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His Only Position is in Service

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When I first saw Srila Gurudev it was in Kolkata math. He was seated on a little mat and he just looked up and he said to me: you sit down please you sit down. So I sat down. I was young at that time and more stupid than I am today. I hope not as bad anyway— hopefully, the chanting has done something I didn’t know what to say to him. The devotee who had brought to him was named Sudama Brahmacari. On the way to meet Maharaj he had told me they had 28 temples across India. Since I didn’t know what to say [to Gurudev] the first thing I blurted out was, "So, I understand you are head of 28 temples."  He just looked at me. If you know the kind of smile he has, he is never critical never condescending, always... bemused. So he turned to me and , simply said,  "I’m not the head of anything, I am the servant." So from that moment, my affection for Srila Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Maharaj started—right from there. —Akincana Das, UK

He Will Award More and More Service

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Sometimes Guruji would call me and make me sit in front of him. He would tell many stories about his childhood, or sometimes he used to speak about Param Gurudev. One day I asked Guru Maharaj, how do I know if Gurudev, Bhagavan, or Vaisnavas are pleased with my activities? Bhagavan never comes and says, I am pleased with your services, and Vaisnavas also do not. Guru Maharaj gave a very very simple answer to that. He said, there is only a very simple formula: if the object of our worship is pleased with our service, then he will award more and more service. If you are getting more service, and if you are also feeling blissful by getting that service, then you will know that Guru, Vaisnav, and Bhagavan are pleased with your service. How much inclination you are getting to perform chanting, to perform circumambulation of the temple--the more you are getting an inclination to perform these activities, the more you can understand that Guru, Vaiṣṇav, and Bhagavan are pleased with t

He Receives Personal Instructions When Hearing Kirtan

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During Vyasapuja after Guru puja, Srila Gurudev invariably speaks about Bhaktivinod Thakur and says, ye mana durmati samsar bhitare:  I am such a bad man, neck-deep in the material world. You sent your representative to me. Srila Gurudev said that Param Gurudev came to Goalpara for me. Did we go to the forest like Druva? Guru Maharaj came to us in this very city of Chandigarh. Srila Gurudev said that this kirtan Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur wrote is for me.  He saw me fallen and poor, without the name of the Lord with me. He came to give me the good news. He told me to liberate people like you, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu himself has descended in this world.  Do not worry, he has liberated millions like you. Srila Gurudev says, "this kirtan is for me." —Sri Bhakti Vichar Vishnu Maharaj transcribed from Hindi, spoken in Chandigarh, 12/6/2015

His Tridanda Lila

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This is a narration of a nectarean activity of His Divine Grace Srila Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Maharaj that took place during His 1999 US tour. It describes a distressful, but spiritually instructive situation. His Divine Grace and His devoted followers left the New York area after many successful programs and arrived without incident at the Miami airport at approximately 2:30 PM on Thursday August 5, 1999. However, upon checking the status of their baggage, they found to their utter dismay that Srila Gurudeva's tridanda, which was in its own protective flight case, had not arrived with the rest of the luggage. Due to the ignorance and lack of sensitivity of the airline personnel, who did not realize the transcendental position of the person to whom they were speaking, no great effort was made to confirm the whereabouts of the sacred tridanda. This only made the situation worse. Maharaj would not take any sustenance, either liquid or solid, and would not leave the baggage area under

His Perfect Example of a Disciple's Surrender to Sri Guru

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One must surrender to a person who is the most generous, magnanimous, merciful, and affectionate – closer than any mother or father you could think of. We got Harinām from such a guru who is both spiritually and materially very well-conducted throughout his life. For this reason, he has got tons of mercy from so many associates of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur. It wasn't just that they gave mercy, but they were so happy to be in his company. He had so much service mood, he was always ready to carry out any order. He never thought, "Yes, I have done enough." At any time, even in the middle of the night, he was always ready. Śrīla Gurudev would not only consistently perform activities slowly, but he would also always say all the names of the āchāryas of our line. He would say all the names with so much feeling, very carefully. He was standing before me but I could see that he was in a completely different realm. Śrīla Bhakti Rakṣak Śrīdhar Dev Goswāmī Mahārā

Lord Jagannath Fulfills His Desire

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It was cold when we reached Kolkata from Hyderabad on 23rd of December 2011. The sun had shown up around noon time the next day. The information from Chakdah was that it was frigid there, much more than Kolkata. With this news, Srila Gurudev's plan to go to Chakdah was uncertain. Srila Gurudev was totally unwilling to stay in Kolkata while such a grand festival was being observed in Chakdah, but we were worried about the cold. On the morning of December 25th, the sun was bright in Kolkata, marginally warmer than the day before. Srila Gurudev was the first to note the difference in climate and said, "Lord Jagannathdev is very merciful; nothing is impossible for him. He made the climate suitable. It is not good to say that it is cold and we cannot go. I am certain that Lord Jagannath will do something. We can go to Chakdah tomorrow.” But the news from Chakdah was not encouraging—our concern increased, but his determination has not decreased. So on December 26th at 11:0

