Baba Sends His Blessings And Accepts Me As A Disciple

Then Baba spoke further about meditation. He said

”The path and process shown to you are very rational and logical. Understand them properly and then practice the accordingly. Sadhana is a must for human existence, but test and question why you must do it. If you understand the rationale and logic properly, you will enjoy it, as well as being otivated to practice it”.

As I was descending the stairs the thought came to my mind, “Baba has told me just to think whether I can give up non-vegetarian good. If it can be given up just by thinking then I’ll start thinking right now that I will no longer take any non-vegetarian good.”

And it is Baba’s grace that from that day onwards I have been a vegetarian.

When my parents and my wife came to know about my becoming vegetarian, they did not believe it. My father had a good laugh on hearing this and remarked that it is purely a temporary phase and would not last long.

This was due to what my family had seen of my nature and habits. Certainly it was Baba’s infinite grace that I became completely vegetarian for life.

I had no strength of will to achieve this change. Was itnot purely due to Baba’s grace? Certainly my attachment and weakness for non- vegetarian food could not be overcome but for the strength Baba gave to my resolution.

BABA’S PRESCRIPTION CURES ME

After my return to Bhagalpur I neglected the instruction regarding drinking hot water. There were two reasons for this. Firstly I did not like drinking hot water, and secondly, it is the treatment elderly people give sick children. I thought that Baba, being in the position of my elder, was treating me like a child and in this manner was advising me to drink hot water, so I did not take the advice seriously. I continued to take the medicines prescribed by the doctors and my condition also continued to deteriorate.

Finally the pain increased so much that I had to take to bed.

Now I had difficulty even in breathing and it became almost impossible to sit and walk without some support. The doctors were bewildered and did not know what to do. Their combined opinion was to send me to Patna, the state capital, for treatment.

By now it was nearly two weeks since I had taken initiation. Chandranathji came for a visit and asked me what I had done to myself. He had wanted to take me to Baba’s regular Sunday pravarchan or discourse, but I was to ill to go.

That night Chandranathji stayed at my house, and after breakfast the next morning he left for Jamalpur. He returned the same evening by 8pm and angrily accosted me, “Are you mad? Baba asked you to take hot water and you are still taking all these medicines prescribed by the doctors”.

He asked my domestic assistant to bring all the medicines before him. When all the medicines were brought before him, he picked up the pills and injections and said that they must be returned to the shopkeeper the next morning. He ordered the mixtures to be thrown away and he saw to it that they were thrown out in his presence.

He then asked my wife and domestic assistant to give me hot water to drink and instructed that as long as I did not recover fully, whenever I felt like drinking water, only hot water should be given to me.

“Hot water alone is his medicine”, he declared.

Whatever excuses I gave him were totally rejected. He was somewhat pacified when I had taken a glass of hot water. Then he explained that as soon as he had reached Baba, Baba enquired, “How is my Nagina?”

When Chandranathji told Baba about my sickly condition,. Baba said, “Why inform me about it? I had asked him to take hot water, but he has faith in the doctor’s pills and injections. What is to be done?”

After our talk, Chandranathji performed his evening meditation and despite my feverish condition he made me sit along with him. At dinner-time I had to take hot water and again at bedtime and he instructed my wife that although he would leave early the next morning, I should continue to take hot water as long as my pain persisted.

This hot water treatment had a miraculous effect on me. When I woke up I realised that I had changed sides without pain.

I got up and felt a little pain at that time and when I stood up and started walking and realised that eighty per cent of my pain had disappeared.

This increased my faith and enthusiasm both and all the daylong I drank lot of hot water whether I felt thirsty or not.My wonder knew no bounds when next day I found that there was no trace of pain at all. By now I had realised the miracle of Baba’s blessings and instructions at every step.

I was really lucky that Baba allowed me near His lotus feet and pray with folded hands to let my faith and devotion grow constantly and become progressively stronger to those lotus feet. “I leave all other duties and attachments. I come in the shelter of Baba.”

Again and again I thank Chandranathji. All religious scriptures are full of appreciation and praise for the qualities of satsaunga or the company of holy persons. Saints have sung profusely about the importance of the medium also.

How can I forget Chandranathji, the medium who took me to Baba? He is full of grace. He is like an ocean of peace and love.

Chandranathji has a large heart, his conduct is noble, he is broad-minded full of high thinking and possesses all qualities required in a spiritual aspirant. He is so steady in his spiritual pursuits that language fails to describe him.

For an undisciplined person like me it would be futile to limit his unlimited qualities by describing them. But I am not so thankless that I should not attempt it. My helplessness, however is twofold; firstly I am not a literary person and secondly my command of language is also poor.

In this state of helplessness my language is silence and my pen does not move further and I do not know how to express my gratitude and thankfulness. But without doing this I do not feel satisfied. Hence in worship I place my dedicated expression at his feet and ask for his forgiveness.