‘SUFI BABA’ OF HYDERABAD

Robert Adams was living at Sedona, in Arizona, U.S.A., giving satsang. Fortunately, American spiritual aspirants began recognizing him as a true spiritual teacher and started basking themselves in his spiritual presence.

Every year, Robert would invite me and Anuradha to come and stay with him at Sedona. He would arrange accommodation for us with local Americans. That year when I was staying at the KFI, Rajghat, Varanasi, I got a telephone call from dear Robert and he requested me to stay in Sedona for three months, without fail; and, I agreed. When I returned to Arunachala from Varanasi, a signed letter from Robert was waiting for me. The contents were the same : “ You should spend three months at Sedona”. However, when myself and Anuradha reached San Francisco, we were informed that that very day Robert had dropped his body at Sedona ! Yet, I persisted with my insistence that as I had given an assurance to Sage Robert that I would obey his command, I would go to Sedona and spend three months. When we reached Sedona, the devotees of Robert Adams requested me to conduct satsang, as they were missing the sacred satsang of beloved Robert. I obeyed. (For more details see ‘Ramana Periya Puranam’.)

One day our hosts said that one ‘Sufi Baba’ from India had come to Sedona and was keen to meet me. The Sufi Baba had a fascinated crowd around him wherever he went – whether in India or in USA!

Anuradha and I were busy spending time in satsang with the eagerly listening devotees of dear Robert. Anuradha’s son Sankar (now, Dr. Sankar J. Kausik is a Urology Surgeon in Bel Air, Maryland, USA) had also come there to be with us. Our hosts took the three of us one night to a residence where the Sufi Baba was giving a demonstration of ‘Sufi Dance’.

That was how I met the Sufi Baba. He was singing and dancing in a fascinating manner. Almost everyone joined in the group dancing. Sufi Baba would sit down for some time while others danced.

Suddenly, he got up, came to me, pulled me up and started dancing along with me. That was the first and last time I think I have danced! Anuradha, herself a good dancer, later said that I danced very well - almost matching with the Baba in all the measured steps of the typical Sufi Dance! As for me, I didn’t know anything!

The next day, he invited us to the house where he was staying. He was exceptionally kind to Sankar, Anuradha and me. Suddenly, he pulled me close to him, looked affectionately yet powerfully into my eyes and said:

“Ganesan! I came this time all the way to America exclusively to meet you. In fact, I went to Arunachala to meet you at the Ashram. Since you were not there, the people there asked me to tell them what I had to tell you. I refused, as my sole purpose was to communicate an important ‘message’ directly to you. Ganesan! Now, I have caught you. The ‘message’ is, never leave Arunachala to stay away from it for doing sadhana. Arunachala is your place of penance. Some forces will disturb you. My ‘Beloved’ has therefore sent me to forewarn and steady you. Listen to my words, ‘Arunachala is the place for gaining your spiritual emancipation’. I bless you, Ganesan! Be steady! Be happy!”

I assured him that I would obey his command.

Very soon, situations at Sri Ramanasramam changed drastically, and I became fickle-minded with a strange desire to run away from Arunachala and settle as a beggar on the banks of River Ganges, my Ganga Mata! But, the Sufi Baba’s words of guidance and my assurance to him that I would not move out of Arunachala held me back!

Spiritual guidance extended to aspirants by Sages and Saints is undeniably available even today; and, at all times.

All that an aspirant needs are ‘eyes to see and ears to hear’ !