When I was collecting my Hanuman Chalisa book to leave the place with strong heart, I saw the Messenger sitting in meditative pose with mischievous smile waiting to see my reaction...
I said to Messenger, "OK Sir, I take leave, see you again if I am worthy of it…"
"You are so clever with your words my boy", the messenger replied back..
I don’t know if it was a passing comment or is he really praising me… with confusion, I gave a dry smile and started leaving the place, with no more intention to trouble Him..
As I was near the door step, the messenger said “STOP” with roaring voice that echoed the whole Dhyana Mandir, at Sadhana Dhama
"Is the Hanuman Chalisa book that you have only contains first four Doha’s in it" ?...
I just stood confused as I really didn't understand what He wanted to convey…
He spoke again, “You only read the Doha’s and explained me the meaning… I am eager to know the remaining stances as well in Hanuman Chalisa, will you please explain my dear son”….
I just took some time to understand what I just heard from the Messenger. He is asking me to recite the remaining Hanuman Chalisa and explain Him the meaning ??!!!
I was so excited by this sudden turn of events. The Messenger whom I believed to be a great saint with immense knowledge, wisdom & powers, is seeking my help to read out the remaining stances of Hanuman chalisa and also to explain Him the meaning… Am I so learned?
Ah! The little ‘I’ was trying to peep out with Ego, and dutifully, I immediately gave a stare to it, because of which it went to sleep again. How these ego's play with our life, I thought to myself, "just for a second, I started to feel so proud, even though I know I stand nowhere in front of the Messenger". I should feel humbled that the Messenger is only heading to my prayers for wanting to be with Him for some time, and hence He has created this situation to allow me to be with Him…"
With so much exuberance I started walking towards Messenger. Suddenly I could feel a creature inside my stomach, gaining for attention. I could sense it would not allow me to do anything further until I attend to it. Ah!, the H-U-N-G-E-R. I just noticed it must be atleast more than 2 hours ever since I walked into the Dhyana Mandir after I got up in the Morning… Didn't really realized that I haven’t had my usual morning Tea as well which has by now become a habit before starting any work.
While the Hunger was silent all these time, now being noticed, it started to show its true form. It is now slowly taking its Vishwaroop and suddenly I felt I won’t be able to do anything until I attend to it…
I thought to myself, "How does great masters do tapas with limited food & basic needs in mountain ranges, when I could not even overcome one time meal in a day? What a Shame…"
"Hmm..... " Strong sound from the saint shook me from my thoughts. It was like a order from the Messenger to read further.
But I could feel the aroma of the breakfast dish that was getting prepared from the Ashram Kitchen. Is it my illusion again or am I really feeling the aroma ? I think they are preparing 'Poori' today as I remember our Ashram cook sharing this great piece of information yesterday to me.
With great difficulty controlling my senses, I sat near the Messenger, and opened the Hanuman Chalisa book….
My thoughts again were centered around “POORI”….
"Food at Sadhana Dhama Ashram is always deliciously made. Even yesterday's 'Poha' was very tasty. I only hope and they stick to their plan and prepare 'poori' as they told me yesterday", as I kept wandering with these delicious thoughts...
"Get our from here..." thunder voice from the Messenger blew my brains away.
Oh god, I just forgot that the Messenger can read my thoughts very well… and I felt I just missed a golden opportunity…. Is this how the spiritual aspirants slip when they start to grow in their Sadhana, by not able to overcome from their old habit patterns...
"Eh Karunamurti…. Merciful messenger, Please forgive me, I am still to raise above from these things, please do not ask me to go out…. " I started to plead again...
"Bete, let me recollect what the great Himalayan Master Swami Rama said once about these food habits. He says;
Dietary habits play an important role during sadhana. The sadhaka should be careful in having such a diet that does not pollute the body or agitate the nervous system. Sugar, salt, and fat should be curtailed. This will give you a joy that is derived from having a healthy body, breath, and mind”
If you can change your dietary habits by avoiding too much roasting and toasting the food, killing the food, too much grease, extra sugar and salt, then you will not suffer on account of many, many diseases. Preventive medicine is an important part of modern life. Why should we be sick? We should be aware of health, we should be aware of diet and nutrition, we should be aware of good living, of how to eat right.
Eat whatever you want to, but eat the way I want you to eat. You do not chew your food well. If you go on chewing your food well, you cannot overeat, let me tell you this. You’ll find an improvement in your digestion. Count thirty-six and chew, you cannot overeat. You overeat because you don’t relish food, you just fill up the belly and it expands. Filling up your tummy, converting it into a pantry, is not good for you, is unhealthy for you. You are not paying attention to your meal, you are not tasting the food. You actually live to eat, yet you don’t have time to eat. What a horrible thing.
Meditation should not be done when you are hungry, when you have overeaten, when you are tired or sleepy, or when you have any digestive problem. Select a suitable time and do it
In all great traditions, when you sit at the dining table, there is something called saying grace. Remember God before you eat. Do you know why it is done? Do you mean to say that God comes down to eat your food? It has a scientific purpose. You are calming down and giving enough time for saliva and other gastric juices to flow in readiness to digest the food. That’s the point.
