Guru Kripa – I can write pages about this. As the one who has witnessed it or witnessing it at every breath of my life, I feel extremely grateful for my Guru to have found me and held my hands ever since. There are no coincidences in life. It was either fully planned by us before we took birth or it was given to us to experience out of the compassion and love that our Gurus have for us, whatever the little logical brain can call it. I choose to call it Guru Kripa. The blessings and grace that the Guru showers upon us, is unpredictable, immeasurable and incomparable.
On 2nd March 2017, I was doing padam pooja for my Guru Mohanji’s (http://mohanji.org) padhuka and conversing with Shirdi Sai Baba saying, “I have read & heard that you reveal yourself in flesh and blood to people who can see you. Why don’t you reveal yourself to me in physical form?” I know “eligibility matters” but I also know that you are an epitome of compassion. Come to me in a way that I can see and realise you. This was my intense yearning after recently completing Sri M’s autobiography (Apprenticed to a Himalayan Master) where Baba appeared in Chavadi in flesh and blood and also gave Sri M some currency for his next set of journeys. After finishing aarti for Mohanji at home, I left for the Shirdi Sai temple here in Melbourne.
Stepping into the sanctum of Dwarakamai that evening, I saw a “fakir” sitting in there. I immediately realized that he was none other than Shirdi Sai Baba. I guessed only a very few of us there saw “Baba” in him or perhaps he was completely invisible to many other eyes? I don’t know. He was in a trance with his eyes looking upwards with hands in chin mudra, crossed legs, a long white t-shirt that runs below the knee, a shawl and a white winter cap – a sight to behold. He got up and walked out along with a few following him. As it was late in the evening, we also left for our home with his image all over my mind.
Destiny or Grace as we call it, had its way as we had to come back to temple again for my husband had forgotten his work bag at the main sanctum. By the time we reached the temple late at night, there were only two of them in the temple. After collecting bag, we casually asked them about the “fakir” whom we saw in Dwarakamai earlier. We were told that his name is Shri Jagadishanand and he is an Avadhoota. His guru is Shri Rang Avadhoota and his Paramaguru is Tempe Swami Maharaj. We also found about his satsang on “Datta Bavani” which was organised on Saturday afternoon (4th March).
With limited Hindi and no Gujarati proficiency, I was a little skeptical about the satsang. The same night, I had a dream and a message was given in a flash. Jagdishanandaji appeared and asked me to attend the satsang on Saturday. Now going to the event was a surety.
On Saturday afternoon, we reached the satsang venue on time. As soon as I saw him, I was thinking if I should go and prostrate at his feet now. He blessed us immediately even before I moved a limb as if he had read my mind. When satsang began, he asked us to come and sit near him. I mocked at myself, for sure I wasn’t going to understand even a bit of what he is going to say and yet sat in the front row.
Yet again, reading my mind, he made us all comfortable by speaking in Hindi mixed with Gujarati and with just enough English to give some context, to my language challenged brain. It was six-hour satsang with a just ten minutes break in between. Just before the break, I was thirsty and had some water. A thought crossed my mind that – For doing nothing and listening if I feel thirsty then this Baba (Guruji) has been speaking for four hours, he must be thirsty too. After a mind battle to offer or not-offer water to him, I finally offered a glass of water and he asked me to keep it near his Guru’s photo. I felt a little sad as he didn’t take my offering out of love.
After another two hours of satsang, when he was about to finish, I was speaking to him in my mind – “Baba, am I not eligible to even serve you water? Was there no love in it?” Within two minutes, he instructed the girl sitting in front of him to give him the same water from the glass I had kept. My eyes became wet at his response. I didn’t understand many of the things that he spoke that day, but I was just watching him in action – smiling, cracking jokes, calling himself a mad man, a donkey, a dog, illiterate etc. I was visualizing how Shirdi Baba would have conducted his satsang, with similar jokes, laughter, behaving mad and sometimes wild which none could even comprehend. I felt Sai Baba is giving me a chance to witness him in action and seeing this, my eyes were wet. I was crying in joy, happiness and satisfaction.
At the end of the satsang, when he saw me crying, he called me near him and said “I know Beta, that’s why I asked you to come and sit near me”. As people were queuing behind me, I got up and continued crying on my husband’s shoulder. Baba (Guruji) called me again saying, “Beta, come here” and gestured to me to sit near him on the sofa. I kneeled down, held his hands and cried profusely. I said “Thank you, Baba”. All his reply was “I know”. It felt as if he knew exactly what I wanted to convey and how I felt inside. With motherly love, he wiped away my tears and soon I noticed tears swelling up in his eyes too. He blessed me saying, “You will do it, you will do it” and he went into a trance by closing his eyes.
