Pretending to be normal

by Dada

4 minutes • 648 words

Table of contents

Heart Attack

Baba has a peculiar nasal voice. The public would not consider it appealing or magnificent.

After hearing Baba’s voice for more than ten years, today I was surprised hearing His voice becoming beautiful and mellow, like a trained public speaker.

The scene was appropriate for this attractive voice, because He spoke to the Prout candidates for state assemblies in India.

It was as if He wanted to give them an example how to speak to the public though He did not say it in so many words.

A portion of His speech in English:

Baba

“Communism was a Utopian idea never to be materialized on this earth. Now most of the countries have recognized this fact. So this is the opportune moment for Prout to come. We have to propagate it among the intellectuals.

The time is come. In each and every corner of the earth. In each and every hearth of human soul. For this we need more Prout cadres.

48 new wholetimers in India, and 48 new wholetimers overseas. Help this project. It is not enough, but for the time being it may do something. I said twice before, the time is come.

There is no other philosophy to solve the world’s problems and quench human thirst. This election proved there is a need and a demand. The world wants you. No time is to be lost. There is dire necessity.”

To imagine that all these years He was speaking in an artificial voice. And why did He pick such a nasal sound?

I can guess that He wanted us to be attracted only by His way of living, His ideas, and His sacrifice.

Perhaps this is why He wears glasses, dresses simply, and appears normal. In the early days, before Ananda Marga was well known, it often happened in train stations that non-Margis would approach Dadas to pay their respects, never even noticing Baba.

I remember a story from many years ago:

A certain Margi believed that Baba did not need spectacles, but only wore them because His unobstructed gaze was too over-powering. One day, this Margi served Baba His meal. When he entered the room, he saw Baba reading a newspaper without wearing His glasses. But He was holding the paper very close to His eyes.

The shocked Margi thought, My God! Baba does need glasses! He stood there, holding the tray of food, unable to move. Wild thoughts entered his mind: perhaps he had over-estimated Baba; perhaps Baba was not really powerful; perhaps He was not a true guru.

After thinking this for some time, he noticed that Baba was holding the newspaper upside-down.

In that moment, Baba lowered the paper, looked at the Margi, and smiled.

Heart Attack

Everyone is alarmed. Baba has experienced some sort of heart failure, and was admitted to the emergency ward of a private nursing home.

The festive atmosphere of yesterday is now replaced by a gloomy one.

Next day. Workers and Margis have decided to hold continuous kiirtan until Baba is cured. The kiirtan has been super-high.

Next day. Just after the kiirtan reached the 24-hour mark, Baba sent a message from the nursing home: “All Margis and workers should proceed to Ananda Nagar for the winter program. May it be a grand success.

Keep in mind 3 points:

All Margis should love Ananda Nagar.

If any don’t yet love Ananda Nagar, they should start to love it now.

Ananda Nagar is the best place for Margis.
Every Margi’s body should touch the soil of Ananda Nagar.”

Though Baba remained away, we had to follow His directives. We stopped the kiirtan, and left for Ananda Nagar.

Five days later. Ananda Nagar. As Baba foretold, our spiritual festival was “a grand success.” About 30,000 Margis attended.

65 full-timers and Margis decided to go for acharya training, and 20 pieces of land were donated for making model communities.