Pulling me out of a bubble of negative energy, He asked me if I would
like to come home again.
In the past eighteen days, I have
been to two cities, met hundreds of people, made plenty of new friends, learned
what’s smiling again and most importantly, realized the fact that the connection
which once was, will always be.
When I was a student, I had
promised myself that once I start earning and can afford to do an Art of Living
Advance/Silence course, I would go ahead and do it. Well, by April 2015, I had
been earning for almost an year and two months, but for some reason, I had kept
on postponing myself in taking the program. Either I felt that it wasn’t time
then or I was trying to save money, or maybe I had accepted straight up that I
only have to be good at my job and not brilliantly rounded. Irrespective of the
reason, I was a dumbass.
…and then, something magical
happened: I got my tax refund!
It was one of those times, when
you think, “Okay, what do I want to do the most with this money?” In Robin Van
Persie’s words, the little boy inside of me said, “Get your backside to an Art
of Living Silence course.” However, there were still doubts in my mind when I realized how much the travel and course would cost, so, I told my mind to ‘shut
up and go to bed’ as I started looking through the list of courses all around the
United States. I soon came across a magical name, Michael Fischman. Michael,
the famous author, was teaching a course in Boston and having heard so much
about him, there was no way I could have not registered for the program.
Michael Fischman
Knowing how fragile my mind is, I
booked my flight tickets in no time as I told myself, “Flights are
non-refundable, boy! You can’t get out of this now!” It felt like I had won over
my mind, at least for that moment. Soon, I registered for the silence program
with Michael and left for Boston a couple of weeks on.
My silence was incredible. It was
my sixth Art of Silence course but the first one in which I cried during
silence. There were too many realizations, too many lessons, too much knowledge
and a massive amount of gratitude for everything that I had received. It was
the first time that I saw my mind getting cleansed, little by little. It was
like watching the negative impressions that were stuck on my mind getting
removed and being winded away. It was fantastic.
("It Is Time" - Rafiki)
By the end of the advance course,
my smile was back. It just felt like everything was perfect and trust me when I
say this, there was hardly a negative thought in my head. It felt like home
coming from a spiritual standpoint. It felt like He was saying, “It is time!”
(In Rafiki’s voice from Lionking). It's fine if you call me insane.
A couple of weeks on, Guruji, Sri Sri Ravishankar-ji, was
coming to Boone, NC and a friend of mine, whom I had met the evening
before we played the Hurricanes in Miami in Novemeber, asked me if I would like
to drive with her up the mountains from Florida. I paused for a second and then
replied, “Duh!” I mean, I could have said all the duhs and dahs, and acted like
it wasn’t a big deal but in truth, I couldn’t believe that I was actually going to meet Him. It was like magic. I
mean, after the advance course, I felt like He had said, “It is time!” and then,
I was going to see Him. It was miraculous.
She picked me up from
Jacksonville and we were off to Boone doing satsang
on the way. At times, that satsang
even had Ricky Martin, Enrique Iglesias and Backstreet Boys making special
appearances! To all the girls reading this, I am still straight…just saying! We
shared so many Guru Stories that even her car would have felt grateful.
Few hours on and here we were - on
top of the mountains - at the Art of Living Retreat Center. As we were entering
the Boone Ashram, I yelled out, “I am home!”
It was phenomenal. I just couldn’t
stop smiling. Actually, I realized that it wasn’t only me; everybody was
smiling. For some reason, everyone was just so happy. It wasn’t Bangalore but it
was divine. Guruji was leading a knowledge series, and
I and her waited for him to get done and come out of the meditation hall.
When I saw Him, I just couldn’t believe my eyes. He was in front of me
but I didn’t lose my sense. An Art of Living teacher from Mumbai had once told
me that His rate of motion is directly proportional to your excitement, so, I
was to be as calm as possible.
I started walking behind him and
on the way to his kutir when he turned
around and said, “Hi” to me, waving his hand. I smiled as wide as I
possibly could. I mean he had never said ‘hi’ to me in such a fashion. It was
awesome. From then on in, we followed him around wherever he went and I
asked/told him one of the things that I wanted to tell him, partially.
Popping In From The Right Corner
The next day, it so happened that
I had received permissions to go inside his kutir
but by the time my turn came to speak to Him, He had to go and lead the
knowledge series. As He was passing me by, He waited for a split second, smiled
at me, patted my on my right bicep and then, left. So for the other thing, I
knew He had blessed me even if neither of us said anything verbally.
