Gratitude, the crowning virtue !

"Great people are great, not because they do great things, because they do not ignore little things !"
                                                                                                                                                 - Lao Tzu

     UG's sense of gratitude was remarkable. He never once forgot to express his gratitude for even little acts of service that someone rendered. 

   Did UG allow anyone to serve him in the first place? Only towards the end, UG allowed the lucky Louis Brawley to serve him. Louis rendered outstanding personal services when UG turned into a 'lame duck' because of his injury. 

Generally, UG refused to depend on anything or anyone and lived according to his dictum, 'uncomplaining, uncompromising self reliance!' 

  Here is a small anecdote!

  My mother stayed with me for a few months in Mumbai in the early 90s. My  wife was off, visiting her parents.

  Late evening one day, I received a call from Kamal, our pilot friend. UG had sent a message that he would be transiting via Mumbai to London. He would be arriving from Singapore or some place in the early hours of next morning on his way to London. And that we should meet him at the transit-lounge.

    It was late evening and I told my mother that I would go to bed so I could leave home around 1 a.m. to meet UG.  Just to be sure, I kept alarm and soon fell asleep!

   I woke up in the middle of the night suddenly to  loud noises in the kitchen! I To my utter surprise, I found mother busy preparing idlis - favourite rice dish for UG! The lady had never met UG, she had come to know about him through my narrations and had great reverence for him.  

    She didn't go to bed at all on learning of UG's arrival! She had taken a head bath, in  typical Indian tradition of ladies who prepare food (bhiksha), an offering to the enlightened masters. She has served many a saffron clad swami and holy men who visited our home in her highly religious and dedicated life. 

    She was wrapped in a wet sari, a token of sanctification, for preparing the food offering !

    Finally she made a neat pack of the food and I took a local train to join Kamal at the airport. Soon, we saw UG emerging from the gate. With his disarming smile, he waved at us and came into the main lounge. He was a First Class traveler but preferred to sit in the commoners' lounge so we could all meet and chat over coffee. UG insisted on paying the bill but the ever devoted Kamal wouldn't allow that!

    I promptly handed him his pack of idlis that mother had prepared. UG thanked her profusely and said he would need only two idlis - one for his breakfast on the plane and the other for his lunch in London. We had coffee and chatted for a while. Finally both of us, like protocol officers, escorted UG, a VIP,  to his favourite seat, '1 A' on the Air India flight ( UG would say, "Sitting on 1 A , I will be the first to go in case of a nose landing or a crash")

 We bade him goodbye.

     I reckon that this happened over a weekend. Soon after reaching home, I promptly went to bed to catch up on my lost sleep.

      A few hours later, I woke me to a call from Kamal!

" Hey! UG called up from London, he has landed safely and asked me to convey this urgent message to your mom that he relished her wonderful idlis, one he had on the flight & the other soon after reaching the hotel. UG says to personally convey his gratitude and regards to your mother!"

      That was UG! 

 Having served many swamis and spiritual guides, who lacked this crowning human virtue, mom and self were overwhelmed by UG's sense of gratitude !!!