He Only Performed Kirtan of śrauta-vāṇī

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The following glorification of Śrī Śrīmad Bhakti Ballabh Tīrtha Gosvāmī Mahārāja is a bhāvānuvāda of a lecture spoken on April 8, 2014, the anniversary of his appearance day, by Śrī Śrīmad Bhakti Vijñāna Bhāratī Gosvāmī Mahārāja at Śrī Caitanya Gauḍīya Maṭha, Kolkata: Today is the appearance day of Śrī Rāma-candra, as well as that of my godbrother and the present ācārya of Śrī Caitanya Gauḍīya Maṭha, pūjyapāda Bhakti Ballabh Tīrtha Mahārāja. It is extremely important for sincere sādhakas to observe the tithis of Bhagavān and Vaiṣṇavas, for it is an opportunity to glorify and remember their lotus feet. To neglect glorifying them on such days is certainly an offense. Śrī Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura has written: ĵe vaiṣṇava bhajile acintya kṛṣṇa pāi se vaiṣṇava-pūjā hôite baḓô āra nāi Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata (Antya-khaṇḍa 4.357) By serving the lotus feet of Vaiṣṇavas, one attains the lotus feet of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who is acintya (inconceivable); there is no greater sādhana than this. It

He Loses Himself in Ecstatic Transcendental Ecstacy

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There was one special thing I have seen in Maharaj during kirtan, He used to lift both of his hands saying, “Ha! Krishna prannath kanha vrajendra nandan! Where is the Krishna, who is master of my life?” Then he forgot everything about his surroundings and became indifferent to this world. One time, there was nagarkirtan held in Kolkata. Maharaj was leading the kirtan and he lifted his hands; immediately immersed in the kirtans. His body turned red. He forgot whether the devotees are catching up with his speed of walking or not. He is not putting his hands down for a moment! He is incessantly dancing in transcendental ecstasy! Along with him, I and one more prabhu came very far ahead of the devotees. One was playing mridanga and the other was with kartals. And it so happened then, only three of us were seen doing kirtan on the road near Rasbehari in Kolkata! When I stopped playing kartals and Tirtha Maharaj's trance broke he asked, "Why have you stopped?" I replie

Relating His Childhood Remembrances to Devotional Conclusions

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In my boyhood, when I was a small child, I have seen a steamer (boat) there in Brahmaputra river. That boat was coming and going and making a whistling sound. But I have never seen a train. My uncles and other elders were going and crossing the Brahmaputra to go to another place—it takes about 6 or 7 hours to go. From there, they caught the train and went for higher education. After returning they would say, the train is like this... When I heard them, I got the desire to go on a train. I said, "I shall also go, take me! I shall see!" And they showed me a toy train. By seeing that toy train, I was more insistent to go. Then came their rebuke. "Hey!" You're too small, no time...you have to go to school. After matriculation, then. And I was very dejected. No one giving importance to me. I am a small child and no one giving importance. So much I was dejected! And in the night, I was sleeping by the side of the mother. And there were others. One big bedstea

His Inner Absorption Reduces External Awareness

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His [Srila Gurudev Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Goswami Maharaj] father’s name was Sri Dhirendra Kumar Guhroy and mother’s name was Sudhanshubala Guhroy. His name, given by his father was Kamakhya Charan Guhroy. The personal associates of Supreme Lord descend in human form to rescue the fallen souls in this world. If they come in the form of any demigod then people will request them to fulfill their material desires only and they will not be able to preach the real message of Supreme Lord. That’s the reason they come in human form. Srila Tirtha Goswami Maharaj also came to deliver the sublime message of devotion to the Lord. From childhood itself, he was always staying absorbed in trance. We cannot understand that state. Sometimes when his relatives used to tell him, “It’s the time for you to go to school; will you not get ready to go?” Then he would say, “Oh, yes I will.” And he used to go wearing one footwear of someone else’s and one of his! As he was absorbed in the trance always, he

