A True Saint Appears
Mumbai - a hustling, bustling town of marketplaces, movies, Bollywood film makers and rich and poor living side by side. The town is full of tourists from everywhere, but the children still reach out with intrigue to touch a westerner with a handshake and a hello. While in an internet cafe we hear another westerner talking on the phone. When you hear the familiar sound of someone speaking in your own tongue it really stands out! Daniel strikes up a conversation with him and finds that the man has been here for quite some time. He met a woman and fell in love and is now planning a traditional Indian wedding. He plans to stay after the wedding for about a year. This isn't the first story we have heard like this.
He tells us about a man who gives talks every morning at 9am, a sort of saint. He says that about 50 or so people will be gathered outside his apartment waiting, so it shouldn't be hard to find. When we arrive the next morning we see a small gathering that grows to about 40 by the time we are let in. We feel very welcome as people smile and ask the usual questions: where are you from; how did you hear about Ramesh. We make our way up 4 flights of stairs to the top-floor apartment where we remove our shoes at the door. When we go inside it seems so huge compared to the tiny 10 x 10 motel rooms we've been staying in. Everyone seems to be gravitating towards a small room overlooking the ocean where two couches and several chairs are set up for the sermon. Those without a seat take refuge on the floor close to Ramesh's seat.
When he enters the room everyone stands, out of respect for their guru I suppose, but also to make room for this fragile but fiery 89 year old teacher. He sits and bows, we do the same. Outside we were asked if we had any questions for Ramesh. Some people stepped up, knowing they would be placed front row center. The first woman is addressed, asked her name and her greatest fear in life. She replies, "My greatest fear is to grow old and die alone." He is very playful with her as he begins to turn her question around into, "How can you be at peace in the everyday moments of your life and stop worrying about things?" They go back and forth as he guides her to seeing that there is nothing outside herself that she needs. That money and power and material things only cause more suffering when they are the main focus of our life. That trying to control other people and situations only causes more suffering because we are not in control and will never be. The only thing within our control is our reactions to people and situations outside ourself. He believes that "grace", divine intervention, is happening every moment in every situation and, if we can go with that natural flow, then everything else falls into place.
The hour and a half talk is followed by songs of praise in Hindi that fill the room with love. We all have the opportunity to bow at his feet and say a prayer. When I bowed, I closed my eyes and felt so at peace. When I sat up in prayer at his feet, I knew he could hear my thoughts, just like Ram Dass in Fierce Grace when he was with his guru (teacher). As I opened my eyes, he did too, looking at me with the sweetest gaze of love and acceptance. I didn't want to move but knew others were waiting their turn. What a lovely man. Living so simply here with his elderly wife. Inviting all of these people into his home every day to spread the word of peace. What a blessing to be a part of this. We all left with a true knowing that we found our first saint, not in Pushkar as we had expected, but here in Mumbai (Bombay) amidst the outskirts of this sprawling megalopolis of over sixteen million people.
Please check out Ramesh Balsekar's site at: http://www.rameshbalsekar.com/. His teachings have helped many people find true peace in their everyday lives.
Namaste!
Lynne
From his site: A commerce graduate from the University of London, Ramesh S. Balsekar worked as the General Manager of a leading nationalized Bank and retired as its President in 1977. Even during his working life, he always felt he was enacting some role in a play that must, and would, end soon. Deep within, he believed that there had to be more to life than merely getting ahead of the other man.
He tells us about a man who gives talks every morning at 9am, a sort of saint. He says that about 50 or so people will be gathered outside his apartment waiting, so it shouldn't be hard to find. When we arrive the next morning we see a small gathering that grows to about 40 by the time we are let in. We feel very welcome as people smile and ask the usual questions: where are you from; how did you hear about Ramesh. We make our way up 4 flights of stairs to the top-floor apartment where we remove our shoes at the door. When we go inside it seems so huge compared to the tiny 10 x 10 motel rooms we've been staying in. Everyone seems to be gravitating towards a small room overlooking the ocean where two couches and several chairs are set up for the sermon. Those without a seat take refuge on the floor close to Ramesh's seat.
When he enters the room everyone stands, out of respect for their guru I suppose, but also to make room for this fragile but fiery 89 year old teacher. He sits and bows, we do the same. Outside we were asked if we had any questions for Ramesh. Some people stepped up, knowing they would be placed front row center. The first woman is addressed, asked her name and her greatest fear in life. She replies, "My greatest fear is to grow old and die alone." He is very playful with her as he begins to turn her question around into, "How can you be at peace in the everyday moments of your life and stop worrying about things?" They go back and forth as he guides her to seeing that there is nothing outside herself that she needs. That money and power and material things only cause more suffering when they are the main focus of our life. That trying to control other people and situations only causes more suffering because we are not in control and will never be. The only thing within our control is our reactions to people and situations outside ourself. He believes that "grace", divine intervention, is happening every moment in every situation and, if we can go with that natural flow, then everything else falls into place.
The hour and a half talk is followed by songs of praise in Hindi that fill the room with love. We all have the opportunity to bow at his feet and say a prayer. When I bowed, I closed my eyes and felt so at peace. When I sat up in prayer at his feet, I knew he could hear my thoughts, just like Ram Dass in Fierce Grace when he was with his guru (teacher). As I opened my eyes, he did too, looking at me with the sweetest gaze of love and acceptance. I didn't want to move but knew others were waiting their turn. What a lovely man. Living so simply here with his elderly wife. Inviting all of these people into his home every day to spread the word of peace. What a blessing to be a part of this. We all left with a true knowing that we found our first saint, not in Pushkar as we had expected, but here in Mumbai (Bombay) amidst the outskirts of this sprawling megalopolis of over sixteen million people.
Please check out Ramesh Balsekar's site at: http://www.rameshbalsekar.com/. His teachings have helped many people find true peace in their everyday lives.
Namaste!
Lynne
From his site: A commerce graduate from the University of London, Ramesh S. Balsekar worked as the General Manager of a leading nationalized Bank and retired as its President in 1977. Even during his working life, he always felt he was enacting some role in a play that must, and would, end soon. Deep within, he believed that there had to be more to life than merely getting ahead of the other man.
posted by Lynne | 12:42 AM
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