13th May

That special day when she waited in the hot sun for her Guru with Payasam in hand and the wait went on too long… Read on to see how that story of Grace unfolded for Nandini Sundar, a journalist from Bangalore.

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My association with the Art of Living goes back over 10 years, to August 2011, when on a sunny Sunday evening, I found myself pulled into what at that time I did not know was a Satsang with Gurudev. That was my first meeting and first interaction with the Master. Needless to say, there has been no looking back since. My life has changed 180 degrees after that interaction. The journey since then has been nothing but Showers of Grace, clearing the path, the unseen hand holding me and propelling me forward. And when the journey got too tough to negotiate or impossible to pass through, the same hands were physically lifting me up and transferring me onward.

While there have been many serious interventions and abundant, continuous Guru Grace over the last decade, I decided to pick one that happens unfailingly every single year and leaves me stunned every single time: My meetings with the Master every single year on His Birthday.

On Gurudev’s Birthday, the crowds gathered have to be seen to be believed. To connect with Him on that day is nothing short of a miracle. But it happens to me every single time, in the most unbelievable fashion. And every single time, the Payasam I make specially for him and hold in my hand, without having eaten anything till he takes it from my hands, will be reached out and taken from my hands directly, however large the crowd may be. And it would leave me stunned, amazed every time at the level of His Grace.

I shall relate the story of just one such year when I came to the ashram, all dressed up, and holding that precious Payasam I had made with all the Shraddha and love. It was around 9 am in the morning, outside Yagyashala, and I decided to post myself there and wait for him, dressed in a beautiful saree as it was the most beautiful day of the year. I waited in the May heat for more than 45 minutes, getting restless as there was no sign of him. Another 15 minutes and I heard that He was in Gurukul, in Puja, and unlikely to come in the next hour or so.

I realized I was not going to see Him soon and got upset, angry as I was also extremely uncomfortable in my saree. I then walked to the gate and asked the security guard when Gurudev was likely to come. I was shocked when the security guard told me, “Didi, go to Gurukul, He is there.” I said, “But Bhaiya I am not allowed to go there without permission.” But he insisted I should go and almost forced me to go to Gurukul. I could not fathom this, why was he pushing me there?

I decided to walk down, in the mid-summer heat, gathering my saree, and speaking to Gurudev in my mind, ‘Why are you making me walk in this heat, in a saree, when you know fully well they will not allow me?’ I continued walking, grumbling to myself, sure that I would be shooed away on reaching Radha Kunj gate. But all of a sudden, a shuttle comes next to me and the driver says, “Didi, you want to go to Gurukul, please get in, I will take you.” I was speechless.

Here I am thinking how will I enter and then a shuttle comes to pick me up and drops me right outside Gurukul!!

I enter Gurukul and I see all the senior teachers gathered there. I walk down and reach the puja Mantap doorstep. As soon as I reached the doorstep, Gurudev turns, looks at me straight in the eye, those beautiful eyes silently telling me, ‘You have reached now, will you stop grumbling now?’ Needless to say, all thoughts drained out of my head and I truly became hollow and empty!

The puja gets over and Gurudev comes outside, looks at me, smiles, indicates with his eyes that I am looking nice all dressed up, and then reaches out to take that precious Payasam from my hands, waves, and leaves!

I realized then, the Master is with me always, forever. I only do not recognize it and the small mind complains endlessly!