Naresh Bhaisaheb and My Father

On 11th October completed morning program. In chamber from 12.30 to 3.30 pm. The parents of Lt. Col. Jain came and discussed their son's case.Lt.Col.is at a place which is about 200 kms.away and up from Leh.BSNL lines are difficult to connect.You get a line sometime.We faced it when we were there for a holiday sometime back.We got Delhi occasionally.The father tried to connect so that Lt. Col. could talk to me,but could not.
Today is Venita's birthday.Wished her many happy returns of the day. Blessed her too.She said that she would like to go to Devi temples in Himachal Pradesh, namely Jwalaji,Chintpurni & Chamundaji. The journey to these temples is via Chandigarh by road. It is a long journey from Chandigarh. I suggested that she could go to Dharmashala by air and from there by road to the temples which could be covered in one day and not much of journey by road was involved. She said that her friend, Mrs. Manorama Gupta, wife of a retired Superintendenting engineer could not afford the cost of air journey.I told that taxi expenses from Chandigarh and back plus train expenses from Delhi to Chandigarh would be more or less equal to expenses by air. But she insisted that she would like to go by road and that the distance was not much from Chandigarh to the temples. I said that her health would not permit long journey. She has spondalitis as also back pain. She still insisted that she would like to go by road. The heated arguments continued for sometime. I left for the chamber. I could not convince her of my viewpoint.
At Fatehpur I noticed that Naresh Bhaisaheb was still very keen to walk & prayed to God for power to walk . He had tears in his eyes when he talked to me about his inability to walk.He also told that he could not move his right hand properly. I told him to take these inabilities as blessings of God. As he is 85, there is no place left for him to visit. He still toys with the idea of going to Haradwar and staying in an Ashram. But he cannot move. This is in contrast to the attitude of my father who never complained of his inability to walk, as he used to walk earlier before the age of 80. He wanted to live in his house at Fatehpur and din't want to leave it even for a day.I wish Naresh Bhaisaheb also has the same attitude and should now give up craving for walk and going to any Ashram. I told him so when I met him last on 6th instant.
Craving for something is the main cause of suffering, so said Buddha. I am reminded of a story narrated by Gurumaa in course of her discourses. She told that she visited a saint. She was completely bedridden. Seeing Guruma, she welcomed her. She looked quite happy. Gurumaa saw her being cleaned by the disciples. She said to Guruma "Look He has crippled me. But He has provided me tools to take care also." She said this with laughter. I wish Naresh Bhaisaheb also develops the same attitude. Although he cannot move, but he has attendants to take care of him.
Retired to sleep at 7.30pm.