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A Sadhu's Reminiscences of Ramana Maharshi 45 automatic lift pierced through the solid rock. Quite why the Masters wanted to restrict themselves to this rocky prison I never really made out. The author of this book was an American, Bierce Spaulding, and he came to the Ashram in 1936 with a party of Americans, all on their way with him as guide on a visit to the Masters. Their history was amazing if not tragic.
A party of enthusiasts in America who really believed in Spaulding's aberrations, though it seems that Spaulding had never been in India before, were organised into an expedition by one of the party to visit the Masters on a personally conducted tour. Special tickets were sold to them by the Dollar Line, who appointed Spaulding as the guide. They were told not to buy return tickets as it would be unnecessary; once with the Masters every care would be taken of them and they would have everything they desired and would naturally never want to return to America and their homes. Some of them who were poor sold all their possessions so as to be able to join the party, so enthusiastic were they. For had they not been assured that once they arrived at their destination they would have no more need for money?
The party, with Spaulding at their head, duly arrived in Calcutta; when they eventually arrived in Thiruvannamalai there were about twelve, as a number had dropped off by the way. In Calcutta they were deposited in an hotel while Spaulding established communication with the Masters and was advised how to proceed. Daily he would vanish on this mysterious
