The Whistling Bird
Stories of Prabhat’s unusual ways spread through his school. Many of children were very curious about him. Odd stories about young Prabhat were whispered. Whispered tales circulated—some said Prabhat could understand the songs of birds. Others swore they had seen him talking with animals.
One afternoon, Prabhat was sitting under a large tree with his friends when a heated argument broke out between two of the boys. Their voices grew louder, faces red with anger, fists clenched.
Suddenly Prabhat called out, “Look, look! See that bird in the tree. What a beautiful bird it is! Can you see it?” Can you hear its beautiful song?”
Everyone turned to look. A small bird sat on a branch, singing a clear, whistling tune.
“That particular whistle means the bird is calling its friends,” Prabhat explained softly. “If we stay quiet, more birds will come. But this one doesn’t like noise or arguing.”
The friends, now calm and curious, gazed up into the tree, waiting. And soon, just as Prabhat had said, birds began arriving from every direction—flapping their wings, chattering happily as they landed among the branches.
When the tree was full, the first bird whistled again.
“That means it’s time to go,” Prabhat whispered.
In an instant, the tree burst into motion. The birds took off together, filling the air with the sound of fluttering wings and cheerful chirps before vanishing into the sky.
By drawing attention to the birds, Prabhat had thoughtfully stopped the loud disagreement between his friends. He brought their attention to the beauty and life activities of the birds. However, as they walked away, the boys were quietly thinking, “He does know the language of the birds.”
Adapted from Who Can Ride the Tiger, an anthology of children’s stories from Anandamurti’s life. Stories were collected and written by Avadhutika Anandar Rama and illustrated by Avadhutika Ananda Carushila.
Ananda Marga Meditation vs Evil Magic
Baba once taught Basant the kapalik meditation of Ananda Marga — a rare and powerful practice performed only on the new moon, after midnight, in a secluded place in nature.
One dark night, Basant set out to perform this special meditation. As he sat in deep concentration, strange sounds began to echo through the forest — the cries of babies, the wails of unseen creatures, and the howls of animals. Basant sensed that these eerie noises were not natural. He soon noticed a shadowy figure lurking nearby — an evil magician conjuring these frightening illusions.
When the magician saw Basant sitting in meditation, he tried to drive him away with his dark spells. The cries grew louder, and strange objects began flying through the air. But Basant remained unmoved. His concentration deepened, and a spiritual shield surrounded him, protecting him from harm.
Frustrated, the magician launched a direct psychic attack, sending waves of pain toward Basant’s body and mind. In that moment, Basant silently repeated his mantra, focusing his mind completely. The power of the meditation turned the attack back upon its source. The terrible sounds and flying objects rebounded with great force, striking the magician and knocking him to the ground. Terrified, he fled into the darkness.
The next day the evil magician appeared at Basant’s house, wanting to know the name of Basant’s guru. The magician wanted to meet the man who possessed such incredible power. After hearing about Baba, the evil magician was actually eager to have initiation. Basant made the arrangements and brought him to Baba. What happened next is another story.
-Adapted from “Who Can Ride the Tiger”