Tuesday 8 December 2009

Accepting death.

One of our dogs, Roxanne, recently became very ill. The vet said she was in kidney and liver failure, so my dad Sam called my sister Dolly and I to come and help with her treatment. He was crying, because he really loves those dogs.

Dolly and I went, we took Roxanne to the vet twice daily for IV infusions, and tried our best to help her get better. My dad was still crying, until we asked him to think why he could talk about being detatched and accepting His Will, but not act on what he said. He must have been thinking on this, because last Tuesday we were in Mandali Hall and there was a discussion about dying. He was talking about how difficult it was to let go. Meherwan said something, then dad said that he had seen first-hand how Baba would demonstrate His divine mercy.

One time when Baba was in Guruprasad, a group of Parsis (all young men and women) went on a boat trip to Madh Island or somewhere near Mumbai. The boat capsized and around 38 of them died. One was the young daughter of Jal Dorabjee, a Baba lover and a good friend of Pendu. Jal came to Guruprasad, and Pendu informed Baba that he was there, and that he was distraught that his daughter had died. Baba asked him to bring Jal to Him.

As soon as Baba saw Jal He opened His arms and when Jal came to Him, held him very tightly. He let Jal cry for a good 15 to 20 minutes, standing and holding Jal all the while. Once the outpouring of grief was less, Baba took Jal's face between His palms and looked directly at him. He then gestured that what had just happened was natural. He was a father and he had vented a father's grief at losing his child. Baba then gestured that Jal should not cry after this, because his daughter had come to Baba and was at peace. If he persisted in crying for her, Baba said, she would not be able to rest. He is the divine Father, and all His children finally go to Him to rest. This was the story dad told. He still can't really bring himself to let go easily of his dogs.
There is such a big difference between love and attachment! He won't cry that much when one of us goes, I don't think. In fact, he says so himself!! He loves us, my sister and I, but is not attached to us. But I loved the story he told that day. I could see in my mind's eye Baba holding the sobbing father with infinite love and care, and then reassuring him about his daughter's final rest.
Jai Baba!

P.S. Roxanne is recovering now. Hopefully, she's turned the corner and will be with us all a while longer.

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