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Namaskar.

24th December. Christmas Eve! On this day, this year (2008), I had a pleasant and unforgettable experience. I do not know how to express my feelings in words! Just like any other day, 24th December 2008 too began with a good note. Particularly, this was a special day for me as I was bestowed with a special blessing. Yes, I came out of my house to see Doctor face to face! Whether I happened to see Doctor, or he prompted me to see him- I do not know.

It is our usual practice to meditate at Thamarai on select days, apart from other normal days. Being the 24th, it was a special day and I started from my house to go to Thamarai . Whenever I went there, I used to pick up Shanthamma from her residence in my car by taking a particular route. But, on this day, instead of going by the regular route to pick her up, I took a different route to reach her place. Why I went in a different route this time, I am at a loss to explain! Yes! That was Doctor’s good design to make me meet him!

As I was driving, I had a shocking and surprising experience (shocking, as I was not prepared for it!).I happened to see my Guru, Doctor Nithyanandam walking on the side-walk, just a few yards from my vehicle. My mind froze! For a few seconds, I went blank. I was not able to drive my car further, as my hands started trembling. Do I believe this or not. Unbelievable! My beloved doctor, the only one… I was seeing him physically, after a long gap of 13 years! The shocking experience (whether out of fear or surprise, I do not know) sent jitters down my stomach!

My car slowed down due to the shift in my attention. The other vehicles behind me started honking and traffic came to a halt for a minute. Gathering myself, I parked the car on the left side in a by-lane and started to run towards Doctor, leaving behind the vehicle abruptly even without securing the lock. At this point, even though my thoughts got arrested, my mind started muttering, “Doctor,…Doctor,….Doctor”. While my eyes fully focused on Doctor, he was looking at the sky. I kept seeing him without shifting my gaze.

I went near him. I was conscious that I was really seeing him. Yet, I became speechless. My tongue refused to cooperate with the mind. Although my mind directed me to call him, my tongue failed to co-operate. I was fully absorbed in his presence as he stood by my side. I stood near him for about a minute. At this moment, Doctor started crossing the road , looking down at the road as he did. .I also crossed the road with him. After crossing, Doctor stood for a while and kept looking vaguely at some shop for a minute or so. Now, doctor glanced at me and saw me eye to eye. I felt totally erased and became dumb-founded. I did not know where I was or with whom I was!

His one glance made me feel as though I was born just then! The supreme nectar that bathed me from head to toe refreshed and purified me in an instant!

Doctor continued to walk. And I too went behind him tracing his footsteps. After walking some yards, he stopped near an electricity junction box erected on one side of the road at a point. A man was kick-starting his two-wheeler. Doctor waited for him to go and then started to walk further. During this time, waves of thoughts started erupting in my mind, like, 'why have I became speechless, seeing doctor after a span of 13 long years?', Or, 'Has he prevented me from speaking to him? Or, am I not up to the mark in my pursuit of the spiritual path? '(Or, am I a trouble shooter?) ‘If I left him now or was made to leave him, then when, where and how would I reach him after that?'. Thus caught up in emotions, I became very upset. Doctor continued to walk like the breeze, pointing his right index finger downward as if signaling me to follow his footsteps. Without turning to the left or right side of the road I just followed him. As he walked he changed the blue file he was carrying with him, from his left hand to his right.

Suddenly I remembered that I had left my car behind without even securing the lock. I went back to it looking behind all the time, not losing sight of doctor. Starting the car I began driving towards doctor with the idea of picking him up. Doctor just kept walking on the same right side of the road. As I was nearing Doctor we were getting close to a traffic signal. The moment I drove near him, the signal got cleared and I had to take a right turn as Doctor was proceeding on the left side of the main road. After turning right, I immediately parked the vehicle there to join him again, but alas! He was out of my sight and I searched for him in vain in all directions . He had disappeared from my sight. (This was 24th December, the eve of Christmas – the birthday of Jesus who resurrected to inspire the founding of Christianity.) By this experience given to me, Doctor made me feel his presence physically, to assure me that he was there to look after his disciples personally and invisibly.

Doctor appeared before me in good health and high spirits.. He was wearing his usual grey Safari dress with two pens in his breast pocket. To my surprise, he was unusually sporting an apt moustache, thin and fully grey, that suited him exceptionally well. The beauty of his nose was enhanced very much by the moustache and I could not stop admiring it. This personal experience of an encounter with Doctor in broad daylight, not only added strength to my faith in him but also infused me with courage to welcome him back again in the future. Of course this experience would not have been possible without his grace.