It was July, 1993 and a Saturday morning - I was driving on Highway
401 West to a residential address in Mississauga, a small satellite
city bordering western Toronto. I had heard a new Guru, a Sri Ganapathi
Sachchidananda Swamiji, was in town, and I wanted to check out the situation.
I was a bit sceptical about this Swami because I had not heard or read
of Him before.
Back in
1984, my wife and I had our first exposure to the Guru Tradition - of
Spiritual Masters, Enlightenment, and the Spiritual Life. In the ensuing
years, many beautiful summers were spent in the Catskill Mountains with
Gurumayi Chidvilasananda of Siddha Yoga. Our hunger to know more about
the Great Masters and theirTeachings
had become insatiable, and we gobbled up every spiritual book we could
lay our hands on. We did not miss the darshan of any renowned Guru or
Saint who visited Toronto; but somewhere deep inside, we did not feel
any binding connection. We were beginning to believe we were not yet
ready for a Spiritual Master; perhaps we would never be ready in this
incarnation.
It was
about this time that we were informed of Swamiji's visit to Toronto.
We had reservations about attending but, at the same time, we did not
want to offend our friends who had extended this invitation. It was
agreed that I would attend the Saturday morning program and checkout
this Guru with the wild beard and rock-star skills on the synthesizer.
So there I was, on my way.
As I approached
the address, my analytical mind was on high alert and cautious. Cars
were parked on both sides of the narrow residential street. People with
brightly coloured sashes hanging over their shoulders or tied around
their waists were moving hurriedly about, some naked from the waist
up. These were warning signs, but the thing which triggered my panic
button were the multi-coloured flags which lined both sides of the driveway.
The mind's immediate reaction was "cult"! I drove right
past the house, turned around and headed back home.
On my return
home, I did not want my wife to know I had panicked. I told her I could
not find the address. I confessed the truth to her later that day, but
after I described what I had seen, she herself became just as leery.
Yet, there was something in us which would not let the matter rest.
We talked about it all evening, weighing whether or not we should attend
the next morning program in Brampton. We eventually decided that we
would, for our friends' sake, go to the "Musical Concert for
Meditation and Healing" the next evening.
We did
not know what to expect. We arrived early, found good seats, and looked
at the frenzy of activities on the stage while people slowly filled
the hall. Then someone announced that Swamiji had arrived. And there
He was - entering through the stage back door and walking to the synthesizer
table set up on the middle of the stage - a Being in a strange pink
outfit and a loose black beard reaching past His chest. As He sat there
fine-tuning the synthesizer and giving instructions to the accompanying
musicians, I was keenly observing Him - observing every movement of
body, of arms, of fingers, of eyes, and I knew immediately that such
graceful movements could only happen to a Being who was totally relaxed
and fully alert. At that moment, I knew I was in the presence of Divinity.
All barriers dropped.
I have
always been a lover of music and have a special passion for Indian music.
There is, however, an experiential difference between listening to recorded
music and live music. A live concert is a living force which can penetrate
your very being and bring about a state of awareness where there is
only listening. I fell immediately in tune with Swamiji's music.
An energy field of peace and quiet was beginning to fill the hall. I
listened attentively as he spoke about the healing principle of ancient
Indian Ragas - how the ancient sages of India discovered the relationship
between sound and the natural laws of the universe and the human body,
and created a system of Ragas through which music was used to promote
physical and emotional balance and healing.
I began
to silently pray to this Master. You see, for several years I had suffered
with prolonged periods of a severe skin disease. I had seen the best
specialists in Toronto, but outside of medication which helped to give
temporary relief, none was able to heal this illness permanently. The
constant itching and the regular need to apply medication in most sensitive
areas had brought about a state of hopelessness and, in its wake, severe
depression. At that time, another bout of psoriasis was appearing, but
I had decided not to return for medication. I asked this Guru for His
help, and with the tears flowing, and as best as I could manage, I allowed
my mind to merge with His music. I imagined waves after waves of the
beautiful melodies washing through my body, cleansing, purifying and
healing me. The body and mind relaxed in a wonderful experience.
Then an
astonishing thing happened - amidst a cascade of ever-increasing drum
beats, Swamiji entered the audience with a huge crystal wand, moving
slowly amongst the people, and occasionally He would touch a forehead
with the crystal. He went past me, turned around and stopped for a moment,
came back and touched my right shoulder with His hand. I was taken by
surprise! It felt like a quick flash of static energy coursing through
my body. I was dumbfounded! Swamiji returned to the stage and the music
continued, but this shock-like state remained for awhile. The connection
with my Spiritual Master was made. The next evening, my wife and I took
initiation.
