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Oh, yes! There were two, of whom I read but never met unfortunately, who have had more than enough.
One was Ramakrishna Paramahamsa (RKP) about whom there is this charming story:
After struggling hard and getting the beatific vision of Kali Mayee, he walked down to the bank of the Ganges (Hooghly) and flung his last four-anna coin into the water vowing never to touch money again. And suddenly he was seized with fear and thought to himself:
"How do I eat from now on?"
And at once an inner voice spoke to him that he needn't have any worry on that count. And he never ever starved. Nor went about asking donations. It was left to his devotees to eventually establish hundreds of Ramakrishna Missions (big and small) all over the world...mostly from donations.
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What with one thing and another, I never had more than enough money.
I don't know if there are really any who do have more than enough money.
I don't know if there are really any who do have more than enough money.
One was Ramakrishna Paramahamsa (RKP) about whom there is this charming story:
After struggling hard and getting the beatific vision of Kali Mayee, he walked down to the bank of the Ganges (Hooghly) and flung his last four-anna coin into the water vowing never to touch money again. And suddenly he was seized with fear and thought to himself:
"How do I eat from now on?"
And at once an inner voice spoke to him that he needn't have any worry on that count. And he never ever starved. Nor went about asking donations. It was left to his devotees to eventually establish hundreds of Ramakrishna Missions (big and small) all over the world...mostly from donations.
The other was Ramana Maharshi (RM). As soon as he reached his fond destination, the Arunachaleshwar Temple at Tiruvannamalai, and had the darshan of whom he always referred to as his Father (like Jesus used to do), he walked to the banks of the temple-pond and flung his last four-anna coin into the holy waters and never touched money again. He also tore up his dhoti and threw that as well into the water, keeping only a small cod-piece (kaupeen). He never wore anything but that...not even footwear.
Once a foreign journalist came to visit him and found him squatting amidst his devotees. And quizzed him:
"Is it true that you never touch any money?"
And RM, who had a piece of dosa brought by one of his devotees in his palm replied:
"But I do touch dosas alright!"
RM never had to worry about money since he was just a lad of 17 when he threw it away and didn't have a wife to look after (unlike RKP).
Jesus himself was asked by a Jew who wanted to trap him:
"Should we pay our taxes to the Romans?"
And Jesus replied wisely:
"Give unto Caesar what belongs to Caesar and give unto the Lord what belongs to Him"
But Jesus was different...he didn't have to worry not only about his own food but also of his devotees. Bible says that when he was left with only five pieces of bread and two small fish, and a crowd of 5000 devotees followed him, and it was a remote place, and it was getting dark, Jesus multiplied his pieces of bread and fishlings into food enough for the entire crowd, and some more for them to carry home.
Reminds us of the story Lord Krishna and Draupadi and Sage Durvasa and his hungry disciples. That was why RKP used to refer to Jesus Christ as: "Jesu Krishno"
If only I had enough money or miracle-power, I would have seen to it that NONE of my fellow-Indians ever go to bed hungry. But I don't have to worry on that count now...our Parliament, just before the forthcoming elections, has taken care of that.
But, as I said, I never had more than enough money. That was because I never really earned a single paisa. For all of the 40 years of my service, IIT KGP was paying into my Savings Bank Account just enough money to keep the wolf from my door, for doing what I loved to do...teaching. And after I retired, it grudgingly continues to do so, for what I love doing after my retirement...blogging.
But I had not a single rupee for donations to worthy causes like Alumni Associations.
I first heard this term when I won my B Sc (Hons) Degree, after much boring struggle, from the Andhra University at Vizagh in 1962. I went to the Registry for my Provisional Certificate and the clerk there pushed a sheaf of papers for me to sign in a hurry. And I did that and got my PC, happily.
A week later, I went to the Registry again, meekly asking for the refund of my Caution Deposit, a whopping Rs 100. And the clerk there laughed and showed me the paper I had signed a week ago donating my entire Caution Deposit to its Alumni Association.
And I was forlorn and felt tricked.
Then I went to IIT KGP as a physics teacher in 1965. And while teaching, I did my Ph D from IIT KGP and so became technically a member of its Alumni Association. There was no Caution Deposit since I was only doing Theory which coolly went up in smoke without any incidental fire.
And after a good 20 years, I found a thing called Technology Foundation coming up in the Foyer. When I saw its sign board, I smiled to myself since the only Foundation I knew then was the Lakme one I bought from Gole Bazaar as a gift to my wife who threw it away...she was too lazy to do much of a makeup.
But after a few years, Prof GSS, who promoted me as a Professor (with ZERO hike in salary), confronted me one morning in the Foyer and asked me to contribute to the Technology Foundation, then looked after by the ever-popular Prof. Avasthi. And I didn't have any money to contribute meaningfully.
Sometime later, Prof Avasthi called me and asked me to meet him in the Foyer and I went there, to find the Registrar of a nearby University. And after introductions, the Registrar pushed me a model question paper and asked me to please get a similar one made for him in 2 days at a whopping remuneration in cash of Rs 2000. And I was about to refuse since I never did these extra-curricular activities, mostly for fear of the taxman. And as I was dawdling, Prof Avasthi asked me to do it as a favor to him and donate the cash received to the Technology Foundation. And that I did happily...to please Prof GSS.
That perhaps was the only donation I ever made to good causes at IIT KGP...apart from sundry pujas.
Somehow or other, my name got into the annals of the alumni at IIT and they also somehow got my cell phone number.
So, for the past 2 years, I have been getting phone calls from unknown numbers (male and female) which go somewhat like this:
"Am I speaking to Mr P. G. Sastry?"
"Yes and no"
"I am a second year student of Mech Engg at IIT KGP. And I am visiting Hyderabad next week. Can I please meet you?"
"No problem, but what for?"
"I want to invite you to our Kshitiz (or Spring Festival as the case maybe)"
"But I am too old to travel"
"No problem, I just want to meet you, since I would be meeting many of our alumni at Hyderabad...to invite them"
"Come on, young man, what is the tariff?"
"No, no, no, that is not what it is all about"
"Come, come, come..."
"Ok, anything between one thousand and one lakh"
"The former would suit me"
"Ok, no problem...(every little helps)"
And even for that one thousand I have succeeded in dodging till this morning.
This call was different:
"Is it Professor G. P. Sastry?"
"Yes, very much"
"Sir, I am a second year student of physics at IIT KGP. I am coming to Hyderabad next week and I want to invite you to Kshitiz"
"Oh, good, you are from the Physics Department?"
"Yes, sir. And we all read your book, R. S. Saraswat & G. P. Sastry, in our first year"
"Oh, then you are welcome!"
P. S. I didn't make a single rupee from that book...it was done gratis...
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