“All by His Grace”

Namaskar,

My name is Ganga Das. It’s a pleasure to meet you all! I am an American Sadhu/Sanyasi based out of a Hindu Mandir in Baltimore MD. I was asked to share a story or two, and with Baba’s Grace, here we are. As I sit down to write this, I can feel the ego swell up within me. No sooner do I think that, than the attached picture of Mahrajji falls over, pulling my attention towards it. I pick it up, and look at Baba’s face laughing at me, and it makes laugh, too. Thanks, Baba, for reeling me in before we even start.

I am a firm believer in the line “God sometimes ruins my plans, so that I don’t ruin my life.” Baba, daily, acts within our own lives, giving us help and guidance, even when we don’t realize it. Until we are free from the attachment and bondage of self seeking, and fall into the realm of living in the “Big Love”, it is often hard to distinguish help from harm. As this is a light hearted article, we wont delve into the philosophical debates of determinism versus free will, or duality versus non-duality. Maharajji often said “Sub Ek’, all one. To me, that means that suffering and splendor, praise and punishment should be taken in stride. One of the Sanyasi vows I have taken is to be perturbed by neither praise nor shame; to view both equally as items to facilitate my own spiritual growth. For us, that love Neem Karoli, this premise couldn’t be more true. Maharajji often has different ways of doing things than other saints. His teaching weren’t from atop a golden throne, nor were his lessons lofty and long winded. Love everyone, serve everyone, tell the truth, and remember God are his main messages. This is a message that is both universal and extremely personal. What does serve everyone mean? Well, that depends upon our life and the experiences we have had that brought us to this point of wanting to serve others.

The idea that he left much of this open to our own findings, furthering the premise that this life is a program of action, of Bhakti, rather than a blind reliance upon something is beautiful. His grace allowing us to search for the answers is one of the greatest things that I love about Baba. “Ask Hanuman or Ram, I am just an ordinary being. I can do nothing.” As we all know this isn’t the exact truth, but it is the truth in the relationship that he wishes for us to gain with ourselves. This idea is that we must find God internally, much as Rama lives within the heart of Hanuman, is pleasant. So,too, must we find Maharajji within our own beings. Nothing is really ours, it is simply borrowed for this birth. Once we can accept that, I see Maharajji’s laughing face change from laughing silly at me, to laughing withme, as I see how silly I have been acting.

I hope this little note of love finds everyone well. If you need help, an attentive ear, or a person to vent to, please reach out. I am only a vessel of Baba’s Big Love, and I am honored to serve that, in any capacity. You are deserving of your own love. You are deserving of your own peace. We are all family: God has no grandchildren.

All is Love: Love is All.

Rama Rama Ram,

Ganga Das

Ganga Das is an American Sadhu and sanyasi: having taken formal vows of renunciation in 2022. He is currently based out of a Hindu Buddha Mandir near Baltimore, MD.