Omaha, Nebraska
The Attempted Suicide
Today was a day off.
Our alternator needed replacing.
The mechanic (not the boss) took $30 off the price from his labour
because he liked our project of walking across America.
I was resting my gout foot (the left one) at our host’s
home, Vanamali and family. We sat
together along with my crew of two to discuss the episode of Chaitanya, the
Great Walker, and his dear associate, Sanatana.
Sanatana had traversed the jungles of Jarikhanda (Bengal), had bathed in
some bad water and for lack of good edibles, he felt sick and contracted an
infection. The symptoms were painful
itching sores, rashes and who knows what else.
The disease was challenging enough to the point where
Sanatana wanted to give up his life. At
the upcoming Rathayatra festival in
the eastern town of Puri, Sanatana thought to throw his wretched body before
the wheel of one of the chariots. When
news reached Chaitanya, he approached Sanatana with compassion but firmly denounced
such a plan as suicide.
“Your body does not belong to you so you have no right to
leave your body. Your body is sold out
to others, in benevolence. Besides, I
have plans for you—to excavate the places where Krishna had enacted His
historical pastimes.”
Sanatana heard the words of his master, Chaitanya, and as he
did so, Chaitanya offered an embrace which Sanatana felt bad about. “I’m diseased!”
Chaitanya was not deterred and forced the hug, saying that
Sanatana was a good soul.
An exchange with the Great walker.
May the Source be with you!
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