5 UK RETREAT Aug 2000
Once, I was supposed to attend Prabuddhanandaji
Maharaj’s retreat in UK Vedanta Center. Tirthankar could not attend and I was
supposed to be there for the whole week. So I connived with our Gurudev, Revd
Swami Dayatmanandaji Maharaj (Head of UK Vedanta Center) that we will keep my
being there a secret and surprise Prabuddhanandaji. So, I reached a day early
and Dayatmanadaji Maharaj went with Shivarupanandaji to the airport to pick up
Prabuddhanandaji Maharaj. They were supposed to arrive around 7:30am. I eagerly
waited at the center and hid behind the main door, watched the three swamis get
down from the car, come inside the center and start walking towards the dining
room. I followed silently behind.
As soon as they reached the dining entrance, Dayatmanandaji noticed and exclaimed: “Maharaj look Dallas is here!” and Prabuddhanandaji swung around to find me with a huge grin! He was shocked! “You? What are you doing here?” He was so shocked that he forgot to acknowledge my pranam with his signature tap on the head. “Oh I came to attend your retreat Maharaj!” was my happy chirpy reply. “Where is Tirthankar?” bewilderedly he asked peering into the kitchen and behind half closed doors. “Tirthankar is in Dallas, he is working Maharaj. Only I came!” He could hardly believe it.
After he settled down a little, he was having breakfast and Dayatmanandaji was serving him. I was chattering as usual and he suddenly pointed to the wall behind me. There was a notice: “Please maintain silence during lunch.” Immediately I retorted: “Maharaj, it’s only for lunch this is breakfast!” And he started calling out loudly “Dayatmananda, Dayatmananda!” I got worried if I was in real trouble. Dayatmananda Maharaj was looking for some pickles for Maharaj and he came rushing. As soon as he arrived maharaj complained like a child: “Dayatmanandaji, Look at this. She was chattering and I showed her the note and she said it’s only for lunch; its breakfast now!” Poor Dayatmanandaji; what could he say! He mumbled: “yes, she is very intelligent!” I was supremely happy.
Of course maharaj was not done so after sometime he started: “Poor Tirthankar. He is all alone by himself. He has to cook for himself.” And I got livid: “What about me, poor me? I am all alone in a foreign land; I have to cook for myself!” He was so happy having scored finally. He loved teasing me.
As soon as they reached the dining entrance, Dayatmanandaji noticed and exclaimed: “Maharaj look Dallas is here!” and Prabuddhanandaji swung around to find me with a huge grin! He was shocked! “You? What are you doing here?” He was so shocked that he forgot to acknowledge my pranam with his signature tap on the head. “Oh I came to attend your retreat Maharaj!” was my happy chirpy reply. “Where is Tirthankar?” bewilderedly he asked peering into the kitchen and behind half closed doors. “Tirthankar is in Dallas, he is working Maharaj. Only I came!” He could hardly believe it.
After he settled down a little, he was having breakfast and Dayatmanandaji was serving him. I was chattering as usual and he suddenly pointed to the wall behind me. There was a notice: “Please maintain silence during lunch.” Immediately I retorted: “Maharaj, it’s only for lunch this is breakfast!” And he started calling out loudly “Dayatmananda, Dayatmananda!” I got worried if I was in real trouble. Dayatmananda Maharaj was looking for some pickles for Maharaj and he came rushing. As soon as he arrived maharaj complained like a child: “Dayatmanandaji, Look at this. She was chattering and I showed her the note and she said it’s only for lunch; its breakfast now!” Poor Dayatmanandaji; what could he say! He mumbled: “yes, she is very intelligent!” I was supremely happy.
Of course maharaj was not done so after sometime he started: “Poor Tirthankar. He is all alone by himself. He has to cook for himself.” And I got livid: “What about me, poor me? I am all alone in a foreign land; I have to cook for myself!” He was so happy having scored finally. He loved teasing me.
The topic of the UK retreat was
IsaVashya Upanishad and he gave us homework to study from the Complete Works of
Swami Vivekananda Vol 2; Jnana Yoga Chapter Title: ‘God in Everything’. This is where he explained that just as the
substratum of gold jewelry is gold similarly the entire universe that we
perceive is actually Brahman. So once Brahman is known (perceived) entire
manifestation becomes known.
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