From Leela to Learning 3

From Leela to Learning 3

The Path to the Supreme State

Abhang by Tulas Amma Pg 97

There was once a devotee who was suffering from a severe and persistent illness. He experienced intense pain in his stomach. Despite consulting renowned doctors and surgeons in Bombay, undergoing multiple tests, X-rays, and treatments, the cause of his illness could not be identified. No treatment gave him relief.

One of his relatives, distressed by his condition, brought him to Ganeshpuri and pleaded with Baba to help him. The devotee was Konkani-speaking and belonged to the G.S.B. community.

After listening, Baba said firmly,
“Get him operated.”

The devotee replied helplessly,
“Baba, the doctors themselves do not know what the problem is. What is there to operate upon?”

Baba then said,
“Go to Dr. Rao and get admitted to his hospital.”

With complete faith in Baba’s words, the man got himself admitted to Dr. Rao’s hospital. His surgery was scheduled. When he was taken into the operating theatre, he was astonished to see Baba Himself standing there, as the doctor who was to operate upon him.

After the operation, the devotee was completely cured.

Gulabi Amma was suffering from fibroids and was undergoing severe physical distress. Seeking relief, she approached Bhagavan Nityananda, hoping for divine intervention or a miraculous cure. Bhagavan listened and then gave a simple, direct instruction:
“Go to a doctor and have your uterus removed.”

There was no display of miracle, no dramatic act, and no promise of instant healing. Instead, Bhagavan chose the path of practical wisdom. By directing Gulabi Amma towards medical treatment, He affirmed that science and medicine are also expressions of the Divine order. For Bhagavan, there was no conflict between spirituality and surgery; both operate under the same universal intelligence.

This Leelā reveals an important truth: a true Sadguru does not encourage dependence on miracles or blind faith. Rather, He guides the devotee towards what is necessary and appropriate for their well-being, even if it challenges their expectations. Gulabi Amma sought divine grace in the form of intervention, but Bhagavan offered divine grace in the form of right guidance.

There were many instances when Bhagavan facilitated what appeared as divine intervention—curing devotees or even pulling them back from the jaws of death. Yet, in this instance, Bhagavan demonstrated that true surrender to the Guru also means accepting solutions that are grounded, practical, rational, and aligned with dharma. The miracle here was not the avoidance of surgery, but the clarity with which Bhagavan cut through emotion and illusion, guiding the devotee towards timely action and genuine relief.

Thus, these Leelā teach that the highest compassion of the Guru often appears as firmness, and that true grace may come not by bypassing worldly means, but by using them wisely

This Leelā is crucial because:

• Baba does not reject medical science

• He works through it, without claiming ownership

• He neither advertises nor explains the miracle

The devotee was not cured in Ganeshpuri, but in a hospital—this is deliberate.

 Antarārtha – The Hidden Wisdom

a) The Guru removes both ignorance and obstruction

Here, the disease represents both physical suffering and diagnostic ignorance. Baba dissolves both simultaneously.

b) The Guru appears in the form required

To the devotee, Baba appeared as a doctor.
To others, He remained an unknown surgeon.

This reflects a core truth:
The Guru has no fixed role. He assumes the form necessary for grace to function.

c) Faith bridges the seen and unseen

The devotee obeyed without logic. Surgery happened because faith allowed events to align.

 Alignment with Bhagavan’s nature as Avadhoota

This Leelā resonates with what Shree Padiyar Swami emphasised—
that Bhagavan functioned beyond roles, caste, profession, or identity.

Doctor, Guru, Avadhoota—these are labels imposed by observers, not identities assumed by Bhagavan.

 Relevance for today’s seeker

• Grace may come through institutions, not temples

• The Guru may not appear where you expect Him

• Healing is not always mystical—it can be profoundly ordinary

What these two Leelās together reveal

Placed side by side, these Leelās show:

• Nature bends without effort

• Science functions without conflict

• Compassion flows without attachment

• Authority is expressed without explanation

In both cases, Baba first commands obedience, then allows grace to unfold—never the other way around.

स्वपदप्राप्तीचा मार्ग

सद्गुरू स्मरण करावे ।भवबंधातून मुक्ताची व्हावे ॥१॥

गुरुचरणांचे स्मरण करिता ।नुरवी काही विषयवार्ता ।सुबुद्धी देऊनी तारी भक्तां ॥२॥

हृदयी स्मरता गुरु वाक्यासी ।हरितो सर्वही अज्ञान तमसी ।अंतरी दावितो ज्ञानरविसी ॥३॥

सहजसुखाचा बोध करितो ।सर्वानंदाचा अनुभव देतो ।सर्वही निरसून स्वपद देतो ॥४॥

निर्मल आनंदी । नित्यानंद ध्यायी ।नित्य चरणी वंदुनी राहे ।निष्ठा वाक्यी धरुनी पाहे ॥५॥