God Leads

THE great thing has happened. For nearly five years the nebulous idea of Ramdas’ world tour was in the air. Now and again there were talks and predictions about it. Two or three years ago Ramdas had a talk concerning it till late in the night with a friend, accompanied by lot of fun and laughter. It appeared the idea was slowly materialising. In the year 1954, God in a mysterious way decided upon sending Ramdas abroad.

To go on a world tour was not an easy matter. It was considered by everyone who heard of it to be a tremendous venture involving many problems. But, for God, nothing is difficult. When He wills, all things take place without any hitch or obstacle. As prompted by Him, in June 1954, Rani Lalita Devi of Hyderabad offered to finance the tour and resolved to go with Ramdas.

Preliminary arrangements were soon set on foot. Rani Lalita Devi got ready all kinds of warm clothing for use in the cold countries. In a month’s time everything necessary was done and we—Mother Krishnabai, Ramdas and Swami Satchidananda—started from the Ashram. Of course, there was a good deal of commotion produced in the minds of not only the Ashram inmates, but also friends who heard of it in all other parts of India.

Blessings of Saints

When the decision to go on tour was made, Ramdas sent letters of appeal to several saints of India for their blessings. The blessings came. They heartily responded to the appeal, appreciated the idea and wished that the tour should be crowned with success and that we should return with sound health. Really, the blessings of saints are the most powerful help. Ramdas is a servant and child of saints. He always looks to them for guidance, inspiration and grace. God says, “When you honour saints I am pleased.” Verily, God and saints are one.

We started from the Ashram on the 3rd August 1954, and reached Mangalore the same day. We were welcomed by Sri M. Shama Rao and his wife, a most devoted couple, at their home. They were overflowing in their devotion and hospitality to us. We spent about three hours blissfully with them. Here we had the darshan of Sri Rama Devi and Swami Siddhakumar who came to see us. Many devotees came to wish us godspeed. The atmosphere in the house was filled with spiritual fervour.

We were to leave by plane for Bombay the same afternoon. But owing to cloudy weather and impending storm and rain, the plane that was to take us to Bombay did not land at the Mangalore airport. We returned from the airport to the town and stopped at the house of another devotee, Sri Kanda Narasimha Chettiar, a disciple of Sri Anand Swarup Maharaj of Dayalbagh. He invited us to stay with him until we departed by the next day’s plane. This devotee and his wife too bathed us in their pure love and devotion.

God Himself is His Devotee

Next day, we caught the plane which took us to Bombay. At the airport a large number of devotees were present to receive us. We stayed, as usual, with Sri Natverlal G. Parikh at “Ivorine”. As on previous occasions, “Ivorine” became holy by the visits of hundreds of devotees throughout the day and part of the night.

Truly, God Himself is His devotee. When Ramdas found so many devotees coming to him, forgetting their worldly work and commitments to remain with him, almost losing consciousness of time and space, he could feel how great was the love which they bore for him. Considering his health and age, many expressed concern about his fitness for the great world tour which he had undertaken. This they did out of their pure kindness and affection for him. Some others satisfied themselves with saying that since Ramdas’ venture was prompted by God, he would get through the tour without any trouble. Mothers presented him with warm apparel and evinced also great anxiety about his welfare. We were joined here by Rani Lalita Devi and also by Sri Sagarlal Gupta who was to form one of the party.

Unlike on previous occasions, this time there were no Bhajan programmes at “Ivorine” except the one by Sri Dilip Kumar Roy who entertained and thrilled the assembled devotees one evening with his sweet devotional songs. Dilip Kumar Roy is a prominent disciple of Sri Aurobindo. He is a gifted singer. He is a pure, noble and illumined personality. Whenever there was an occasion for Ramdas to meet him, there used to be, on both sides, a feeling of supreme joy and ecstasy. Now he had come to see Ramdas from Poona with his daughter-disciple Indira Devi. Our friend Sri Gurdial Mallik also came to offer his felicitations.

Object of the World Tour

On the evening of the Sunday previous to the date of our departure from Bombay, there was a large gathering of devotees at “Ivorine.” Many among them spoke expressing their good wishes for our tour, praying at the same time for our safe return. Ramdas was deeply affected by their great love and care for us. When devotees wish well of you it is sure that you have come under divine grace itself. At the request of the devotees, Ramdas delivered his parting message to them. Therein he revealed the object of his world tour in the following words:

Now, the object of his going to foreign countries, as willed by the Divine—Ramdas uses the word ‘foreign’ as it is the common usage, but, in fact, there is nothing ‘foreign’ to him as the whole world is his home—is to propagate the ideal of Universal Love and Service. Ramdas can propagate his ideal only in one way and that is by beholding his Beloved in all beings so that his love may flow out and inundate the entire world, removing all man-made distinctions, and enable all people to stand united as one world-family, because it is one God that pervades everywhere and all humanity is the expression of Him. Ramdas is going there to show all how it is possible to achieve this exalted experience. Everyone must realise that the Divine is within him.

God was seen at every step to remove the obstacles in the way. He eased all the difficult situations we had to face before departing from Bombay. Even those who doubt God’s intervention in the affairs of men come to believe in His solicitude when they actually see how He helps those who trust Him. It is unnecessary to go here into the details of the manner in which God interceded in this case. Wonderful indeed are His ways! That is all Ramdas need say here.

After fourteen days’ stay in Bombay the time came for our flight from there to Rome. Although the plane was to leave at about midnight, a large number of friends came to the airport to give us a hearty send-off. The scene at the airport before the departure was a memorable one as it was most touching. Ramdas can well imagine how the hearts of all the assembled friends must have been deeply agitated over their separation from us and their anxiety for our safe return from the tour round the world. When your heart is transmuted by the alchemy of devotion into a pure expression of love, you are not a human being then, but an embodiment of God. For, God is love. We could feel, when the plane took off, making its huge buzzing sound, with what painful hearts all the friends at the airport were gazing at the plane that was to carry us thousands of miles to a continent far far away. The plane rose and after a few minutes it was up in the air taking the five of us within its secure cabin.