A Perfect Disciple – The story of Dr. John S. Hislop

A Perfect Disciple.
The story of Dr. John S. Hislop

July 2nd is the holy festival of Guru Purnima. A day when homage is paid to the Guru. A day on which all of us across the world express gratitude to Bhagavan, the Universal teacher, for guiding us on the path to lasting peace. Yes, that is a good thing-to be grateful to one’s Guru. But what does Bhagavan himself want? Praises , we know, mean nothing to Him. What really matters to Him is how much we walk along the path shown by Him. That He says is the greatest way to pay Him a tribute. A Teacher is known by His students, a painter by His art, and a sculptor by his sculptures. A Guru is known by His disciples and an Avatar by his devotees. The perfect devotee who surrenders to the Lord, the Guru, and practises His teachings is the one in whom the Glory of the Lord is reflected most. He becomes a cause, an instrument in bringing several others into the orbit of the Transforming Love of God. He is the one who pays real homage to His Guru. One such devotee of Bhagwan was John S Hislop.

Dr. John S Hislop was one of the fine instruments used by Bhagavan Baba to spread His Message across the continents. Hislop to Swami came via the Theosophy/Meditation route. It all started when as a young man of eighteen he had gone to Taihiti in the Pacific in search of adventure. There he met a priest who told him about Theosophy. As soon as Hislop returned to Los Angeles, he joined the Theosophical Society because he wanted to serve humanity. Soon he became actively involved with the establishment set up in Ojai, California, by Dr. Annie Besant, a pillar of the Theosophy movement.

Read Also: Pearls from the Ramayana

It was in Ojai that Hislop came into contact with J.Krishnamurthi [from India] who was being projected by Annie Besant as a ‘World Teacher’. About this experience, Hislop says, “Krishnamurthi and Besant were giant figures who filled the horizon, and it seemed to me that they and only they had found the truth of life. I feel eternally grateful to Dr. Besant and Krishnamurthi for their great kindness and great patience with an undisciplined man. But wisdom was not born in me as a follower of Krishnamurthi.”

In between, Hislop went through higher education, finally receiving his doctorate in the School of Education in the University of California, Los Angeles Campus [UCLA]. Thereafter he taught for a while and later switched to business, where he was quite successful. He also got married to Victoria, who shared his passion for philosophical enlightenment. Together, Hislop and Victoria drifted from one Guru
 to another, ending up in the fifties with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi who by then had hit the headlines in the West. Twenty five years of search for that ‘something’ had passed but that ‘something’ was still not in sight.

The year is 1958. Hislop comes to India to help Mahesh Yogi in setting up an Academy for Meditation in the Himalayas. Being an American, he is at first mistaken to be a CIA agent (!) but later allowed to do his work. At this stage Hislop takes a break and goes to Burma to learn Vipassana
 Meditation practised by Buddhists. Hislop finds that the Buddhist style of meditation is fascinating and wonderful but, in his words,

The Buddhist way was a way of the intellect and the mind. And despite my great appreciation and gratitude for having found the discipline, I felt that my heart was dry; it was a Western heart with very little love left in it. We [Hislop and his wife] had begun to realise that the Vipassana discipline could be dangerous for a life in the world and that to pursue it properly one should become a monk…..

Around this time, Burma had begun to look inwards, closing its borders to foreigners. So, it did not seem possible to stay back in Burma and become a monk. Yet, Hislop clung to Vipassana, lacking an alternative. A few more years passed, and then….

My wife and I first heard of Baba in 1968 through a description of Him given to a friend of mine by a lady who had visited India. She had brought back some sacred ash [Vibhuti], a beautiful ring as a gift to her from the miraculous nature of Baba, and she had many fascinating stories to tell. One special remark struck fire. The lady said that she felt a change in her character while with Baba, and the change persisted even after she returned home. This statement had a strong impact on my mind. Could there be a man, was there a man living today whose being was so subtle, so powerful, so mysterious, so Divine, that He could change a human Heart?

If it were indeed true that such a man lived in today’s world, then nothing else in my life could equal the urgency of seeking Him out. I prayed that through His Grace and kindness, He might touch my dry Heart and make it alive and vibrant.My wife and I heard the story of Baba on a Monday, and the same week we were aboard a plane to India. ….

Upon meeting Baba, I knew at once, without doubt, that for me, here was the true source of Wisdom. …….It is difficult and probably impossible to express in words the effect upon myself of that first meeting with Baba. My entire being was profoundly affected and changed. Immediately, Baba became the centre of my life, and has remained so. In His presence at that first meeting, the world fell away from me, my entire consciousness was drawn inward and, at a most subtle level of awareness, Baba appeared in my Heart as Love. Love was unmistakable and that Baba was this Love was equally unmistakable.

