I Challenged Her
Burnaby, BC
I challenged her to a race. It was all in jest. I knew she couldn’t run being facilitated by a walker. She tried to make a go of it down the hospital isle when no one was looking. I knew that the staff might not care for such a challenge. Being a Parkinson’s patient, a push done self motivatingly could be a health risk. But I was careful with my dear godsister, Padyavali. Good heavens, you don’t want her to have a heart attack or something. I let her win the race much to her satisfaction and mine.
Prior to that, Manu and I had a good talk with her. We were trying to convince her that when she gets discharged, she should be serious about being in a home where she can be looked after 24/7. It has not been easy for her to accept the surrender of her apartment, it’s understandable. We had to remind her that Krishna is wherever she is, and that it’s time to let go of her attachments and live on essential needs. It’s actually a great time of life for simplifying everything and honing in on one’s original internal element – one’s internal consciousness.
We bid her a goodbye and let her be in the care of the hospital staff and Krishna.
The topic 'care' came up in the evening during a reading I conducted. It was the book, Chaitanya Charitamrita, the section of Antya Lila, where we heard of the care giving by Chaitanya offered to His follower, Jagadananda in the form of advice and direction. Jagadananda was given full blessing to travel to Mathura in the north of India. Chaitanya cautioned him about dubious trails where dacoits loiter and encouraged him to always be in the companionship of great souls. He also suggested to not remain in the holy place such as Vrindavan for too long as familiarity towards residences of sacred places can set in and arouse contempt.
Such good council and guidance was given by the great master Chaitanya.
8 KM
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