Finnish film director, adventurer and author Taavi ‘Rishi’ Kassila shares details of his journey which led to the book, Meeting with the Masters, in a thought-provoking conversation with Christy Varghese
Taavi ‘Rishi’ Kassila began to look for a spiritual master early on in his life. Having translated the Bhagavad Gita into Finnish, he embarked on this search for a guru — someone who could introduce him to the deepest mysteries of life — after his inner voice reminded him of a previous birth in the land of yoga, India.
On the journey to find his teacher, he learned the art of meditation from Indian yogi Acharya Karunanda Avadhuta and met the world-famous spiritual teacher J Krishnamurti. Rishi hosted a TV interview with the guru of the Beatles, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. He interviewed the Nobel Peace Prize winner, His Holiness the Dalai Lama as well as the meditation master, Jeshe Lama.
He met over thirty masters of their fields before his search for a guru finally ended with the south-Indian saint, Mata Amritanandamayi, better known as Amma. It was she who anointed him in his newfound spiritual name, Rishi, which is what he likes being called. His new book, Meeting with the Masters, takes the reader on an exciting spiritual journey to the inner landscape of the greatest thinkers and spiritual teachers of our time. Excerpt:
We would like to start with a very light-hearted obvious question. Why did you write this book?
The books I write are part of my seva, my karma yoga. While most of my writing process is an attempt to help others, it also helps me learn more about spirituality.
What is spirituality to you?
When we talk about spirituality, we need to have a clear understanding of what mundane life is, as that is the exact opposite of spiritual life. I think it is observable that while leading a mundane life we are looking for happiness from outside, mostly in sense objects. However, sense objects are always changing. So it stands to reason that we would not be able to find lasting happiness in sense objects. Spirituality, on the other hand, means that we are looking for happiness within, from our inherent Divinity. And we are bound to find out that that is the highest form of happiness, eternal happiness.
Is there any one moment in life that sparked this awakening? Or would you say it was a more gradual process?
As a schoolboy, I wanted to find somebody who could help me understand the mysteries of life, someone who could guide me, a figure like Jesus, Buddha or Socrates. I just did not want to go to university and gather more information and facts. I wanted to understand what life was really about, and I realised that I needed somebody like these great saints of the past. My father was a famous filmmaker and following in his footsteps, I also started making films. In the process, I was fortunate to interview many spiritual teachers such as the 14th Dalai Lama, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi (the Beatles’ Guru), Amma and so forth. There were many moments when I had a spiritual experience with masters like J Krishnamurti, Mother Meera and Amma. When I was in their proximity, my ego disappeared, not totally but for an hour or so. When I realised what they are talking about really is the truth, I felt the need to advance in the spiritual path till I can permanently be in that state which I experienced in their nearness. So, yes it was a gradual experience but with some high points or sparks, as you said.
Would you like to share one of those high points?
The first one happened when I was only 20 years old. I was in the Swiss Alps on my way to India to look for a guru who would be able to point out the path for me. I was listening to Krishnamurti while he was giving a speech and after the talk, he left the big tent. As I came out of the tent I saw Krishnamurti in the distance, I ran to him and stretched my hand towards him saying, “Can I ask you something?” He held my hand and replied with a smile, “Ask on Wednesday...” before getting into a car, which drove away. When he touched me, my ego disappeared! For the next one or two hours, I was in the state of pure consciousness, bliss, happiness, whatever you would like to call it. Because I was so young, I thought I had become enlightened but then when my mind started chattering again I was confused thinking, ‘God, why is my ego back again?!’ (laughs a little more before continuing) This was my first experience of enlightenment, over the years I have had similar experiences with other spiritual teachers too.
Hearing that experience, we can’t help but wonder whether what you felt was a result of your belief? Something like the placebo effect, perhaps?
I don’t think so. That sort of experience is beyond what the mind can comprehend. You have to understand that the mind is the thinking faculty, which enables you to think and experience emotions et al. The very meaning of enlightenment implies going beyond your mind. Part of the process of being enlightened is rooted in the practice of silencing your mind, as discussed in the holy scriptures of India. Patanjali’s 2nd sutra describes the purpose of yoga — “Yogas Chitta Vritti Nirodha”, which means yoga is the silencing of the mind. Even one of the Psalms from the Bible mentions this. It goes something along the lines of, ‘Be silent and know that I am God.’ It is the same thing. Once the mind becomes silent you can experience pure awareness, which is the state of bliss, peace and divine love.
It is said that the teacher appears when the student is ready, would you agree with this statement?
I can’t help but agree with this statement. If you consider my life, I spent a good deal of it looking for a master. Someone who could guide me in the right direction. Over the past 45 years or so, I was fortunate enough to be in the presence of some incredibly noteworthy names and I have obtained many valuable lessons from all of them. For over 15 years I followed Krishnamurti, who actually denied the need of a master, but when I finally met Amma, there was a profound connection. I immediately knew beyond any doubt that this is my guru, this is the person I had been waiting for all along. I feel that God knows the situation of each soul. The Guru Gita says that our life is our spiritual path. So, with every moment, we would be advancing on this path and there is bound to be a moment when we are ready to accept a teacher. God knows that moment and at the appropriate moment, a satguru will be sent for us. I am speaking from my very own experience.
I hope you understand that I am not referring to anyone in particular when I say satguru. That term applies to anyone who has attained the highest realisation, someone who cannot go downwards anymore. Satguru is an enlightened being whose ego has been destroyed. For such a person, there is no possibility of selfish desire as they are one with God. That being said, I have to admit there are many gurus, and I have addressed this in my book too, who have not yet reached the highest form of realisation and it is unfortunate how they are driven by base selfishness.
Are there any physical signs of enlightenment?
In the Bible, it is said that you know the tree by its fruit. Similarly, in the English language, there is a saying about people who ‘walk the talk’. If somebody is living life by practising what they preach, that would be a sign of a spiritual master. If you read about Amma’s life she has been helping people from a young age, always selfless. Even as a child, she was renowned for helping others without thinking about her own needs. Now, that is a sign of enlightenment. There is no physical sign as such, the signs are there to see in a person’s behaviour, attitude and character.
Would you say you are ‘awakened’ now?
(laughs heartily before answering) There is a famous quote by Socrates which, when translated in English, goes, ‘I know that I don’t know.’ I have experienced the state of enlightenment several times, which is enough to know that I am not enlightened now. But I want to get there and for that, the mind has to be purified, the mind has to be bereft of any negativity. As of now, I am a devotee and a disciple of Amma. With her help, I hope to attain that state permanently but one has to be realistic. One has to be humble and not betray oneself by thinking that ‘I have realised all there is to know...’ No, that is not the way to go about such things. There is so much more to life than what we think we know. I am 67 years old, nine days younger than Amma. It is funny how I used to think that my master would be a man who is elder to me, not for one moment did it cross my mind that my guru might very well be a woman of my age.
At this point in life, what do you seek?
(chuckles) Self-realisation or God-realisation or enlightenment, you may call it what you want. It can also be translated as the state of being aware of your true identity. The identity we possess now, one which is attached to our physical body, personality and ego, is a false one. You know, most of us believe in some form of life after death? But still, we happen to fear the prospect of dying because life, as we know it, is coming to an end. It takes a lot of effort to shake away our fear of death but we need to understand that when the body dies, we don’t. We are worth so much more than our physical, human shell. We are our soul, and our soul is eternal! And when we realise this, the fear disappears as it should, because that is when we are one with God, our true identity. That is what I seek, to realise my true identity; to be one with God.
(The book was published by Garuda Prakashan and is available at leading bookstores.)
