Living with Baba

Author: bnkinfo

He Came and He Left, Silently

I have personally experienced many extraordinary facets of Baba's personality that prove beyond doubt His divine nature. He came silently and also left us silently. He came with a great mission, the seeds of which He carefully sowed on this earth in the heart of every sadhaka. He came in disguise as a very ordinary man. How effective was His disguise that few could fathom His true nature. The seed of devotion He planted would soon become a mighty tree, spreading spirituality the world over, transforming the world into a paradise.

Hong Kong Airport

We had planned to go to the USA after touring Taiwan. This was, however, not possible as our plan was suddenly aborted by the authorities in the USA. Arrangements were immediately made to fly to Jamaica. As the next connecting flight was only after eight hours, we waited at the Hong Kong airport. We wanted to arrange a separate room for Baba to rest, while the rest of us would wait in the general lounge area. Baba, however, did not agree to this. He insisted that He would wait with us in the lounge area. Regardless of the practicality of the idea, we felt that exposing Baba to the general public was not a good idea. We still clung to the idea of getting a separate room for Him. But we could not change His mind. He was adamant that He would stay together with us. Realizing that we could do nothing to change His mind, we located a place in the general lounge with two long benches pushed back to back. We occupied both benches. Baba sat on one side but turned His face towards us. He sat...

His Visit to Athens

Our Europe tour took us to Athens, Greece. We reached the airport very early in the morning. The local dada and several Margiis were waiting to receive Baba at the airport. We actually had no official program in Athens, and were in transit to Frankfurt. We had to wait in the airport for nearly twelve hours before catching our connecting flight. Accordingly, the airlines arranged for us to rest in a nearby airport hotel. Upon reaching the hotel, Baba informed me of His intention to go for field walk after two hours. Accordingly, I informed the local Bhukti Pradhan (BP) and other Margiis, and together we arranged for His field walk. Meanwhile, we completed our morning duties, meditation and breakfast. Just before His field walk Baba informed me that He wished to give darshan. I consulted the BP and he offered his house for this purpose. I was very busy organizing His whole program. Didi Ananda Karuna was preparing Baba's food with the help of the BP's wife. After Baba had...

Think in a Positive Way

During His lifetime, Baba strongly emphasized the need for us to think and act positively, constructively and with good intention for the welfare of all created beings and things. His powerful, omniscient personality never gave us the chance to think and act negatively, even when we were far away from Him. The real world is, however, full of diversity, of duality, where good and bad, positive and negative exist side by side. Human beings, especially sadhakas, should reject the negative and move towards the positive only

More Drama at Copenhagen

Baba's 1979 European tour was highly successful and full of fascination, and was even dramatic at times. Denmark was one of the countries in His itinerary. When Baba and His entourage arrived at the airport in Copenhagen, they had to wait in line for immigration clearance, like all the other passengers. When our turn came, the immigration officer took our passports and left the counter. Within a few minutes, another officer came and requested us to stand in a separate line. After some time, the officer emerged from behind the counter and talked to a police officer. The police officer and the immigration officer both came over to us and asked us who P.R. Sarkar was. We pointed to Baba. They went over to Baba and told Him that He would have to leave the country immediately. After the Emergency in India was over, Baba had instructed us to apply for His and several workers' passports. When we got our passports, we found that the passports of the workers were ordinary ones, while...

Treatment of Baba

One day during our stay in Taiwan, Baba did not go for His usual evening walk. In response to the queries of the Margiis, the PA Dada errorneously informed the Margiis that Baba was not well. This news prompted an old Margii to get his acupuncture kit to treat Baba's reported illness. The PA Dada and all of us tried to explain to this nice man that Baba did not need any acupuncture treatment, as He was really not sick. But the man did not listen to us, and simply sat on the stairs for the whole night, waiting to treat Baba. The next day, when Baba was ready to go out for the field walk, dada Ramananda, the PA Dada, informed Baba that one Margii had been sitting the whole night on the stairs to treat Him through acupuncture. Then, Baba said, "All right, now just go and tell this man that Baba is all right now and is coming out for His walk." PA Dada went and informed the Margii accordingly. The kind man, hearing that Baba was now all right and was coming out for His...

Drama in Taipei

We spent nearly fifteen days with Baba in Taipei, Taiwan. On one occasion, the Bhukti Pradhan of Taipei presented a traditional Chinese suit to Baba. The Margiis wanted to see Baba in a Chinese suit. The BP eagerly asked the PA Dada, "When is Baba going to wear our local clothes?" We knew that Baba usually wore His own clothes. Nevertheless, PA Dada mentioned to Baba from time to time that the Bhukti Pradhan wanted to know when He would wear their local dress. Baba would simply smile without giving any answer. Meanwhile, I was very busy organizing and preparing for the General Darshan. The site of the General Darshan was more than three kilometers from where Baba stayed. It was the residence of a devotee. He had a large hall on the second floor of his house. I was there to see to all the arrangements. Baba used to give darshan just after returning from field walk. He took His breakfast as usual and then went to change His clothes for the darshan. As He was about to change...

Epitome of Charm

When Baba and His entourage flew to Taiwan to visit the Margiis, the government of Taiwan graciously received us at the airport as State guests of the country. Senior government officials welcomed us as we alighted from the plane. We were then taken to the VIP lounge of the airport, where we sat comfortably. The government officials offered us beautiful bouquets of flowers in accordance with the local custom. Traditional herbal green tea was then served. As there were eight of us, including Baba, they served eight cups of tea. It was a delicate situation. The dadas did not know what to do, as they did not know whether or not the green tea was sentient. Then, Baba told the government officials, "They are monks. In accordance with their vows, they do not even take tea. But, I am a family person. I can have the tea." He then took one cup of tea with such a sweet and charming smile on His face. Baba saved the situation. It could have turned into a protocol disaster. He knows...

Land of Mysticism

During Baba's tour to Israel in 1979, I noticed that He was in an exceptionally light and jolly mood at the Haifa airport. For us who have been exposed to His dark and work-until-you-die-working moods, this was indeed a pleasant diversion, a bonus of sorts. I really could not understand the reason for His happy mood. After His lunch, the reason for His happiness became clearer. He told us, "This country has a lot of dynamism, energy and spirit." He said that the Jews were the original Semitic race with their own unique language and culture. He revealed that many things of spiritual value lay hidden in this deeply mystical land. In olden times, many mystics used to meditate on the top of the hills at midnight. Israel was, in fact, the land where the original concept of madhur sadhana was born. Madhur sadhana is a very sweet and devotional form of spiritual practice taught by Baba to accelerate the speed of spiritual progress. It is done only by renunciates. In the olden...