[We were discussing about Guruji’s rebukes….]
Guru Maharaj talked about Bhajan more in details, but He told about Himself also. He said that He suffered very much troubles in His own life. And this trouble was so difficult, it was surely impossible to tolerate for a man. This was difficult to understand also. He wandered on foot road to road in the hill, jungle, society without food, without sleep. Many men of the society and the Mohanta (the head monk of a monastery) tortured Him. Occasionally His stomach ignited. Then He needed a lot of foods. But where would He collect so much foods if this occurred in road or a devotee’s house? So, perhaps He went to a pond and He ate lily or other flowers (which were edible) what He got in His hands. Once He ate coirs after eating many food items at Jagada’s house in Raina. He solely ate hotch potch cooked for 15/16 men. This was happened many times in His life. But He forbade His disciples to maintain troubled living.
Bhajan did not obey His words appropriately. He created problems to make his principles important. But I have thought later that “we are all Bhajans.” How many devotees are obeying Guruji’s orders properly? The disciples are not doing it. As a result, they are being punished. Bhajan’s austere ascetic practice or one’s trouble created by himself – this was very much painful to Guruji. Because Swami Paramananda was lovable, kind hearted, affectionate – father, mother, friend ! How will he endure troubles of His near and dear ones? So, He sent Bhajan back to his father’s affectionate lap.
I can remember Japani of Banagram. She was suffering from blood cancer. Guruji was stunned seeing Japani when her parents and others brought her to Guruji’s kuthia. Being extremely passionate, Guruji repeatedly murmured – ” This very fatal disease came to my dear ones!! This very fatal disease came to my dear ones!! ” ( Then Japani’s parents and others also did not know the actual disease which Japani was suffering from). He advised her parents to transfer Japani to Kolkata for the treatment as soon as possible. However, Guruji was very much painful seeing Japani who was almost to die. He was totally kind hearted towards her. That day, the sitting was not held well.
When it was known that Tarun (Swami Gambhirananda) was suffering from brain tumour, immediately Guruji said that it was cancer. Then Tarun lived at Raina Tapoban Ashram. Guruji made a diet chart for Tarun.
After Tarun’s death, one day Guruji said – “He was very much ill. It is not possible for him to achieve the ultimate goal (to succeed in austere ascetic practice) with this weak body. So, he has to reborn with a new body. Then, he will achieve the ultimate goal, perhaps.”
Damn it! I expressed my sorrow to remember those incidents. Rather, we come back to the ‘rebuke episode’. In Swami Paramananda’s world, the man who was rebuked by Guruji to the maximum, was Jayram Da of Kalna. He worked in L.I.C. Besides, he was the son-in-law of the Goswami family of Banagram. If Jayram Da was present in the sitting – of course, he was rebuked by Guruji for any cause. But, which day Jayram Da was present in the ashram, we were glad thinking that Guruji will not become silent today – there will be much discussions today, of course. ( Many times it was happened that there was held an accident somewhere in any part of the world, perhaps – this accident impressed heavily on Him. That time, He became silent.) Jayram Da surely asked Him this or that.He was rebuked by Guruji at last because there were no consequences of his enquiries.
However, oneday I and Joydeep were astonished seeing jayramda’s joyful gesture after he was rebuked by Guruji. I am telling the incident. That day, Guruji was discussing in high levelled mood – He was discussing from Vedas, Vedantas, Puranas, various religious theologies, various writings of noble and great men – which have obtained the class of theology….. He was discussing these all . Jayram Da was not understanding these discussions properly. This time when Guruji once said – “rom rom me Ram” (Lord Ram is in the every pore), at once Jayram Da came back in his old form. Instantly he said to Guruji, ” Hey, Guruji, you visited Rome. Is not it right?” At this enquiry, the rhythm of Guruji’s holy speeches was disturbed. He became silent. ( Once Guruji said that when He delivers holy speeches He does not say it from any book read by him or rote- learning. When He starts to talk, everything is present in front of Him like a television screen and He says everything seeing those things. But if disturbance occurs during saying, rhythm is broken. As a result, He became silent. And when He became silent, usually we became silent also. But, there were exceptions – such as Jayram Da, Ashu doctor (of Karimpur).