Swami gave Hislop innumerable experiences so that the latter could get a feel for all aspects of Divinity. Baba also granted Hislop any number of Interviews, answered his questions in detail, came to his rescue during illness, saved him from disaster, created unusual objects for him and once even blessed him with a vision of Krishna. A sample now of a few these, in Hislop’s own words. We start with the famous episode dealing with the creation by Baba of a crucifix for Hislop. Interestingly, the crucifix was created on Mahasivarathri Day in the year 1973, deep in the forest! This holy festival was celebrated by Baba in the company of a small group almost in privacy, and not before massive crowds as normally happens. Let us hear Hislop recall the event:

The crucifix was created by Baba on a most auspicious day, Mahasivarathri. ……The evening before, we were told to be ready in the early morning for a trip; and that when the cars were loaded and ready we would know the destination. Swami had decided that only a handful of people would be with Him….

Our destination was the Bandipur Game Sanctuary in Bandipur Forest, several hours away from the city of Mysore. We arrived at the Forest rest-house in the early afternoon. Later we took various winding roads hoping to come upon one of the Forest’s wild elephant herds. ….. the elephants remained in their secret places and not even one was seen. But the drive through the hills had another and more important objective……

As we crossed a bridge above a sandy, dry riverbed, Baba indicated that this would be the place. … The cars halted at the side of the road, and we started to climb down the bank to the sandy river bottom. I was beside Baba. As we passed a bush, Swami broke off two twigs, placed them together and asked me, “What is this, Hislop?”

“Well Swami, it is a cross,” I answered. Baba then closed His fingers over the twigs and directed three somewhat slow breaths into His fist, between thumb and forefinger. Then He opened His hand to reveal a Christ figure on a Cross, and He gave it to me.

He said, “This shows Christ as he really was at the time he left his body, not as artists have imagined him. His stomach is pulled in and his ribs are all showing. He had no food for eight days.”

I looked at the crucifix but found no words. Baba then continued: “The cross is made of wood from the actual cross on which Christ was crucified. To find some of the wood after 2000 years took a little time! The image is of Christ after he died. It is a dead face.”

A little while after the materialisation of the cross, Sivarathri was celebrated on the sandy river bed with devotees singing Bhajan
 and Baba bringing out a Lingam
 to mark the holy day and the significance of Creation – quite a change from the normal circumstances under which Sivarathri is celebrated.

A couple of years later, some American devotees asked Swami about the cross materialised for Hislop. Baba replied:Yes, I made it for him. When I went to look for the wood, every particle of the cross had disintegrated and returned to the elements. I reached out to the elements and reconstituted sufficient material for a small cross. Very seldom does Swami interfere with Nature, but occasionally, for a devotee, it will be done.”

The story of the cross does not quite end with its physical materialisation. Hislop had a strange experience a few months later, when the cross was being shown to a few friends. This is what he says:

Within a few weeks we were back in our home in Mexico and were soon to witness an amazing series of events in relation to the crucifix. ….. [One day] the time was about 5 P.M. On this afternoon, the sky along the Mexican coast was clear and peaceful. But suddenly without warning, there was a loud crash of thunder and as our eyes turned towards the windows, lightning flashed from a dark cloud where a moment before there had been only clear sky. A violent wind rushed through the house, causing windows and doors to open and shut with such force that the glass was in danger of shattering. The curtains were flying in all directions. We were much startled by this turn of events, but my wife at once said, “It is 5 P.M., the time Christ died on the cross, and what is now happening is described in the Bible.”

She later brought a Bible and we looked though until we found the pertinent paragraph, which said that at the moment Christ gave up His life, a violent storm arose with lightning and thunder, and winds rent the curtains of the temple. We concluded that we had witnessed a wonder totally beyond our power of imagination. Before our eyes had occurred nothing less than a recapitulation of events related to crucifixion. The following day, newspapers in San Diego carried a brief story commenting on the sudden and mysterious storm that had arisen without warning on the Mexican coast, near Ensenada. ….A year or so alter, I sent a description of the event to Dr. Eruch B. Fanibanda for his book, Vision of the Divine. He showed the memo to Baba. After reading the memo, Baba said that the event had occurred as described and that the significance attributed to it was correct.

In this particular area, the layout of the road was also deadly. The road was under repair, and there was a high bank of dirt and rocks covering the side of the road. Thus, there was no possibility of the oncoming car beingable to swerve off the road. We, too, could not take evasive action, for the bus was on our left and the road-repair material on the right, and by this time the oncoming car was directly in front of us. A foolish driver in that car and an equally foolish driver in our taxi! …. The lights of the oncoming car now struck directly into the windscreen of our taxi. The cars could not have been more than a second or so apart. We were stunned. Not one of us remembered Baba or called out to Him. We felt we were as good as dead, and we instinctively tensed for the crash. But at that very moment something happened that was without any rational explanation. At one moment the two cars were upon each other, about to be smashed in a fatal head-on collision. The very next moment, the oncoming car was behind us, and we were continuing to pass the bus with a clear road ahead. Looking back, we could see the red tail-lamp of the other car. There was no crash. ….

