Baba and my Nepali friend --- My Journeys to Parthi - 4

[Guest guest]

Baba and my Nepali friend

 

After the first trip when He took my letter and assured me, I used to go to

Parthi every six months. I preferred to stay in shed and eat canteen food only

when I was in Prasanthi. No outside food. No spicy food. I would go alone to

Parthi, carrying only the basic luggage (a few clothes). I never preferred to

go to Parthi with anyone else in those days, cuz I used to take that one week I

spend there as a serious training period. I strived to be detached from every

other thought and constantly remind myself that I am not this body or mind.

 

Though it was very discomfortable many times, I preferred to stay in shed. I

used to sleep on bare floor (or the package-box-sheets that we get beside the

supermarket), with my bag as pillow and a thin sheet of cloth as blanket.

Sometimes in the nights, when I wake up suddenly, I used to find someone else's

feet touching my head. It used to be that crowded sometimes. I would sing for

myself the Annamacharya Kriti, " Nindaara raju nidrinchu nidrayunokate - andane

bantu nidra adhiyunokate" (The sleep that a king sleeps on his royal bed is no

different from the sleep the servant sleeps on the floor beside that bed

)...and then go back to sleep. It was a great exercise for me, to keep in

control, the urges of the body for comfort.

 

I would get up early in the morning, take a Sanathana Sarathi and sit in Darshan

line. Dont know why, though I used to sleep well in the shed, I always used to

feel terribly drowsy while waiting in the Darshan line, even in Sai Kulwant

Hall!! Many of the times, the shoulders of the persons sitting beside me were

my pillows... I should really thank them for their patience....they are real

embodiments of Swami's Compassion...lol....I would suddenly get up with a

shake, and say sorry for lying on their shoulders, and feel ashamed for a

minute. Ofcourse the feeling would be gone within a minute and I would be lying

on the same shoulder again There were also days when I slept right from 4 AM

till 7 AM in Sai Kulwant Hall and Swami's Darshan Music would be Suprabhatam

(wake-up song) for me!

 

(I actually remember a guy who offered me his lap to put my head on and sleep,

after seeing my hardships of sitting and swinging in sleep :-) )

 

I had my first Christmas Darshan and luckily there was a chap from IIT sitting

beside me explaining me the significance of that Darshan. It's called

"Silver-Door Darshan". Swami arrives in His usual orange dress and then goes

into the Mandir, then He comes back from top through the Silver Door in

dazzling white! It has to be seen to believe it....All eyes would behold none

other than Jesus Christ, the embodiment of Ultimate Compassion. A festival of

tears for you!

 

And that year, I made friends with a wonderful man in the shed from Nepal, who

camped beside my package-sheet-couch. He is mentally retarded. He told me his

story the very first day and we became thick friends from then. He was

basically a truck driver in Nepal. The owner of the transport company for which

my friend worked, extracted all the work from him for a year without paying his

wages, then beat him on his head in an attempt to kill him! My friend somehow

survived but his brain suffered serious damage. Because of the damage, he not

only had loss of memory but also turned a little insane. So, no one gave him a

job from then. His wife realized that he is of no use anymore and left him! She

went away to her mother's house along with their child, leaving my friend alone.

 

He narrated his story and showed me a letter he wanted to give to Swami. It

seems he dictated his prayers to some kind soul in the shed who has written it

down for him in that letter. "Can I read it?", I asked. "Jaroor (Certainly!)",

he said.

 

"Baba,

 

Ham ko kisine sar par maar dhiye. Ham beemaar hogaye. Hamaaree beevee aur bachaa

hame chod kar chale gaye. Ham sab kuch kho gaye. Kuch bhee naheen bachaa. Phir

bhee aap se main kuch naheen maangthaa, bhagvaan, bas aap ki Kripa. Bas aap ki

kripa"

 

(Translated: Someone has beat me on my head and I turned insane. My wife and

children deserted me. I lost everything in life. Yet, Bhagavan, I ask of You

nothing except Your Grace. Nothing except Your Grace).

 

When I finished reading the letter and raised my head with eyes full of tears,

my friend was clapping his hands and repeating the words, "Bas aap ki Kripa,

Bas aap ki kripa (Only Your Grace, Only Your Grace

)". Because of his insanity, he keeps repeating the same words continuously,

sometimes throughout the day. :-)

 

I just wondered who really is insane?

Is it me who is physically, mentally, emotionally, professionally, academically

all well....but still entertains little silly desires, one after the other,

like an endless chain or this man who has no desires except His Grace?

