Last year in December I went for my first 10-day Vipassana course in Igatpuri. While Vipassana is a solitary practice, the fact that 40 more friends from moved by love were going to be sitting in the same course was a comforting thought, since it was my first time.

Two days into the 10-day sit, I started coughing. There was hot ginger water available in the dining hall, but I only had a regular plastic bottle and my plastic bottle could not keep it hot for long. Moreover, the bottle wasn’t really made for hot water and had already started deforming because of the hot water.

The cough kept worsening and my longing for hot water/tea developed into a craving. An acute craving. The centre gave me some ayurvedic syrup and the mucus dried magically but now the dry cough persisted. Besides my own discomfort, I became extremely guilty of disturbing nearly 300 people in the meditation hall and my neighbours every night. My stock of cloves and cough soothers (Which I had taken in case someone needed) got over but my throat didn't improve at all. I kept on thinking, “If only I could drink hot water to quench my thirst instead of the cold water.”

After another sleepless night, as I was walking to the dining hall for breakfast, I thought of donating some money to the centre to buy a few flasks so that in future no one would suffer the way I was. The idea became a resolve and I began to workout the economics in my mind. I had hardly taken 5 steps when a Dhamma Sevika approached me from behind. (during the Vipassana, total silence is COMPULSORY and this girl was serving as a Sevika and was allowed to converse when needed). She handed me a thermos flask and whispered that someone had offered it to me out of deep compassion.

I was dumbfounded. Guruji had said that nature reciprocates goodness and rewards too! but THIS quick? in just 10 seconds? Moreover I had just 'shown' good intention, not done any good yet. Tears of gratitude to God and the good Samaritan welled up in my eyes. It was fairly dark at 6:30 on a winter morning plus the tears. I could hardly see my angel, the sevika. My heart kept repeating "Oh my God. . Oh my God". My heart was suddenly a busy place, there were umpteen blessings and prayers for the so far unknown person, many thanks givings to the universe and even for this cough which was responsible for this blessed moment and literally 'sakshatkar' with the divine) and so much more…


Then I saw her leaving and by another good fortune, I came back to my senses, wiped my eyes and asked, “Please tell me the name of the sender.” She replied that the sender had asked her to keep it anonymous. On my insistence she promised to arrange a meeting on the last day of the course. I blessed the duo, their families, their ancestors, teachers, neighbours, in incoherent words. The breakfast became very watery. Those who saw my tears looked at me kindly from afar (could not talk). I smiled through my tears to convey all was well.
During the next session of meditation, I looked at every person intently as they entered the hall. It was heartening to realise that there were sooooo many potential donors, meaning my well wishers, present there.‍ I blessed them all and it so happened that for the first time during the course, I sat like a statue. In fact I couldn’t move even after the hour was over and everyone was walking out. I was enveloped in love and metta and I just wanted to soak in it indefinitely. Slowly I realized that everyone was returning. The coughing brought me back in the present in a jiffy bursting the enveloping bubble.

On the last day the name was revealed to me and my angel was always before my eyes throughout those 10-days and in my heart since many years. I love you dearest.

Thank you.

Posted by Kavita Rajvanshi on Mar 6, 2018 | permalink