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| Avadhoota Nadananda |
Avadhoota Nadananda: During one of my stays at my Jammu ashram, I unexpectedly fell sick due to some unattended cardiac problems. This was my second episode of a cardiac arrest. It was a cold December night and chilly wind was blowing. I, along with Madanlal, Sharmaji, and Omprakashji was in a car going to the railway station. I had to catch the train to Mumbai, as per my schedule, and they were coming along to see me off. On the way, in the car, I experienced severe throbbing chest pain. They took me directly to a doctor who admitted me to a private hospital in Pathankot, a city in Punjab. I was put under sedation, and other medicines were also administered. By morning I felt some ease. The next day some of my disciples and devotees from the village learned about this and came to the hospital to visit and wish me a speedy recovery. As the attack this time was much more severe than the previous one, the doctor advised hospitalization for nine days.
I was discharged on the tenth day with instructions to be on bed rest for at least one month. I was carried back to the ashram but left alone to fend for myself. I was weak, and so debilitated that I was even unable to walk up to the bathroom by myself, etc. One of my disciples, a middle-aged lady, volunteered to take care of my needs in spite of her responsibilities to her large family. Her husband used to come and stay in my room to care for me, during the nights. Days passed with medicines, and rest and after a month or so, I felt better. Now I could move on my own and take care of my personal needs. I thanked that couple and requested them to now take leave and attend to their household, and that I would take care of myself. But they declined, as I was still weak. One day, a few other disciples and devotees gathered together and assembled around me to discuss my health. They were all praising the lady who had served me for the last one month.
Some people cannot bear to hear another person being praised, this seems to be a rule of humankind. One of the ladies, an old woman sitting among them, became agitated and furious and started accusing the lady, saying, "Are you now ashamed of taking a young man (me) to the bathroom and giving him a bath, etc. You should have felt that this was inappropriate. Why did you do this? In this village, there are many young boys and men. None of them came forward to do any seva like this? I have doubts about your character." I first thought it was a slip of the tongue. There was an uncomfortable silence in the room for a few minutes. I was shocked to hear this and never expected such a thing. It had been in good faith, and the whole family was present. And the villagers sitting near were glancing at each other. None had any clue about what to say in reply or the courage to come forward in the lady's support, such was the height of ignorance of these people, who I had been wishing and dreaming to make prosperous in all fields of life!
The gem-like lady, I would call her so, who had been in my seva, exhibited such valor and acumen in such a situation. Without losing her faith and devotion in me, she replied without even an iota of shock and perplexity, "Look mata-ji, you have much respect and status among us. This type of short-sighted behavior is unbecoming of you. And in dragging someone through the mud this way, you will only lose the high regard that you currently have. It is a Guruji that I serve. After someone is accepted as Guru, the status of that relationship becomes much higher than any other worldly relationship. It's not just me, no one else in my family has viewed our Guru at par with an ordinary relative; He is viewed only at par with God himself! Though he may exist in a male body, my Guruji is very "Amma" (the Mother Goddess) to me. Your talk is about my serving him for just these few days - why, if such a necessity arises, we will place our entire life at his feet, at his disposal. I feel sorry for you, that you are unable to view the truth of him with your eyes. To me, getting to do seva to my Guruji is just like offering pooja to God, and no one under these skies has any business poking their nose in it. We took up this task voluntarily, and consider ourselves fortunate that Guruji even permitted us." After this speech, there was a deep hush all around. Most of the people sitting around listening showed deep appreciation for the fearless, timely, and apt response of the lady with the golden heart who had served me. The baseless allegation caused me a lot of distress, and even a little anger, but I did not say anything.
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| Avadhoota Nadananda |
But the next day onwards the rumor mills were filled with stories about the incident, and allegations being made all over the village about relations between me and that lady. It is surprising that every kind of person finds a sponsor in this world. It is naive to think that only good actions are being sponsored. In post-independent India, in fact, it is much more of the anti-social, anti-human, anti-national, and immoral kind of thinking that has been sponsored, rather than any genuine case of rights violations. The old lady doing the slandering also had some sponsors, in the form of new religious preachers, who were looking to establish hold upon these innocent people. These preachers were in reality anti-Vedic - preaching against our established and well-tested system of spirituality, and against the Gods and Brahmins. I was a thorn in the flesh to them. They drew the greedy lady into their network and trained her to launch the insult campaign that was actually targeted at me and my way of preaching. At first, I was unaware of this angle but later gleaned it from the feedback I received. But it was really unfortunate that some kind-hearted people were hurt in the incident, due to some other people's deficiency of seeking things in correct perspective and their lack of patience in cross-checking details. It is the very nature of some people to make decisions and jump to conclusions, or form opinions on situations, surroundings, visuals, etc., without first evaluating the power of their own intelligence. We are so arrogant in our own abilities to reason and believe that there is nothing beyond those capacities of ours. This is the main reason for all the conflicts that prevail in today's society. So it is necessary that we develop the art of cross-checking the available data and information. Information processing is called viveka or discrimination and if you have viveka, it will keep you in peace. Otherwise, a lot of time is wasted in dealing with allegations and counter-allegations and nothing constructive comes of it though it is sure to give you never-ending pain. I then told the lady who had been in my seva, "Stay here for a few more days. Let happen what may happen, your husband knows the truth well. You need not go to your home now. Let them continue their propaganda. When they tired they will stop it." That lady, her husband, and I stayed for a few more days together.
When my health had improved, mu disciples insisted on convening a satsang. They wanted to clear the air feeling that the village was becoming divided from the behind-the-scene activities of the anti-religious elements. The campaign of these cunning elements was to instigate, persuade, and attract increasing numbers to adopt that new religion. Almost all my devotees in the village and surrounding areas attended the satsang, where I gave a fitting reply to all those who had criticized me and that old lady too managed to attend the satsang without any sense of guilt. I told them to remove the black glasses obscuring their vision, which they had received in donations from the anti-Vedic elements, who had hoped these good people would end up following them in spite of their higher social order. I told them not to fall for the divisive tactics disguised as bhakti, for one day the division may become so much that they will not live even with their parents anymore, let alone with the outside world. After two days I placed before them plenty of proof that all this was a plot. I admonished them that if they became greedy for some short-lived benefit, one day they would lose all originality, such would be the brainwashing. (I heard later after I had left Ramnagar, that these people had purchased land and even built a satsang hall.) After listening to my talk, the old woman who had started the smear campaign finally recognized the true colors of the people behind this. She stood up in the middle of the satsang, and asked pardon for her wrongdoings. I accepted it, but not without mentioning that the incident was a warning bell for all of them.
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