Years earlier I had heard a rumor that two Germans who visited Tat Wale Baba asked him about the hierarchy overseeing the universe. In answering the question Tat Wale Baba clapped his hands together and upon separating them widely, a vision of the celestial hierarchy appeared between his outstretched hands. Terrified by the means of reply, the two Germans ran away screaming down the mountain. Having heard this story second hand, I wanted confirmation. So, I inquired of Swami Shankardasji directly, "Can you tell me of some miracles that Tat Wale Baba performed?"

Swami replied, "I was sick, the sickest that I have ever been in my entire life. I thought I was to die. I had a severe headache. It felt like spikes were being driven at each side of my head," Swami explained as he pushed his closed fists, clutching invisible spikes, against his temples. "My head and body were like fire," he continued. "I was too sick to even take toilet," he said smiling, a little embarrassed by his own candor. "I soiled myself in bed. Then, around 4:00 a.m. I remember being startled by Tat Wale Baba appearing at my bed. And, somehow I found myself sitting at the edge of the bed before him."

"My guru put a cup to my forehead," Swami continued explaining as he showed with his right hand how the cup had been placed with its rim just between his eyebrows. "A white fluid came out of my head and filled the cup. My guru passed the cup to another person who was with him. I did not see the other person who was off to my left since my eyes were looking toward my guru. Again, my guru placed the cup at my head, just as before. White fluid came out, like milk. Again, he gave the cup to the person. Then again, he placed the cup at my head."

While speaking excitedly, as if the incident had occurred just the night before, Swami illustrated, by stretching out his hand, how Tat Wale Baba had passed the cup to his assistant. "Four times my guru did this," he said. "I felt like all my sins and karma had been taken away. My guru then stroked my forehead a few times with his hand. The next thing I knew I was looking at my guru's back as he was leaving the room. But, my door was latched so that it could not open more than four inches. Yet, he passed easily through."

"How was he able to come in and go?" Swami asked rhetorically, testing my knowledge rather than showing his bewilderment - he very well knew about the siddhis (superhuman powers) that accomplished yogis possessed whereby they may pass through walls at will.

Swami continued, "It was then that I realized that I was cured. To this day I have never been sick. I have not even had a headache." Swami Shankardasji paused, thinking awhile. "This incident happened around August or September in 1974, shortly before my guru took mahasamadhi."

Intrigued by the account, I asked Swami, "Are there any other miracles which Tat Wale Baba performed?"

"Yes," Swami answered. "There were three couples who could not bear children. Each couple came to see Tat Wale Baba, and from Guru's blessings each had a child born to them. One couple was from Punjab, the other from Delhi and the other from Hiriyana. This happened over a period of several years." Another incident told by Swami Shankardasji also involved a healing miracle performed by Tat Wale Baba. "I think his name was Wilkins (author not using real name)," Swami recalled. "He was Canadian. He was very sick, and saw many doctors. But, none could help him. One day, just by chance, Wilkins had read in a book about Tat Wale Baba. And, in the book was a picture of Tat Wale Baba. Then, one day the Canadian got a dream of Tat Wale Baba wearing jute. Tat Wale Baba told him to take certain medication. The Canadian went and purchased the medication, and took it. After two days his stomach was clean. After one month the Canadian was completely
healed. After that," Swami continued, "the Canadian went in search of Tat Wale Baba. Finally, he tracked him to this ashram, but Tat Wale Baba was dead. The Canadian stayed here for one month, meditating. One day while he meditated he had a vision of Tat Wale Baba saying that he came too late. This happened in 1977 or 1978..." Swami Shankardasji looked into the distance as he refreshed his memory, then confirmed, "It was 1977."

Following this story Swami Shankardasji offered me tea. I accepted graciously. By now the sun was beginning to set and an evening peacefulness blanketed the forest retreat. As I sipped my tea I wondered why such a remarkable yogi would have met with the tragic death that he did.