone Monumental Gate in Tamil Nadu which has an inscription hailing the arrival of the King of Kumari Kandam, (named Satyavrata / Vaivasvata Manu in the Matsya Purana) who supposedly journeyed by boat from his sinking continent during the Sat Yuga.
He is said to have settled in the Malaya mountains in Tamil Nadu (which is currently known as Pothigai Hills) and created an Empire there which had a symbol of fish as a crest. Legend has it that he was saved by a large fish (probably a Dolphin) while navigating the flood. In gratitude to the mountain for offering the chance for a new life, he named his son after the mountain, Malayadhwaja Pandiyan, who became the Second King of the Pandyan Dynasty.
The Siddha Masters and Their Teachings
There are 18 main Siddha Masters who have been observed within pre-recorded and recorded history who have left behind tremendously valuable treatises and scriptures with detailed revelations and instructions about their sacred path to immortality and the nature of souls. They often wrote in code because they held (and still hold) an ethical decision to only pass down some of the powerful initiation secrets by word of mouth to worthy disciples.
Thirumoolar and The Divine Body
One of the most prolifically influential Siddha Masters was Thirumoolar, who lived for eons (and may still be alive but not visible). He created several mystical books, one of which is called Thirumandiram which details the great tree of wisdom encoded in Tantra, Mantra, Yantra and Yoga. He says: “In unity I lived many aeons of life by becoming one, in my inner consciousness with state of the Divine, with the Heaven farther beyond and with consciousness itself.” (Verse 2953) He elucidates: “Time was when I despised the body, but then I saw the God within. The body, I realised is the Lord’s temple and so I began preserving it with care infinite.” (Verse 725)
The Role of the Physical Body in Immortality
The point he is making is very important for every seeker on the path of self realization to understand. There has been and still is a tendency in many spiritual traditions to condemn the body in favor of the soul, regarding the body as somehow unclean, dense and gross with the emphasis in these traditions being that we need to transcend the physical to reach to higher realms.
And yet, one of the main insistences of the Immortal Masters of the Siddha tradition is, that through applied effort, the body itself is purified to such an extent that even the most dense aspects of the physical form become the home of heavenly, divine energies. They say over and over that it is when the body itself glows with the light of the divine that one attains immortality. However, if the body is neglected and dies, the soul cannot achieve true knowledge or immortality.
Thirumoolar says: “If the physical body perishes, it is doom to the soul and one would not attain the true knowledge firmly. So by knowing the technique of tending and nourishing the body well, I not only tended and nourished the body, but the soul too.” (Verse 724)
Babaji and the Kriya Yoga Tradition
In the book ‘Babaji and the 18 Siddha Kriya Yoga Tradition,’ the author, M. Govindan writes: “The supreme reality, Shiva or absolute truth is to be realized not only in the spiritual plane by awakening, but also to be made manifest progressively in the other planes and corresponding bodies: intellectual, mental, vital and ultimately even the physical, wherein the body glows with the fire of immortality.”
Tantra, Yoga, and Divine Grace-Light
Reading this, you may wonder how one attains to such purity. It is important in this respect, to understand one of the great laws of Tantra; where any two opposites meet, there in that alchemical merger we will experience the ultimate truth.
A powerful saying in Tantra is: “As above, so below.” Among the many jewels of Tantra, is the understanding of how to merge the right and left hemispheres of the brain, leading to the experience of Ardhanareshvara, the state of Godliness who is half male, half female.
As an integral part of this path, there are two main pillars in the temple of Tantra; one being the path of meditation and witnessing and the other being the path of love and devotion. The temple of Tantra is built on these two principles, with witnessing and meditation belonging to the left hemisphere of the brain and love and devotion belonging to the right hemisphere of the brain.
This is one of the reasons why Tantra encourages meditation practices while engaged in sexual union, because the opposite gender becomes a mirror and enhances our own inner male or female aspects. And when we go even deeper into Tantra practices, we learn to cultivate the Tantric Circle, where the boundaries between male and female melt and become one circle of energy. This experience automatically catapults us into higher consciousness states of being, merging the experience of living and dying into a unified whole.
Yoga as a Path to Balance
So while the Immortal Masters were and are very scientific and adept in their witnessing capacity, they are also completely surrendered in loving and ecstatic devotion to higher consciousness. On the path of Tantra and Yoga, both hemispheres are cultivated equally, balancing love and devotion with the understanding and overcoming of fear.
Thirumoolar shares a mystic key to immortality: “I melt in love of the Supreme and Universal Lord; I consecrate constantly all the works unto him in surrender. I stand before the Lotus Feet of the Lord who has a golden Body that transforms the body into a golden one and I ask for His inspired Words of Grace for worship. He is the Light that manifests even in the bones.”
