Living with Baba

In the year 1970 I met a very good family acarya from north Bihar whose name was Dr Vidyarthiji. He was an excellent devotee of Baba. He told me about his amazing personal realizations of Baba. It happened many years ago when he was a new Margii. His wife was not yet initiated at that time, but she was not opposed to his spiritual practices. She once had a serious health problem and became very ill. It was so serious that even his neighbors advised him to immediately take his wife to the city for better medical treatment, otherwise she might die at any moment. Vidyarthiji was not a rich man. However, to ensure better treatment for his wife, he sold some of his property and then took her to the city. He reached the city and took her to a hotel, and instructed her to rest. He wanted to go to the hospital first to make arrangements for a doctor to administer the required treatment.

As he was preparing to go to the hospital, he suddenly remembered that Baba was present in that town at that very moment. Vidyarthiji promptly changed his mind and instead went directly to Baba's residence. When he reached there, Baba was just about to go for His field walk. Baba requested him to come along with Him for the field walk. Dr Vidyarthiji immediately agreed. But as he accompanied Baba in the car he thought to himself, "My wife is seriously ill and lying alone in the hotel room. I was supposed to arrange a doctor for her." He, however, could not express his personal family problems to Baba.

Baba asked him how he was, and how the other Margiis were. Vidyarthiji replied that everyone was all right by His grace. As they were talking, Baba instructed the driver of the car to follow another direction. The driver then told Him, "Baba, we will be heading towards a mountain. The car will not be able to go up the mountain slope."

Baba replied, "I know it, but just go as far as it is possible. Then, we can turn back."

The driver drove according to Baba's directions. After awhile, the driver informed Baba that he could not.
Baba then got out of the car and walked with Vidyarthiji. After a short distance, He pointed to one plant and told him, "You must take this plant to your wife and give her some drops of the juice from the leaves of this plant. If you do this, she will become perfectly all right."

Vidyarthiji was startled. He had never told Baba that his wife was sick. He took the plant and put it carefully into his pocket. Tears came to his eyes, as he felt Baba's infinitely tender love and care for him and for his wife too. Baba then instructed the driver to return to His residence. Baba told Vidyarthiji, "Don't delay. Go quickly to your wife and give this medicine to her."

Vidyarthiji reached the hotel with mixed feelings. He thought that while he was supposed to have arranged for medical treatment for his wife, he was going to her with only some wild leaves in his pocket. However, as he entered the hotel room, he saw to his surprise that his wife was completely cured. She was sitting up on her bed. She immediately asked him, "Where were you? The doctor already came and gave me the medicine. And now I am quite okay."

Vidyarthiji was confused. He asked who the doctor was. When his wife described the doctor, Vidyarthiji realized who He was. He immediately understood who had come to the hotel in his absence. He could not control his tears of gratitude. He told his wife, "Yes, He is the Supreme Doctor. He is my Guru. I went to Him and He gave me this medicine for you." In surprise his wife responded, "Yes, the doctor also gave me the same medicine!"

How this amazing drama was enacted! Vidyarthiji took his wife to the city for medical treatment and accidentally met Baba there. He left his wife in the hotel room and went to meet his Guru. Baba casually asked Vidyarthiji to accompany Him for a field walk. Baba then took a different, unknown route that headed towards the mountain. When the car is unable to go any further, Baba and Vidyarthiji got down form the car and walked, while chatting casually. While walking, they chanced upon a wild, montane herb - the exact medicine to treat Vidyarthiji's ailing wife. Baba requested him to return to his wife and to treat her with the herb. When he finally met his wife, he found that Baba had already been there in the guise of a doctor, who had treated her with the same herb. How was it possible for Baba to have been at two different places at the same time? Such is Baba's love and compassion for His children!