Editor Aparigraha Jain
Editor Carla Geerdes
When the IPMC was over, not everybody had left Ladnun. It was good luck that Mrs. Chandalia from Bombay, a fluently English speaking lady, still was present on the campus and invited to come with her and visit Sadhvishrees.
We entered a house near to Sadhvishree’s HQ; in every room of the house one group of Sadhvishrees with five persons was staying. When we entered one room in first floor, we met Sadhvishree Goraji and Sadhvishree Uswal Kumariji; both had travelled together for forty years until Sadhvishree Uswal Kumariji became head of an own group of Sadhvishrees.
Sadhvishree Goraji was about to complete her 83 years, and Sadhvishree Uswal Kumariji then was 67 years old. Both of them were looking at least ten years less in age. They enjoyed life, radiant with energy and health, and had not seen each other for two years. We were allowed to participate in two remarkable reminders from their lifes as wandering female ascetics.
Many years ago, the two Sadhvishrees were travelling in the Shimla district; they had to walk distances from 20 to 30 km for proper night accommodation, and were heading to their destination, a village near Shimla. The Shimla district in Himachal Pradesh, northwest Himalayas, is covered with many hills, rivers, dense forests, and still populated by some tribes.
They were travelling in a hilly region and rather tired, when the road was bifurcating. The marker pointing to the right indicated 80 km to a town in direction of their destination, the one pointing to the left indicated only 40 km. The question arose which direction had to be chosen. After consultation, it was decided to move in direction of the shorter distance.
They had already climbed four hills, when a river forced them to halt. The group of six people, five Sadhvishrees and one layperson, decided to continue their way, for the river was full of big rocks and stones to gap the water. Then another big hill had to be surmounted.
After this, three more rivers had to be crossed like the first, and another hill like the five before. The fifth river was different, no rocks or big stones were in sight.
When the little group took a rest, a dark lady clothed in black leather approached.
She asked Sadhvishree Goraji if she knew the way to continue. When Sadhvishree nodded and pointed in direction of the river, she said with smiling lips, but not smiling eyes, that she knew a better way to continue and therefore proposes another direction. Sadhvishree thanked her and pointed again in direction of the river. When the group was prepared to continue, the lady disappeared as suddenly as she had appeared.
The river was not as deep as it had seemed from far, so they waded to the other side. Hardly in move again, Sadhvishree Goraji remarked some diffuse noise in front of them, together with the clear perception of lurking danger. Sadhvishree Goraji asked Sadhvishree Uswal Kumariji to lead the group astray without losing orientation, and then to return to the path to meet her again.She would continue the path to distract the attention of perhaps malevolent persons from the group. No sooner said than done.
The group weaselled out, and Sadhvishree continued her way. After the next turning, she noticed five dark figures moving in her direction, coming out of the shadows from some trees. She bravely continued her way, reciting soundless Arham Mantra. When she looked up next, she saw in front of her five naked, fiercely looking men, armed with long knifes, measuring not higher than her shoulders.
Without hesitation, she closed her eyes, fell on her knees, joined her hands in front of her chest, and spoke out Namokar Maha Mantra. She noticed some harsh sounds from the man, but stayed concentrated on Namokar Maha Mantra.
Then she realised that there was her voice only, no more sounds from the men. She softly opened her eyes while still reciting Namokar Mantra. The five men were also on their knees, looking openly at her. She then stood up, and while continuing to recite Namokar Mantra, she started moving again. The men stepped aside, and she continued her way without looking back. After a while, she joined the group, and without exchanging a single word, they reached in silence their destination to stay at night.
Later, it was found out that the group also had recited Namokar Maha Mantra.
The second incident took place, when they were travelling in Assam, near Rangya village at the banks of Brahmaputra. Sadhvishree Goraji had found a location covered with sand where she wanted to answer the call of nature, and therefore had separated from the group
After some time, Sadhvishree Uswal Kumariji was wondering where the head of group had gone; she had not seen her for some time. Therefore, she was looking around, but nobody was visible. Then she could hardly believe her eyes; she saw that the head of group had bogged down in the sand up to the hips. One look into Sadhvishree Goraji’s eyes told her that the former was in big trouble; she had sunk into quicksand!
The other Sadhvishrees were called, and all understood immediately that every move of the group’s head or anybody’s blindfold help would only increase trouble. All kept silence, Sadhvishree Goraji went into deep meditation, and then started to lean back gradually. During her very slow moves, she was contemplating, “I am soul, I am no body, body is light like cotton balls.” The other Sadhvishrees supported her by reciting the contemplation also in their soft voices. This took pretty a time, but finally she succeeded in lying on her back without sinking deeper, as if half of her body was floating on water.
With their eyes, the two Sadhvishrees communicated on the next step to take. Sadhvishree Uswal Kumariji knew that it was her task to bring her group leader back to safe ground. She was preparing for the moment when she had to pull Sadhvishree out of the quicksand by her armpits.
Sadhvishree Goraji had started to recite whisperingly the Mantra ‘Om Bikshu’, a Mantra for highest emergency. Then she whispered, “Now!” and instantly Sadhvishree Uswal Kumariji pulled her out.
When reporting on the event, Sadhvishree Goraji said with a sigh, “I had never before and never again experienced such a lightness of body. Just when I felt it, I spoke the word saving my life.” Sadhvishree Uswal Kumariji added, “I had never before felt this power in my both arms… and never again.”