|
It was a cold day in October and some devotees at Kainchi ashram had made
a fire in a portable grate for Baba. He was sitting on a takhat,
and his devotees were sitting before him, clustered around the grate.
Meanwhile a sadhu
who had been wandering the countryside came to Kainchi ashram for the
first time. He was pleased by the picturesque location of the temple
and was told that it was the ashram of Baba Nibkarori. Conflicting
thoughts arose in his mind; he could not reconcile the apparent
prosperity of the place with the simplicity of the word baba,
meaning sadhu. According to him, a sadhu
should live in a hut by the riverside. Anger stirred within him, and
asking about Baba, he went to see him. The sadhu
pointed his finger at Baba and said reprovingly, "Baba
and this wealth." Baba's face was calm, and he smilingly asked the sadhu
to move closer to him. He went over and stood by Baba who took some
dirty and crumpled money from the sadhu's
waistband. The sadhu was too stunned to say
anything. Baba said, "Why are you carrying money with
you? Fire is a sadhu's bank." So
saying, Baba threw the notes into the grate. As the flame rose, the sadhu
became angry and muttered to himself. Laughingly Baba said, "You
are going to Badrinath. Ask it from fire there. It will return your
money." These words further enraged the sadhu.
Baba picked up a chimta (pair of tongs), took new
notes out of the fire in the sadhu's presence,
and gave all his money back to him. Baba then sent him for food and
bidding him farewell, gave him a blanket. The sadhu
felt ashamed, and bowing before Baba, he sincerely apologised to him.
|
