Selfless love and care for her guru by a true disciple

[YERUVA ANTHONY REDDY]

Let me share a moving and heart touching story of a true disciple from SALT visits facilitated by The Constellation, India Community Life Competence Group and SAMRAKSHA on 25^th October 2010 at Koppal in North Karnataka, India.

Radha (name changed) aged about 28 years is an established traditional musician. She learnt music from her teacher for ten years and has great respect and appreciation for him because he has supported her to establish herself as a good musician. She says ‘Whatever I am today is all because of my guru (music teacher). She says that parents gave her birth but her teacher gave her life. She is now a big musician and gives performances in the national concerts. In the journey of life all days are not rosy and it is not for Radha as well. Suddenly out of no reason her music teacher disappeared and she lost in touch with him.

She searched a lot for her guru and one day she was shattered to know that her music teacher is admitted in the ‘Asha Jyothi Care and Support centre’ run by SAMRAKSHA. When she went to see him, her guru asked her to go away with concern towards her. He could show his face to her with guilt. None of his family members came to see and care for him.

But Radha stood by him with lot of courage and demonstrated her true love and care for him by eating in the same plate, helping him bathe, wash his clothes and doing all the palliative care services. Family members ridiculed her saying that she is after him for the sake of property. She responded strongly saying that until and unless you come and start taking care of him I will not leave from this place. She said that ‘she did all that she can but could not help his guru survive’ with full of tears in her eyes and it had ripple effect on 30 odd people in the room including the facilitators.

All the Care givers, staff working in the care and support centre were inspired by her self less love towards her guru Staff said that they have witnessed love and care for PLHAs between wife and husband, father and son/daughter, between friends, for grand children by grand parents but never with such intensity by a disciple towards her guru. Inspired care givers of the centre now work with much more dedication, care and love for each other. By telling her story she has inspired me and all those present in the visit.

Even ‘Peter denied recognizing Jesus when in trouble but not Radha’.

Message in her words

‘Courage makes anything possible, it has given me strength to share this story with all of you hence be bold to accept any challenge’.

‘It is foolish not to accept services when available, be courageous to accept services’.

Thanks Radha for moving story and ‘Let your guru live with your music’

Thanks to Ms.Sangamitra, Ms.Lawan, Ms. Roselina, Ms.Olga and Mr.Arun the SALT team who facilitated the discussion. Thanks to the Constellation, India Community Life competence Group and SAMRAKSHA for organizing these visits.

[Marie Lamboray]

Traduction

Antony raconte l’histoire de Rhada, musicienne professionnelle, histoire qu’elle a elle-même raconté lors d’une visite SALT facilitée par la Constellation, l’équipe de India Compétence  et l’organisation Samraksha, le 25 octobre 2010 à Koppal dans le nord du Karnataka, en Inde. Rhada a pris soin de son professeur de musique au centre de soin où il a été admis parce qu’il souffrait du VIH/sida. Extrait : « Quand elle lui rendait visite, son mentor lui demandait de s'en aller, inquiet pour elle. Il ne pouvait cacher son sentiment de culpabilité. Aucun des membres de sa famille ne venait le voir et prendre soin de lui.

Mais Radha est restée à son chevet avec beaucoup de courage et a montré son amour pour lui en mangeant dans la même assiette, en l'aidant à se baigner, à laver ses vêtements et en effectuant tous les soins palliatifs. »

 

Sanghamitra ajoute en commentaire : « Je voudrais ajouter une suite à l’histoire de Rhada qui montre que son comportement a été source d’inspiration. Après que Radha ait raconté son histoire, un membre de la famille d’un patient du centre de soins a raconté la sienne. Ce jeune homme, Manjunath, a expliqué qu’il venait prendre soin de sa mère au centre, plus par devoir. Quand il a vu la manière dont Radha prenait soins de son mentor, il a été bouleversé. Radha était plus attentionnée pour son mentor que lui pour sa mère. Depuis, il fait tout pour elle, il lave ses vêtements, lui donne ses soins et il passe du temps avec elle.