Thirumoolar and Patanjali: The Connection Between Yoga and Grace-Light
It appears from the writings of Thirumoolar that he and Patanjali both studied Ashtanga Yoga under the same Guru whose name was Nandi. Their interpretations of Yoga differ however because Thirumoolar describes the 8 limbs of Ashtanga Yoga as being the vehicle to nurture the embodiment of the ‘Grace-Light,’ leading to immortality. He says: “These Disciplines and Siddhi’s far exceed the concept and attainment of the Ashtanga Yoga of Patanjali or perhaps any other system of Ashtanga Yoga known to us.”
Kalangi Nathar and Boganathar
One of the Immortal Masters named Kalangi Nathar belonged to the lineage of the Nava Nath Sadhus who learned Yoga and Tantra directly from Lord Shiva. Kalangi Nathar brought this lineage to China. Included in the immortality practices was the use of a mixture of herbs called Kaya Kalpa which promote longevity and the quest to live forever.
At a certain point, he decided to enter into what was to become 3000 years of seclusion and trance. Before this, he called his devoted disciple Boganathar to travel from South India to China to meet him and to take over his teaching.
In China, Boganathar was called ‘Bo-Yang. Later, it is said, Bo-Yang became known as Lao Tzu and founded the Taoist Tradition, including Taoist Tantra and the immortality practices. He left China around 400 BC and travelled by land back to India. He eventually retired to a Temple compound he had created earlier in South Sri Lanka called Katirgama.
Boganathar created among many other achievements, a special mixture of herbs and salts called Muppa. It was apparently, a true elixir of immortality. The herbal preparations of the Siddhas were and are aimed at purifying the body to such an extent that it can become a vehicle for the divine to inhabit fully.
Divine Grace-Light: The Journey Toward Immortality
Boganathar had many disciples, one of them being Babaji Nagaraj who is now known simply as Babaji. Babaji met Boganathar in Katirgama in 215 A.D when Babaji was only 11 years of age. He practiced intensively with him, utilizing methods of Meditation, Hatha and Bhakti Yoga, Mantra, and Kriya Kundalini practices. These practices were part of their quest to avoid death and achieve immortality. Bhoganathar saw the potential of his young disciple to become a vehicle for full bodily assimilation of the divine grace-light. He advised him to go and seek guidance from the great Immortal Master Agastyar for the next step on his path.
(Subsequently, Boganathar exited the physical plane and continues to work for the benefit of humanity from the astral dimension. His genius has inspired many great thinkers, scientists, and spiritual adepts.)
Babaji’s Path to Kriya Yoga and the Embodiment of Grace-Light
No one knew the exact location of the Immortal Sage Agastyar, so Babaji embarked on a quest to find him. Babaji could only stay at an appropriate location near Courtallam, (a village in the Tenkasi district of Tamil Nadu, located in the Western Ghats) and pray. This is an area known for its abundant waterfalls. Since ancient times, Agastyar was known to inhabit this area. Babaji chose a Shakti Temple in the area and remained fixed to one spot, praying for the Master to appear. After 48 days, when young Babaji was close to death, Agastyar emerged from the forest, gave him food and water, and initiated him into the Kriya Kundalini Prayanam process.
Babaji’s Legacy: Guiding Humanity Through Yoga and Devotion
Once Babaji had sufficiently absorbed the Transmission, Agastyar gave him instructions to go and settle in the Himalayas at Badrinath, (a powerful pilgrimage place since 3,200 B.C.) Agastyar said to Babaji; “Become the greatest Siddha the world has ever known.”
Babaji travelled there, and after 18 months of intensive practice he attained complete merging with the divine (called Soruba Samadhi.) At this time, he was only 16 years of age. His body became ageless and his form took on a shining golden hue. Since then, he has made appearances from time to time, becoming a guiding light for Humanity through various Gurus, right up to the present day. Sometimes he appears in his physical form and sometimes in an astral form.
Through his compassionate guidance, millions of people have taken up the clarion call and embraced the path of Kriya Yoga, which Babaji is the custodian of, for the benefit of all beings. Some of the people who have met Babaji in the flesh include Adi Shankaracharya (from 788 AD) The great Mystic Kabir (from 1407 A.D.) Lahiri Mahasaya (from 1828 A.D.) Sri Yukteswar (from 1855 A.D.) Yogi S.A.A. Ramaiah (from 1923 A.D.) V.T. Neelakantan (Met him in 1955) There are also multitudes of persons who have met Babaji during their Yoga and Meditation practice on the astral plane. Babaji is quoted as saying, “Where there is love, there am I.”
Finding Babaji
Some persons reading this may feel a strong desire to go in search of Babaji on the physical plane. Apparently he does have a physical ashram near to Badrinath. However, it is protected by a mystic shield and no one is able to find it unless invited to do so by the Master Himself. The best way to meet him in actuality is to dive into a sincere and dedicated practice of his teachings. Babaji’s Kriya Yoga method can be found all over the world. A good place to begin is with the organisation founded by M. Govindan and associates called Babaji’s Kriya Yoga Order of Acharyas. This organisation has branches in over 20 countries.