Later that day, Saturday, the satsang in the Ashram was incredible. I
have never smoked but if that wasn’t a high, I don’t know what is. Guruji’s
talk was amazing. I had never heard Him speak the way He spoke. It was superb.
The energy inside the meditation hall in the Ashram was immense. An hour on, it
was breathtaking coming to terms with what I had experienced.
(Ashram, a place filled with positive energy)
The Saturday Satsang
As I was leaving the Ashram,
getting ready to go back to Tallahassee, I knew what I was going to miss the
most: the energy, the light if you want to call it. It was my first trip to the
Boone Retreat Center in about two-and-a-half years and it was special because
it made me reaffirm that there can be no place like Ashram. It’s a place where
the positive energy lifts your energy by manifolds and you automatically start
feeling happy. I am not joking when I say this: your happiness level is like you have won a
national championship or a world cup, and you are that happy every moment.
The more I look back at the trip,
the more I realize God’s grace. I mean meeting my friend in Miami was a miracle.
You know, I was so happy to meet a fellow Art of Living volunteer that we
actually did a satsang on the South
Beach. I planning two trips within two weeks of one-another was a miracle. Meeting
Guruji from so close was a miracle. Making so many friends on my trip was a
miracle. Getting a ride back with the volunteers from West Palm was a miracle.
Having an ‘Ashram love’ story like one I have every single time was a miracle.
Missing my bus, but still getting back to Tallahassee by Sunday night was a
miracle. I coming ‘home’ is a miracle.
During silence in Boston, it was like He had asked me if I would like to come back home and I replied, “Yes, Guruji.” 18 days on, now, I
am truly home.
It’s been six years since I did
my first Art of Silence course and almost three and a half years since I did my
last, and it feels different. Times are different, circumstances are different,
people around me are different, the country that I live in is different, it’s
Boston and not Bangalore, it’s taking place at a center and not the ashram, but
something inside of me still wants to yell out, “I am going home!”
Home…well, I guess that’s what
the Art of Living ashram in Bangalore does to you. I knew it was a home at the
first instant; I don’t know how, I just knew it the moment when I saw the top
of Vishalakshi Mantap (VM) from the taxi as I hit 21st km kanakapura road for
the first time. In fact, from there on in, every time that I would make a trip
to the ashram, seeing VM from the bus before entering the International center
of the Art of Living would make my eyes wet. My heart would start pumping
faster and I would feel like I am on the brink of something incredible. It felt
like a wish was coming true and trust me, it happened every single time. It was
amazing and something that I could never comprehend, but I guess that’s what
happens when you are right outside of your home.
Ashram was a place where everyone
was welcomed, accepted and celebrated, where every being was spiritual (and I
am not talking about only humans), where everybody smiled for absolutely no
reason, where the energy was so strong that you could rise in love with anybody
at any time, and where it seemed like you already knew all the people whom you
had just met. Time, space, energy, beings and their spirits, nature, universe
and God…in the ashram, all those felt connected. It’s a connection that –
probably – only silence and grace can make you experience and having not been
in silence for over three years, at a personal level, I believe my connection
with the self and the divine needs be strengthened again.
So, here I go again, wearing a
huge smile on my face and singing Jai Gurudev! Over the years, Guruji and his
knowledge has taken me to places. From my experience, one thing that I have
learned is to trust the process and enjoy the journey. You know, about three years ago, when I was a
student at the Florida State University, I could never save enough money to
afford an advance course. So, I took a sankalpa
of doing an advance course once I save enough money and three years on…boom! Now
that I have done that, it feels very special. Even though it’s my sixth and I
won’t be doing it in the ashram, or going to the ashram doing satsangs in the train with hundreds of
fellow volunteers, I believe this Art of Silence course it’s going to be the
most special one yet. I just know it.
(Hult International Business School, Course Location)
Times are different,
circumstances are different, I have even grown up a tad bit, but one thing
still remains the same: the thought of me doing an advance course still makes
me feel like there is magic in the air. I do feel it in my fingers and I
absolutely feel it in my toes; Guru grace is all around me and the feeling
grows…I feel like my spirit is dancing. It’s special, it’s magic and in Boston,
I AM GOING HOME.
