A Day with A Monk

Embodiments of Love!

Rajagopal: “Are a Monk, Buddhist Monk?”

Monk:  “Yes, I am from Nagpur, Maharastra; Are you reading Sanskrit?”

Raj:  “Yes Guruji!”

Monk:  “Where are you going?”

Raj:  “Indore”

Monk:  “Are you from South?”

Raj:  “Yes Tamilnadu”

Monk:  “Eppadi erukkae?” (How are you?); I speak 13 languages including Pali, Rajastani Language in which many of the Buddhist scriptures are available!”

This was a portion of the conversation I had with a monk who boarded the Air India flight from Bhopal; I was on my way to Indore from Delhi after attending a meeting in our Gurgaon office on 23.4.2012, Monday.

if you believe in miracles you can read further; otherwise please do some other useful work

till Saturday 21 st evening I was not sure that on 23 rd Monday I would be going to Delhi for the meeting; Boss telephoned and suggested I should come; immediately I arranged the ticket for the morning flight on 23 rd to Delhi from Indore; after my prayer before leaving home I referred to the calendar; it was “ Krithigai” my fasting day with a focus on Lord Karthigeya, younger Brother of Ganesha.

I was upset that I would not be able to visit my regular temple as I would be landing at Indore at 8.30 pm by when the temple would have been closed.

in the morning flight I got seat 10 c in Jetconnect; after my settling down there was a small turbulence; a man in white( I am not making a film or story similar to Men in Black) with a saffron duppatta, sat on seat no 10 a ; later on I leant he was Shri.Kailash Vijayvargiya, Madhya Pradesh Industry Minister,

In the Hindu system seeing a minister is seeing a king an equivalence of God-Darshan, seeing God!

in the evening while returning, one on my colleagues who came by morning Air India flight got a seat in the row 22 for the return journey ( the boarding pass was issued in the morning only as his to and fro flights were the same) and wanted me and another colleague  to have a seat  in the same row next to him; we requested the issuing lady and she said she would try her best; but my another colleague got a seat in row 22 opposite to our side and I got 23 b;

I started reading “ Subhashitani” from my Sanskrit book; flight was from Delhi to Bhopal, then Bhopal to Indore, Then Indore to Mumbai.

Now I think you would have made out how I happened to meet the monk! At Raja Bhoj Airport ,Bhopal ( myself and Nandhini love that name as it is related the king associated with kalidasa who ruled this land with Ujjain as capital) some people from Delhi got down; from Bhopal this monk boarded the plane.

I have a flash back: it was 7.30 when it landed at Bhopal; thinking Karthigeya in my mind I just prayed telling him that he would miss me that day and started doing my circumambulations mentally; then this saffron monk came nearer me and occupied 23 a , seat just next to me. I saw my Karthigeya in HIM!

Conversation continues:

Raj: “when I visited Sabarmati Ashram last week, I purchased a book on Gandhi related to Prayer.

Monk: “Okay, good!”

Raj: There was an interview of one Dr Fabri, who was a Buddhist with M K Gandhi.

Monk: “Good”

Raj:  “Dr Claims that there is no God and Buddhism does not recommend any God, whereas Gandhi disagrees, stating that the posture of Buddha in the statues is one of deep prayer; who is correct?”

Monk: “Many Buddhists believed that Gandhi himself was a Buddha as he was good at meditation!”

Raj:  “Guruji, please answer my question”.

Monk:  “There is no God”

Raj:  “How do we attain “Nirvana?”

Monk: “By removing the desires and strengthening Vairagya( steadfastness)!”

Raj:  “Do you believe in Miracles Guruji?”

Monk: “YES I do, my son!”

Then Rajagopal narrated about his “Upavas” (fasting) and his desire to see God on that particular day, of course in the temple.

Raj:  “Guruji I have seen my God in you!”

Monk:  “Yes I agree, of all the people I happened to sit near you, and you had a conversation with me for 30 minutes from Bhopal to Indore; you are blessed”

Raj: “Then is it God’s wish Guruji that we should meet?”

Monk:   “Ha ha ha, type “vipassana” in Google and try meditation”

Then He placed his hand on my head and blessed me!

Is there God Friends?

Morning met a King and in the evening a Monk!

Should I derive some meaning from these things?

I am confused as ever

धन्यवाद:

See you in the next episode

With lots of love

rajagopal

24.4.2012