SARNATH AND THE MALI

 
Mehera: From Benares we went four miles to Sarnath, which is very closely connected with Lord Buddha. Baba took us to see the caves which had been used by Buddha's disciples for meditation and also to the Buddhist temple nearby.

It was very beautiful inside and had a very high ceiling. On the walls were murals in color done by a Japanese artist depicting incidents from the life of Buddha. Baba walked slowly along with us as we looked at the murals and explained some of the scenes. At the end of the room there was an altar with a statue of Buddha, and Baba told us to bow down to it. It is a very beautiful, large statue of Buddha, and we all bowed down in turn and then moved away. Baba himself stood in front of the statue for a few seconds before coming away.

The house where we stayed in Sarnath had a large rambling garden with fruit trees. One day Goher started talking to the old mali (gardener) and discovered that he had lost his wife. Since that time he had become a sadhu but without wearing the usual ochre-colored clothes. Baba said he was a real sadhu and did not need to wear ochre-colored clothes because inwardly he was detached from everything.

He did his gardening duty, but all the time Ram's name was on his lips. In the morning he would have his bath near the well even though it was very cold! It was so cold that we were all wearing warm clothes, and whenever we could we would sit in the sun. We were not used to such cold.

But this mali had only something around his waist and a cotton cloth around his shoulders. He came to the well, put his pail down and drew up water. Then he would pour the cold water over himself and rub, going through the same procedure again and again. I don't know how he did it — even looking at him made us feel colder. Then he would go into his house and cook his food, just simple rice to sustain him.

Baba told Goher to find out if he needed anything. His reply was that he had everything he needed. Again sent by Baba, Goher pressed the question, 'Do you need clothes or anything?'

He said, 'Thakurji gives me clothes.'

'But then you must be needing firewood or something.'

'Oh, no, even that Thakurji gives me.'

From this Goher got the idea that the owner of the bungalow was Thakurji, so generous and kind-hearted that he gave everything that was needed to this old mali. All that he had was given to him by the landlord.

As we talked it over I wondered what actually did the old caretaker possess? Nothing, except the bare sustenance for life. And then when Goher mentioned the name Thakurji again, something clicked in my mind. 'Thakurji. Yes, Thakurji is one of the many names given to Lord Krishna. In North India Krishna is often known as Thakurji, and that fitted into the pattern of this mali's simple life. God, Krishna, gave him everything — he lacked for nothing.'

Then Baba said, 'Now you must go and tell him that a friend wants to give him something, and ask what he needs most.'

Now it so happened that at night when we were shivering under woolen blankets this mali, instead of sleeping in his own warm room, slept outside in the garden despite the severe cold. We couldn't believe it. He used just an ordinary string cot, homemade and very rickety, with straw on it and a dhoti, and he covered himself with a cotton sheet. He was always up by four o'clock and he would chant, 'Ram, Ram, Sita, Ram.'

Baba, hearing him, said, 'Do you hear? He is a real sadhu. He truly loves God.'

The next day Baba told Goher to approach him and say, 'Our friend wants to give you something. Ask for something — you must ask for something.'

But he said, 'What should I ask for?'

Meheru: Baba told Goher to go again and ask once more. Surely there's something he needs.

Mehera: Goher returned and pressed him for an answer.

Meheru: To try to persuade him she kept repeating her query.

Mehera: 'What do you want? Ask for something.'

The man thought very hard and then what do you think he said? He said, 'I want a matchbox.' It was very funny when Goher told Baba. And he would have gotten anything he asked for.

So Baba said, 'All right, we must call him. I want to give him a blanket.'

Goher called the mali. Goher, Mani, Meheru and I were all on the verandah. The folded blanket was in Goher's hand. When the mali came up to us Baba told him that he wanted to give him a present but, 'Why only a matchbox?' he asked. 'You must ask for something more.'

He said, 'But sahib, I don't need anything more. Thakurji gives me everything.'

He had so much love for Krishna — God — that Baba himself was standing in front of him giving him darshan. Of all the houses in Sarnath, Baba came to stay in this house.

Then Baba said, 'I want to give you prasad, a gift from me. Take this blanket.'

Baba also gave the matchbox to him, but first he gave him the nice, thick, warm blanket. The mali was very happy that Baba of his own accord had given it to him. He said, 'Oh, this is a gift from Bhagwan,' meaning, 'God has given me this gift.'

Meheru: He was not looking at what he received. He kept looking at Baba.

Mehera: You see, he meant it was God's grace that had given it to him, but he did not know that Baba was God Himself, standing in front of him. It was so beautiful. Then he bowed to Baba very respectfully and lovingly, and he was very happy when he left. At last he had received prasad from Baba. Baba wanted to give it to him. Here was a man who had no worldly possessions, yet he had everything because he had contentment and love for God.