I have often come across people
who think of themselves as ones in a hole. When you speak to them, all they
would tell you is, “Man, my life is f***** up,” and if you ask them what
exactly happened, they would go like, “I HAVE STUDENT LOANS TO PAY!” Or “MY
GIRLFRIEND DUMPED ME! Or maybe, “I HAVE TAKEN A $1,000,000 PAY-CUT!” They would crib
about most things that have happened to them.
And then, I have come across
people who are pleased, even though they don’t have as much as the people mentioned
above. Who are these people? What do they do? They are the strong, independent
and willing souls that have landed on this planet as a result of God’s creation,
and in them they are heroes who not only smile, they in fact, conquer and from
within, they conjure glory.
I was more like first ones.
Couple of years ago, round about
this time year, I was working for probably the biggest sports analysis company
in Asia as a soccer analyst, the world’s most read soccer website as a soccer
journalist and the most well managed professional soccer club in India as a
soccer marketer, but I can say, I am doing
better now. Working in marketing and sales, we had to sell tickets and
get people for our soccer games. Having volunteered for almost three years as a
social activist, I remember approaching this non-profit organization that took
responsibility for teaching rural kids in India. As a club employee, I had
these students come to the stadiums to watch our club games for free. It all
worked out well and the kids made it in time for the East Bengal game, which in
fact, was one of our first few games of the season.
The head personnel for the organization’s
Pune branch, Arhaan, got about one hundred kids to the stadium and having
spoken to my boss, I made sure that the kids made it to the sidelines as the
players walked out for warm-up, only to be later seated in the VIP section. As
the little rural children, who were dressed in their uniforms, got to the
sidelines, their excitement was unbelievable. Some shook the hands of the
players as they were walking out on to the fields, some shouted out their names
and some whispered, “Hey, look at their leg muscles…oooh,” or, “This is the
first time I have ever met a football player!”
As the game went on, they made
the maximum noise and chanted the PFC theme, “Who are we? PFC!” It was great to
see them have an experience of a life-time. The entire incident shook me and
made me realize that it’s these moments that people remember. You are not going
to remember if you ever failed in a test 36 years on, but what you will
remember is meeting a football player who appears in the newspaper the very
next day.
After the game, Arhaan thanked me
and the club for everything we had done for their organization’s kids. As I was
walking towards the parking, just seeing the look on each student’s face, I
couldn’t stop smiling and later, I went to Arhaan and I asked him what I had
resisted for a long time. I questioned, “So, are these kids really happy?”
After which, he looked at me in confused manner and said, “You know, our kids
are always happy, but today was definitely something special.”
They come to school because they
love to and because they want to learn. They really love to learn. Unlike most
kids, who are forced to go to school, they have an easier option: they can work
in restaurants to support their family, but instead, they come to us because they
want to learn. They too have big dreams.”
That moment was the moment when everything
started to seem very different. Who were those kids? Well, they certainly are
born in the richest of families. In fact, their families can’t even afford to
pay for school, but they still go to schools because they want to learn and
such non-profit organizations do a fantastic job in making sure that these kids
get everything from books, to pens, to uniforms. Most of us are blessed enough
to be born if upper/lower middle-class/rich families, but we are always not
happy for something or the other, whereas, kids from lower financial
backgrounds love everything that life gives them and their respect for it is insurmountable.
It was a real eye-opener for me.
An year later, sometime in late-November/early-December,
I was in Atlanta and visiting a homage for mentally infirm people. It was like
being in Forest Gump or Koi Mil Gaya but only ten times of that. It was a scary
but a very pleasant experience. Imagine yourself being surrounded by people who
have been left at the centers by their families, who don’t know where they are
at and why are they there, who don’t know what they are doing and on top of it,
who have a misconception of who they are.
Maybe they live though a child in
them or maybe they live their past over and over again…I don’t know, but one
thing that could easily be inferred was the fact that they were all childlike
and not childish. Their smiles, their joy, their excitement and their love for
us was astonishing. I remember when one women from the mentally infirm home
called me to her side and told me to stay safe, and also, blessed me to stay
happy. I couldn’t believe it. In spirituality we talk of a ‘shift’, which
refers to the shift in the thought process and it was exactly that. I don’t
know what has happened to me since then. When I want to cry, I cry; when I want
to laugh, I laugh, but I make sure that I celebrate life every moment like they
do.
Those people…they were playful
and joyful, (you talk of a girl dumping you, these people were dumped by their
families to rotten) and also knew that life is difficult, but by then, they had
also realized that every moment deserves to be celebrated. For me, it was even
tough to imagine where they were and what each of them had gone through, but
the startling thing about them was that they all were happy, and loved our
company. It was a massive, massive shift for me.
