Living with Baba

In the year 1971, when I worked in Orissa, I visited the town of Rourkella. I conducted a meeting and talked with the local college students. One of them asked me to return with him to his hostel room to teach him meditation. I had some leaflets about sadhana, Yama and Niyama, the 15 Shiilas and the Supreme Command. As I entered the boy's room, I saw a man sitting on a chair outside the room. Actually, he was the father of the boy, but I did not know it at that time. So I did not pay any attention to him.

I entered the boy's room and requested him to lock the door from the inside. I then taught him the process of meditation. When I was almost finished, I heard a knock on the door. The knocking became very loud. Hearing the loud knocks, the boy became terrified. He told me, "Dada, now we have to open the door. Maybe it is my father and the hostel warden who want to know what is going on." Then, as he unlocked the door I mentally prayed, "Baba, I am only doing Your work, so please save me."

When we opened the door, we saw the boy's father, the hostel warden and even a few policemen standing with a grim look on their faces. All of them were clearly angry. I later learnt that when I entered the room, the father, who was sitting outside, felt insulted that I did not acknowledge him or seek his permission to teach his son meditation. For this reason, he immediately informed the hostel warden and the police.

The police requested us to go to the police station, which was very near the hostel. We arrived at the police station, and as I was about to go inside, the thought of Baba came in my mind suddenly, as if He were telling me, "Don't worry!"

When we entered the room we saw that the officer-in-charge was punishing a thief. We waited quietly for him to finish. After dealing with the thief, he asked us what the matter was. I told him that I was a monk and that I taught morality and meditation. I explained that I was invited by the boy into his hostel room, as he was interested to know about the practical aspects of meditation. I then gave my leaflets on meditation to the officer. It was in the local language.

The police officer was very pleased to see the leaflets. He scolded the father of the boy, saying, "Why do you unnecessarily harass this monk? He is doing good work." Thus, I left the town of Rourkella in honor and with dignity.

Fifteen days later I went to the Central Office in Patna. When I visited Baba in jail, He asked me casually, "How was your pracar? Did you face any difficulty?" I did not understand what He meant, because so many other things had happened that I had forgotten that particular incident. Then, He gently asked, "Did that police officer behave nicely with you? Did he solve your problem?"

In a flash, I realized that Baba was reminding me of the episode at Rourkella. I had not mentioned the story to anyone. Realizing how lovingly He looks after the welfare of His children, I could not control my tears of gratitude.