He Cannot Discard Anything Related to Supreme Lord

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One day our Gurumaharaj [Sri Srimad Bhakti Dayita Madhava Goswami Maharaj] came to Mayapur. At that time, three of us were staying together in Srivas Angan—Krishna Prasad Das Brahmachari (Ashram Maharaj), a disciple of Bhakti Vilas Tirth Maharaj named Vrindavan Das (Bhagavat Maharaj), and I. Gurumaharaj was going for preaching and called Krishna Prasad Das Brahmachari to tell him that Krishna Ballabh will also stay with us there. Guru Maharaj instructed me that I should not serve prasad to Krishna Ballabh in pattal (plate made of plant leaves), that he should be served prasad on his steel plate instead. He also said that I should never give him drum-stick in prasad. I asked Krishna Prasad prabhu, "We all take Prasad on a pattal, why does Gurumaharaj tell us not to give him prasad on pattal?" I could not understand the reason for this. We used leaves from banana trees in Mayapur, so why not serve him prasad on those? I could not understand why not. Krishna Prasad prabh

His Spirit of Devotional Submissiveness

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During Vrndavan Parikrama in 1990, a sannyasi [Srila Gurudev's godbrother] who was sitting for prasad was asked to leave.  One disciple did not allow another disciple to take food and lifted the leaf and threw away. My mind got disturbed very much because even an enemy should be asked to leave when taking prasad and [in this case] it was also a sannyasi. During kirtan, the god-brother had hit Maharaj with his elbow. Still, Maharaj held the view that he should not have been asked to leave when taking food, and moreover he is our god-brother. Where you will find such feelings?  We cannot see, we will not find. This is Vaishnava nature. Mahaprabhu said the first Vaishnava quality as trinadapi sunicena . Keep your feet on the grass and the grass will bend, become submissive. Does it say a word, raise an objection?  A Vaishnava's nature should be like this. I saw this in Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Maharaj. In his company, I feel very peaceful and blissful... —S

He Bestows Supreme Lord's Grace

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The first time I was going abroad [I was] leaving for Europe in December 4, 1998. Maharaj was [at that time] in Delhi Math, so I went for his darshan. The first question he asked was "Who is accompanying you.?" I said I am going alone. He said... "Why are you going alone? Why not you take some one along with you?" [I replied,] "Maharaj, I have no money." "Don’t worry about money," he continued, "That can be arranged." After that, when I took his blessings, he asked, "Do you have sufficient warm clothing?" I said, "Yes, I have." Then he asked me to show them. And I showed him. Then he said, "This is nothing." I did not even know that it will be very severe winter there. He said, "If you wear this and go, then even your blood will freeze and become ice." I felt afraid within. I went to the airport, but was not at all familiar with the airport’s setup and was going all alon

He is Here to Unite All

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I am compelled [to reflect on] why  Mahārāj  appeared on  Śrī   Rāmanavamī  Tithi.  Śrī  Ramacandra is  Maryādā Puruṣottama , giving respect to one and all. I saw this same nature of giving respect to all in  Mahārāj  too. But some of his god-brothers were not respectful towards him and I said once, "Why have you kept them all in the math? Send them away." Then he said gravely, "I am not here in the  maṭh  to chase them away, I am here to unite all." Seeing his line of thoughts I was stunned. Our thinking is: one who is troublesome— send him off! But see his thoughts. Ganesh has a mouse near him, Kartikeya has a peacock, Shiva has a bull and snake with him, and Durgaji has lion—all are enemies of the other. But how are they kept together? On the strength of the Holy Name. So also, if we chant Name with faith, our thinking also will become like this. —Srila Bhakti Vibudha Bodhyan Maharaj Transcribed from a translation of Hindi katha : link here   streamed

His Sweet Simplicity

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Our Guru Maharaj used to say that in Assam, in Bengal people are used to eat a lot of leafy vegetables. One day Guru Maharaj was eating one of these. One of his sisters told us that they asked him, "Eh, Khoka!" (Khoka is addressing a small child with love, a nickname.) "What are you eating?" Guru Maharaj did not know what it was called, but only knew that it was a leafy vegetable, so he told her, "I am eating grass."  So simple. Then everyone started laughing at him calling him 'cow cow..'  Actually he was a cow.  A cow is so sweet, so simple.  Guru Maharaj said, "I did not know what to say, I just kept quiet."  This shows his simplicity, even from childhood.   —Sri Bhakti Suhrid Paramadvati Maharaj transcribed from a recording taken on Vyasa puja, 2019 (Sri Dham Mayapur.) As told to Srila Gurudev's sevaks by those who knew him in childhood

