Sri Sadguru Mahime
Author: Charana Dasa
Translator:Shri.Ganesh Prasad
Chapter 21 : A
Photographers tale
As usual I had got up early that
day, l was about to pluck flowers after milking cows. I heard someone knock at
the door and came to answer the door. Even before seeing him, Gurunatha asked
me to let the visitor in and offer him coffee and get him breakfast from the
nearby hotel.
That person had endured many
challenges in life, faced huge financial losses and was in dire straits and wanted
to meet Gurunatha. Later when talking to him, I got to know, to get out of his
financial difficulty without having a single paisa he had walked about 40
kilometers during the night to reach Gurunatha’s house.
Empathizing with him Gurunatha told
him “You shall win from now on, start a photo studio and your life will
improve”. Within a short time his financial status improved.
Gurunatha did not approve of people
taking his photos, videos. On rare occasions he could be photographed with his
consent. That day, Gurunatha was sitting on his chair talking, while this
person walked in and started taking his photographs without his consent. A bit
disturbed by this behavior, Gurunatha blasted him, “who gave you the permission
to take photos? I am not sure if you will survive long, don’t do such things,
you are inviting trouble“. The person was taken aback.
A few days later, some disciples had
come down from Bangalore to seek Gurunatha’s blessings. This person was also
there. Gurunatha asked everyone to visit Sringeri and have Gurudarshana. There
was a disciple from Banavara, Gurunatha told him specifically that he should
stay back in Sringeri and should not board a car under any circumstances.
When the group was returning after
Gurudarshana, this disciple from Banavara joined them in the car ignoring
Gurunatha’s advice. The person who had taken the photo earlier was also there.
When the car reached near Aldur the driver lost control and the car fell into a
deep trench after a couple of somersaults. Miraculously everyone in the car
survived with minor injuries which could have been possible only because of
Guru’s kindness and blessings.
After a while Gurunatha called the
photographer and told him,” I have saved your life this time; never again take
any photo without my consent”. He thanked Gurunatha and went away.
The devotee from Banavara could not
visit Guru’s house as he had gone against Guru’s words. Gurunatha used to tell
us “Real value of a thing or a person becomes evident once you lose the thing
or that person” also he often said “Do not call someone a Guru, if you do, be
ready to walk along his path”
Service
to elders
Once an elderly person came to
Gurunatha and started explaining his problem. My son has settled in America, we
are very old now and suffering from various health problems. My wife cannot
walk due to joint pain and is almost bedridden. My health is also deteriorating;
there is no one else to look after us here. So, if our son comes back to
Bangalore and stays with us it will help us a lot. Can you somehow make him
realize that he has to come back to Bangalore?”
After patiently listening to him
Gurunatha said “ fine, but there is no fault of your son in this, he has
settled in America as per your wish, you have a house to stay, money to spend
then why do you need him? The elderly person was a little confused now; he was
looking at Gurunatha without any expression.
Gurunatha continued, “It was you who
told him, you have to study well, you have to find a big job in America, earn a
lot of money there isn’t it? Now your son has achieved all that you wanted him
to, he has studied well, joined a job, settled in America and earning a lot of
money. You never told him to support elderly in their old
age or you never told him to be in
service of Guru and elders. You neither told him to do these things nor set an example
by doing these things yourself. When your son has never heard or seen these
being done how you can expect that out of him? He is doing exactly what you had
asked him to do.
No chanting or magic can bring him
back now. You just pray to God, if God gives him a thought to return it may
happen. With these words Gurunatha sent that elderly person back.
There was a big lesson for everyone
who had gathered that day, through this incident Gurunatha had told us about
what we generally ask our kids to do and what we should be doing instead. How
important it is to imbibe these values early in life by setting good examples
ourselves. If a kid does not follow this in spite of the guidance and example
of his parents then it can only be attributed to his past deeds.
For Copies of Sadguru Mahime English
and Kannada, Guru Bandhus can contact 94810 25416.
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