22/04/2009

The Grace Of Great ones!!!

Today I was listening to a discourse and heard a beautiful and touching true story which I thought I must put down here.
Kanchi Mahan was once on a long camp at Satara during the Chaturmasya poojai.
Everyday Mahaswamigal used to perform the daily poojais,and everyday there was a man who used to bring plenty of bilva for his poojai.The man made sure that he did not come in sight of mahaswamigal or any of his disciples around the camp.This went on as long as swamigal stayed at Satara.Finally it was time for Mahaswamigal to mleave Satara.The man who regularly brought the bilva leaves for Swamigal heard that Mahaswamigal was leaving and wanted to have darshan of Swamigal.So he hid behind a tree
at a distance and kept peeping from there.Mahaswamigal's glance fell on him and he sent his men to call him closer.The man refused to come saying he cannot come and face Swamigal.Mahaswamigal insisted on his coming in front and with shivering body the man came with tears flowing down his cheeks, and stood in front of Swamigal.Swamigal looked at him very lovingly and full of grace.He asked him what he wants from Swamigal.The man very humbly and with a meek and low voice tells him in the midst of tears,"give me Moksha".
Mahaswamigal blessed him and asked one of his men to take down his name and address and then they moved out of Satara.
About six months later,Mahaswamigal back in Kancheepuram,one day asks his men for the man's address,and then he tells his people to send a money order to this address.A couple of days later Mahaswamigal does something which surprises his disciples.He asks for some black til and water,they are left wondering as to why he a sanyasi needs this.Mahaswamigal clears their doubt and says,"Do you remember the man we met in Satara,he passed away,and he asked me for moksha do you remember??He asked me for moksha and having given him my blessings should I not grant him the Moksha he wanted??"
This is Grace for sure,I must say.Mahatmas are always full of grace&love for all.
Another true story about Guru's Grace.Girish Chandra Ghosh (read more about him here),a very well known name as a dramatist.Girish Chandra Ghosh was a very well known and popular man for staging some great plays like "Chaitanya Lila".Girish Chandra Ghosh always lived an aristocratic life and lived a life of luxury and never at any point of time hide his drinking and other vices from anyone.Ramakrishna Paramahansa recognised the Ishwar amsa in Girish Chandra Ghosh and developed immediate Love for him.One day he came to Ramakrishna and said 'thakur you must change my life for and grace me'.Thakur asks who is his Ishta deivam?He says none other than you.Thakur tells him "I will do everything for you , but for that you need to give all your power to me,Girish was very relieved to hand over everything to Thakur,little did he realise that Thakur would occupy his mind and body wholly,and He was in his vision whatever he did.and wherever he was.One day Girsih comes in front of Ramakrishna in a drunken state.Thakur tells his people to go check his car and get more of the liquor stored there and made him drink in front of him.That was the last time Girish ever touched or even thought of liquor again.He became one of the closest and a great devotee of Thakur and totally surrendered to Thakur,Girish Chandra Ghosh once visited Ganges and went for a dip in the Ganges but came out without a dip, but went and took a dip again,When asked why he came out without the dip,he says, 'one has to take a dip in the Ganges only to cleanse oneself,I am clean with Thakur as my Guru and his grace, I no longer carry any impurities or sins in me,I took the dip later so that those who carry sins, when they take a dip in the Ganges be cleansed by the purity of my body."Sri Ramakrishna has taken full possession of my heart and bound it with His Love" "Such was his Guru Bhakti and devotion.

Jai Guru Dev!!!

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