~~~ हरेश्वर चिन्तामणि जोशी ~~~
प. रेकॉर्ड नं. No 1/1
25-3-73
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A Date with Destiny.
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On that fateful day in the year 1992, I was lying on the bed.
Half-asleep, in a trans-like dream, I was listening Him while He was delivering a 'Talk' :
(निरूपणें / nirūpaṇeṃ). Where? I couldn't say. Nevertheless, I had a strong sense I was connected with Him as if over phone. I could see Him before my mental eyes, present at His home, before His devotees, disciples and visitors known and unknown to Him, where some cosmic network connected us together so as to happen this dialogue.
"Oh!" -said He.
I instantly and spontaneously recognized, had an inkling, as if my sixth sense might have told me, He was none other than the Master (Parama pujya Sat-guru Shri Nisargadatta Maharaj) Himself. Though in the dream I also had a firm and clear understanding that my physical body was somewhere lying on a bed and this dream was taking place despite my knowing where I am in the physical world or even on this astral plane. summarily; I was but aware of 'me' and Him as two cosmic presences only.
I wanted to check, if my guess was correct.
But I had no enough courage to ask directly.
So my curiosity took this turn. I asked :
"Had you ever lived in Mumbai?"
"Oh, for so long, almost a big part of my whole life."
"O.K.! Could you please tell me about some-one who you know to and who know to me as well?"
"Mr Ratnaparakhe, Mr.H.C.Joshi, (Mr.Joshi)".
Quick came the reply.
I already knew Mr. Ratnaparakhe, an elderly gentleman living at Ujjain, where I too was living at that time. But I couldn't remember the other 2 names. At that time I thought He, in His native Marathi of Mumbai had told me not one but two other names besides Mr. Ratnaparakhi.
Then He prompted me to ask something else.
I asked Him :
"Why I find connecting with women in general, rather difficult?"
"Did you yourself ever try to find out, what could be the reason behind it?"
At this very moment, our conversation all of a sudden was disrupted by an outside sound. The trans-like statewas broken and I found myself lying on the bed, awakened from my dream.
I was suffering from Malaria and was trying to rest.
After a few days when I had recovered from Malaria, I narrated my this 'experience' to my 'friends'.
I told them how Maharaj had referred to me the three names. One was Mr. Ratnaparakhi, while another was something like 'Misechky' and the last was "Mr.Joshi". I tried to find out but in vain, who might have been 'Misechky', Maharaj had talked about?
An year or two went by, when I happened to buy some Marathi books of Sri Nisargadatta Mahaaj.
One book was 'सदाचार / sadācāra' His (निरूपणें / nirūpaṇeṃ) on this title, -text of 'श्री शङ्कराचार्य / śrī śaṅkarācārya'. In the introductory pages I came to know how He had categorically admired one of His disciples named : हरेश्वर चिन्तामणि जोशी / hareśvara cintāmaṇi jośī / who had attained the state of "स्वरूपदर्शन" or the "Self-Realization'.
I knew then that at that time, He was living at Mumbai. I found out His residential address and started correspondence with Him. During this time I was busy in translating 'I AM THAT', and had almost completed the whole manuscript. I had first written the whole manuscript in pencil because repeated alteration and editing needed that I could 'erase' the part of the text again and again. Then I wrote / copied down this whole text 'neatly' onto loose papers and filed them spiral-bound.
Then I wrote to Him about my endeavours.
He was very happy and only because of His personal efforts and blessings the same saw the light of the day.
Years later while I was talking with a friend, I referred to His name as I found there in His signature.
And suddenly I could see my error.
Shri Nisargadatta Maharaj had in fact told me names of two persons only.
One of Mr.Ratnaparakhi, who happened to live at the same place Ujjain, where I was living at that time.
Another was "Mr.H.C.Joshi" which I mistook for "Misechky".
And it dawned on me, this "Mr.H.C.Joshi" was none other than ह.चिं.जोशी / ha.ciṃ.jośī, which sounded to me as "Misechky".
Later on I met Him several times.
He gave me the 'notes' He had taken while he attended talks with Shri Nisargadatta Maharaj. These 'notes' are in Marathi, took down during 1973.
Maybe someday I or someone else keeps the records straight!
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