By Vindar Badall
Sri Ganapati Sachchidananda Sadgurubho Namaha. Jai Guru Datta.
I first saw Sri Swamiji in 1981. I went along with my father and grandmother to see Him. I used to say that I remember seeing someone in a red ‘sari’. That image is still vivid in my mind. During that visit, my father got a pamphlet with Sri Swamiji and that reminded me of Him. The pamphlet remained in our home unnoticed and undisturbed. Members of our home never bothered about it and they also did not discard it. My interest in this pamphlet was kindled when in 1990, Gyan Ramlogan, told us about his Guru in a temple at the small rural village of Guaico Tamana, East Trinidad.
He said he found that the bhajan group has a keen interest in learning the songs that he taught us, and this interest made him tell us about his Guru. Gyan showed us a picture of Sri Swamiji and immediately my mind ran on the pamphlet at home. I went home and searched for it and found it lying in a cupboard. I looked at it and thought that this is the Guru that Gyan was telling us about. This pamphlet with Sri Swamiji’s photo, remained undisturbed for nine years, with no one at home having a clue of who this is in the pamphlet. There were other religious books at home which were given away, but strangely this pamphlet remained.
We were then told of the visit of Sri Swamiji in 1990. I became overly excited to see this Great Guru whom Gyan spoke about. On the day that Sri Swamiji arrived, I saw a falling star. I took this as a sign of great things ahead.
From that time, I started to learn Sri Swamiji’s bhajans. I bought a cassette in 1990, Nada Cintana, my first cassette with Sri Swamiji’s music. I thought that this music was a bit strange, but I listened to it now and then. One morning I woke up early because of a song in my head, and it had me uneasy, miserable! I did not know the song, but I felt a strong urge to know it, sing it, and learn it by heart. This song was ringing in my ears. The song was ‘Saptashwarudham Nakshatramalam’.
There was a great joy I felt when I sang this song and I had to sing it over and over again and again for the song to give me satisfaction. This was the beginning of my romance with Sri Swamiji’s bhajans. Many times the urge to learn Sri Swamiji’s bhajans was there and I had no control over wanting to learn them. The joyful, blissful feeling that occurs in singing Sri Swamiji’s bhajans i amazing. This is one of the ways our Swamiji gives us His love and shares His blissful nature with His devotees. What a great treasure!
After seeing Sri Swamiji in 1990, I then started to dream Him often. These dreams felt real, and left me happy and cheerful for days. The dreams with Appaji gave me great comfort especially at my years at University. I dreamt Sri Swamiji took me to school in a bus several times.
Once in a dream Sri Swamiji was speaking to someone else and not me, so I prayed to His photo at home and told Him that He could talk to me in my dream too. Within a week, I had almost the exact dream and He spoke to me. Amazing! He knows our thoughts, wishes and answers our questions. Many times in discourses, Sri Swamiji would answer lingering questions from my mind. How He knew?
Once a doctor told me that I would have to operate on my nostril. Soon after that, I dreamt Sri Swamiji holding my nose. Some time had passed and I forgot about it, then I had to visit the doctor and I reminded him about what he told me about the operation and he said that he didn’t know what I was talking about and that there was no issue with my nostrils. Sri Swamiji fixed it in a dream.
Another health issue that Sri Swamiji took care of was the ‘classic migraines’. I used to have severe headaches and for an entire day. I suffered with these migraine headaches for several years until I mentioned to Sri Swamiji in 1994. After that, these symptoms never occurred.
At a Bhagavatam Satsangh in 1993, a local pundit spoke about the marks under the feet of Lord Krishna and whenever Lord Vishnu incarnates, He has special marks under His feet. At that point in time when the pundit mentioned that, Gyan Ramlogan, told me that Sri Swamiji had those marks under His feet. I got excited and wanted to see under Sri Swamiji’s feet.
I dreamt Swamiji several times after that and in the dreams I used to try to look under His feet, but He would hide them. Until one dream He said, when the time is right I will show you. Then I came across the mantra “Sri Bhooyuta Sri Hari…”
Over the years I did not have many interviews with Swamiji, however I felt His presence in my life through ‘heart to heart connection’. Questions were being answered indirectly and continue to be answered whenever they arise. The few interviews I had were brief and left me spellbound without any questions.
In 2005, Sri Swamij materialized a gold pendant and a ring for me. I have seen Sri Swamiji materializing objects many times at will. He has been guiding, protecting and taking care of me and my family always. I cannot fathom how lucky we are to have Appaji in our lives. He is everything! On a daily basis He gives experiences, answers questions, teaches lessons etc. Appaji is our family member and deity. My Datta Sadguru ! Bhagavan Sri Ganapati Sachchidananda Swamiji Ki Jai!
Sri Guru Datta
