|| HARI OM ||

It is by Bapu's grace that I became part of the Bapu family – it is eight years now. It was in fact Bapu, who drew me to Him. Over these years, I happened to come across several people. They asked me, "What exactly has been your gain since you became part of the Bapu family?" I replied, "I get joy, I am happy and I am contented." Some of these then went on to ask, "But then have you had that one blessed moment? That special experience so to say?" – to which my reply was "Do you assume that you will be granted that special and blessed experience only if or just because I was? Bapu has drawn me to Him and that is in itself a special experience....a blessing, don't you think?"

Yes indeed! That Bapu drew me to Him is just it! It is THE blessed experience, the largest of all so I believe. 

Consider the population of our country or even that of the world. The figure is immense. Among these, let us say a few hundred thousand come to Bapu and I happen to be one of them. Is that not special enough? It is my Bapu who is great and it is to Him that I owe this great blessing, the greatest of all.

'The experience! The experience!' That is what you keep harping on. Why? 

I came to Bapu and I now have family, close ones who are ever willing to go all out to help me and in a way that even my actual relatives do not, I have dear ones who are always there for me although it is not really long since we connected with each other, I have near ones who extend all kinds of help – physical, monetary or any other. In the times that we live, it is common occurrence that the son turns his back on the father and siblings are always at daggers drawn and here my Bapu family very happily comes to my help and every single time. They become part of my circumstances like they become part of my family. If there is trouble, I get help at odd hours too; there are people who do everything from helping with the last rites to actually being present at the cremation – what my relatives usually shun and recoil from as for them it wears layers of misconceptions and fear. My Bapu family however considers it a sacred commitment – they do it out of concern, they do it without fear. 

That exactly has been my gain, that is what I learnt since I came to Bapu. I attained the strength to speak up against injustice, I received the strength of mind. Strength and forthrightness conquered the kingdom of fear that reigned over my mind. Fear had to flee. Earlier, I tended to finish off religious rituals and treated them like a drill. Now it is different. Bapu has shown me the way to connect with the bhagavanta while I perform religious acts and ceremonies. They are no longer mere physical or manual acts that I be done with. These and so many such have been my 'experiences' since I became part of the Bapu family. 

There are people who, noticing Bapu's photograph on the pen tucked in my pocket or on the broach clipped to my shirt say to me, "Oh so Bapu is your Sadguru! Can you tell me something about Him 'in brief'? They are the kinds who are collectors of information. They want it but in a concise portion. Even if you give them 'brief' information, their response is, "I really do not think I will be able to come there and do all that you do." In actual fact they are only interested in outwitting you or in whiling away time. I have usually the following to say to such people:

"Look! I describe the taste and flavour of a dish. But then to know and enjoy the taste and the dish as such, you will have to actually taste it yourself if you haven't tasted it before is it not?" To understand and get to know Bapu, you have to come and see Him, listen to Him, listen to what He has to say and then you will know what he is all about. It is not enough to merely listen to my words about Him." More than half of those who are critical of Bapu have never come to Bapu's discourse, I can tell you that. They form their opinions based on lies and baseless prejudices of sadistic persons. 

There are many who come to Bapu owing to the 'experiences' that their acquaintances have had by Bapu's grace. The 'experiences' that their friends, their relatives, their neighbours have been blessed with draw them to Bapu. I am not implying that it is wrong to be drawn to Bapu due to the experiences of other people, no it is not. But then there are those who come because they want and expect an 'experience' all because their neighbour or friend had one, they test Bapu based on whether they get to experience such a special moment and in the event of even the slightest disappointment they go away from Bapu or start expressing their displeasure and annoyance. Talk of Bapu and they become irritable and build walls around themselves. They then get trapped in the maze of doubt and misgiving, they brood and end up depriving their own selves of joy. I am sure most of these repent and secretly admit to themselves that going away from Bapu was the biggest mistake in their life but they walk away pompously and they walked away in conceit which they cannot help but build around themselves like a closing wall. How to break through it or cross it is the big question!

I have just the one question to ask to one and all and may we all ask ourselves this question and look for the answer inside of us. 'Do we really have unflinching trust in Bapu? Or are we merely looking for 'The Experience'? 

We want things to fall in our lap. We want things to happen instantly. Bapu did it for 'X' or Bapu gave it to 'Y' so why not me? We tend to overlook the fact that every thought that crosses my mind, is open to Bapu. Will He not know that I desire a certain thing? (be it a job or a car or any other thing). If what happened in my case was against my wish, I have to understand that what happened was the most appropriate, the one apt thing for me. In fact getting what I asked for could have meant problems for me! What I must understand, trust and firmly imbibe is, Bapu is not here to give me what I ask for, He is here to give me what is right for me. 

Moreover, if this thought is my guiding principle, my norm in life I am bound to be blessed with an 'experience' at every step. 

We may all recall one of Saibaba's twelve pledges:

Jo jo maj bhaje jaisha jasha bhave 

Taisa taisa pave me hi tyasi

(I bless and grant fulfillment to the one who gives himself to me in bhakti and I do it corresponding to the kind of sentiment and love in his heart)

'He' is with His mates at all times, 'He' is their eternal companion.

Jethe jato tethe tu maza sangati

Chalavisi haathi dharoniya

(You are with me, my companion at all times. Holding me by my hand, You guide me at every step)

To the world I say, the change that happened in me is for me the biggest 'experience' that I have, the greatest ever blessing that Bapu gave to me.

 || HARI OM ||