On 11 and 12 August we celebrate two birthdays which are closely linked:
Master EK was born during the evening hours of 11 August 1926 in Bapatla, Guntur District, Andhra Pradesh – this year we celebrate his 90th anniversary.
Helena P. Blavatsky was born on 12 August 1831 in Yekaterinoslav (Dnepropetrovsk), Russian Empire (now Ukraine) – this year we celebrate her 185th anniversary.
The path of both great spiritual giants crossed in a way when Master EK came into contact with the Theosophical Society and started studying Secret Doctrine, the profound master-piece of HPB. This thrilling encounter was described by Master Kumar in the biography of Master EK, please see the extract below.
May the Light that their work brought down help us to walk our path with a deeper resolve and inspiration.
Bhagavad Gita, Secret Doctrine and the Divine Plan (Extract from the book “Master EK – The New Age Teacher“)
Master CVV started teaching Master E.K. Master CVV had his contact with the Theosophical Society when he was in the physical. In tune with the Plan, Master E.K. was invited by the Theosophical Society in Guntur to speak upon the symbolism of the Mahabharata. After the lecture was over, Master E.K. went into the library hall of the Theosophical Society and his eyes were attracted to the book “The Secret Doctrine” written by H.P. Blavatsky, a big volume. He inquired of the book. The members of the Theosophical Society said: “It is the toughest book one can ever face. We only respect the book, we don’t read it”. The next day Master E.K. was invited again to give a lecture in the Theosophical Society. After that he gave many more classes to the members of the Theosophical Society on Mahabharata. When he went to the Theosophical Society on the second day, the president of the Society also came to the class, because the members had informed him that the one who was speaking on Mahabharata was speaking in such a manner that he seemed to be knowing many things. After the class, the president introduced himself to Master E.K. saying: “I am the president of the Theosophical Society and I am glad to meet you”. Master E.K. replied: “There is a book titled ‘Secret Doctrine’ in your book shelves. Can I borrow it for a while?” The president said: “You are most welcome. No one opens that book, including me, because we don’t know what is in it. We know that it is very great; more than that we don’t know. Do you want to read that book? Please keep it with you”. He took the book ‘Secret Doctrine’ home, and straight-away started reading it. There are so many new terms relating to various theologies that are used in the book and he was finding it a bit tough. It was already one o’clock in the night but he did not give up. He just kept the book on the table and went out to have a cup of coffee in a canteen just round the corner. (He was fond of coffee. Master CVV, Master M.N. and Master E.K. had one common thing besides Yoga, they never refused coffee when offered; they had such a liking for coffee).
Thus, at one o’clock in the night he went to the corner of the street where there was a restaurant. He took coffee and was walking back home. Suddenly, he met a very old man on the road who asked him in English: “Would you mind offering me some food? I am hungry”. The meeting was so sudden. Master E.K. looked at the man. He was a very old man, not properly dressed, with a pen in his shirt pocket. The marks of ink were all over the pocket. He had gray long hair and a barb. The old man asked him for the second time in English: “Would you mind offering me something? I am hungry”. Master E.K. said: “Sure, please come with me, Sir”. They went back once again to the restaurant, and Master E.K. asked the old man: “What would you like to eat, Sir?” He replied: “Chapaties”. The chapaties were ordered and he was eating. Then, Master E.K. looked at the old man with greater attention. He saw that he was a very old man, very hungry, and thought: “God knows when he had eaten last! What a luck I have that I could offer something to eat to this old gentleman at this late hour of the night”. He was also surprised that this old man, who was looking like a beggar, was speaking in English! Master E.K. was in a kind of thinking process while the old man was busy eating chapaties. Suddenly, the old man looked at Master E.K. and said: “So, you are reading Secret Doctrine”. It was a shock to Master E.K. How did this old man know that he was reading Secret Doctrine? He looked at the old man with great astonishment. Then, the old man asked again: “So, you are trying to read Secret Doctrine?” Master E.K. immediately felt great veneration for the old man and said: “Yes Sir”. That is all. Then, the old man said: “Get me a cup of tea”. So, the topic changed. He took tea and then both of them came out of the restaurant.
On the road, as they were walking, the old man instructed Master E.K. by saying: “Before you read Secret Doctrine you read Bhagavad Gita”. Master E.K., right from the childhood was reading Bhagavad Gita. He knew all the 700 slokas by heart and had given many lectures on the Gita too. So he answered the old man: “I have read Bhagavad Gita and I know all the 700 slokas by heart”. The old man replied: “Before you read Secret Doctrine, read Bhagavad Gita”. It was like an order. Master E.K. was surprised and thought: “Who is this man that instructs me like this? How does he know that I am reading Secret Doctrine? And with what right is he instructing me so strongly to read again Bhagavad Gita?”
He was thinking so while they were walking together. He decided to read Bhagavad Gita, and wanted to convey it to the old man. He turned aside to tell him that he would do so, but when he looked aside the old man was no more and that was another surprise. Someone came, took two chapaties and tea from him, instructed him to read Bhagavad Gita and then disappeared! Master E.K. decided to read Bhagavad Gita.
Master E.K. went into great focus to read The Bhagavad Gita. He read it once again, continuously without interruption till midnight of the next day. The family was not at home. He was therefore free, alone, there was no one to disturb him. While he went on reading Bhagavad Gita he had a grand vision of the Plan, the Divine Plan, which is being worked out by the Inner Government, the Hierarchy of Masters of Wisdom, and the Plan of Lord Krishna for Kali Yuga. He was thrilled.
The next day, during the midnight hours, Master E.K. went again to the same restaurant to see if he could meet the old man again. He had his cup of coffee and was loitering on the road, but the old man didn’t show up. A bit disappointed, he started proceeding towards his house. Then, all of a sudden, someone from behind gently placed his hand on Master E.K’s right shoulder, saying: “How is Bhagavad Gita?” He turned back and was thrilled to see the old man. He had all veneration for the old man. Immediately he touched his feet out of respect and said: “I am very grateful to you Sir, for I have found something in Bhagavad Gita”. The old man replied: “Bhagavad Gita is everything; you may have found only something”. Then Master E.K. asked: “Would you like to eat chapaties Sir?” The old man said: “You should not propose anything to me. Did I propose to you yesterday, or did you propose to me? Don’t propose to me. You listen to me”. (Tough man!). Then he said: “Now read Secret Doctrine.”
In a weekdays time Master E.K. read The Secret Doctrine. When he was reading Secret Doctrine, there were many entities coming into the house and again going out of the house. He was surprised and thought: “Who are all these entities that enter into my house and go out of my house without my permission?” He gained a good understanding of the scheme of The Secret Doctrine.
As he completed reading the book, the old man visited him again by walking into the house through the wall! He was not looking shabby anymore but brilliant and handsome. All that you can visualize about someone like Master K.H. and if you multiply it by one thousand times in brilliance, that was the figure Master E.K. saw. He walked through the wall and came towards him asking: “How is Secret Doctrine?” Master E.K. joined his two hands in respectful salutations saying: “Namaskarams”. No more talk. Deep silence prevailed.
Blavatsky and Olcott in London, 1888: “To the Aryan Theosophical Society of New York, with HPB’s and HSO’s good wishes”
Master EK Birthday Celebration, 2013, Visakhapatnam, India