MEETING WITH MAHASHAKTI

Number 3 in Sattar's life

Self-Realisation has no meaning as long as you carry the devil "I" in your heart and mind. This is the main obstacle blocking the road to the transformation of the subjective into the objective,the former being false and the latter the only truth or the Absolute. One might wonder how to get rid of the "I".

Sattar had a hearty laugh and spoiled his snow white kurta with a small drop of red paan-spit.I said to myself silently,"It serves you right..You diehard fanatic..!" He fussed a lot about the slight damage to the kurta. My wife was telling him not to worry since she knew about a stain remover that would erase it completely.I grew cross with my wife as she dragged the discussion into such a commonplace topic. Sattar was quite effusive about it too.I kept avoiding them. I was watching the evening news on TV. When Sattar had had his fill of the unimportant chatter,he looked at me and said,"I really can't make the head or tail of what you mean by "subjective becoming the objective." He looked at my wife who gave him a meaningless smile and went back to the kitchen. I tried every possible means to make him understand the difference between the personal and the impersonal. Ultimately,he told me he had got my meaning.But I was sure I had failed to drive home my meaning to the old man.

Param,my younger brother,arrived with a lot of snacks. There was a time he feared to approach me to say a thing or two. But he would now often take me to task pointing out my lapses and lack of self-control in matters of speaking and eating. He however would carefully read whatever I wrote and that made me sure he liked it.

Both my wife and my daughter don't like me discussing philosophy and religion. There are only a few who interact with me regarding spirituality.Sattar,his son Imtiaz and late Raghuram's son Pranay are the people who ask me questions. The two boys enjoy listening to me.

Imtiaz had developed a lot of interest in pujas and prayers. He also read Hindu texts like the Geeta and the Vedas.His devotion was pure and intense.After a few months he started reporting to me about an old Brahmin who came to him in dreams. I was astonished and wondered if he was telling the truth. He said that he first saw the man near the Kali temple at Satya Nagar.He was carrying a big bell metal plate with an idol of Lord Jagannath in it. The old man met him only once and after that he kept coming to him in his dreams.His stories convinced me that he was going through some psychic experiences. When his father was experiencing severe stomach disorder and rigid constipation and had lost his faith in medicine,the boy told his father to pray to Jagannath. Sattar had become infuriated with his son and wife who had created almost a mini Jagannath temple in their house.He had said,"I don't believe in the existence of any other God except Allah. You are inspired by Satan and are arranging for my confinement in hell." He often thought of removing the temple from his house along with the idols. As he loved his wife very deeply and genuinely, he was hesitant to take such a drastic step.

Sattar's stomach problems multiplied and he was unable to eat and drink water or milk.He didn't take any morning walk. His father-in-law who was 86 yet strong,attributed his son-in-law's suffering to the worship of idols in the house.This led to a stormy situation in the house. Relatives started visiting him.One morning I got up from bed and having finished the routine morning work, took a cup of tea my daughter offered me and fell asleep---
something I rarely did.Just before getting up,I heard a whisper:"Give him twelve basil leaves tomorrow." I wondered whom I should give twelve basil leaves.My efforts reminded me of the twelve rupees I had given Imtiaz before the snake bite incident which made Sattar suffer for 12 months.The next day was also a Thursday...!
I realised that number 12(1+2=3) had an important role in Sattar's life. He was doing bookkeeping for a business man and was getting 21(2+1=3) thousand rupees. His pension was also 12(1+2=3) thousand rupees..My astonishment knew no bounds when I came to know his wife was 12(1+2=3) years his junior..!

I told Imtiaz about my experience and the command I had received from Baba. He told me emphatically that his father would never take basil leaves because he might consider it blasphemous to do so.He did a lot of talking about it. I decided to meet Sattar. When his son and I reached his house,we found him lying on a sofa with a pale face. I said to him,"Sir I am going to tell you something very important. If you obey my advice you will be fully cured.The medical scientists of the Ohio State University have found out that basil leaves taken with honey and milk can cure chronic stomach disorders. Sattar sprang to his feet and looked at me like a dumb animal. I was taken aback. "What happened? What is the matter?" I asked. He didn't say anything but appeared to be absorbed and seriously pensive. "Did anything go wrong ?" I asked myself.

Imtiaz's mother gave me coffee and said to her husband,"Now I think some good sense has been knocked into you...?" But Sattar was non-reactive,and he stretched out his hand to take the leaves. I noticed he counted the leaves and then put them in his mouth.

"What was the use of counting the leaves," I said.

"He dreamt that an old man asked him to take basil leaves. He thought it was simply illusory.Now you came and gave him the leaves,"said Mrs Sattar.

I asked the old man curiously,"How many leaves? Twelve?" He looked at me with a faint smile and gave a nod. I became sure the Lord was going to cure him.