A STORY BY DAVID GODMAN WHICH IS TOLD TO HIM BY GANESHAN/ NEPHEW OF BHAGAVAN
I talked to Ganesan recently about Maharaj and he told me a nice story about a Frenchwoman whom to he took there.
‘When I started to visit Maharaj some of Bhagavan’s devotees criticized me for abandoning Bhagavan and going to another Guru. Many of them seemed to think that going to see Maharaj indicated that I didn’t have sufficient faith in Bhagavan and his teachings. I didn’t see it that way. I have visited many great saints, and I never felt that I was abandoning Bhagavan or being disrespectful to him by going on these trips. A Frenchwoman, Edith Deri, was one of the women who complained in this way. We were in Bombay together and I somehow convinced her to accompany me on a visit to Maharaj. She came very reluctantly and seemed determined not to enjoy the visit.
‘When we arrived Maharaj asked her if she had any questions. She said that she hadn’t.
‘”So why have you come to see me?” he asked.
‘”I have nothing to say,” she replied. “I don’t want to talk while I am here.”
‘”But you must say something,” said Maharaj. “Talk about anything you want to. Just say something.”
‘”If I say something, you will then give some reply, and everyone will then applaud because you have given such a wonderful answer. I don’t want to give you the opportunity to show off.”
‘It was a very rude answer, but Maharaj didn’t show any sign of annoyance.
‘Instead, he replied, “Water doesn’t care whether it is quenching thirst or not”.
‘And then he repeated the sentence, very slowly and with emphasis. He often repeated himself like this when he had something important to say.
‘Edith told me later that this one sentence completely destroyed her skepticism and her negativity. The words stopped her mind, blew away her determination to be a spoilsport, and put her into a state of peace and silence that lasted for long after her visit.’