He Respects Whatever is Given

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Once in wintertime, Guru Maharaj's father gave him an overcoat.  He wore it and went to school. Without checking to see how it looked, he just wore it and went.  When he entered the school everyone started laughing at him, but he couldn't understand why. Actually, the coat he was wearing went down to his knees because it was such a big coat that had belonged to some elder gentleman of the family.  The hands of the coat were drooping, and it was so long. Yet,  Guru Maharaj did not find any fault with that coat.  Everybody was teasing him, asking,  "Eh! What are you wearing?  What is this?"  He simply said, "My father gave me." See how he respected whatever had father had given or anything that anyone has given. He thought, my father has given this, so how can I see any defect in it?  It is out of love that he has given, even though others are laughing.  So simple he was. He had no hostility to anyone right from his childhood.  Other brothers, sisters u

He Always Listens to Elders

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During Summer vacations, all the children in Guru Maharaj 's family came together. They had a big family.  His father had 3 or 4 brothers and their children played there too, with their own family including 8 or 10 children. With all of them together it was like a school in the house, about 30-35 kids representing all different age groups.  With so many children together, it usually means they are going to make some nuisance, some mischief.  During Summer vacations when all children are at home, it is very difficult for parents to control the children. One day after lunch, Guru Maharaj's paternal uncle called all the children to come and sit before him. Then he said, "You should all count backward one by one, starting from a hundred and back to one. After you finish counting you can go to play." Near Guru Maharaj's house there is a pond.  The elders feared that the children will fall in the pond and may hurt themselves.  So this plan was devised in order to s

His Spiritual Intelligence

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Tamal Prabhu told us an incidence that illustrates the special way that Srila Gurudev applied his intelligence in service even when he was apparently displaying the pastimes of forgetfulness. During that time some observers may have thought that Srila Gurudev was forgetting things and that he is an old person.  Material intelligence is the wrong term, he has nothing material, but still in the material world what we call this intelligence.  For example, we do not want to accept the root cause, we want only symptomatic treatment; therefore, allopathy as more popular than any of the ancient medicines. So he told us that once he reported to Srila Gurudev that there is a flood in some of the cities of Assam from Brahmaputra river. including Srila Gurudev's janmasthan village, Goalpara. After he reported this, he left Gurudev's room.  After some time, Gurudev rang the bell.  So Tamal Prabhu went inside and then Gurudev spoke to him.  He told, "See, if there is flood in Brahma

He Goes to the Heart of the Problem

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I remember one senior god-brother of ours approached Guru Maharaj, long back and explained that he was not able to get along with his god-brothers, and asked what should be done.  He explained the reply Gurudev had given.  He repeated what Gurudev had said, that even he had this problem in the beginning.  But then, he continued," I completely surrendered myself to the lotus feet of my Gurudev and then all my problems were solved." And this god-brother of mine said that he still I hadn't understood what, how it is done; what it means.  It is a fact, complete surrender, probably till that happens, will not be understood by any of us.   Different devotees recollect how his answers are so unique and something which is irrefutable.  It is complete in itself and is direct.  And sometimes this also happened to us.  In fact, I remember there was a sort of complaint against Guru Maharaj that people would ask him some questions and the reply would be something else.  But wheneve

His Sound Vibration Emanates Directly From Transcendental Reality

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The effect of Srila Gurudev’s sound is unlike anything I have ever heard. Even today when a recording of the same mangalacharan prayers is being played, there is a deep kind of seriousness that is conveyed. That sound is out of the world.   In fact, I remember there was one senior sanyassi, a disciple of Srila Bhakti Pramod Puri Goswami Maharaj told us about when Srila Gurudev was going on Kshetra mandal and Vraj mandal parikrama. He said when our Guru Maharaj describes anything in Vraj mandal—about the place, about the pastimes; it appears as if he is giving live commentary.   He is seeing it and he is telling us what he sees in reality. I have practically experienced the difference in the speech of Gurudev and how it affects me—completely different than when I hear from others.   If I am calling out the holy names or repeating pastimes that we have heard, or singing mangalacharan, it is not at all the same feeling than when we hear from Guru Maharaj.   He is a person wh

He Is the One We Have Always Been Searching For

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One thing I witnessed that is very touching to my heart is an event  I recall that took place in Mayapur. There was an acarya from Sri Vaisnava mission that came with his disciples. He was much younger than Srila Gurudev. When Srila Gurudev came from his bhajan kutir to see him, he walked all the way. I remember Srila Gurudev paid prostrated obeisances to someone that could be the age of his son. He was shaken and could not reciprocate. I was not feeling good to see that, thinking it should be the other way around. But we saw that Srila Gurudev was so blissful. The reciprocation was not sufficient, but he was happy anyway. Maybe even happier than if those respects had been paid to him. Even when he was sitting in the car to leave, Gurudev paid obeisances again outside the car. The humility he was expressing and the bliss on his face is the opposite of an ordinary person. At an advanced age and having so many big positions in the World Vaishnava Association and GOKUL, he taught this

Does He Take Our Karma at the Time of Initiation?

