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The Indwelling God
From those first experiences to my most recent, Swami’s teachings have continued to underscore his loving divinity, encouraging me to search within to find my own. This was the case with an experience that occurred on a family trip to India in August 1998.
My daughter Ruth, a physical therapist, had strained her back at work. It was serious enough for her to take time off from work, and we worried that she might have to leave her profession permanently.
Years earlier I had met a medical doctor from Madras, Dr. Krishna Raman, trained in Western medicine and also adept in hatha yoga. He understood the workings of the body and the mechanics of the back from a Western doctor’s perspective. In a family discussion, we seriously considered calling Dr. Krishna Raman or stopping in Madras to ask his opinion about possible back treatment for Ruth. We decided against it, however, because of our yearning to reach Swami as quickly as possible.
Upon arrival at the ashram, we quickly put away our belongings and rushed to the temple area for our first darshan of the trip. I took a seat on the temple veranda and sat quietly. Thousands were on the grounds, and Swami was just about to come out to walk among them. Would he look at me? Would he remember me? Would he say anything to me? Apprehensive thoughts passed through my mind.
As Swami returned to the temple aer darshan and stood close to the temple door, he looked over at the devotees siing on the veranda. Whereas during previous visits, in an uncanny way he had very quickly come close and acknowledged my presence, this time he remained some thirty feet away and just made eye contact with me. Then, without moving toward me, he loudly called out my name. How wonderful it was to have Swami acknowledge me with familiarity and love.
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