He Does Not Consider Whether We Are Qualified or Not

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Guru Mahārāja first visited Ukraine in 1999. In 2000 I took harināma. This happened during his last visit in 2001. I recall one incident when Guru Mahārāja allowed us to be present at another harināma initiation. It was at a cinema hall and we were with Guru Mahārāja on the stage. Some devotees came to Guru Mahārāja with a desire to take harināma initiation, but they did not speak English. At that time there was one Russian sannyāsī and devotees asked questions through him, but he didn't translate their request to Gurudeva. He replied to them saying, "Oh, you please come next year. We do not know each other. I do not know you. How many years have been practicing? What you are doing? So come next year."
The devotees left that place and then Guru Mahārāja asked him what the devotees were asking. He started to explain to Guru Mahārāja that they say they would like to take harināma from you, but I told them, you just came, we do not know who you are, just go practice and please come next year and you will receive."
Guru Mahārāja then became angry and he said, "Oh! Do you want to send me to hell? It is like I am near a seashore or by some lake and somebody is in the water raising his hand and calling me ‘Help, Help!' and I will tell them ‘Don’t worry, I will help the next day when I know you better; call me tomorrow. Do you want to send me to hell? Go now and bring them back!"
The sannyāsī retrieved them and they got harināma from Guru Mahārāja.
—Ananta Viśvaṃbhara Dāsa
Spoken on July 7, 2023 via Zoom







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