What is the use of having a properly functioning brain when it does not allow me

to be in pure Love with my Swami without any expectations?

 

I got reminded of a Swami's poem,

"Pichulu pattinchu, Pichulu pogottu Baba"

(This Baba turns some people insane and some people sane)

 

Meaning He makes people mad in love for Him, and cures the madness of worldly

desires. Oh, isnt it His wonderful Leela that He turned this man insane and

allowed Him to experience the bliss of unsullied Love for Him?

 

My friend told me, "I want to give this letter to Baba. Will you help me? Woh

kyaa hai ki ham beemaar hai naa...is liye hame neendh bahuth pakadthee...main

subah Darshan ke liye uth naheen paathaa (Since my brain is ill, I cannot get

up early in the morning for Darshan.)" I assured him that I would wake him up

the next morning.

 

I woke up the next morning, took my bath and was about to wake my Nepali friend

up. I realized that my watch was missing. There was no one else except my

Nepali friend who knows where in my bag, I keep my watch. But I know he is a

child. I kept quiet and woke him up as if nothing had happened. He got up

somehow and came with me to Darshan. I was just praying in my heart, "Swami, I

know You dont need any other messengers between Your devotee and You. I am just

praying out of Love for my friend. I have learnt a lesson of desire-less-ness

from him in this trip. I just want to see him smiling with Your assurance."

 

I gave instructions to my friend, "Do not get up when Baba comes. Just show Him

the letter. If He extends His Hand, give it. Otherwise, keep quiet. Donot try

to hold His Hands or His Feet. Do not try to shout or talk loudly. Promise

me.". He promised. I somehow was having this faith in the corners of my heart

that Swami would take his letter and so I gave him instructions as if we got to

sit in the front and Swami has come to take his letter!

 

And my dearest friends in Sai! We indeed got token number one and we sat in front line!!!

 

Baba came to my friend and took the letter from the hands of my insane friend

looking at Him with all the compassion in the Universe. Oh, as usual, I burst

into a flood of tears, unable to witness the proof He gave for His words...

 

"I have a Task: To foster all mankind, and ensure for all people lives full of

Ananda (Bliss). I have a Vow: To lead all who stray away from the straight

path, again into goodness and save them. I am attached to a 'Work' that I love:

To remove the suffering of the poor and grant them what they lack. I have a

'reason to be proud': for, I rescue all who worship and adore Me. I have a

definition of 'devotion': I expect that those devoted to Me treat joy and

grief, gain and loss, with equal fortitude. I will never give up those who

attach themselves to Me."

 

I was crying and crying and my Nepali friend asks me, "Why are you crying,

friend? Baba has taken my letter. Baba has taken my letter." And from then on,

everyday, he kept on repeating the same words throughout the day, "Baba ne

hamaaree chittee lelee...(Baba has taken my letter)"

 

I would like to end this mail, sharing with you two things. One --- The next day

I told my friend that my watch was missing. He replied, "Baba is there. You will

get back your watch. Believe me. You go and take your bath.". Thus he sent me to

take bath and when I returned he said, "Did you check your couch properly? Your

watch should be somewhere there only. Let me check". He said so, lifted my bed

sheet and showed me my watch there :-) I knew he repented for stealing it from

me and gave back my watch by playing that drama. I smiled. He is a child after

all. He is my dear dear friend who taught me the lesson of my trip -

desire-less-ness. How can I ever be angry with him? He is my darling :-)

 

Second thing I would like to share with you is a short but mindblowing poem my

insane friend composed spontaneously on Baba's Christmas Darshan (Where He

comes in orange robe initially, and then goes up and comes out in white robe,

then goes inside again and returns downstairs in Orange)

 

Neeche laal, oopar safedh

Oopar safedh, neeche laal

Dimaag kharaab

Pan paraag!

 

Poorly translated by me:

 

Red while He was down, White while He was up

White while He was up, red again while He was down

Up or down, wherever He is

Mindblowing My Baba is!

 

I know I cannot match the majesty of the original poem composed by my friend.

Because his poem was spontaneous. Out of pure Love. Mine was just an imitation,

a translation.

 

I donot know where he is now, how he is now. I dont know whether he is cured of

his brain damage. But I am sure he would be living in eternal joy. For Baba has

taken his letter and assured him of His Grace. His Grace for which there is no

equal in the universe. I know....sane or insane, he would still be floating in

mad love for Baba.

 

JAI SAIRAM

[Guest guest]

Viswanathan Jayaraman <jaysairam2005

Sun Jan 1, 2006 9:10am

Re: [saibabanews] Baba and my Nepali friend --- My Journeys

to Parthi - 4

 

Sairam

 

Your message was loud and clear. Who is insane - is something to

think about. Your message brought tears in me.

