Guest guest Posted November 10, 2005 Report Share Posted November 10, 2005 ........................ Bhagavan was then enjoying the sound, robust health of middle age, and could very well afford to be available at almostall hours of the day to devotees. The years 1936-1938 werevery blissful, indeed, to us, when we could gather round hiscouch and speak to him as intimately as to a beloved father;tell him all our troubles and show him our letters without letor hindrance. After 8 p.m. when the hall contained only thelocal residents, we sat round him for a 'family chat' till about10 o'clock. Then he related to us stories from the Puranas orthe lives of Saints, yielding to transportations of emotionswhen he depicted scenes of great bhakti, or great humantragedies, to which he was sensitive to the extreme. Then heshed tears which he vainly attempted to conceal. Some stories are memorable like the following one. Kabir was a great bhakta [devotee] and lived in or near Benares some centuries ago.Although he had siddhis (psychic powers), he earned hislivelihood by weaving. One day, when he was working on hislooms, a disciple entered in great excitement and said:"Sir,there is a juggler outside here who is attracting large crowdsby making his stick stand in the air", etc. Thereupon Kabir,who like all true saints, discouraged the display of jugglery,wanting to shame the man, rushed out with a big ball ofthread in hand. Seeing the long bamboo standing in the air,he threw up the ball of thread, which went up and upunwinding till the whole thread stood stiff in mid-air, and toa far greater height than the juggler's stick, without anysupport whatever. The people, including the juggler himself,were stunned in amazement, and Sri Bhagavan's eyes actedthe amazement, while his hand stood high above his head inthe position of that of Kabir when he threw up the ball. On another occasion Bhagavan recited from memory a poem of a Vaishnava Saint, in which occurred the words "Fold me in thy embrace, O Lord," when the arms of Bhagavanjoined in a circle round the vacant air before him, and hiseyes shone with devotional ardour, while his voice shook withstifled sobs which did not escape our notice. It was fascinatingto see him acting the parts he related, and be in suchexhilarated moods as these. .................................. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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