You know, you must take a little
time out of your lives and go and visit the homeless shelters because you must
meet them. You must meet these people. They will teach you a lesson. Small
worries of your life would disappear and dissolve, and like them, even if a
little thing brings you happiness, you will celebrate it as if it is your salvation.
Moreover, you will be grateful to God for what you have got.
In this post, I have talked of
rural kids and mentally infirm people, but there are thousands out there
waiting for you to visit them. Take your first foot forward. Visit these people,
who live in this moment; that moment which passes as you snap your fingers.
They aren’t the Jordons or Will Smiths of this world, but what they do, they
turn into Morgan Freemans and Rajnikants because deep down they know, “Every
single time that you are challenged, God wants you to come out as a hero.”
To me, I take my inspiration from
these people: people who don’t have as much as others but their belief,
strength faith and smile carries them past every single day.
"When you have done everything possible possible, He makes the
impossible possible." – Dinesh Ghodke
(There is something horribly wrong with my blog font and it's not getting sorted)
You
know you’re special when he smiles at you,
You know
you’re adored when he touches you,
You know
you’re treasured when he tests you,
But you just
know you’re blessed when he shows you what celebration really is. My Nokia
phone screen read March 2, 2009 21:37.
Knowing that all the YES!+ teachers and most volunteers from Pune had already
left for Aurangabad a day before, even my best shot at staying clam couldn’t
help numb the disappointment that had sunk in, arising from the feeling of not
even making an attempt of meeting the man whom I called my ‘Guru’, Sri Sri
Ravishankar-ji. Moreover, digesting the fact that the chance to meet him was
sort-of gone, the rising emotions were absolutely killing me with guilt.
Well, but
that was more-or-less because I knew nothing about Aurangabad, and so, I didn’t
even count myself a candidate in leaving all on my own for the City of Gates.
In fact, to be true, you know, I had forgotten that I was already
‘taken-care-of’ by the master and somewhere deep down, I was begging for that
feeling to be revoked. And ‘He’ did exactly that! His messenger: a dear friend.
After
a day in the physical presence of the master, almost the whole of our ‘AOL
sena’ had returned back to the Queen of Deccan, Pune, and one of the returning
volunteers was Vishal Vengulekar. I knew it would make me jealous, but it was a
feeling that I couldn’t resist; I had to call up Vishal – my first YES!+
friend, who had seen ‘Him’ at thesatsangin Aurangabad a day prior, when he
went with the other Puneri volunteers and teachers – and ask him of his
experience, and so I did. Vishal took my call and briefly told me everything
that he remembered of the trip: right from his bus journey to Guruji’s
‘Question and Answers’ session.
(Mahasatsang
at Aurangabad that Vishal and other Volunteers and Teachers attended)
He inspired
me so much that I told myself, ‘I can’t miss this, I simply can’t!’ So, I
decided to find way so that I could somehow
get to Aurangabad, and therefore, I
called up a YES!+ teacher, who was partly responsible for introducing me to the
world of YES!+ and Art Of Living, Shashank Ombhase.
Shashank was
one of those people who were on the bus with Vishal. Shashank, like a typical
YES!+ teacher, encouraged me even more to meet Guruji. In fact, he clubbed his
day’s experience with a couple of his own Guru stories. When I finished talking
to him, I was so convinced to go that I had started to believe that Guru’s
grace would inevitably conjure up and He, my will and my valor would overcome
all the difficulties and make me meet him. (Just to note, my father was in
Aurangabad for that very day, so, I knew if I could somehow reach the city of
Aurangzeb, I wouldn’t have to worry about finding accommodation).
(Pic taken about three years back, I hope
this solves the purpose of identifying the people. Akhil - long hair, blue
shirt, on the right and Vishal - center-right, black jacket, next to
Dhanashree, who is in red)
Shashank
gave me Akhil Balekar’s phone number, who was an Art Of Living volunteer from
Pune, then in Aurangabad. The very next moment, I was on phone with Akhil. I
asked him if I would be able to ‘see’ Guruji; his reply was affirmative,
however, he added that meeting Guruji in person could be very difficult.
