MEETING WITH MAHASHAKTI

Scholars of Religion

Scholars of Religion

After we had entered Nepal,we had to catch a bus to Kathmandu.It was April but when we got down from the bus we began to tremble with severe cold.An old man started scolding Dr.Misra for not letting him know about the severity of the cold.Dr. Misra was not at all affected by the cold.He was laughing and talking. I also found the cold to be bitter and unbearable.I was praying to Lord Pashupatinath  for respite from the cold. After some time,two or three vans came. We entered the vans hurriedly and the cold was not there.We reached a Buddhist monastery which was very very large and clean. We were given good food and very thick nice blankets.

Under my blanket I was wide awake.I said  to Pashupatinath,"O Lord if you have brought me,Dr.Misra will surely tell us to visit Pashupatinath." The conference on Buddhism and World Peace was not as large as I had expected it to be.But I came to know about some strange and striking facts.I was profoundly disappointed to see the ignorance and fanaticism of the old Buddhist monks. A journalist from The Times of India was with us.
The people there I mean the monks were as stupid as any common man. A Buddhist professor stood up and delivered a long lecture. His utmost emphasis was on the study of the sacred texts of Buddhism.The supreme knowledge can be gained through the study of Buddhist texts. When he asked us if we had any doubts,I stood up and said,"Sir were there book publishers at the time of Buddha?Ramakrishna Paramahamsa was a Class 8 dropout but can any Phd holders be equal to him?" The professor rubbished me and my claims and an equally ignorant IAS officer was there who spoke for some time vaguely and the topic was dropped. Then the TOI journalist related the need for establishing laughter clubs. Being inspired by Buddha,people in the west were forming laughter clubs to get peace. I expressed my desire to ask a question. When allowed,I said,"Is the laughter club peace,peace in Buddha's sense of the word?" The journalist was rendered silent.But revenge shone in his eyes.He told me he would teach me how to write on religion.Here too the IAS officer glossed over what the journalist had said.The IAS officer always played his usual role ,and saved the journalist.

Eventually everyone was requested to give suggestions for the promotion of peace in the world and stop fighting amongst (themselves) religions.I was asked why followers of two different religions fought between themselves.
My answer was that the leaders of those religions were not enlightened and self-realised. They were as ordinary as any common man. They were religious-minded fools,not spiritualistic and were proud of their vast knowledge of the holy books and texts their memories were stuffed with.Because of their bottomless ignorance,they indulged in violent speeches and tried to establish that their religion was the best.The TOI journalist and the fanatical Buddhist professor laughed at me. My former English professor Dr.Ganeswar Mishra stood up and gave a brief speech but they just stopped laughing.These religious people are the worst enemies of the human race.These rascals who have no direct knowledge of Truth are extremely dangerous;they are people solely responsible for communal violence and lack of  peace in the world.

All this while I was thinking of Lord  Shiva.After the conference came to a close,we ate our food. It was evening.We talked about things available in Nepal and as evening came,we went to bed.I hardly slept more than two hours those days.While under my blanket,I prayed to Pashupatinath so that Dr.Misra might take us to the Lord's temple.

While I was still sleeping,a delegate came and told me and the others to get ready for a visit to the Pashupatinath Temple.I expressed my deep gratitude to the Lord and begged forgiveness for having abused Him in very strong language.

We went to the Pashupatinath Temple. I was overwhelmed with ecstasy.I was hiding my tears from others. The visit took us more than two hours. I was experiencing immense pleasure.We came out and boarded a minibus to reach the monastery.There was just a little time to reach the monastery.The delegate sitting by me said,"Don't you think the Parbati Temple was the best of all? " I was shocked to hear that.The Parbati Temple was Mother Kali's temple. I realised that since I didn't attach as much importance to Mother Kali as I did to Lord Shiva,Mother had prevented me from visiting the Parbati Temple.A strong sense of guilt dwelt in my mind without any break. I decided to visit Kali Ghat and begged pardon to Mother there.

In the evening we boarded the train to Kolkata from where we had to go to Bhubaneswar.All night I thought of Mother Kali out of deep repentance.When we reached Kolkata the next day and finished our morning chores,I  broached the topic of the visit to Kali Ghat,but this time too he evaded his assurance,promising me that he and I would together make the visit later on.
I was badly hurt inside. I thought Mother never wanted me to visit Kali Ghat.She also didn't want my rupees 100 because of my ego. I was helpless.

The train arrived and we got on it.My Professor Ganeswar Mishra and I were sitting on window seats facing each other.He asked a question every now and then.I answered him with concealed sadness.I was cursing myself for being egoistic and boastful.There was a minute or two for the train to start its journey to Bhubaneswar.

A fat dark-skinned man entered our compartment and shouted:"Chittaranjan Dash..Seat No:65...!"

I stood up with a start.My immediate reaction was something with my ticket had gone wrong. But I knew it was confirmed.I gathered courage and went up to the man saying:"What's it ?"

He said,"Sir I was going to Assam. I work for an NGO. In the morning I dozed off a little. Someone stole my attach case. When I got up I had nothing.I have not eaten anything since last night. I have only a twenty rupee-note on me.I don't use it."

"How much money do you want?" I asked.

"He said,"99 rupees Sir..That's the ticket price from here to Khordha,"he said.

I gave him instructions to meet Dr.Misra in a certain bogie and ask for a loan of rupees one hundred on my behalf. He went out.He came back in a short time and got on my bogie.

"I didn't find Dr.Misra and now I am at your mercy." I assured him of all possible help. He occupied a seat nearby. I told him to contact the ticket-inspector before he found him travelling ticketless.

After a long time,he came back and said,"Sir,he says he will take one hundred and fifty rupees."

I gave him the five hundred rupee note I had and told him to buy the ticket.

Some fifteen minutes after he returned with the ticket-inspector.The ticket-inspector said,"Sir I don't have change. I am taking rupees 100 only." I was intensely delighted because Mother took my 100 rupees in a highly dramatic way.It was neither 99 nor 150 but exactly 100 rupees!
The man was the neediest who took the money. I ordered food for the three of us. I got down at Balasore to have some fun with my nephews there.While going I was thinking of Mother Kali and the solid proof she had given me.I was again able to see the same smile on the Divine Mother's face with the lolling tongue.