Reminiscences

Once ShriMaharaj asked a teacher in an engineering college, 'Is it correct that your students are taught car­pentry, smithy, etc. ?' The teacher said, "Yes, we call it 'workshop practice'." Thereupon ShriMaharaj asked, "What price will the articles prepared by the students fetch if they are offered for sale in the market ?" The teacher said, "No one will purchase them even as scrap." ShriMaharaj asked again, "How much amount is spent on these articles?" The teacher replied, "A lot of expense is incurred. There is a lot of capital expense such as build­ings, machinery, etc.; besides, expenses are also incurred on special teaching staff, lighting, running the machines.

And including the cost of wood and steel actually used, the total expense incurred is huge." On hearing this, ShriMaharaj said, "Then is it not uneconomic to incur this unreasonable expense only to create utterly worth-less things ?" Upon this the teacher said, 'Maharaj, if this is looked upon as a business, it is all a dead loss. But it is necessary to incur this huge expense in order that the students, who are to be engineers in future, may some­what understand from experience what precautions to ex­ercise, what problems arise, what operations and skills are required.' ShriMaharaj said, "Likewise, in attainment of God, there is a definite necessity of worldly life, so that restraining of passions, maintaining equanimity, perform­ing duty eschewing attachment, putting up with honours and insults, praise and censure, may be practised. But if one lives worldly life with the idea of making a profit, that is, in the hope that happiness will result from worldly life, it will prove to be utterly wrong and loss - making,

14A ...

Reminiscences

There is in the Konkan a village with a temple dedi­cated to the deity Ganapati,* celebrated as responding to the devotee's supplication. During a visit to that temple, ShriMaharaj was asked, * What should one supplicate for, here?' The reply was," Ganapati* literally means 'Lord of the senses' and, by extension, of the tendencies which prompt them to action. These are both properly guided by namasmarana. So, we should pray Ganapati to grant us interest, pleasure, in chanting nama."

t) - from Gana - the senses + pati = lord,

Reminiscences

Bapusaheb Sathaye's fondness for his son Rajabhau was boundless, for Rajabhau was an only child, a weak­ling, of a delicate constitution, from his childhood. Later, when ShriMaharaj went on a pilgrimage to Kashi, Bapusaheb was among the persons accompanying him. Baburao Gadre had also accompanied the party with his parents. After the pilgrimage to the three main holy places-Prayag, Gaya, Kashi - ShriMaharaj said to him, 'Baburao, your parents have now made their pilgrimage to Kashi, now let them return. But you should remain with us for the sake of Bapusaheb.' Accordingly Baburao stayed on, with the journeying party.

By stages the party arrived at Harda. During the stay there, one day Bapusaheb got stricken with cholera. Baburao diligently tended to him, but the illness went on worsening. Then, sitting by his side, ShriMaharaj said to Bapusaheb, 'Bapusaheb, on the whole the condition ap­pears serious. Should Rajabhau be sent for by a telegram?' But at this last moment, Bapusaheb's attachment for physical matters had been completely eradicated. He said, 'No, Maharaj, it is good that he is not here. If he happens to be before me, who knows, my soul may not find release because of attachment for him.'

After a short while Bapusaheb's life came peacefully to an end.

Reminiscences

What is the best kind of life ? In answering this question ShriMaharaj said, 'It is good to lead a life of activity in worldly affairs, with the object of chanting nama. To live for doing nothing but chanting nama is better; and to live so that one remembers nothing else but nama, for­getting oneself in it, is the best.'

Reminiscences

The wife of a railway official came to see ShriMaharaj. She said, 'Maharaj, how much suffering need one bear in one's life! My father passed away soon after my wedding. Two years later, I had my first son; he died. Last year, married daughter died in an accident. Now my husband is suffering from blood pressure. What is all this?' On . listening to the lady's story, ShriMaharaj said, 'Madam, there are many wonders in this world. Of these, a great one is that a person in domestic life is unworried, though he is as it were sitting on top of a volcano. There is no telling when it will erupt. There is no telling what sorrow will fall, to whose lot and when. Not to let things turn out the way one wishes, to be ever changing, is precisely the nature of worldly life. Therefore, one should be active in the uncertain worldly life, but lean upon God for support; only then contentedness will endure. One feels the sup­port of God by chanting nama.'

Reminiscences

An affectionate devotee used to visit Sri Maharaj often, but he always used to come alone, without his wife.()nce ShriMaharaj called him aside and asked him the reason for not bringing his wife. He said sadly, 'Maharaj, my wife is a kleptomaniac; she has the bad habit of tak­ing other's belongings. It cannot be called stealing, for she is not aware that she has taken someone else's thing; unabashed, she vaunts it even before the owner of the article. But not only people are unnecessarily inconve­nienced by this fault of hers; in addition, she becomes a laughing - stock, and I too feel ashamed. So I avoid tak­ing her anywhere.' On hearing this, ShriMaharaj said, 'It does not matter, since she does not do it with the idea of stealing. Rama will manage. Bring her along next time.'

The next time, the devotee went to Gondavale with his wife as ShriMaharaj had advised. When, the lady bowed to touch ShriMaharaj's feet, he whispered to her 'Never forget that Rama constantly watches everyone here !' For her in effect, this was a conferring of initiation. It was indeed an impartation of moral strength. The couple stayed at Gondavale for nearly a month, but not a single incident of Kleptomaniac stealing by the lady took place. Her husband was greatly surprised. Before returning both formally received an impartation of nama from ShriMaharaj. ShriMaharaj merely said, 'Now both of you uhould chant nama in all sincerity. You should act with Rama as your witness. He will not let you suffer humilia­tion.' The lady lived for nearly twenty years thereafter, but the woman was cured of her kleptomania,

Reminiscences

ShriMaharaj asked an eminent lawyer, 'All lawyers' have studied law, but while only some earn a name for themselves as good lawyers, the others lag behind. Why does this happen ?' The lawyer said, 'Maharaj, my experi­ence is that while studying a case and presenting the client's side before the court, an identification with the client's position is needed. One then fully grasps the cor­rect situation and the legal pros and cons. Consequently one can present the client's position capably.' Upon this ShriMaharaj said, 'But what if this identification is main­tained all the time ?' The lawyer said, 'How can it be? It will be sheer foolishness!' Then Shri Maharaj said, 'I, too, tell people the same thing. While presenting a client's point of view, the lawyer temporarily identifies himself  with the interest of the client. Likewise, one should con­duct worldly affairs, temporarily imagining that one's body belongs to oneself, but, instead of actually being one with the body, one should become one with God. By acting thus, a person will be able to manage successfully both worldly affairs and attainment of God.'