Prasad’s Mother and Pilgrim Joan

The news came the other day that Prasad, a leader in the Gandhian movement in India who had been our guide on the Pilgrimage of Peace, had lost his mother. I heard the news from Prasad’s wife Dr. Kranthi and passed it on to the other USA pilgrims. But I did know what to say or write to Prasad. Prasad was essential to our pilgrimage following in the footsteps of Mahatma Gandhi, but not knowing his mother I did not know what to say.

Today, another pilgrim, Joan, who had stayed longer with Prasad and his family in India, forwarded a picture Prasad’s wife had sent her of herself and Prasad’s mother together. Looking at the picture I knew instantly that I did know Prasad’s mother.

She shared the same general facial features as her son. Her kind smile and gesture to Joan in the picture was something I did recognize. The gentleness and kindness in Prasad’s presence was in her face. But most of all I recognized in the picture the spirit of nonviolence that I felt with Prasad.

I have been in the presence of holy persons, persons of nonviolence, in my life, persons like Dorothy Day co-founder of the Catholic Worker and my friend and companion Father Lorenzo Rosebaugh. In their presence I just felt I was meeting someone special; someone who was true to self and lived their life as a message of hope and blessings.

Gandhi said: “My life is my message. You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” There are many stories of persons who felt the spirit of peace in Gandhi’s presence. You can see in pictures of him a certain calmness and peace. Gandhi, like Dorothy Day or Lorenzo Rosebaugh, was no great intellectual or strategist. He was just a simple person and what you saw was what you got.

Prasad is a man of peace and calm. He is always present to the moment. Being his roommate I was worried that I would keep him awake with my stirrings and noise at night in bed. However, there was nothing to worry about. When Prasad went to bed he instantly was asleep and he slept peacefully till the next morning. He has a sense of awareness of the present moment. This awareness is something you can see in the picture of his mother. Although old and weak she is alive and awake.

Like it or not sons and daughters inherit traits from mothers. Prasad was blessed to have a kind mother, and he is living to be the best mother’s son there can be. He is taking the best of his mother, a spirit of peace and love, and passing it on.

Comments

(:commentboxchrono:)