Pranav asked 4 years ago
A foreigner came to Ms Lebeau one night. He was carrying a large parcel of letters. Handing over the package to her, he said, “I have been crisscrossing India in search of the right person to whom I could hand over these letters. Please, will you pass them on to Swami Chidanandaji?”
The visitor sat silently for some time and then, on his own, started telling, “This trip to India was my last hope. My wife and four children abandoned me. I was a total failure in my job. My life itself was a complete waste. So I turned to God to pour out my sorrow, tell Him my dejection.
“But, the priests had no time to listen to my tragedy. No one in this world has time for me. Everyone is busy in his affairs; everyone is in a hurry to pursue his interests. Everyone wants to move ahead. Then who has got time to pause for the distressed like me?
“I came to India when I heard about Indian Gurus. But I did not find anyone who could show me the right path, who could console me. So then I decided to commit suicide. I wrote the last letter, threw away all money and was standing on the banks of Ganga.
“Someone asked me, ‘Do you know Swami Chidananda?’ That question brought me here, to Sivananda Ashram.”
Ms Lebeau asked him to go and meet Swami Chidanandaji once. Then, she asked him to join the Satsanga the next day.
The man went to attend the Satsanga. On that day, Ms Lebeau realized that it was an exceptional crowd of devotees who had come to meet Swamiji. Swamiji started the Satsanga with his sweet voice. The man felt the soothing voice that filled his soul. He gathered some courage and decided he will try to talk to Swamiji that day.
A continuous stream of people was flowing before Swamiji that day. He was busy talking to everyone who came. He listened to their woes and consoled some, advised some and patted some.
The man realized that he was hoping for something impossible. In all the crowd how Swamiji will be able to give him a listening ear. Also, he knew that what he was asking for was far more valuable. He was asking a patient listening ear from a person who was needed by millions of people like him. Sadly, the man got up and thought of going away.
Suddenly out of the crowd, he heard. Someone was calling him. Swamiji had asked one Bramhachari to call this man. The man went near Swamiji. He bowed down his head in respect. Swamiji held his hand and pulled him near. In a soft loving voice, he asked, “Are you in a hurry? I think we should speak a little more. I have a lot of time. Can you please wait?”
Swami Chidanandaji was the sage whose time was so valuable that thousands of people are ready to wait in line for hours together just to get a glimpse of his smile. The time from which every millisecond was used for Sadhana. Every bit of time used in intense Guru Seva. A person whose time was so valuable that the entire wealth from this universe could not buy a fraction of a second of his time. He was saying, “I have a lot of time for you.”
The man started crying. At that moment, he knew he was unique in the eyes of God. He was not rejected anymore. His life was valuable too.
He sat down again. People were coming and going. But this time, he was not conscious of their movement. He was in a trance. Gradually his mind calmed down.
Swami Chidanandaji had given him peace. Before going back, he said, “Now I am comfortable with my newly found peace. I shall go back to my country and face the world with new courage and confidence”.