A
few years back, I wanted something real in terms of spirituality. So
I began my quest for the Truth. I went to church but quickly realized
that the "something" was not there and left. I joined a spiritual
group and read several religious scriptures and books on philosophy.
I delved into Zen, Sufism, Buddhism and conflicts between science and
religion. But all this was just not presenting an answer.
Then, one
morning, while still in bed, I experienced what I thought was astral
travel. It lasted for just a few moments, but was enough to reveal to
me what all those books I had read could not. The "something"
I was looking for truly existed and was waiting to be discovered!
Enter Master
Ching Hai
A
while later, I walked into a "Shoprite," one of the giant
supermarkets in South Africa, and noticed a pamphlet bearing Master's
picture and containing information about a master from the Himalayas.
It did not occur to me that the person in the picture was the Master.
I thought the lady was probably introducing readers to some old, long-bearded
'guru' from the Himalayas. However, I wrote down the phone number, and
the other information on the pamphlet.
After a
few months, I noticed the number in my notebook and decided to call.
I was told to come to some address where I could be told more details.
It was far away from my home, and I could not afford this luxury at
the time. So I gave up on the idea. After all, I consoled myself, I
could always phone and make fresh arrangements since "the guru"
seemed to always be around and not that far away.
Second Contact
with Master
Eight
months passed, and I never contacted those people again. This time I
was walking towards a local corner shop on a weekend morning. A newspaper
page, tabloid size, carried a picture of a lady dressed in royal clothing.
It also mentioned that an acclaimed spiritual leader was coming to town
on November 25, 1999. I was going to attend this lecture, I promised
myself.
On the day
of the lecture, I walked to the city hall. A sister handed me a sample
booklet and welcomed me to the lecture. I immediately recognized Master
on the cover of the booklet. "Is She the Master who is coming today?"
I asked. The sister smiled and answered me positively. I was surprised,
to say the least. I kept looking at Her face on the booklet, and then
walked to a table where some old magazines had been placed and collected
one from each stack. But there was no time to read, as I was listening
keenly to different versions of Master's histories from those who had
heard about Her. If only I had gone to that address, I kept cursing
myself, I would have some knowledge about this person as well.
For Master's
lecture, the hall was packed and everything went well. Some cried on
seeing Master; extended hands literally blocked Her way as people made
frantic efforts to shake Her hand. And I did shake Her hand as I had
hoped.
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