Message #27008

[Bianca]

References to other intriguing flying machines also appear In The Second Chance – The Story Of A Near-Death Experience by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. A Second Chance is actually based upon an ancient book of Eastern Wisdom called Srimad-Bhagavatam and aims to show us how we can employ the techniques of meditation to overcome the obstacles of materialism. It basically tells the story of Ajamila, a debauched criminal, who at the moment of his death is saved from a terrible judgement and punishment by four beautiful figures who arrive to save him by the divine grace of Lord Krisna. It’s on page 140 of The Second Chance that we find the following interesting passage:

“Upon seeing the Visnudutas, Ajamila gave up his material body at Hardwar on the bank of the Ganges. He regained his original, spiritual body – one appropriate for an associate of the Lord. Accompanied by the order-carriers of Lord Visnu, he then boarded an airplane made of gold. Passing through the airways, he went directly to the abode of Lord Visnu…”

What I believe is especially fascinating about this particular passage is although it appears to talk of a spiritual journey by Ajamila, the journey itself is clearly based in the material world, with clear references to actual places and the like. Hence, for example, the mention of “Hardwar on the banks of the Ganges” and also the “airplane made of gold” that passes through “the airways”. The text on page 140 of The Second Chance is, by the way, illustrated by a beautiful plate (plate no. 7) of Ajamila, now pure and fully Krsna conscious, boarding a “spiritual” airplane that will take him back to the kingdom of God.

Finally, again in According To The Evidence, Von Daniken tells us that it is possible to read in the ‘Rama and Sita’ section of the Ramayana all about how the villainous Rawana kidnaps the beautiful heroine Sita in an aerial car that is like the sun. Rawana flies Sita in his aerial car that is like the sun high over woods, valleys, and high mountain tops. Hearing about the kidnapping of his lovely wife, Sita, Rama cries : “ Fly out the aerial cars at once”. And immediately he sets off and challenges Rawana to aerial combat. In the perusing battle to get Sita back, Rama uses an heavenly arrow to shoot down his enemy, who eventually dives into the depths. Rama manages to save Sita and she climbs into her husband’s heavenly flying machine which at Rama’s behest, rose up to a mountain of cloud with an enormous noise.