When I was 15 years old, during religion class in school we had a little teaching on Hinduism, the entire teaching took about 10 minutes and Hinduism was never mentioned again. The good thing was, we were shown a large photograph of a beautiful Sadhu, standing in an asana, in the jungle, one foot in the water. The effect of the image was instant! Oh my God I am in the wrong country! (the Netherlands) I immediately lost all interest in everything, the only thought that remained was, “I have to get to India!” Fate would have it, I did not make it to India until after giving birth to 5 children, building a Haidakhan Babaji Temple (in Ireland) and serving there for many years.

Finally I made it to Haidakhan. I had heard about Prem Baba and was curious to meet Him, however Prem Baba was not there at the time.

As Munirajji had told me I should take rest and the office ladies had forbidden me to do any karma yoga, ( I was suffering from complete exhaustion) I was just sitting around one day at the end of the walkway by the entrance gate when a trumpet sounded from the jungle. Someone said “Prem Baba”.

A small handful of people came to the gate eagerly waiting to welcome Prem Baba home, I stayed sitting on the wooden bench at the far end. Eventually Prem Baba emerged through the gate, ignoring all the other people and made a direct beeline, moving fast, straight for me, and instantly proceeded to hit me hard on the back, while shouting at the top of his voice with obvious glee 

“PARVATI/SHIVA, PARVATI/SHIVA, PARVATI/SHIVA”

and on and on. This crazy man was supposed to be one hundred year old, so he told me later. One hundred was one of the few words He could say in English. He also maintained that He was one hundred years old during all the fifteen years or so that I knew him.  Anyway, poor little unsuspecting me was still undergoing the Parvati/Shiva shouting match and the beating, it went on for a long time. Prem Baba laughing harder and harder all the while until in the end I seemed to experience that He was rolling on the ground, tears of laughter rolling down His cheeks, kicking His legs in the air.

  When things had calmed down somewhat and Prem Baba was sitting on the bench conversing with an Austrian man who spoke Hindhi and myself who didn’t. I asked the Austrian to translate for me and Prem Baba said to me “God within you will understand God within Me”  That was all that was ever translated for me in all the years I associated with Prem Baba.

I’d say we got off on a good start…

Bhole Baba Ki jai..                                 

 

……to be continued…..