 

Sairam and God Bless

 

Jayaram

Canada

 

----------

 

Ramu gsv <gsv_ramu

Sun Jan 1, 2006 0:03pm

Re: [saibabanews] Baba and my Nepali friend --- My Journeys

to Parthi - 4

 

Sairam. Very very touchy story this. A story of insanity, faith and

God. Moves anyone.

 

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sudesh johar <lookfeelgood2004

Sun Jan 1, 2006 6:18pm

Re: [saibabanews] Baba and my Nepali friend --- My Journeys

to Parthi - 4

 

my dear sai sandesh

all glories to Sri Sainath!!!!

 

Wow, Wow, Wow.

its a mind blowing story of yr experience. c many thanx for sharing

with us.

I must confess that i think that i neede 2 listen to this exp. if i

got my eyes moistened i can imagine what would u hv felt at that

time.

Yr nepali friend is my guru as well from now on. May swami's

blessings always be with his soul!

in the end he made me laugh "" Neeche Lal, oopar safed........Paan

Parag""

 

These exps. make one aware of the fact that how trivial we r in our

day2day lives and how we take all so much 4 granted and forget about

an appreciation of Divine Grace.

 

Thank you once again from my heart.

 

lots of love and prayers

 

sister sudesh

 

Thank you & God bless.

 

 

 

saibabanews, Sai Sandesh <saisandesh@g...>

wrote:

> *Baba and my Nepali friend*

[Guest guest]

darshan that I never let myself go too deep into sleep the entire night...used

to wake up with a start every hour or so and look at the clock thinking that it

might already be 4 am. Finally when I got to the darshan hall, my condition was

exactly as you described LOL And Swami made us wait extra long - he came in

only at 9:15 am. I got a wonderful darshan from the second row, He was sitting

on my side of the car window, and He was looking keenly at all of us and

smiling that incomparable smile...bliss!! It seemed as if He was just as eager

to see us as were were to see Him! << Oh, as usual, I burst into a flood of

tears, unable to witness the proof He gave for His words... "I have a Task:

To foster all mankind, and ensure for all people lives full of Ananda (Bliss).

I have a Vow: To lead all who stray away from the straight path, again into

goodness

and save them. I am attached to a 'Work' that I love: To remove the suffering of

the poor and grant them what they lack. I have a 'reason to be proud': for, I

rescue all who worship and adore Me. I have a definition of 'devotion': I

expect that those devoted to Me treat joy and grief, gain and loss, with equal

fortitude. I will never give up those who attach themselves to Me." >> This

assurance is amazing everytime we witness it in our own lives. Last Thursday

after the Sai center meet, I stopped off at Savemart to get some yogurt, and

while walking down the aisle, I realised that a large vibhuti mark was adorning

my forehead from the bhajan session. I had stopped off at the same store once

before after bhajans - on that occasion too I'd forgotten I had the vibuthi on

my forehead, and I realized the sales clerk and the other customers in the line

and everyone I passed were staring at me very strangely and had felt

most uncomfortable and bewildered until I realised it was because of the

vibuthi! On that occasion I hadn't done anything about it. But this time, not

wanting to draw attention to myself and have ppl stare at me again, I

surreptitiously rubbed off the vibhuti. And lo and behold, the very next

morning as I opened my Sai chapter for the day, which happened to be "Summer

Showers" 1978 series, Baba said on the page I turned to: "We are always

afraid of what the world would say and also afraid of the diversity of our own

thoughts. When we do good things, there is no reason why we should be afraid of

the world. Your thoughts are yours and your happiness should be yours. Many

people go to a temple and put on vibhuthi, but they rub it off as soon as they

come out, thinking that their friends will laugh at them. Why

should they go to the temple when they have no courage to do it? Why is it that

you are afraid to say that you have gone to a temple and that you have your own

faith? Why can you not say that you have your faith and that you are not a slave

to someone else’s ideas? There is a great deal for us to learn from the actions

of the gopikas. Their courage and self-confidence are indeed exemplary. It is

also necessary for us to have a certain amount of self-confidence. For sorrow

or for pleasure, for defeat or for victory, we should develop the courage to

meet them with equanimity." Ouch!! I was immediately very sorry and ashamed,

and vowed never to do it again... but the very next moment I was incredibly

thrilled to realize that Baba cares enough to scold and guide me and make sure

that I never stray from what is right

:-) The love and care of a thousand mothers! Such moments are worth everything.

Sairam, Mangala