Meeting
seemed like a far-fetched dream, and in-truth, I was contented in catching a
glimpse of Him, even if it was from 100 yards away. With 23:30 the reading in the wall
clock and with excitement oozing out of me, I took out my kurta –the onlykurtathat
I had and whichI had
worn in a play that I took part in after my 10th grade – and a pair of jeans
and set a morning alarm of 3:30 AM as I started making all the preparations for
my Aurangabad adventure. I slept with pumped adrenalin and as I woke up, the
blood through my veins felt like it was gushing faster than ever before. It was
just crazy; I couldn’t stop smiling.
(Me, Shashank, Aarushi and Khushboo;
Forgive me as all my photographs with Shashank were group photos and this was
the best of the lot)
I even energized
myself with the sixth source of energy, the cold water bath. And guess what, it
wasn’t even 4 AM. Mummi was shocked to see my determination and she couldn’t
believe that I was seriously leaving for Aurangabad. She thought it was one of
my ‘I am going to own Manchester United Football Club one day’ like things.
With a water bottle and a Monaco biscuit pack and I set off to meet Him.
…and
the ‘adventure’ started, an adventure in every sense of the word :)
Well, I
hadn’t even reached the gate of my building complex when the sandal of my right
foot tore. I certainly wasn’t going back to change my footwear, and so, a
bright smile followed and I walked on. I know it was a little foolish on my
part to not go back, but then, that was one of my least concerns; I just wanted
to meet Guruji.
From what I
could sense, Guruji was having fun and he decided to play even more. I had to
wait 20-minutes for the rickshaw and half hour for the Aurangabad bus at
Shivajinagar bus stop, where this person fooled me and handed me ticket for
this bus that only went half way, to Ahemadnagar!
(The 'Bus' or was it?)
The bus'
condition was atrocious to say the least. In fact, it was not even a bus; it
was a mini-bus/ tempo van, which was stinking as though it had not been opened
since the 19thcentury.
I couldn’t do anything but ‘accept’ and that’s what I did, accepted the van not
the people though, which was my biggest mistake.
This guy
sitting on the seat before me was spitting outside the window continuously and
when I saw that, ‘random acts of kindness’ point from the YES!+ course conjured
in my head. However, I hesitated and did not do anything. So, Guruji decided to
give me a gift, when a drop of that guy’s tobacco-filled spit flew through the
window and on my cheek.
Yuk!
That was
that!
I gave him a
hairdryer, and I wouldn’t really be surprised if he has
always thought of me
before spitting ever again, even if it was in his washroom’s basin.
Well, I
hadn’t informed my father but in a morning conversation with my mother, he was
told that I was on my way to Aurangabad. So, as I was about to reach
Ahmednagar, he made me aware of the buses available buses from the Ahmednagar
bus stop.
Two hours of
journey and I had finally reached Ahemadnagar. So, as I was told, I stood at
the bus stop waiting for the bus, and what a bus stop! I didn’t end up being
its biggest fan. I asked people around me and everyone told me that buses to
Aurangabad were as frequent as 15 minutes. Maybe I was just unaware, ignorant
or probably dumb because I stood for over an hour and didn’t find a bus that
would go to Aurangabad. Can you believe it? He sure was playing games! However,
I did find an ‘Omni Van’ that would go only half way to Aurangabad, until this
place called ‘Newasa Phata’.
(The Omni Van)
This Maruti
Van was legendary in its true sense. Guess what! It was a Van that was supposed
to seat only three people on its two back seats, however, as per the driver’s
‘order’, either seats had to have four people seated. The driver looked in no
mood to assure comfort and I was rather stupid to even think so. So, there were
four people seated on either of the back seats and out of the sandwiched four,
I was one of them.
Well, but
that wasn’t the real problem, the real problem was that everyone who was
sitting next to me was ‘sweat-stinking’ (okay wait, ‘stink’ is an
understatement), and I was not only sitting right in the middle of the two
seats but also, in the middle of my seat. I was lucky that the man who was
sitting next to the window decided to get down, I wonder why? Not really!
Well, I
certainly was in no mood to miss on the opportunity to sit next to the window,
and so, I hurriedly sat, poking my face and more so nose outside the wi1ndow,
trying to avoid that entire foul sweaty odor.
An hour ride
and we were at Newasa Phata, phew!
I called
Akhil from the Phata and he asked me to come to Sachin Mule's bunglow in
Aurangabad. At Newasa Phata, I could see an Asiat bus waiting at a restaurant,
and I thought to myself, ‘That’s it! I certainly am meeting Guruji now!’ But
it’s said, “Sabar ka phal meetha hota hai.” Maybe I had forgotten that!