 

En entendant cette histoire, un membre du personnel de Samraksha a décidé de laver ses vêtements lui-même, honteux d’avoir laissé sa mère laver ses vêtements à l'âge adulte.

 

J’apprends que l’inspiration, peut déclencher un processus de changement en cascade, chaque personne y ajoutant leurs propres forces. C’est comme un ruisseau de montagne qui est rejoint par d'autres petits cours d'eau, tous fusionnent et coulent ensemble et la rivière a une nouvelle synergie...

[YERUVA ANTHONY REDDY]

Thanks for letting the inspiration flow and the idea of a sequel. Actually every one present their had stories to tell. Two other stories that really inspired me are
1) How children took care of mother who is hosptalised. In the absence of their father, children cooked food and fed the mother, gave timely medicine. we were informed that her children cycles all the away from 20 kms to take care of their mother. I salute the children for their selfless love at that age. Challenges and difficulties do teach lot of lessons.
2) The second one is again about a child's love for his mother. One fine day child disappears for two days without telling any one. When he comes back after two days every one started shouting him where he had gone leaving ailing mother. The boy said I could not see my mother walking bearfoot hence i worked to get a pair of slippers for my mother. Does not he teach about love and care to millions with this?

Thanks for creating a such a great environment for people to love, care and learn from each other and keep transferring to what is learnt to many.

[Sanghamitra Iyengar]

I would like to add a sequel and my learning on how inspiration flows. After Radha finished sharing, one of the family members at the care centre started sharing his story. A young man, Manjunath, spoke about how he had come to care for his mother at the centre, more as a duty. When he saw Radha's way of caring, he was so moved and felt that if Radha could care so much for her Guru, he should care more for his own mother, and so he started to do everything for her, washing her clothes giving personal care and spending time with her.

Hearing this story being told, one of the staff at Samraksha shared how humbled he felt by that as he had allowed his mother to wash his clothes into adulthood and came back from the SALT visits with the determination to appreciate and care for his mother more. He started washing his own clothes.

Inspiration, I am learning, can trigger a process of change with several people adding their own strength into it. It is like a mountain rivulet that is joined by other small streams, all merging and flowing together and the river has a new synergy....

Thank you Anthony, for sharing this beautiful story , which inspired us in so many ways....

[YERUVA ANTHONY REDDY]

Thanks Joao for your comments. How is your health? hope you are fit and fine back at your home. In spite of not being well you have set the floor roaring with your energy, songs and ur namaskars.

[Joao Arnaldo Vembane]

Wow Anthony,

This is a really motivating history. This is what we need to catch for transfer, and you did it smartly. Thank you very much. while on the other hand there is careless body, on the other there are so powerful care givers. they never had a training to do so, but their hearts strengthen them to provide the best. This is one of... I was in gorup 2, but you history made me feel the energy of your group through this history.

Thank you very much

[Gaston]

wow, truly inspiring.

[Jean-Louis Lamboray]

Hello Anthony from Kumta, Karnataka!
We have been sharing all monring about how Radha's quality of care inspired other family members in the center to take care of their oanw from the heart! It triggerea a series of actions by us here in Kumta!
Regards from Belcompetence and Samraksha teams!

[Lawan Vejapikul]

Thanks a lot Anthony, for sharing this story with all friends who was not be able to join this visit with us.
Your story made my tear comes out again...it is sad but beautiful in the same time from learning about what she had made for her guru and also for other people by sharing her story!!!

It was my pleasure to be with you all (Anthony, Saghamitra, Rozina, Olga and Arun) in group 1 during the SALT Visit Programme in Koppal, North Karnataka, South India. Thanks for making this visit so remarkable for me and everyone with all your sharing and willing to learn together....My SALTy Team!!!

[Laurence Gilliot]

Beautiful story! Thank you so much for sharing... I can feel the emotions come up in me, even here in Belgium. Not because it is sad but because it is beautiful. Thank you for helping me to see things in perspective...