That day Guruji was silent and of course, Jayram Da knew that Guruji was silent for his behaviour. In spite of this, Jayram Da asked Guruji again – ” Guruji, Lord Jesus was the inhabitant of that place(Rome) – is it not?”
Instantly Guruji told him, “Hey, Jayram! you should learn how to become quiet and how to become silent being seated for a while. You are only moving from one branch to another like a monkey!! Are you not noticing, many devotees are sitting here being silent!!”
We thought- alas! We will miss Jayram Da in the next sitting. He was insulted in such way today ! Besides, he was the son-in-law of Banagram, he will not surely come to the ashram again, perhaps !!
After then, on that day Jayram Da did not create any disturbance. Guruji used to end his sitting 11 a.m to 12 noon. When He stood up, we also stood up and we went to the kitchen for our lunch. But, among us, who were addicted to smoking, made a halt beneath the banyan tree of the ashram. They smoked a bidi or a cigarette, inhaled it at a stretch for a few seconds and we talked about the contexts discussed in that day’s sitting. The fact was that after listening to Guruji’s sitting, continuously for 2-3 hours, everybody’s heads were dizzy. Beneath the banyan tree, inhaling a bidi or a cigarette at a stretch for a few seconds, every smoker felt comfortable. It is good to tell a matter, here. It is, that time there was no difference(at the time of smoking) between senior and junior, rich man and poor man. What is the cause behind this? Guru Maharaj was so noble, so great that all these age differences or class differences were less important than Him.
However, we come back to the main point. We all leaving the sitting – when we saw Jayram Da face to face, we bowed down our heads. We were ashamed at Jayram Da’s plight. But, seeing me Jayram Da raised his voice – ” Did you notice? Guruji addressed me as ‘monkey’ today !! It means when Guruji was born as Lord Ram, then I was surely present in the warrior group of monkey!!” After this, he went to the kitchen when he was talking to another man and smiling.
Hearing Jayram Da’s those words, we could not understand whether he was really a mad or a wise man!!
[Translated by Ramprasad, a former student of Banagram Ashram.]
Guru Maharaj talked about Bhajan more in details, but He told about Himself also. He said that He suffered very much troubles in His own life. And this trouble was so difficult, it was surely impossible to tolerate for a man. This was difficult to understand also. He wandered on foot road to road in the hill, jungle, society without food, without sleep. Many men of the society and the Mohanta (the head monk of a monastery) tortured Him. Occasionally His stomach ignited. Then He needed a lot of foods. But where would He collect so much foods if this occurred in road or a devotee’s house? So, perhaps He went to a pond and He ate lily or other flowers (which were edible) what He got in His hands. Once He ate coirs after eating many food items at Jagada’s house in Raina. He solely ate hotch potch cooked for 15/16 men. This was happened many times in His life. But He forbade His disciples to maintain troubled living.
Bhajan did not obey His words appropriately. He created problems to make his principles important. But I have thought later that “we are all Bhajans.” How many devotees are obeying Guruji’s orders properly? The disciples are not doing it. As a result, they are being punished. Bhajan’s austere ascetic practice or one’s trouble created by himself – this was very much painful to Guruji. Because Swami Paramananda was lovable, kind hearted, affectionate – father, mother, friend ! How will he endure troubles of His near and dear ones? So, He sent Bhajan back to his father’s affectionate lap.
I can remember Japani of Banagram. She was suffering from blood cancer. Guruji was stunned seeing Japani when her parents and others brought her to Guruji’s kuthia. Being extremely passionate, Guruji repeatedly murmured – ” This very fatal disease came to my dear ones!! This very fatal disease came to my dear ones!! ” ( Then Japani’s parents and others also did not know the actual disease which Japani was suffering from). He advised her parents to transfer Japani to Kolkata for the treatment as soon as possible. However, Guruji was very much painful seeing Japani who was almost to die. He was totally kind hearted towards her. That day, the sitting was not held well.
When it was known that Tarun (Swami Gambhirananda) was suffering from brain tumour, immediately Guruji said that it was cancer. Then Tarun lived at Raina Tapoban Ashram. Guruji made a diet chart for Tarun.
