Charusheela knew this would happen when her spiritual master was about to leave. The towering unrelenting question demanding an answer, "Who is the next acharya?" Over the last forty-one years, the answers had gone from crazy to totally bizarre.
She had met one "Acharya" having been introduced to him by Amita. Charusheela should have known the encounter would have been something like entering the "Twilight Zone" if Amita had any part in it. Unsuspecting at the time Charusheela simply remained open-minded to see and hear whatever it was she was going to see and hear with firm conviction that Lord Krishna within her heart would give her guidance in how to understand everything in relationship to Him.
The guru, Rishi das, didn't say he was a guru right away. Instead, he sat Amita and Chaurusheela down and talked about himself for several hours. His manner of presentation was indeed captivating. His story was colorful and so was his own manner. He did glow with a kind of effulgent aura. Moonlike face, and bright clear eyes. Basically, he told Charusheela his whole life story. Charusheela got a distinct impression this was not the first time Rishi das has told the entire several hours' long story verbatim and that Amita had probably heard it several times. Nonetheless, Charusheela sat patiently and heard everything Rishi das had to say without blinking or breathing so it seemed.
It wasn't until a few days later that Rishi das confided in Charusheela that he was the next acharya. He was remaining hidden from everyone since he didn't want to have to deal with all the worship and attention that would certainly come his way when everyone found out he was the next Christ, the next Acharya, the next guru, etc.
He was only telling her and a few other people. But they should keep it a secret. He may never let the world know. Maybe he would just go on a journey and disappear.
Rishi das certainly did have an extraordinary life story. But seriously Charusheela's life story was no less amazing. Yet she didn't go around telling everyone the details of everything she did or happened to her nor did she claim to be an acharya. So it was a little unnerving with Rishi das who also had the habit of telling everyone else what "they were doing wrong."
It reached a fever pitch one night when there a friendly gathering of devotees. It was a little late at night but the hostess had put an effort into preparing a nice meal. For devotees preparing food as an offering of love for God, Krishna, and then eating the offering was a standard practice and respected by all devotees. Such food was considered sacred remnants and to taste them a person could increase their love and taste for God.
No sooner had everyone seated themselves at the table than Rishi das stood over everyone before anyone could even take the first bite to scold everyone for eating so late at night. He quoted something from some health magazine somewhere, "Eating late at night is not good for your health."
Charusheela couldn't let Rish das get away with that. It really was the last straw. She immediately stood up and scolded him, the next Acharya, in front of everyone. "Not now. Everyone is sitting down to eat sacred food. If there is some problem try to adjust things at another time. Not when everyone is getting ready to eat." The very thought of eating felt like the food would stick in her throat.
Rishi das was mortified. Who would dare to address him like that! The next acharya was made to look like a fool by a woman. He stomped out in a huff.
Charusheela was meeting a lot of "acharyas." Practically everyone she was meeting considered themselves an acharya and observed no social etiquette to let Charusheela know of their superior position to everyone else, especially Charusheela.
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