You can contact them through Babajiskriyayoga.net
Each Enlightened Master, no matter who they are, can be touched and absorbed through their techniques of Meditation. They have imprinted themselves within their techniques. Like a bee who finds nectar in the flower and then transmutes it into honey, so it is that we discover the nectar of the Master within their methods and through our own devoted practice we transmute this into the honey of spiritual awakening.
The Immortal Masters of China, Tibet, and India
There are many stories from China, Tibet and India of other Immortal Masters. Some persons in search of immortality take the devious route of black magic in order to increase their chances of living forever. However, anything attempted in service of egoic attachment will always end in sorrow. Many who pursued this path ultimately died, illustrating the futility of such efforts. Furthermore, one accumulates negative karma through the practice of black magic. The short term power boost has very negative long term effects.
Aaravindha Himadra and the Himalayan Masters
Another pure linage of Immortal Masters is described in the book; ‘Immortal Self’ by Aaravindha Himadra. He is an American born Mystic who made a long and arduous journey in 2006 through the Himalayan Mountains, following a telepathic inner calling. He discovered there a community of Immortal Amartya Masters who welcomed him due to his having been the son of one of the community members in his previous incarnation.
In his book he describes in detail some of the teachings and philosophy of these Masters, who continue to work for the benefit of humanity from their exalted position on the ‘roof of the world.’ They remain hidden from view and one can only find them if called telepathically to do so. Aaravindha describes his very touching meeting with a 1000 year old Yogi and recounts from memory some of what was imparted to him. Modern cryonics procedures aim to preserve organisms at extremely low temperatures, preventing ice crystals from damaging cell structures, which is crucial for future revival and restoration of life.
“The supreme gave breath to man and woman so they might tend this earthly garden and keep watch over all its creatures. Most fortunate are those who work to comfort and relieve the suffering, for it is only they who will find, through their acts, liberation from the suffering they may have caused. A path of darkness awaits who live for themselves alone. But the caretakers of life’s garden will, through their virtues, be lifted into heaven’s grace.”
Aaravindha teaches what he has learned from these Masters on an ongoing basis, whether that be in Books, Social Media, or In Person Retreats and can be found at: aaravindha.com
Legends of China’s Eight Immortals
In China, there are numerous legends about eight Immortals who had tremendous influence down the ages as an integral part of Chinese culture. Known to be Healers, Martial Arts Masters, carries of Divine Wisdom and having a great sense of humour, (ie embodying the Cosmic Joke) they are much beloved by Chinese speaking cultures to this day. It is said they live on a group of five islands in the sea of Bohai and more precisely, to live on Penglai and Yingzhou Mountains. Speculations abound as to where these islands and mountains actually are, including Japan, Korea, (Perhaps Mount Kungang) Taiwan or even Vietnam.
The Ethics of Immortality
Unfortunately, there is a thriving trade in China of unscrupulous business people making millions on supposed immortality elixirs created from the tusks, teeth and other body parts taken by killing many endangered species, including tigers, whales, rhinos, elephants, etc. The idea of attaining immortality based on greed and violence will never succeed. The lives of these poor animals are being taken in vain.
As you may surmise from the descriptions of pure and true immortals, they have poured their sincere heart and soul into becoming one with the divine on all levels, and by so doing, they have been graced with the supreme benediction of what is called ‘the golden body, a body completely inhabited by the Divine Grace-Light.
Unlocking Human Potential
What I find to be most important and most relevant in these stories about Immortal beings is that humans are capable of much more than we think we are. Scientists claim that we are using only a very small percentage of our brain capacity. What if we could, through the use of certain herbal medicines and particular mantras, breath exercises and yoga postures, actually tap into much more of our potential?
There are stories and legends from around the world that in ancient times, in some places, people used to live much longer than is common in today’s world, 120, 200 or even 300 years as a commonality. Even in recent times, there is factual evidence that until the advent of American popular culture in this region (through American bases,) the people of Okinawa were commonly living to be 115 or 120 years of age. A book about this phenomena called ‘The Okinawa Way’ details a study done about them.
We are fortunate that there are many detailed accounts on the subject of Immortals in scriptural form. Though many of these scriptures have yet to be deciphered and translated, the fact that they exist is already a miracle. There are numerous scholars working on deciphering them and creating a logical sequence in the writings which can become the basis of profound study of this mind boggling subject.
A Vision for Humanity’s Evolution
I pray we can and will move to the next evolutionary step as human beings, realising our divine potential for living a heavenly life while on earth. As the great Zen Master Hakuin says: “This very body, The Buddha, this very place, The Lotus Paradise.”