In all great traditions, when you sit at the dining table, there is something called saying grace. Remember God before you eat. Do you know why it is done? Do you mean to say that God comes down to eat your food? It has a scientific purpose. You are calming down and giving enough time for saliva and other gastric juices to flow in readiness to digest the food. That’s the point.
So Son, remember your great Himalayan Masters teachings, and accordingly be aware of what you eat and how you eat. Now you can go and have your Poori, I will wait…."
"Sir!… It’s OK I can sit through…"
"You Fool!, I said, go and have your breakfast, I will wait… Don’t pretend before me…", the messenger roared…
In a whisk of time, I just rolled up my sleeves and ran towards the Kitchen to have my breakfast… As I guessed it right, it was indeed “Poori” which was prepared…
I hurriedly washed my plates and got served with delicious tasty poori’s with good supporting side dish….
The HUNGER got much stronger & stronger as I saw them in my plate.. I hurriedly took a big piece of Poori, mixed it with the side dish. My jaw opened as wide as it can, my tongue ready to taste it with full eagerness and my hand giving it the full support to stuff it inside my mouth…. The inner voice feebly said…"don’t you have to pray before having food”…
With Strong push I made my tongue to wait for some more time and asked my hand to put down the piece of Poori that it was holding tight and requested my eyes, which was seeing the dishes as if it had never seen any food before, to shut for few seconds…
After few seconds of resistance, all my senses came under my command and it did exactly what I wanted them to do …
I started chanting the food prayer that I was taught, within myself:
Om Brahmarpanam brahma havir brahmagnau brahmana hutam
Brahmaiva tena ghantavyam brahmakarma samadhinaha
Om shanti: shanti: shanti:
Vishwatma Priyatam….
Next 20 minutes, I merged in the ecstasy of tasting Poori...
I remembered to chew every bit as reminded by the Messenger today from Baba’s teachings. This certainly helped me to control myself from asking for extra poori’s apart from the counts served in my plate. Though the Ashram Cook and his wife, the two great Karma Yogi's, who have served thousands of people with utmost care & love for so many years, were again kind enough to serve more, I resisted their tempting offers and decided to be content with what is there in my plate which was sure filled my stomach considerably.
Post my breakfast, the mind was reminding me that since I didn't had my quota of early morning tea, it ordered me to take a big cup, so that I can double my tea intake to nullify any deficiency. Again the hand cooperated to what the mind ordered and it took the big cup so that it can be served with double quota of Tea.
In these things, I really wonder how the sensory organs cooperate fully with the mind, whereas when I ask them to sit for Meditation, all of them immediately start their Non-cooperation Movement by moving in different directions. There is no synchronization between the senses when it comes to Sadhana, the Meditation, whereas for any pleasure seeking activity, all the senses are in perfect sync working systematically.
Thinking myself that I still have a long way to go, I put down the big cup that my hand initially picked and started searching for a relatively smaller up. Though I could find many smaller cups, still the war with the mind was 'ON' and eventually I gave it up by picking up a medium sized cup so as to keep a balance between my desire and my real need.
After spending fruitful 30 minutes in the dinning hall having my delicious Poori and tea, I washed my plates and now briskly walked towards the Dhyana Mandir.
Seeing the messenger still seated there near the Hanuman Deity inside the Dhyana Mandir, made me feel happy that he didn't ditch me by sending out so as to escape from me.
I again bowed before him, sat and opened the Hanuman Chalisa book to recite the next stanza from where I left. I looked at the Messenger to seek his nod to go ahead. But he remained silent looking far ahead.
I waited for few minutes, but only the silence was prevailing. I started to feel restless by now but still decided to remain calm.
After few more minutes, the Messenger looked up to me and asked, “Bete did you had your breakfast well?”
"Yes Sir, I had, as usual it was very tasty…." I replied with sense of relief as the ice got broke.
"Good son, Good…", Messenger acknowledged and again he looked far ahead and remained silence.
I wanted Him to say something but he remained silent. Confused, I started to think if I had done something wrong for which the Messenger is not willing to talk…
I asked, “Sir, did I do anything wrong”?
"No son, you were alright… "
I thought to myself, then why is He silent? Is He wanting me to realize something that I shouldn't have done?
I started pondering…
Didn’t I clean the plate cleanly?
Should I avoided taking that medium size cup and settled only for the small cup?
Was it because of my desire for few seconds to relish few more additional poori’s than what was being served in my plate?
Or my desire to complete my quota of tea which I missed in the early morning?
What is that?
Still confused…. I did a Google search inside my mind and after few seconds, it gave me the perfect result that sent a thousand watts shiver in my spine.
I immediately stood before the Messenger and with breaking voice, asked…
“Sir, did you had food since morning”… ?
(to be contd..)
Ram siya Ram siya Ram jay jay Ram
Ram siya Ram siya Ram jay jay Ram"
Ram siya Ram siya Ram jay jay Ram
Ram siya Ram siya Ram jay jay Ram"
- 'Bansuri'
No comments:
Post a Comment