September 29, 2016 – MAIISM AND HINDUISM

To return to the experiences , the Founder was given a bungalow as a guest to temporarily reside. On the first day in Hubli a big gathering was held there and rich Prasad and sweets were distributed . Just then, a bitch got in and she was driven out without giving a bit and with a stick. At 2 a.m. after departure of all, Founder prayed to Mother, for the success of the first gathering in Hubli. He had not taken his meals. He had the joy of success but an overwhelming sorrow at the idea of the bitch being beaten out without a bit of bread. He was disgusted with man’s non-consideration for other men, what to speak of animals. In a great disgust he decided not take his meals and laid himself down on his cot. At half past two the very same bitch which was turned out with beating came out from below the cot, began to lick the Founder and pulled his garments towards the kitchen ! The Founder was happy like anything. He went to the Puja room , worshiped the bitch and began to eat with the bitch, his own meals , partaking with bitch half to half. He caressed the bitch,” Are you now satisfied ? ” ” Mother ! Hast Thou sent a bitch to see that I do not sleep hungry ? ” He wept with his face against the bed out of gratitude. When he opened his eyes after composure, he was surprised to see that the bitch was no where there in the whole bungalow of which all the doors had been locked before going to bed.

Somehow a dog appears to have some significance in religious experience. Yudhisthir’s dog faithfully accompanied Yudhisthir in Himalayas, at his end. There are instances of saints having run after a dog, who took away their bread, not to beat him as world imagined, but to give butter to be applied to the loaf. There is a mention of a similar meal-sharing with a dog in several accounts of saints. I quote one here. “The master, Blessed Shree Mai-Swarup Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, saw a monk taking the leavings of the beggar’s meals with some dogs from the heap of the discarded leaf-plates. He had one of his arms around a dog’s neck and man and dog were eating from the same plate. The dog was quite at home with him.”
There is a wonderful account about the pet dog of Sree Bhakta Raj Shivanand Sen, one of the dearest devotees of Lord Chaitanya Gauranga Prabhu. Bhaktaraj did his best to keep him home, while he prepared for a long journey for Prabhu’s Darshan. He was taken with great trouble. On the way, the dog saw he was a cause of so much trouble to his master and left him. Shivanand was extremely sorry and began to almost weep with the remembrance of the dog’s faithfulness. Anyhow, composing himself, he proceeded to Lord Gauranga’s place. On reaching and entering Lord’s place, what did he see? The Lord is patting and feeding a dog sitting by his side. Which is that dog? The very same. The dog had never before come to the Lord’s place. A faithful dog follows the devotee master to the last.

Extract from the book : MAI-ISM