20th November 2006, 14:00
Taranagar, Terapanth Bhawan: some hours before our arrival, the cloudless blue sky had welcomed H.H. Acharya Mahaprajnaji and the Sangh on Ahimsa Yatra. Lay followers had expressed both, devotion and happiness, because of the saints’ stay in their city. After arrival, H.H. had given a short sermon.
Many housewives felt honoured to give Gochari to the saints, and people now took lunch themselves as we guessed when we saw the deserted streets. In front of Terapanth Bhawan, the question was put to us if we preferred to go directly for Guru Darshan or to take lunch first in the family of Swami Dharmanandji's sister, Vinod's mother. All of us agreed that this was not really the question; priority was the same for all. Nevertheless, we thanked Swami Dharmanandji for taking care of our bodily conditions.
In the courtyard of Terapanth Bhawan, we met Munishree Kumar Shramanji, well known to all of us. Smilingly he asked if we had just arrived and wanted to see H. H., knowing our response in advance.
Several times, when we arrived at a place where Acharyashree stayed, people had put the same question, food or Darshan first. Our answer was always like here in Taranagar.
For Karuna it was very special to be in Taranagar again, here she had her first encounter with Acharyashree and the Sangh in January 2000. She felt very happy that Swami Dharmanandji was with us, as he had initiated the first visit seven years ago. His response “Please come!” when she had called him from Berlin was in her mind like an invitation to a new life. We crossed the courtyard, entered a room, and remembered what Samani Jyoti Pragyaji had said on Acharyashree, “When I am in his presence, his vibrations are activating my higher energies.” That was exactly what happened to us. Acharyashree was sitting on a table and someone made sign to approach. He smiled at us, and the view from his eyes made us aware of all three times in a single moment. Past, when seven years ago in the same room, Karuna heard him talk to her and she wondered afterwards in which language he might have spoken - present, as Aparigraha succeeded in taking photos to share thesemoments with you, respected readers - future, when we thought at the opportunity to join Ahimsa Yatra for some days.
Although our watches indicated that we were in Acharyashree's presence for the quarter of an hour, this quite short period was sufficient to catch reality where we all are pure soul. It was a feeling of unity with all persons present in the room, everyone felt relaxed and happy, and again the question came up, how could we ever and why do we so often forget what is really important and meaningful in life? We experienced a lesson without words, what Guru Darshan means: Getting awareness of what is important and meaningful in life.
Most of you will guess which words Acharyashree addressed to us, like several times before, “Karuna and Aparigraha! Without Karuna, Aparigraha is not possible, without Aparigraha, Karuna is not possible.”