[In the previous episode we were discussing about a letter, which was given by Guruji to Tukudi of Kadamtala…]
In His letter to Tukudi, Guru Maharaj addressed her as “Abhinna hridayeshu” (lt means like – indifferent soul or unitary soul). Later we would see more letters of Guruji to His devotees, where He would also start the letter addressing them as “Abhinna hridayeshu” ! Sometimes He used to write “Priya Atman”(It means like – dear spirit or dear soul) while writing articles in place of “Abhinna hridayeshu” which He addressed in the letters! As this matter became known among the devotees, most of the young educated boys and girls then began to use the same address (“Abhinna hridayeshu”) while exchanging letters with each other !
Guru Maharaj Himself used to write many letters and many letters came to Him every day also. If Guruji put up a sitting somewhere, outside the ashram – I would see that someone from the Ashram would come to Him with many letters, at 2-4 day intervals. Guruji used to read them very carefully. Then He would reply them. Later, when 30- 40 letters or more started coming in a day, He distributed the letters among Joydeep, Keshabananda Maharaj, Swarupananda Maharaj, Murari Maharaj etc., and let them write the reply.
For example, the famous Hollywood film director Stephen Spielberg wrote three letters to Guru Maharaj inviting Him to come to States of America ! The replies of which He let Joydeep write. After leaving Guru Maharaj’s body, one day I asked Murari Maharaj about those (Spielberg’s letters) letters, and he said that he knew nothing about it(i.e the letters were missing from His room).
Let me tell you about a sad incident here_ two or three years after Guru Maharaj passed away, one day I was going for taking my lunch in the kitchen (I used to teach at Banagram High School then and lived with Guru Maharaj’s younger brother Goutam in room no. 17_ of Sadhana Bhavan). I saw that a Brahmachari who was in the charge of the godown of the Ashram at that time (his name was Sadananda Bishwakarma, his home was towards Ranigunj. He was a famous mechanic. There are as many carts in the Ashram as are used to carry food to the kitchen or to take milk or food from the barn, they are all made by him. He made a shutter with the small and very thin wooden decks and made everyone amazed. ) scattered 3/4 sacks of letters on the way to the kitchen.This incident I referred, might be of 2002- 2003 . I asked him, ‘Why have you thrown the letters on the street? Everyone is trampling away!!! ”
He was from Bihar. As a result, he used to tell bengali in a typical way. So, in that way he said, “What will you do ?? It was packed in the godown for 2/3 years. No one bothered. So I gathered these on the street to show everyone. The Ashram authority can notice at it, otherwise I will throw it in the garbage out of the Ashram. ”
I took a few coloured envelopes from the pile of letters and saw that most of these were all foreigner’s letters, given to Guru Maharaj. I picked up three or four letters and put them in my pocket after bowing down my head to these letters. I saw that most of the letters were written by Italians or Norwegians and written in very simple English. Because English is the second language in those countries too. In the letters, extreme respect and devotion to Guru Maharaj were seen ! Each of these letters was held by Guru Maharaj, which meant that the letters captured the touch of the Guru Maharaj’s hand(the hand of God himself!) and also the devotion and love of different devotees for the Guru Maharaj !! All these did not get any value !!! The letters might have been thrown away after being spread like 2/3 days.
[Translated by Rajarsi Basak, a student of class Ten of Dhatrigram and corrected by Ramprasad, a former student of Banagram Ashram.]
In His letter to Tukudi, Guru Maharaj addressed her as “Abhinna hridayeshu” (lt means like – indifferent soul or unitary soul). Later we would see more letters of Guruji to His devotees, where He would also start the letter addressing them as “Abhinna hridayeshu” ! Sometimes He used to write “Priya Atman”(It means like – dear spirit or dear soul) while writing articles in place of “Abhinna hridayeshu” which He addressed in the letters! As this matter became known among the devotees, most of the young educated boys and girls then began to use the same address (“Abhinna hridayeshu”) while exchanging letters with each other !
Guru Maharaj Himself used to write many letters and many letters came to Him every day also. If Guruji put up a sitting somewhere, outside the ashram – I would see that someone from the Ashram would come to Him with many letters, at 2-4 day intervals. Guruji used to read them very carefully. Then He would reply them. Later, when 30- 40 letters or more started coming in a day, He distributed the letters among Joydeep, Keshabananda Maharaj, Swarupananda Maharaj, Murari Maharaj etc., and let them write the reply.
For example, the famous Hollywood film director Stephen Spielberg wrote three letters to Guru Maharaj inviting Him to come to States of America ! The replies of which He let Joydeep write. After leaving Guru Maharaj’s body, one day I asked Murari Maharaj about those (Spielberg’s letters) letters, and he said that he knew nothing about it(i.e the letters were missing from His room).
Let me tell you about a sad incident here_ two or three years after Guru Maharaj passed away, one day I was going for taking my lunch in the kitchen (I used to teach at Banagram High School then and lived with Guru Maharaj’s younger brother Goutam in room no. 17_ of Sadhana Bhavan). I saw that a Brahmachari who was in the charge of the godown of the Ashram at that time (his name was Sadananda Bishwakarma, his home was towards Ranigunj. He was a famous mechanic. There are as many carts in the Ashram as are used to carry food to the kitchen or to take milk or food from the barn, they are all made by him. He made a shutter with the small and very thin wooden decks and made everyone amazed. ) scattered 3/4 sacks of letters on the way to the kitchen.This incident I referred, might be of 2002- 2003 . I asked him, ‘Why have you thrown the letters on the street? Everyone is trampling away!!! ”
He was from Bihar. As a result, he used to tell bengali in a typical way. So, in that way he said, “What will you do ?? It was packed in the godown for 2/3 years. No one bothered. So I gathered these on the street to show everyone. The Ashram authority can notice at it, otherwise I will throw it in the garbage out of the Ashram. ”
I took a few coloured envelopes from the pile of letters and saw that most of these were all foreigner’s letters, given to Guru Maharaj. I picked up three or four letters and put them in my pocket after bowing down my head to these letters. I saw that most of the letters were written by Italians or Norwegians and written in very simple English. Because English is the second language in those countries too. In the letters, extreme respect and devotion to Guru Maharaj were seen ! Each of these letters was held by Guru Maharaj, which meant that the letters captured the touch of the Guru Maharaj’s hand(the hand of God himself!) and also the devotion and love of different devotees for the Guru Maharaj !! All these did not get any value !!! The letters might have been thrown away after being spread like 2/3 days.
[Translated by Rajarsi Basak, a student of class Ten of Dhatrigram and corrected by Ramprasad, a former student of Banagram Ashram.]