It was all in joy and laughter.
It was 8 at night. The face of the 94 year old monk was lit with joy. He called out loudly another monk, his long time buddy. The younger monk, some 80 plus years of age, came instantly and sat by his seniors bedside. The Older one just started clapping his hands and laughed happily and loudly. He was hard of hearing for the last many years which had added a good volume to his natural good natured garrulousness and laughing habits. The younger monk, not so young compared to you and me, caught the vibration, and started laughing lightly and clapping in unison. They had been together very many years. So he understood the matter with the older man. As he clapped his hands, the younger companion said, 'Jai Sri Guru Maharaj ji ki Jai, Jai Maha Mayi ki Jai, Jai Swamiji Maharaj ki Jai, Jai Durga Mayi ki Jai'. The 94 year old continued beaming joyously and laughing. Then he looked somewhere and started calling 'Maharaj, Maharaj' loudly. The younger one left the room for a while.
He was called back by the attendants of the old man. His joy was intack but his breathing was getting heavier. When it finally ceased the face was still joyful.
This was how Swami Agehananda of Ramakrishna Order happened to take his leave from us all in Ramakrishna Math in Tiruvalla. Swami Samagrananda his friend and junior companion gave him this understanding farewell. The joy was palpable to all around him then. It lingered for a long while the next few days.
It lights the joy inherent in all of us. We get a joyful wake-up call when we hear such inspiring instances happening right in our midst.
Jai Sri Ramakrishna
Swami Sampurnananda
Belur Math
Tue, Jun 29, 2010
See also
www.belurmath.org/news_archives/news_june2010.htm
and
www.srkvs.org/images/vovafinal.pdf