After Tarun’s death, one day Guruji said – “He was very much ill. It is not possible for him to achieve the ultimate goal (to succeed in austere ascetic practice) with this weak body. So, he has to reborn with a new body. Then, he will achieve the ultimate goal, perhaps.”
Damn it! I expressed my sorrow to remember those incidents. Rather, we come back to the ‘rebuke episode’. In Swami Paramananda’s world, the man who was rebuked by Guruji to the maximum, was Jayram Da of Kalna. He worked in L.I.C. Besides, he was the son-in-law of the Goswami family of Banagram. If Jayram Da was present in the sitting – of course, he was rebuked by Guruji for any cause. But, which day Jayram Da was present in the ashram, we were glad thinking that Guruji will not become silent today – there will be much discussions today, of course. ( Many times it was happened that there was held an accident somewhere in any part of the world, perhaps – this accident impressed heavily on Him. That time, He became silent.) Jayram Da surely asked Him this or that.He was rebuked by Guruji at last because there were no consequences of his enquiries.
However, oneday I and Joydeep were astonished seeing jayramda’s joyful gesture after he was rebuked by Guruji. I am telling the incident. That day, Guruji was discussing in high levelled mood – He was discussing from Vedas, Vedantas, Puranas, various religious theologies, various writings of noble and great men – which have obtained the class of theology….. He was discussing these all . Jayram Da was not understanding these discussions properly. This time when Guruji once said – “rom rom me Ram” (Lord Ram is in the every pore), at once Jayram Da came back in his old form. Instantly he said to Guruji, ” Hey, Guruji, you visited Rome. Is not it right?” At this enquiry, the rhythm of Guruji’s holy speeches was disturbed. He became silent. ( Once Guruji said that when He delivers holy speeches He does not say it from any book read by him or rote- learning. When He starts to talk, everything is present in front of Him like a television screen and He says everything seeing those things. But if disturbance occurs during saying, rhythm is broken. As a result, He became silent. And when He became silent, usually we became silent also. But, there were exceptions – such as Jayram Da, Ashu doctor (of Karimpur).
That day Guruji was silent and of course, Jayram Da knew that Guruji was silent for his behaviour. In spite of this, Jayram Da asked Guruji again – ” Guruji, Lord Jesus was the inhabitant of that place(Rome) – is it not?”
Instantly Guruji told him, “Hey, Jayram! you should learn how to become quiet and how to become silent being seated for a while. You are only moving from one branch to another like a monkey!! Are you not noticing, many devotees are sitting here being silent!!”
We thought- alas! We will miss Jayram Da in the next sitting. He was insulted in such way today ! Besides, he was the son-in-law of Banagram, he will not surely come to the ashram again, perhaps !!
After then, on that day Jayram Da did not create any disturbance. Guruji used to end his sitting 11 a.m to 12 noon. When He stood up, we also stood up and we went to the kitchen for our lunch. But, among us, who were addicted to smoking, made a halt beneath the banyan tree of the ashram. They smoked a bidi or a cigarette, inhaled it at a stretch for a few seconds and we talked about the contexts discussed in that day’s sitting. The fact was that after listening to Guruji’s sitting, continuously for 2-3 hours, everybody’s heads were dizzy. Beneath the banyan tree, inhaling a bidi or a cigarette at a stretch for a few seconds, every smoker felt comfortable. It is good to tell a matter, here. It is, that time there was no difference(at the time of smoking) between senior and junior, rich man and poor man. What is the cause behind this? Guru Maharaj was so noble, so great that all these age differences or class differences were less important than Him.
However, we come back to the main point. We all leaving the sitting – when we saw Jayram Da face to face, we bowed down our heads. We were ashamed at Jayram Da’s plight. But, seeing me Jayram Da raised his voice – ” Did you notice? Guruji addressed me as ‘monkey’ today !! It means when Guruji was born as Lord Ram, then I was surely present in the warrior group of monkey!!” After this, he went to the kitchen when he was talking to another man and smiling.
Hearing Jayram Da’s those words, we could not understand whether he was really a mad or a wise man!!
[Translated by Ramprasad, a former student of Banagram Ashram.]