... AND MORE LOVE
by Sheldon Jaffe
Published in Divine Times ~ September
October 1978 ~ Volume 7, Number 6, Page 39.
The mala is a Simple thing: a vest-like garland made of red roses and
flowers called "white pikakes" and "gold bachelor buttons". But when it is
worn by Guru Maharal Ji, it quickly goes beyond the Divine.
Maharal Ji had worn the mala when younger, in India. But no one in the
West ever thought, ever hoped, ever wished, to see him manifest so
beautifully so openly, so lovingly to his premies.
And yet he wore the mala on the last night of the Philadelphia festival.
Behind the stage he paused, just briefly before presenting himself to the
stunned audience. "Oh my God," shouted one premie into the international
phone hook-up. "Oh my God! He doesn't have a shirt on!" (In Denver two
premies listening to this passed out and disconnected the line. "Oh my God
...")
On the floor of the convention center the premies screamed, and screamed,
and screamed with ecstasy - "Bhole Shri Satgurudev Maharaj Ki Jai! BHOLE
SHRI SATGURUDEV MAHARAJ KI JAI!" - as the Perfect Master sat there, his
hands out in front of him, glancing occasionally over his shoulder as if
trying to see what all the excitement was about. It is said that the only
thing that surprises the Lord is Love, and Guru Maharal Ji looked surprised.
"I personally think it s cuckoo," he began, when the noise died down,
"but that doesnt make much of a difference. Dear premies, in a combination
of 'hi' and 'bye' I'11 see you at Hans Jayanti and by Guru Maharal Ji's
Grace, if possible, even sooner.
And then, as One Foundation played the Lord of the Universe, the
premies singing with full force, Maharal Ji departed. Around the hall
premies stared at the now empty chair, still not believing what they had
seen. Some cried, some laughed and others fainted at this miracle of Maharal
Ji's.
At the Geneva festival the European premies just barely hoped that they
too would be given a chance to see this "new Krishna costume," as they
called it. But on the last night of the festival, after his satsang, Maharaj
Ji got on his radio microphone and spoke to all the premies from behind the
stage, telling them he would see them in Dortmund (the next festival). It
seemed so sure he would leave that the ushers sealed the doors to the hall,
as premies did their best to surrender.
But then he came back and Graced his devotees with an entire Arti in this
wonderful new form - the most subdued Arti many have ever heard.
By the last night of the Dortmund Guru Puja, just about every premie in
the hall had seen Maharaj Ji in the mala at least once. But when he
manifested on the stage that night for Arti, his bright orange pants, his
bare lotus feet and the mala on his chest: when Durga Ji placed the crown of
Krishna on his head, the light reflecting off of the jewels, when he sat
there for nearly an hour through Arti and then devotional song after
devotional song, when all of this was done and Maharaj Ji left the stage,
seeming so God-intoxicated, so full of love, that he could barely walk,
moving so slowly, his bronze shoulders and bare back there for all to see,
the premies in the audience could only sit back, stunned, full of the love
of Maharal Ji.
There are no words that can describe Guru Maharal Ji. For the premies
there are just three 'thank you' and pranam'.
Thank you, Maharal Ji.
Pranam
"My way to describe the glory of
Satguru is to say that the glory of Satguru
can never be described,-
- Hans Yog Prakash