I met this
person, who also had to go to Aurangabad. After meeting him, I breathed a sigh
of relief and thanked Guruji for sending me a companion, who could guide me on
how to reach the city. I smiled at him and said, “I will walk a little further
and see if we can get any means which will help us in reaching Aurangabad
faster. If this bus is about to leave, please wave your hand.” So, in a
carefree manner, I went a little ahead to search for taxies, keeping that man
in my sight. When I returned to Newasa Phata and that restaurant, there was no
bus there. I was shell-shocked! I asked the man about the bus and he gleefully
replied, “Woh toh gayi!” And I went like ‘What?!’
(The Asiad Bus)
Although it
resulted in a wait of another half hour, but I finally boarded a bus and I was
on my way to Aurangabad. Oh yes! I was almost there!
…but it
doesn’t end here as I got down at the wrong stop!
Papa had
sent a driver to pick me up from this place called ‘Baba Petrol Pump’ and where
did I get down? 10 Kms. before the stop, at Pandarpur!
As Srividya
mam says, "Einstein!"
To cut it
short, more wait, but the driver finally picked me up and dropped me to Sachin
Mule's bungalow. Now, the bungalow security was very tight and I was told that
I simply could not to enter! Well, I was not going back now, not even if David
Beckham invited me for his birthday party. I called Akhil again and he came…he
came with hope but he left as quickly as well, as he had some ‘important work’.
I looked on with a poker face, thinking to myself, ‘How could he just go in?’
Well, for the first time, I was really losing it and losing it bad, but that’s
when He turned it all around.
I had been
waiting with a family for almost 20 minutes outside the gate and I pretty much
knew that the family would get permission to enter the gate. It was miraculous
what happened next. I guess the guards thought that I belong to that very
family and they let me in to the bungalow with the family.
Having met
Akhil a bit later who asked me to sit with the other volunteers, I joined this
group that had come down from Mumbai. Becoming friends within minutes of meet,
we did the Sudarshan Kriya together. They were so enthusiastic that they even
did Surya Namaskars 2:30 in the afternoon! If the trip wasn’t all that
adventurous so far, another surprise came my way. I discovered that by the time
my Kriya finished, the food had got over!
Well, I was
this being who hadn't had anything since morning; I was starving. In fact, that
was not only the case with me, but with everyone who had travelled many miles
to see Guruji. One thing that I learned on that trip was that Mumbai volunteers
are smart. One of the volunteers from Mumbai went into the kitchen and got
almost half a dozenrotiesmade. Sixrotieswithchatnifor ten volunteers, totally worth it!
Minutes
on and we left for Garware Stadium, the place where the event/course ‘Utsav’
was to take place. We were all allottedsevasand I was at the security. It all went
fine and the Utsav started!
Now,
the teachers for the course were the biggest surprise element for me so far:
Khurshed Batliwala and Dinesh Ghodke. Well, I was a participant of the second
course that Srivi mam ever taught, so, I knew about Bawa and Dinesh Bhaiya, and
if you are her student reading this post, you will know that she talks so much
about them in her course that your fascination to meet them reaches an
unprecedented high.
Thus, just
watching the two directors of WAYE (World Alliance for Youth Empowerment) in
front of me teaching the workshop that they have designed themselves was an
exceptional sight. It was so cool! However, having not carried by spectacles, I
remember, I was not able to see them properly even on the big screen and so, I
prayed.
Utsav
As the
course moved on, it was time for Long Sudarshan Kriya! Now, I had done my Kriya
in the afternoon and right before the start of the Sudarshan Kriya, the Mumbai
volunteers from somewhere got the news that Guruji will be coming on to the
stage when the course participants end their Kriya. Now, that wasjugadunderlined!
…and
that’s exactly what happened!
Saleel
bhaiya needed some volunteers to ‘welcome’ Guruji back stage and guess what; we
‘incidentally’ were at the right place at the right time. Bhaiya asked us to be
seated in a line as told us the golden rule, ‘Guruji’s speed of motion is
directly proportional to your excitement’. I said, “Whatever,” which was
another of my mistakes! I mean, I had done by YES!+ course two and a half
months back, so, I didn’t know who Saleel Bhaiya was. We volunteers sat in a
line along the path on which Guruji was to pass. I was so very excited and
guess whom did I see walking by, passing a smile towards me, Dinesh Bhaiya! I
went like, “Dude! I wanted to see him from close and here he is, smiling at me!”