Several
weeks had gone by, and we were beginning a relationship with the Datta
Yoga Centre of Canada. I had not been using any medication for the psoriasis
and noticed the sores were healing on their own. Soon they were gone
and did not return for about two years. I used to get them about every
six months before I met Swamiji. When they did return, there were just
a few small areas which quickly healed on their own. By then, we were
listening regularly to a collection of Swamiji's music and bhajans.
Now we
are in the year 1999, and this skin disease has not returned. I have
no doubt that it is completely gone, healed by Swamiji's Grace
flowing with His Divine music. I am indeed deeply grateful and thankful
to Beloved Gurudeva for removing this disease.
In November
of 1996, I was beginning to experience tightness in the chest area.
It was intermittent, and since I am prone to lung infections, I thought
it might be just a respiratory problem setting in. I decided to visit
the doctor just in case. He found it was my heart and it was serious
enough to need immediate attention.
The last
few years have seen a severe decline in the quality of health care services
in Canada because of deep cutbacks in government funding. Reduction
in hospital beds and professional staff resulted in dangerously long
waiting periods for critical medical attention. Bearing in mind this
medical climate, the events which unfolded in my situation showed without
a question of a doubt that Swamiji was the invisible Puppeteer.
My doctor
called the hospital and arranged for my arrival in the emergency department.
Within a few minutes I was given a bed in the emergency cardiac area
- unusual. The heart specialist on call was in the hospital at that
time, and my doctor was able to speak to him directly and without delay
- accidental? Within minutes he was down to check me and ordered certain
tests - again unusual. In less than two hours, I was hospitalized in
the coronary care unit to wait for a cardiac angiograms - unbelievable;
first, there were others who had been in the emergency department before
me and had to wait about six hours before being transferred to coronary
care; second, unless it was a critical case, you would be sent home
with appropriate medication and appointments for different tests and,
eventually, for cardiac angiograms.
I was scheduled
for a cardiac angiograms in seven days and was transferred to the coronary
disease ward. Two days later there was a cancellation, and I was slotted
in - there were many in the ward who were there before me and whose
problems were far worse than mine. How do I explain this? The angiograms
test disclosed a partially blocked artery and angioplasty treatment
was prescribed. This treatment could only be done at another hospital,
and the waiting period was about eight weeks. At this point, most patients
are sent home with medication and an eight-weeks-later appointment.
My cardiac specialist decided to keep me in the hospital just in case
an opportunity should arise where I could be slotted in earlier. The
patient next to me, whose case was far more serious than mine, was sent
home to wait his eight weeks. Yes, I felt a bit guilty but I knew this
was the working of Swamiji.
I had set
up a small pooja area on the wide windowsill next to my hospital bed.
I had a picture of Swamiji, a flowering plant and the Guru Gita text.
I continued my morning spiritual oblation to Gurudeva, read a portion
of the Guru Gita, and offered a fresh flower. My walkman was in continuous
use filling my consciousness with Swamiji's mystical music and
bhajans. It was December and Christmas was not far away. I had resigned
myself to the fact that I would be spending Christmas in the hospital.
Then, to
my utter surprise, nine days later I was informed that I would be on
an ambulance to the other hospital early next morning for the angioplasty.
No explanation was given and, until today, I still do not know how this
opportunity came about. Every step of the way I had been given priority
attention, as though some invisible force was directing the events in
my favour.
It was
late in the evening when I was informed. I thought I would offer fresh
flowers in the morning to Sri Swamiji but did not have any. I called
my wife to inform her of my good luck. She was very happy but it was
too late to bring flowers. She said she would offer flowers at home.
That night sleep was not sound. I had never had surgery before. I am
not good at handling physical pain, and there was the fear of the treatment
failing. I found myself doing a lot of Mantra Japa. I woke up earlier
than usual, visited the bathroom and was about to perform pooja when
I noticed that a fresh flower from a flowering plant I had placed next
to the pooja was sitting in front of Swamiji's picture. I was taken
aback! There was no possibility of it dropping off. These flowers were
so intact that one would have to use some force to break them off the
stem. I was mystified and filled with awe. The Master Himself had fulfilled
my desire! I knew for certain He was with me and would be all the way.
The shock
of this experience brought in its wake a serenity in which all fear
and worries disappeared. Angioplasty with a stent inserted in the artery
to keep the blockage open was performed successfully that day.
This whole
process, from beginning to end, took seventeen days for me - a process
which was normally taking an average of two and a half months as hospitals
struggled to reduce their budgets. Who knows what could have been the
consequences for me if I had been sent home to wait as most people were?
There is no question that Gurudeva's Compassion was with me and
His Grace was ever protecting and taking care of me during those seventeen
days.
Thank You,
Beloved Master.