The Darshan went really well and I was really happy after meeting Gurudev. I met Gurudev once more that week, and I felt that all my questions were answered. It's such a state of bliss one feels on seeing Him, it's truly unexplainable.
The following week, while working with the Ashram Events & Promotions team, news came that Gurudev was going to meet people in the evening. One of my fellow Ashram sevak (volunteer) was the first one to know about it.
He was really excited to meet Gurudev, as this was his first time at the Ashram. He asked me if I could accompany him in the evening at the Darshan queue. I was in two minds.
It was only last week that I had met Gurudev, and secondly there was a lot of pending work. But still I said a 'yes' to my friend, just to keep him motivated. Very soon our day's work was allotted and it turned out that my friend was supposed to visit the city at 4:30 PM which was precisely the time when Gurudev would meet the devotees.
And I was given the responsibility of staying back in the Ashram and handling other matters. My friend was really heartbroken, and I felt very sad for him. I even suggested that we switch responsibilities, but that was not approved by our seniors.
So we went ahead as per the plan. My friend and some other sevaks had already left by 4:30 PM, and I was waiting at my Ashram office, as I was supposed to receive a few guests.
Suddenly I got a call from my senior, saying that I was required to deliver certain items to someone at Budhha Hall (above Vishalakshi Mantap) at 5.15 pm. My desire to meet Gurudev that day was very sublime.
I had this ego that I had already met Him a couple of times last week, and therefore meeting Him again was not so important, and hence I would not be missing much if I did not go for Darshan. Anyway there was a rule for Ashram sevaks to attend to their work first.
So at around 5 PM, I went to the Vishalakshi Mantap to do my work. I was amazed to see a huge crowd near the Secretariat office, and to my surprise, I got to know that Gurudev had replaced the Darshan venue from the usual Badri Vishala to the VM.
So people were rushing out from Badri Vishala and running towards VM to get their best seat. I was very surprised. It was then that my hopes of meeting Gurudev were rekindled, once again. But I had a job to do and time was running out.
So I immediately ran up the stairs to Budhha Hall, and waited for the person I had to meet. Finally, he met me at 5.45 pm, and my work for the day was done.
Luckily for me, Gurudev was late that day. From above I could not see Him, but I could not hear any commotion from downstairs, which meant that He had yet not arrived.
No sooner had I started coming down the stairs, than the entire crowd started cheering when they saw Gurudev entering the VM. And I could find myself a place to stand at the corner. Gurudev came and blessed all of us with His usual Lotus flower.
I had nothing to say to Him. Everything was being taken care of by Him. I just had a feeling of gratitude in my heart. Suddenly it felt so good. I was so happy that I could see Him and receive His blessings, yet again.
I was in a state of pure contentment. It was my ego which came in the way. But nature had arranged the situations in such a way that the events made me realise that my focus should never shift from the Guru.
I was reluctant to go for the Darshan line that day because of my ego, but I eventually landed right there, and I am more than glad that I did. The Satsang post the Darshan went off beautifully.
There was so much of freshness in the air that day. The Ashram is such a magical place, truly. Jai Guru Dev.
- Adwitio Sengupta
