The Case Of The Self-Driven Car

Twas Guru Poornima 2006 at the vast expanses of the San Mateo Expo Center in the Bay Area, CA. Guruji was there, the full moon was blossoming eagerly in anticipation of Guru Poornima, the expo center was a hubub of frenzied nay devoted activity to host the multitude of people on the various courses. The advanced course had started and we were in silence. The course was a non-residential one, so we all had to drive up to the course center from our homes each day.

Many of us driving in from the South Bay would car pool to the course. The communication in silence was so interesting and yet amusing. Let say I had to pick up S at her home at 6:00 am. I'd drive up to the street, and call her on the cell. I would not say anything. She would answer - in silence. Moments later she would appear on the sidewalk and sit in the car. This process would repeat until the car was full. We would then start driving towards the center.

One one particular day, B and me were the only 2 folks in the car and I was driving. We were a little late and finally arrived on the street on which the entrance to the expo center was located. Moments later we should have taken a left into the parking lot of the expo center, as was our daily routine on those 7 days.

I can't explain what happened in those next few seconds. But suddenly I found myself on the wrong street. My mind had completely blanked out and I was on a 1-way street opposite to the Expo center. There was no turning back. I would have to take 3 right turns and come back on to the street of the expo center. We were going to be delayed.

B and I looked at each other in surprise. No words since we were in silence. There was no option - only another right turn and we found ourselves on a street where 2 hotels were located. These hotels were housing out-of-town participants who were on the course. There was a seva group responsible for picking up folks from the hotels and driving them to the course location. Since we were already on that street we decided to go to one of the hotels and see if anyone needed a ride.
Accordingly we turned into the entrance of one of the hotels.

S was the volunteer in charge of making sure that all the participants in that hotel had left for the course. He signaled us as we arrived - Everyone has left. You can leave too. I began to turn my car around and just about to leave when it happened.

An old gentleman waved to us frantically from the top floor of the hotel - Wait for me ! Turned out he woke up late that day and missed the regular shuttles to the course. He was the last one to leave the hotel and we were the ones that drove him there.


Driving back, B and I looked at each other in awe, bewilderment, amazement and gratitude. How the Master had taken care of this situation so beautifully. There were hundreds of participants on the course and yet His attention was on each one. And how we were made instruments of His grace. And all this in total silence.

On the last day, we came out of silence and I was sharing this experience with a dear friend D. His mouth opened in surprise. He had the exact same experience except he had ferried 4 waiting passengers to the course after finding himself mysteriously on the wrong (right :-) ? ) street. They too had awakened late at a different hotel and were in silence unable to communicate their need for a ride, but it was SO taken care of.

Have a Guru Poornima story to share ? Add it to the comments or better yet, blog about it and leave a link.

Guru Poornima 2009 is happening in Chicago, Jul 2-7th. Will you be there ?

Jai Guru Dev,