After taking prasadi, we reached home and I felt I couldn’t get enough of him. I was thinking about him for a long time, speaking to him (within myself), crying, smiling and didn’t sleep until about 1 am that night.
On the next day (Sunday 5th March), we received a message that Baba (Guruji) is about to come to a private residence. We immediately left to meet him again. He arrived there ten minutes after our arrival. As soon as he saw me, he said “I was thinking about you all night” (Yet another confirmation that the communion wasn’t imaginary!). He also added “I know both of you would come today. I expected you both” (Nobody including us knew or informed him that we are meeting him, but he knew).
We had a handful of people who came to meet him after the last-minute invite. I sat near his feet controlling my tears of joy. It is indeed pure bliss to sit with a master who is child-like, showering unconditional love with absolutely no expectations from us or judgements about us. I witnessed him giving answers to questions arising in the mind of a few people sitting in the room. My mind was totally blank and I kept looking at him in action. After all, my Baba has come in flesh and blood. He said that he came with the intention of spending five minutes and it ended up being about two hours. Another affirmation that Guru or an Avadhoota is bound only by love and nothing else matters.
I suddenly felt an urge to show Mohanji’s picture to him and I was praying within me that he should bless Mohanji. He zoomed the photos on mobile and said “Are! Ye to maha yogi hai” (Oh! He is a great yogi). Then immediately he did something on his third eye and wrote something on his heart chakra. He later explained how Guru principle works, where is mind, what is life and death, how to live life. He was so happy that we were not asking him for typical material things such as job and money.
He asked us where we are from and we said Chennai. He said that he visits Chennai often and that he loves Thiruvannamalai. He closed his eyes and was in the bliss of visualizing Ramana, calling out Ramana… Ramana… and suddenly said, “Mein Ramana hoon” (I am Ramana). I don’t think many heard that. Just couple of us heard it. It felt like it was meant to be only for a few ears.
I cried so much again when Baba was about to leave as I couldn’t get enough of him. I was convinced that I couldn’t meet him again unless he makes it to Australia in the future. I asked my husband in Tamil (our mother tongue) to convey to him in Hindi to ask him to come back again. He immediately replied to someone near us saying, “I am certainly coming back”. Yet another affirmation that there are no barriers when one has to communicate to someone who’s connected to consciousness. But still it was difficult to say good bye. He promised that he is always with me and he will come to me the moment I think of him. He assured this many time. He said “I am not leaving you at all, I am with you at all times, you just have to think of me”.
On Monday, we came to know that Baba is leaving for India on Tuesday. Having run out of all options to meet him again, I prayed looking at his photo and said to him “I wish to meet you again before you leave”. This was about 8 pm in the evening. Within five minutes, we got hold of a phone number from the internet of one of his host. We messaged him and received response back with the detail of his last satsang at 10 pm the same night.
Meanwhile, I had shared the past few days experiences with pictures to a few people who I thought can understand such blessings. Two of them came back saying, the moment they saw the picture, they knew that he is Shirdi Sai. One of them is a Swamiji himself, his full name is Mohana Bhakthananda Bharathi, an ardent disciple of Mohanji and a self-realized soul. He also narrated how he met him (Guruji) in South Africa when he was longing to see Shirdi Sai in flesh and blood. Sai Baba had promised to meet him again and he did that by sending the picture through me. Sai Baba has kept his word. Swamji had no words to express his happiness and love for having been able to see him again. Sai Baba responds to true calls and prayers of devotion, even if it means to come in person in flesh and blood.
My husband & I went to his satsang late in the evening and during that we had a chance to hear a couple of miracles that happened from his hosts. Even when the hosts attributed the miracles to Jagdishanandaji’s presence, he was saying, “I didn’t do anything. I was equally fearing like you. My Guru must have done it”. When it was time for bhajans, he responded to the very thought in my mind by singing “Nirvana Shatakam,” which is the favourite of my favourites. He also sang about how Ganga, Yamuna, all other pilgrim places are within us and how we go in search of them outside.
Before we left, we prostrated at his feet and said, “Be with us always, we don’t need anything else, we just need you”. He replied, “What do you mean by you don’t want anything, you will get everything,” with his hands in the blessing posture. He gave us prasad and as we turned around to leave half-heartedly, he called us again and shared his dinner (puffed rice with some bhujia) with all of us before he ate. A reminder or an affirmation of sorts that Avadhootas feed every being around them first before eating it for themselves.