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Before receiving the shelter of Srila Gurudeva, I had often heard in other sanghas that at the time of initiation the spiritual master takes the karma of the disciple. I was confused about this so I asked Srila Gurudeva about it when we were in Mumbai in 2004. Guru Maharaj replied, "In a few rare occasions the spiritual master might do so, like in the case of Jagai and Madai. But normally he does not do it. But what you can get from Sri Guru is faith. And then if you chant with faith, all your karma will go." I felt happy to know that I can get faith from Guru Maharaj. He was also instructing me that deep from within by one's own endeavour, this will go. It needs my sincere endeavour, to keep trying. I prayed to Guru Maharaj to give me faith in the holy name. If I chant with faith, all karma will go. —Urmila Dasi  

He is Uttam Bhagavat Acarya

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Other acaryas seemed to have demonstrated themselves as acaryas according to the demand of time, place, and circumstances. They sometimes had to be assertive and come down to the platform of madhyam adikari to discriminate.  Trivikram Maharaj once said Srila Gurudev is uttam bhagavat in comparison to another godbrother of Gurudev who he called him a jitendria-purush, one who won control over his senses. Regarding Srila Gurudev he said uttam bhagavat—and till now he has never come down from that position. Uttam bhagavat sees Supreme Lord in everyone and pays prostrated obeisances to all—dog and dog-eater, brahmana and shudra—to all, indiscriminately he has seen Supreme Lord in their hearts. He has that vision and pays prostrated obeisances to all living entities. That is a symptom of uttam adikari. He will never come down from there.  When the sole purpose is to serve Supreme Lord, all varieties are possible. Trivikram Maharaj, a disciple of Prabhupada is not an ordinary person, n

His Divine Fragrance Spreads Everywhere

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Whatever prayers generally were taken to Srila Gurudev, by the power of his omniscience, he would take care of those prayers. Externally he may not have promised as much, but he took care. Gurudev said when flower blossoms, it's fragrance spreads all around. No need to advertise.  Many devotees would approach Gurudev to say, Gurudev bless me to go on preaching (prachar). Yet, Gurudev said never have this mood of preaching. Perform kirtan bhakti. If you take up a mood of superiority to someone—that you can rescue them, help them, it may lead to your own fall. Repeat what you have heard from Guru varga for your own benefit, not with the mood to rescue anyone. Prachar is to be done in this mood.  We know that Srila Gurudev always imbibes and practices this. Example is better than precept. He never stopped practicing this, very unique. Until the end, he considered himself like this. Srila Gurudev presents himself and actually believes he's a conditioned soul. Therefore you can

Offering Sadhan Bhajan to Him is the Real Guru Seva

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Of all practices, when one does guru seva, he makes Bhagavan the happiest. Bhagavan Himself says to Uddhava in Srimad Bhagavatam. Guru seva is not just being near to Guru, attending to his needs, massaging his legs, etc. Prabhupada was playing the pastime of illness before leaving this world. When his sevaks asked him to take medicine to get well, he expressed his unhappiness (dukha) that his followers are not taking medicine of Harinam regularly and seriously in the right spirit. Guru is Antaryami, like Bhagavan. So he said, "If you take medicine, I will be cured!" He wanted his followers to do real bhajan. Prabhupada says if we do Bhajan for pratishta, it is kaitava (cheating) not bhajan. They have no unhappiness about their body or health. Guru seva is performed through bhajan— this is vastav seva, real seva. How much time we spend for bhajan? Shravan kirtan is like water to the Bhakti lata beej a fortunate soul gets from Guru after wandering in these 14 worlds for millio

His Big Appreciation for Our Small Efforts

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Within the first few weeks after my very first darshan of Srila Gurudeva, I understood and knew from the core of my heart that if I follow this sadhu and his instructions, then I will be taken care of and I will be rescued. I don't know how many lifetimes it will take, but if I just follow this sadhu, I knew for sure I will be saved. I had met other spiritual personalities, but these were the lotus feet to which I could fully give myself. There were no doubts; I can let go, I don't have to hold back. I might hold back from conditioning, but actually, there is no need anymore. Once in Guwahati, I remember one of Guru Maharaj's gestures. I was there with my sister. When Guru Maharaj came out of the room, I was alone in the crowd of Indians. He saw me from far. I am always amazed he remembered me. He smiled and he gestured with His lotus hand, "Are you staying?" It was like a casual exchange that friends would have with each other. It blew me away. I remember another