An Unexpected Visitor

3 views

Skip to first unread message

Girish

unread,

Jun 2, 2012, 8:38:23 AM6/2/12

to holy_t...@googlegroups.com

One fine morning at 5 a.m. Swami Mukhyananda at the Khetri Ashrama of the Ramakrishna Mission opened the doors of the

uppermost storey of the ashrama, only to find an elderly Western lady huddled up in a corner outside (it was a very cold night).

"Who are you," Swami Mukhyananda asked her, and was somewhat startled to hear the reply, " I am Marie Louise Burke."

"Oh, then what are you doing here?" he further enquired, whereupon Ms.Burke explained that she had started by bus from Delhi in the afternoon the

previous day, hoping to reach Khetri before evening, but somehow the vehicle got delayed on the way and she reached the place only after 9 p.m. On noticing a

sign on the premises which said that the ashrama closes at 9 p.m. and reopens at 5 a.m., she chose not to disturb anybody and decided to pass the night there.

"Oh, my God!" exclaimed Swami Mukhyanandaji in a tone of exasperation. "That sign was not meant for you who have come from so far! You could have

just rung the bell."

"Please don't worry, Swamiji," said Marie Louis Burke, and continued most unexpectedly, "You see, as an American I think I have just atoned for what

Swami Vivekananda had to undergo in my country before the opening of the World Parliament of Religions in Chicago. As you know, at that time he had to

pass a bitterly cold night in a big box in that city's railyard."

That was Gargi, the enlightened one, with her exquisite sense of humor based on profound, practical spirituality!