(Me and Dinesh Bhaiya, this is a a recent
pic; venue: Vishwamitra)
With my
heart beating faster with every passing second, especially after hearing
on-and-off whispers from other volunteers – who came out with rumors such as
‘He is climbing the steps’ – I finally saw Him. He was distant but I saw Him,
and I noticed that he was walking towards me. He had his secretary holding a
basket full of fruits, of which he was giving one fruit each to a
volunteer/security-guard that he came across while making his way on to the
stage.
I was sitting with the Mumbai volunteers and we were one of the first
few volunteers that he was to meet. Just as he reached our group, Saleel Bhaiya
introduced us to him by saying, “These volunteers have come from Mumbai just to
meet you Guruji,” after which Guruji asked, “Yahan sab log Mumbai se aayen
hain?”
And that was
the moment that all the excitement that I was holding back, came out and with a
wide smile, I impulsively shouted, “Guruji main Pune se.” He said,
“Ah…Okay,” and then, he handed me an apple and walked past me. In fact, there
was more to it. As I said “Guruji main Pune se”in an instantaneous manner, Guruji
looked into my eyes and we shared an eye contact that lasted for about two
seconds; maybe more, maybe less…I don’t know. It was a moment when I had
forgotten everything; it was like the time had stopped.
It was absolutely
magical. However, when I saw him walk past me, that’s when I realized, I should
have kept my calm. Trust me, all that was going on in my head was, ‘Had I
followed Saleel Bhaiya’s golden rule, the meet could have longer’, but I was so
happy.
Just like
the test of my resolve to come to Aurangabad, Guru’s grace didn’t end there. As
the 1301 course participants came out of their meditative state to discover
Guruji sitting right in front of them on his throne, we volunteers were told to
assemble next to the ramp. I was the second volunteer standing in the queue. As
the volunteer who was first in the queue was givenseva, I was told to move forward.
Now, just imagine, I was standing right below the stage, next to the ramp, and
sitting in front of me were Guruji (to my left) and Bawa and Dinesh Bhaiya (to
my right) at a distance of less than five meters; it sure was incredible. I
could not believe it; I still can’t.
Guruji
answered a number of questions from the participants and left soon. After the
course day got over, I met Bawa and Dinesh Bhaiya personally. They blessed me
too.
It was all
like a dream. March 3, 2009 morning, all I wanted was to catch a glimpse of Him
and here He was, giving me an apple in the evening on the same day. Moreover, I
just wanted to see Bawa and Dinesh Bhaiya from close, and here they were,
blessing me.
That
Aurangabad trip was nothing but a perfect chance given to me by my Guru to
implement all the sutras that I had learned in my YES!+ course. I gave my 100%
and he made my experience worthwhile. In fact, he showed me how to celebrate
life by making my experience one that acted as an epitome of grace and
celebration.
Like Dinesh
Bhaiya once said during a volunteer’s meet, “He makes the impossible possible,”
and that’s what my whole Aurangabad adventure was about…impossible becoming
possible.
The watch in the examination hall read 17:25 as I could feel the adrenalin gushing through my veins. They were those five minutes which would signal the end of the my third year second semester electronics engineering examination, and see me leave for the Bangalore Ashram for the first time. In spite of all that fluster of being in an exam, I couldn’t help but smile and feel excited, even though I was not having the easiest time answering the question set.
I scribbled whatever I could in the final few moments, and then, as the bell rang, I punched my fist in the air and shouted, ‘Yes!’ I still remember running out of the class like I had won gold in the Olympics, with hundreds of eyes staring at me in amazement - they must have thought, ‘What’s up with him? What did he write in such a paper?’
I came out of the hall; I smiled, jumped, picked up my bag and galloped to the campus road where my car driver was waiting for me. With the bus due to leave at 6:00PM and my college 20 kms away, I knew I didn’t have much time, so, told my driver him put his foot through the accelerator.
Just to note, even prior to my final exam, Guru stories had already started happening. I really wanted to do the Advance course in the Bangalore Ashram. Well, I had heard so much about it - the Ashram, the course, and everything related; I just wanted to do it, and even though I was told that the reporting for the course was on June 3, 2009 (the same day that my exams were supposed to end), my sankalpa was very strong.
