Stories and Quotes

You are never alone or helpless. The force that guides the stars, guides you too.

His disciples called him Bábá. Here are the things they saw him do and heard him say, each told by someone who was there, and below them his own words.

Stories

• Compassion · Ranchi

  Book royalties for a crumbling school

  Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti set aside the royalties from his books for people in need. One day in Ranchi he read a newspaper notice from a school whose building was falling apart; many rooms could no longer be used, and it was asking for funds. The next morning, before his walk, he took his royalty money and had his driver take him to the school. The astonished principal received him. Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti handed over an envelope he thought would cover the repairs and said he trusted the principal to use it well.

  The next morning Bábá took his royalty money with him, the money he received from the sales of his books, and asked his driver and security personnel to take him to that school before proceeding with his morning field walk. When Bábá entered the premises, the principal and staff were astonished to see him and his entourage.

  — Acharya Ramananda Avadhuta, Ashutosh Bábá: The Memoirs of Acharya Ramananda Avadhuta

• Compassion · Calcutta

  Massaging the hands that massaged him

  After a long tour of India, Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti came back to Calcutta very tired. A worker massaged his feet and then his arms, and within a few minutes Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti fell asleep. Almost two hours later he woke, took the worker's hands in his own and began to massage them. The massage had let him sleep, he said, so he should do something in return.

  Within a few minutes Bábá slept. After almost two hours, He woke up and took my hands in His. He started massaging my hands, saying, "Due to your good massage, I was able to sleep today. You did so much hard work for me, I should also do something for you."

  — Ác. Shamitánanda Avt., 101 Bábá Stories

• Compassion · Jamálpur

  Has everyone eaten?

  A poor disciple came to Jamálpur every Sunday by train without a ticket. Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti asked how he could teach others morality if he did not keep it himself, and the man promised to stop. The next Sunday he came with a return ticket and no money left for food, drank some water and went to sleep hungry. Late that evening Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti called the manager of the center and kept asking whether everyone had eaten. The manager checked person by person, found the hungry man and fed him.

  He said, "I will enquire now." He started asking everyone personally and when he came to that person then he found out the reason why Bábá was enquiring in that way. He made arrangements for some food for that person and went to Bábá to let Him know.

  — Ac. Dhyaneshananda, Stories of Bábá

• Compassion · 1989 · Kolkata

  The lost parrot

  In May 1989 a tame parrot landed on the gate of Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti's residence. He told the workers to look after it, feed it on time and wait a week for its owner; if nobody came, it was to go to the mission's bird and animal park. The parrot talked in Bengali, and from one word it used he guessed its owner came from Bankura or Purulia district. On the seventh day the owner walked past and the bird recognized his voice. Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti had it taken home. The owner was from Bankura.

  Everyone loved the bird. Bábá was informed, and He instructed, "Take proper care of it. Feed it on time and wait for a week. During this period, if its owner turns up, hand it over to him, if not take it to Ánandanagar, to PASÁKÁ."

  — Ácárya Keshavánanda Avadhúta, Reminiscences of Bábá

• Compassion · Bangalore

  A visit to a sickbed

  P. Swamy worked hard to organize Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti's visit to Bangalore, then broke his leg in an accident one night and was sent home in a cast. He could not attend. During the visit, on a morning walk, Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti asked to be driven to P. Swamy's house. He arrived unannounced, sat beside the bed, blessed him and told him not to worry: he would soon be well.

  P. Swamy was resting on his bed when Bábá suddenly arrived at his house! His family was caught by surprise at Bábá's unexpected appearance. Bábá then sat next to P. Swamy and blessed him and told him, "You will get well soon, do not worry."

  — Ácárya Maháviiránanda Avadhúta, The Tantric Guru

• Compassion · Ranchi

  Sweets for the boy in the field

  In Ranchi, the path from Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar's house to the center crossed paddy fields. For five days a boy of about nine in dirty clothes stood by an electric post with folded hands as Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti passed. On the fifth day Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti walked over, took his hands and said, 'Come with me.' At the center he sat the boy on his cot, sent for half a kilo of the best sweets, fed him with his own hands and blessed him. Nobody ever learned who the boy was.

  Reaching the Jágrti, Bábá and the boy went straight into His room and sat on His cot. Bábá called PA Dádá to get half kilo of the best sweet. When the sweet was bought, Bábá fed the boy with His own hands. Then He blessed the boy, "Go, eat, drink, play and be happy."

  — Ac. Cidananda Avadhúta, Unforgettable Memories

• Compassion · 1972 · Patna

  Comfort for a jail guard

  In 1972, while Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti was in jail in Patna, a simple, religious guard would slip in to see him whenever he could, and Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti always asked after him. The authorities moved any guard who came near Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti without official reason. One morning the guard learned he had been transferred and came in tears, asking only for a blessing. Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti told him not to lose heart, to accept the transfer and go to his new post; then he called him back and told him that he and his family would be happy.

  Listening to all the details, Bábá asked him not to lose heart, but to have faith. Everything would ultimately be for the good for him. Bábá then consoled him by telling him to accept the transfer and report to the new office.

  — Ác. Sarveshvaránanda Avadhúta, My Days With Bábá

Quotes

• “

  What is then the most precious thing in human life? It is devotion. If one has gotten devotion, one has gotten everything, and nothing remains unrealized.

• “

  Life is a spiritual sádhaná and the result of this sádhaná is to be offered at the altar of the Supreme.

• “

  Since the Supreme Father is with me, why should I be afraid of anyone? Why should I fear at all? There is no reason to be fearful. I have to move forward. Fearfulness is not my duty. Let the fear fear me, I will not fear.

• “

  You have no right to hate even a single living creature. The best you can do is only to serve.

• “

  Human society is one and indivisible, don’t try to divide it. Each and every individual should be looked upon as the manifestation of the Cosmic Entity.

• “

  Struggle is the essence of life. Yours should be a pauseless struggle against corruption, hypocrisy and animality.

• “

  Don’t compare life to a pool of muddy, stagnant water. Life resembles an ever-flowing spring.

• “

  Knowing oneself is the real knowledge; serving all with the ideation of Náráyańa, the real action, and the vow to please Parama Puruśa the real devotion.

• “

  You all know that Parama Puruśa is very close to you. He is so near that nothing can be nearer.

• “

  Morality is the foundation of Sádhaná (spiritual practice). It must, however, be remembered that morality or good conduct is not the culminating point of the spiritual march.

• “

  Do all your works unitedly. No work is hard for you, no work is difficult. Move forward easily and smilingly, solving all the problems of the world. Your victory is assured.

• “

  Remember that your service does not oblige the Supreme, rather you are obliged because you have such a chance to serve the Supreme in the form of living beings.