Pujya Maharaj Ji's Guru's Birthday - Some Untold Stories

If you wish to attain God, accept criticism, insult and disrespect as honor and praise, and bear them. "करत जे अनसहन निन्दक तिनहुँ पै अनुग्रह करयौ – सेवक वाणी".
One who bears what others cannot bear, the Lord shows mercy even to the slanderer - Sevaak Vani

The path going towards God is opposite to the world and worldly conduct. If someone treats you with affection, your eyebrow should rise in suspicion. You must remain indifferent. Because whoever wants to make you their own, you will get entangled in the world through them. There should be no one whose thought occupies us in solitude; in solitude, only the Lord's thought should dwell.

Once I said to my sadguru, Maharaj Ji, it is written in Sevaak Vani: "हँसि बोलै बहु मान दै".
Speak with laughter, giving much respect

This means that after receiving the knowledge of Shri Harivansh's name, the sadhak will consider himself the smallest among all and will converse with everyone laughingly, showing complete respect to them. I asked him, "Then why do you always look at me with anger? Speak to me with affection sometimes." He said, "That is written for how one should behave with others, not much is written for one's own."

This was a very profound matter. Later, when I reflected on it, I understood. Guruji meant to say, "Are you an outsider? You are one of my own." It is very difficult to understand the feelings of great souls. Such love—he has called me his own. Gurus behave roughly with their own people because they are without attachment; this is how the disciple's work is accomplished.

No Expectations from Anyone!

A devotee maintains relationship only with God, not with any donor from the world. He does not think, "If a devotee gets upset, how will our work continue?" Maharaj Ji lived in Ladli Kunj, and the door there was never locked. Even today, Shri Ji's offering is prepared using wood and a stove, just as it was before. One evening, Maharaj Ji went to have darshan. When Maharaj Ji returned, some devotee had left a gas stove, a cylinder and a pressure cooker in Maharaj Ji's cottage.

When I came back, Maharaj Ji asked, "What is all this?" When I went inside, I saw the entire kitchen was filled with new utensils. I told Maharaj Ji, "There is no cunning on my part in this. I don't even know such a devotee who could bring all this." Maharaj Ji said, "Take all of this and place it along the parikrama path. Whoever needs it will take it." He lit wood and prepared Shri Ji's offering in the same old stove, and placing it in an old earthen vessel, he offered it to Shri Ji.

To this day, he has no expectations from anyone. Whether you visit him daily or not, there is no problem either way; he will never ask about it. Maharaj Ji is the embodiment of non-attachment. Once a wealthy and respected man came and asked to meet Maharaj Ji.

At that time, Maharaj Ji was observing seclusion, so we said he could not meet him now. Then the man gave his card and said to tell Maharaj Ji, "If you need anything, remember me." When Maharaj Ji learned of this, he forbade him from ever coming back there. He said, "Our arrangements are sustained by Shri Ji, not by some wealthy man's phone number. We remember Shri Ji, not any worldly man."

Non-attachment - Taking Nothing from Anyone, Collecting Nothing

Once, Maharaj Ji went to Sunarkh (a place in Vrindavan) and returned with an empty kamandal. Here, Shri Ji receives an offering of milk at night. When asked, he said, "I haven't given anything to the milkman for quite some days, so today I didn't have the courage to go, so I came back." Hearing this, my heart was filled with pain that my guru could not arrange the offering for Shri Ji.

At that time, milk came for perhaps 250 rupees a month. Shortly after, a man came and said he needed to meet Maharaj Ji. I asked, "Now? What is the matter?" He said, "I owe Maharaj Ji 250 rupees." Then milk arrived from Sunarkh and Shri Ji received the offering. Just surrender to the Lord; the Lord will Himself maintain that relationship.

Maharaj Ji never expected anything from anyone and lived in great disarray. At that time, there was no electricity in Maharaj Ji's cottage. In front of his cottage was Madan Tair, where insects, bugs and scorpions roamed freely in the open. This did not bother him at all. Maharaj Ji is the living embodiment of non-attachment.

Receiving his darshan was very rare. It is the grace of Shri Ji upon us that today everyone easily receives his darshan, conversation and foot dust.

Original article: bhajanmarg.com