My mother and I were fortunate enough to serve
guruji during his stay in Chandigarh. It was then that I had the opportunity to
observe him from close quarters. What people in general saw; were probably his silken
robes; and assumed he liked luxury and comfort, but what we saw was completely different.
The silk robes were given to him by his
disciples some as a thank you for saving someone life or maybe on the marriage
of some one life or maybe on the marriage of their children.
These dresses he wore once or twice and
then gave them away as parshad to any one of his many followers. He had absolutely
no possessions of his own except a shaving kit, which too was given by someone.
He ate simple food, half of which he distributed
amongst those sitting around him. Every night, we would prepare his
bed on the floor, for he never slept on the bed. Having been his disciple for
many years before this, I had never seen this side of him.
His simplicity, humility and innocence
put many of us to shame. I remember an incident where guruji was distributing
chapattis during a stopover at his village. One chapatti fell down, and as my
mother lifted it up to put it aside, he told her not to throw it and that he
would eat it himself.
Such was his humility and kindness. He
never ate before his sangat and never let anyone go without feeding them. No
one was allowed to put money at his feet, like it is usually done in India, as
a sign of respect to a saint. Whatever gifts he received from the sangat he
would further distribute them. He kept nothing with himself.
