Remembering Baba Ganeshananda Giri Maharaj

Written on 29th April

Our beloved Ganeshananda Giri attained Maha Samadhi (Left his body) this morning. A few month’s of acquaintance but deep bonding. Showers of love. An unforgettable master. He was perhaps the only living individual who touched and walked with Sai Baba of Shirdi. And Sai Baba walked with him always. My humblest pranaams at His lotus feet.

The whole day I felt so dry and empty. Despite back to back programs in Durban, my heart was with Babaji. I was there. Right from morning until now, a deep pain and emptiness, a vacuum, a lingering piece of sadness, despite the clear awareness that Babaji will work beyond the realms of the physical for the benefit of the world, through all of us.
When we parted last after the function on March 6th – that’s the last time I physically met him, he said “I am with you. Sai Baba is with you too”. We met in mid December for the first time in this physical realm. Never really knew or cared what this meeting was for. He said, “Baba asked me to meet Mohanji. Where will I find him? I consoled myself – Baba will bring him to me.” We met after 3 years. What was the hurry? This was the hurry. We may not have met at all, if it was not for this urgency.
Babaji left us this morning. I spoke to him before I left India. He said, “Travel safely. Everything will be okay. Do not worry about anything,” just like a loving parent, he blessed me. He has always been kind to me, loving and considerate. He held my hand whenever I sat next to him, just like Vittal Babaji used to do, the unconditional love and child like affection used to flow. Today, at Durban, when we performed homa, we remembered him and offered homa for him. My mind was so empty that I could hardly talk anything else at today’s evening function without talking about this humble saint.
I have always considered myself as totally insignificant and irrelevant in this jungle of life consisting of varied emotions. Vittal Babaji, Baba Ganeshananda, Avadhoota Nadananda, Vanamali Amma, Devi Amma and a few others – made my life meaningful. I have never experienced this kind of unconditional love from anybody else. Total lack of judgement and total acceptance as you really are!
We all come here for a few days. We leave in a few days. When we will part, we do not know. Only love is real. We may agree with some people. We may disagree with some people. Nothing really matters. Everything passes on. Everything changes shape. The pain that we give to others will remain as guilt and heaviness in our mind. The happiness that we share comes back as grace. The true value of this existence is the grace of these masters. Their love and kindness. The first hand experience of truth in their eyes. The first time I met him, I could see that he may leave anytime. I asked him too. He said, “Baba told me not to leave my body at Shirdi, instead go to Chennai and leave the body there. We shall build a temple there and my samadhi”. I told our people to note down in paper how his samadhi should be as per his wish. Nobody expected him to leave so soon. And he was in a hurry to complete the temple because he knew his time was limited on earth. We have to complete what we started, in the name of Sai well within the provided capacity. When will the world understand a true master?
Only Love. Only Gratitude. My humble prostrations…