The next day we drove out to Brindavan as usual at 8 A.M. so as to be waiting near the veranda for Baba to appear for morning Darshan. As soon as He came into the room, I touched the Lotus feet and said, “We want to thank Baba for saving our lives last night.”Baba smiled and said, “Yes, that was a close one. You were so shocked that not even one of you called out for Swami! But Swami saved you anyway.” Then He turned to a group of men and in Telugu told them the entire story of the incident.I then said, “Swami, You must have altered time and space in order to save us.” Baba just smiled and did not answer.

From time to time, Swami has orchestrated situations wherein devotees have been blessed to see Him in some of the other forms He is worshipped in. Hislop was among the lucky few to get a glimpse of Baba as Sri Krishna. That story follows, in Hislop’s own words:

A number of years ago I was in Baba’s car. He was in the rear seat with two other persons. I was in the front seat with the driver. We were on our way to Puttaparthi. Driving in the car with Baba is a fascinating experience ………

At some point in the journey, perhaps about half-way, Baba was talking and I turned to look. My breathing stopped and was transfixed. I could not credit my eyes. ….

A Perfect Disciple – A Divine Path Of Humility, Faith, And Surrender

A Perfect Disciple is not one who merely stays near the Guru physically, but one who follows the Guru’s teachings sincerely in thought, word, and action. True discipleship is not measured by outer appearance, long speeches, or emotional display. It is measured by humility, obedience, purity, patience, and steady transformation of character.

In spiritual life, the Guru is the light that removes darkness from the mind. The Guru does not only give knowledge; the Guru awakens wisdom. A sincere disciple listens with reverence, reflects with honesty, and practices with determination. Without practice, even the highest teaching remains only information. With practice, the simplest teaching becomes a doorway to liberation.

A Perfect Disciple understands that surrender is not weakness. Surrender means giving up ego, pride, and stubbornness before divine wisdom. Many people want guidance, but they also want to follow only their own likes and dislikes. True surrender begins when the disciple trusts the Guru’s words more than the restless opinions of the mind.

Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba always emphasized that devotion must be reflected in daily conduct. A person may sing bhajans, attend satsang, read spiritual books, and speak about God, but if anger, jealousy, selfishness, and pride remain strong, the inner work is incomplete. The real disciple tries to reduce these weaknesses through constant self-examination.

A Perfect Disciple is always eager to learn. Such a person does not think, “I know everything.” Humility keeps the heart open. Even correction from the Guru is accepted as grace, not insult. When mistakes are pointed out, the sincere disciple does not defend the ego. Instead, he becomes grateful for the chance to improve.

Faith is another important quality of discipleship. Faith does not mean blind belief without understanding. It means a deep trust that the Guru’s guidance is meant for the highest good. Sometimes the path may seem difficult, and sometimes answers may not come immediately. Yet the disciple remains steady, knowing that divine timing is wiser than human impatience.

A Perfect Disciple also practices discipline. Spiritual life cannot grow through occasional enthusiasm alone. Daily prayer, remembrance of God, control of speech, service, study, and self-control are important. Discipline protects devotion from becoming weak. Just as a lamp needs oil to continue burning, devotion needs regular practice to remain bright.

A true disciple does not seek praise for spiritual effort. Service is done quietly, without expectation of recognition. If the Guru’s work needs support, the disciple offers time, energy, and love with gratitude. The feeling is not “I am doing something great,” but “I am blessed to be allowed to serve.” This attitude purifies the heart.

A Perfect Disciple learns to see every situation as part of spiritual training. Difficult people teach patience. Delays teach faith. Criticism teaches humility. Failure teaches effort. Pain teaches compassion. Instead of complaining, the disciple asks, “What is the lesson here?” This attitude turns ordinary life into a classroom of wisdom.

The relationship between Guru and disciple is sacred because it is based on love and transformation. The Guru’s love may be soft like a mother’s care or firm like a father’s correction. Both are forms of grace. The disciple who understands this does not run away from discipline. He accepts guidance with gratitude and grows stronger through it.

A Perfect Disciple also protects the purity of speech. Speaking harshly, gossiping, criticizing others, or spreading negativity weakens spiritual life. A disciple should speak truthfully, gently, and usefully. Silence is better than words that hurt. Loving speech becomes a form of worship when it is guided by compassion and self-control.

The true test of discipleship comes when the Guru is not physically present. Can the disciple still follow the teaching? Can he still choose truth, love, service, and patience? Can he remember the Guru before acting? If the Guru’s message lives in the heart, then distance does not matter. The disciple carries the Guru within.

In the end, discipleship is a journey of becoming worthy of divine grace. It is not about perfection in one day, but sincere effort every day. A Perfect Disciple is one who keeps learning, keeps serving, keeps surrendering, and keeps purifying the heart. Such a life becomes a silent offering to the Guru, filled with devotion, humility, and spiritual light.

A Discourse for  Devotees, by Michael Goldstein M.D.