We also showed him Swamiji’s photo to see if he remembered him from South Africa. Baba not only remembered him, but also tapped him on his third eye and blessed him. We later got to know that the taps did some intense cleansing on Swamiji and he woke up like a new person. My husband and I were moved to have witnessed a true Avadhoota in every sense in front of our eyes.
He doesn’t have any possessions and he lives like the sky is his roof and earth his house. He doesn’t touch money, carry money or accept donations. He also mentioned that “there is nothing to get ready for a person who is always ready to leave.” These words have a deeper meaning. Though being a master at every skill, his child like expressions and complete humility amazed us. We reached home very late after soaking in bliss in his presence. I felt so filled, so complete and satisfied. Words cannot express this feeling. It has to be felt.
From the conversation with his hosts, we gathered his flight details and were prepared to be there for his send off. Hearing all his leelas, another friend of ours, Smriti also wanted to join us at the airport to take blessings from him. At the airport, we waited patiently until Baba and his group arrived. Seeing Smriti, he enquired of her name and asked, “Are we meeting for the first time?” She said “Yes”. He said “No, we have met many, many times. I was waiting for you today, to see you”. He blessed her saying, “My Smriti”. Though, we did not understand anything, it was beautiful to see that instant recognition from his side.
He continued talking with Smriti and said “I touched someone’s Guru on his third eye and their Guru instantly asked, “What are you doing to me?” and I said, “Your children are here with me. This happened two days ago” and he gave both of us a wicked smile. We understood that Baba Jagdishanandaji was talking about Mohanji. In essence Mohanji and Jagdishanandaji or for that matter, Sai Baba or any Guru are not different. Yet to satisfy our wishes of being with different masters, they come in different forms. They need no cell phone or internet to communicate. They are able to communicate to each other instantly and able to read our hearts like a mirror.
We were standing in the queue to check-in the baggage of the group, while I felt a deep urge to show him the book of “Avadhoota Nadananda’s Autobiography” (Autobiography of an Avadhoota). He flipped through the pages and carefully looked at the pictures on the first few pages. The first picture was of Bhagawan Nithyananda. He said that Rang Avadhoota was an incarnation of Bagawan Nithyananda. He flipped to the next page and saw the picture of Tara Mai Ma, Bagawan Nithyananda’s disciple. He went into an instant trance and became shaky as we held to stop him from falling down. Then he saw the photo of Avadhoota Nadanandaji and the next picture that showed Nadananda embracing Mohanji.
He immediately asked for a pen and within a minute, he had drawn a beautiful portrait of his Guru Shree Rang Avadhoot with a Shivaling around his face with his signature, date and day. We had some time before they left to check in so we conveyed about our meditation plans at Sai Mandir and also about our Kailash trip. Somewhere in between, he said “I love you so much beta”. It felt great to hear those words from a Universal Father, my Baba.
He told us to keep his photo during meditation and conduct the meditation in Dwarkamai as the energy is strong there. He also blessed us for our Kailash trip and said, he will meet us in Kailash. Wow, what an amazing blessing proving his omnipresence. I have no doubt that he will come to meet us in Kailash, just that we should understand who he is and recognize him, which can happen only with his grace, for he can take any form at will.
I was silently praying in my mind for Baba Jagdishanandaji to hug me and show me that he is none other than Shirdi Sai and he has to reveal that he came for me, to meet me and to fulfil my wishes. Before he left for security, he hugged me and said, “I am always with you, Beta”. He also repeatedly invited us to India. He also told my husband Ananth, “By looking at both your eyes, I know”. Only he knows what he saw in us. Mind asks for answers but we have to go beyond the mind to accept everything as it is. It is definitely ok not to know the answers for everything. Surrendering will help to get away from this nagging logical mind, which is always looking for answers in everything.
His compassion and love for us is immeasurable which was very evident in the last few days. Until the last second, his eyes were on me for I was crying badly. The hosts were surprised the way we connected with him. A few days ago, we didn’t even know this Baba or his Guru or even the Gujarati group who arranged these satsangs. We were also informed that he was speaking about us when at home. We have no information on what he spoke, but the very fact that he has been thinking about us, felt great.
Ever since he left Australia, I couldn’t stop crying at the very thought of him. I felt extremely hollow, something similar to what I felt when I had to leave Mohanji after our Shirdi retreat and Kailash parikrama. The real “me” has no material requirements nor interest in worldly things but to be a dog at the feet of a Master.
Shree Gurudev Datt !
– Rakshitha Ananth (Australia)