Real Birthday

I was born on March 24th, but because of extenuating circumstances, I celebrate my birthday on February 27th. Once Guru asked me to explain why, and I told Guru I have told the story millions of times. Years ago, before I met Guru, I was returning from my around-the-world trip on a Russian passenger ship. We were in the middle of the Pacific and I was sitting in the chess room playing by myself. An Englishman walked in and asked if he could play. I said, "Of course." He was not a good chess player at all, but he was a very good person. He told me he had spent seven years in a Thai monastery, learning from a Guru about meditation and God-realisation. He was now returning to England to look for a new Master who could take him further on his search for God. By God's Grace, at last, I was receptive. It finally all made sense; I remember saying to my new friend, "So how do you realise God?" He said, "By meditating." Off I went to a small deck at 1 a.m. to meditate. The moment I sat down, the Supreme or Guru came and embraced me the way a mother would embrace a child who had been lost for thousands of years and then found. I just cried with gratitude for over an hour. That day was February 27th. After I became a disciple, I was at Guru's house, and Guru was celebrating another disciple's birthday on February 27th. Suddenly Guru said to me, "So is today not your birthday also?" It suddenly clicked, and I realised that this was the same day of the year that I had that experience on the ship, and that Guru was reminding me of my real birthday.

Databir (New York)