One of the Pune teachers had spoken about me and five others, who so wanted to do the course but couldn’t as our exams were to end the same day. The YES!+ teacher from Pune, was told ‘No’ upfront, but somehow, things just fell in place and we were permitted to join from the next day morning. We would probably be the first and the last participants ever in the history of the Art Of Living to have been given such a privilege, but I guess our reason was genuine and our willingness to attend the workshop, absolutely immense.
Back to June 3, 2009, the day when we were to leave. I changed my dress on the way, picked my Mummi up from her office on my way back from college and reached the bus station. I gave my Mummi a hug as she left for home and as I entered the bus station.
Guess what, I see a smiling Rutuja (who was in Cummins College) running towards me and saying, “What an awesome paper!” I went like, “Really?”
She remarked, “It was great, only problems (She meant numericals)”
And I looking in disbelief said, “Yes, only problems (like real problems in the exam)”
We waited and waited, and the bus which was to leave at 6:00, left at 8:00PM. In the bus, it was me, the teacher - Shashank Ombhase, Varsha Anandani, Rutuja, Sharvari Patil and Annirudh Khurade. Guru stories, Ashram stories, Bawa-Dinesh stories were shared as my excitement grew more and more. I would be wrong if I say it wasn’t fun, it sure was! As it had been exam time, I hadn’t been sleeping properly; four-five hours of sleep was enough to go and write the exam, and so, I wanted to sleep properly is the bus.
Guru showed his magic again. The bus that we were travelling in, had a capacity of about 60, but had only 25 passengers travelling. So, each of us, took two seats each, made ourselves comfortable and went to the Ashram sleeping.
The bus reached Bangalore late and we opted to take a taxi to reach the Ashram fast. It was about 11 in the morning on June 4th, when Shashank told me to look outside the car window. I was like, “Why?” He gave me a strange expression. As I rolled my eyes, I saw the tip of Vishalakshi Mantap. I, sort of, went numb and then, shouted the famous line, “I am home.” It was a moment which I can’t explain in words; just imagine, seeing VM for the first time from naked eyes. Well, as I am writing this, shivers are doing moon-salts in my body; it’s just a feeling that can be experienced by the observer.
We kept our luggage at the reception and rushed into the VM, where the course was taking place. The course volunteers asked us to hurry-up and as we entered meditation hall, Dinesh Bhaiya gave us a look; like, you know, ‘look’, which sort of was intimidating. In the midst of things, I still couldn’t believe that I was inside the VM.
The advance course went on and I learned so much. I also made so many friends, including Kalpak Gandhi, who is such a dear friend to me now. Silence was incredible, and I did meet Guruji too J That meeting was so so special.
On the day of the Sunday satsang in the amphitheater, I went to Bawa and said, “I have just given my third year engineering exams. My parents think I am mad, but I really want to do Sports Journalism.”
He smiled and replied, “First finish engineering and then, think of doing anything else.”
I exclaimed, “My parents think I should do MBA”
He gave me an expression so as to say, “No.” He then, blessed me, and all I can say is that life has been a blessing since.
Seven days after returning to Pune, I was writing for the Indian Express as a sports journalist. Later, I not only went on to head the content writing section for the Maharashtra Premier League (cricket) website but also, write for the biggest football website in the world, Goal.com (interviewing the likes of Morten Gamst Pedersen, Ryan Nelsen, Steve Kean, Jason Roberts, Michel Salgado, and many more). I also worked as a sports analyst for a Singapore based company, Real Time Sportscast and as a marketing trainee for one of the premier football clubs in India,Pune FC.
(Me and Michel Salgado)
Now, three and quarter years after doing my Yes!+ and a little more than two and a half years after doing my Yes!+ advanced, I am in USA studying a Masters’ program in Sports Management at the Florida State University. I just feel so blessed.
The advance course in June 2009 was my first, and I enjoyed it so much that I went on to do four more. With Guruji set to be in Canada for his birthday this year, I so want to go, but with me still to apply for the Canadian Visa and arrange for the ticket expense, it sort of looks improbable. However, just like for my first advance course, my sankalpa is still as strong or maybe, even stronger
Even thinking of being in the Ashram gives me Goosebumps, but whether in Montreal or in Bangalore, I know I am meeting him soon. Ashram is a special place and meeting Him is a special experience. If you haven’t been there, you must go there. It’s not ‘almost heaven’, it is heaven J
Take me home, Ashram roads,
To the place, where I belong, Bangalore Ashram,
Oh my Guru, take me home.
Ashram Roads J
Jai Gurudev J
Love J
Kratik
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