Close Encounter with God

CLOSE ENCOUNTER WITH GOD!!!

(or LIFE THREATENING EXPERIENCE!!!) 

(or Power of Prayer!)

It was a beautiful morning of June 24, 1992; Linda Dessaint, one of my favorite Yoga students, walked in my office.  As we were chatting about her plan to visit Ananda Ashram (Yoga Center in upstate New York) for July 4th weekend, I started leaning over to the left side. In order to prevent myself from falling down, I moved my left hand to rest on the table I was standing next to, but my hand started sliding as if it had no strength to support my body weight. I felt like my left side was just melting. Fortunately, my chair was just waiting to receive me and I just slumped into it. I knew then and there that something was happening beyond my control. 

I knew I had a blank look as if staring into nowhere. 

Linda had a quizzical concerned look on and wondered whether I was okay. I remembered replying to her that I didn't know, but it was possible that it could be a reaction to overworking late nights for the last couple of weeks, as I was trying to finish the book by my 'self-imposed' deadline. (The book in question was the English translation of Pujya Morari Bapu's Katha on 'Patanjali YOGA Sutra' from Gujarati.)  

After a few moments Linda asked me again, "Sudhir, are you sure that you are okay? Should I call for help?” 

I had realized at that point that my condition is beyond my control. I have definitely suffered a stroke. My left side was paralyzed. I nodded in agreement feeling helpless. She rushed outside the office to get hold of Sol Asmar (my peer) who had just passed by my office. He rushed to my office, kind of bewildered! "My God! He is having a heart attack!! I said mentally, "No no no! It's a stroke, not a heart attack! I know the difference." 

Maybe I was choked to say anything as I was thinking of my Guruji who had suffered a stroke and is still paralyzed with his right side for some seven years. "My Guruji is paralyzed on the right side and me on the left side. Boy! God really knows how to balance! The rescue squad responded practically in a flash (And I am very thankful to Bruce Randall and Greg Gillette for the timely and prompt response.)  (Working for OSARAM Sylvania, Hillsboro NH)

They lowered me to the floor on the stretcher. Greg asked me to squeeze his fingers, raise my leg and bend my knee; but there was no response on my left side. That confirmed my suspicion that my left side was paralyzed. I was speechless emotionally at first then physically in the Ambulance. 

I knew that I was fully conscious throughout the whole ordeal. I gestured to give me something to write so that I can answer their inquiries and I did. "I thought of it and asked to have someone get in touch with my wife." I was told that she had been contacted and someone would bring her to the hospital. "I wanted to see Rajiv, my first son, right away and I asked them to inform him." (Even today (10/26/92) I get choked thinking about that.) 

Next thing I knew that I was being taken to hospital. I was having severe pain in my right side of neck as if it was like a tight rope in spasm. I was massaging. Greg asked, 'does it hurt you there?' I nodded. "Well, I am not a good masseur but I can try." I did feel better! "Sudhir, just relax! Everything will be fine. (I felt as if it was my own echo, as I considered myself an apostle of "RELAX"! This is the central theme of my message to all my Yoga students.)

"Sudhir, we are taking the back road as the main highway has traffic jams...We will be there in no time..... Here we are approaching the emergency entrance ..... They will take good care of you!”        

The doctor checked for my responses on my left side but to no avail. Then I was taken for the CT SCAN test. I wore a rosary made up of Rudraksh beads and I had been chanting along the way. My mind is trained to begin chanting especially under adverse circumstances. I was told that I looked kind of scared as I was taken through the emergency entrance. I started chanting my favorite Hanumaan Chalishaa (Forty stanza prayer to Lord Hanumaan. It started coming in a kind of scattered instead of in proper sequence. I jumped to one of my favorite stanzas:

"Sadhu Sant ke Turn Rakhavare, Asur Nikandan Ram Duare (you are the protector of Saints & monks and with your blessings all the evil forces are destroyed.). 

I thought of Pujya Shri Moran Bapu (Contemporary Saint from India). Once someone suggested to him to entertain a possibility of having police protection, as he makes political remarks at times. He responded that it would mean he does not have faith in God. If Lord Hanuman is there to protect saints and good people why should he be concerned about his protection. 

Ashth Siddhi Nav Nidhi ke data. (You are the bestow-er of eight kinds of power and nine kinds of wealth.) 

Then the one way conversation with GOD followed:

"God, what's happening! I am neither a saint nor a monk. You are supposed to protect them. But you know that I am doing a lot of good work in your service. Won't you take care of me, now that I am down! I am not looking for any powers though you are known to bestow them. I see my dreams shattering in front of my eyes if I don't get better. Who is going to carry on the work I am doing? If you think I am not doing your work the way you want me to then why didn't you steer me in the right direction? Why didn't you correct my wisdom? If you think my work is finished and it is someone else's turn, it is acceptable to me.

Well, if I don't get better, then it is your LOSS. I know I have been serving you in the manner I think is best. If you didn't like it then you ought to have corrected my wisdom. Lord, at least do not take my speech away as I do not want to stop singing your glory. That is my life. I just put you on the top of the mountain last night (Front cover of my book.) and I am laying on the ground today helplessly. Won't you pick me up?"

Next thing I knew, there was a tremendous surge of energy, starting with intense white glow of light in the head. In a flash of a moment, it gushed down the spinal cord like a bolt of lightning and went to the left side of the body. I felt the life coming back to left side. I picked up my left forearm, and clasped my fingers, in utter amazement, cracking my knuckles to make sure that I wasn't dreaming. I lifted my left leg. I slid my knee up but could not control lowering it.. It just dropped. Well, it had not been restored completely!

TO BE CONTINUED….