“A very noble soul Ac. Cidanandaji Avt. departed on Saturday at 19-04-2008 for his eternal home with BABA, after having dedicatedly served our Mission and humanity. He was a soft-spoken dada, with great devotion to BABA. He maintained equanimity in the face of many obstacles and stressful situations, in the true spirit of a sadhu. In spite of being terminally ill, he worked tirelessly until dying, and died while being totally involved with mission work. We wish him eternal peace and happiness with BABA.
-Ac. Dhanjoo N. Ghista
-Ac. Dhanjoo N. Ghista
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ReplyDeleteIt was a pleasure to know him. He was a great saint and loved by all. I had also the fortune to work closely with him when he was Central Office Secretary. He led a pure and exemplary life.
ReplyDeleteNamaskar,
ReplyDeleteI am so sorry for this sad news. I dearly love him when I stayed briefly at Davao Training Center. He was a very caring person and he has much love for Baba and His mission. He was always busy doing something. His only rest was his sadhana and spiritual practices but then again, he was in and out there always doing something. One day, he called me in his office and told me that he's sending me where the Muslims are concentrated and he told me to collect food for the trainees. "Just think of Baba and He'll help," were his words of encouragement. He said that he needed at least 2 sacks of rice for the trainees to last for many days. He never expressed any doubt, he was very positive that I would be able to do what he had instructed me to do. And with Baba's grace, I brought for him those free sacks of rice. In my brief stay, he also told all of us to sell tickets for the concert and sell pulvoron, which is a sweet peanut powder candy that were professionally wrapped and made at the training center. He told some of us to go to businesses where many people concentrate, more so than going to individuals or house to house. We sold a lot of tickets for the concert and the auditorium was full. On the night of the concert, I sang "This Little Light of Mine I'm Gonna Make It Shine." While singing, I briefly looked at Dada Cidanandajii, he smiled at me and he was nodding his head and he appeared to me with a lot of bright light or glow around him. Then I sang a song that I composed out of Carl Sandburg's poem "There is only one man in the world and his name is all men..." Everyone in the audience was singing with me and I saw Dadajii again. This time he was clapping and enjoying the song with a lot of smile and glowing light. Dadajii, I am going to miss that glow of light and that smile of encouragement from you. Dadajii, wherever you are, please take my namaskar and love for you. I am very deeply saddened by your physical departure but then again, I envy you because now you'll meet with our Beloved Baba and I'll envy you forever for sitting on His lap in eternity. I hope, your death and your sincere efforts in working for our Unity, will serve as a clarion call for some of our Brothers who are stubborn and adamant in maintaining their position of disunited AMPS and may they awake and start to move with reconciliation and genuine Unity for Baba's sake and for the sake of your sincere efforts. Dadajii, Namaskar and please convey my love and Namaste to Baba.
Much love for you and Him. Your little boy,
Sudhiindra
It has been a sad day for me to know the passing of Dadaji. His sweet and benevolent smile will be always in my mind and hearth. He has been one of the best examples of love and compassion I had. I always felt good near Him.
ReplyDeleteThis is life and I thank Baba to give me the opportunity to know a saintly personality like Dadaji. May he rest in Peace.
Phalashuddhananda
From A’ca’rya Animes’a’nanda Avadhu’ta
ReplyDeleteCIDANANDA JI IS NO MORE WITH US
A’ca’rya Cidananda Avadhu’ta ji left his mortal frame today (19.04.08 ) early morning about 4.45 AM at Manipal Hospital, Bangalore. His body has been brought to Ananda Marga Polytechnic Campus, Malur. The last rite will take place tomorrow, Sunday (20.04.08) afternoon.
Once BA’BA’ told about him “He is my silent worker and I like silent worker”.
He was 75 and was the WT of 1964 batch. He was suffering from lungs cancer since last three and half years. Doctors of United States had left all hopes for his survival, but he survived for more than 2 years on the basis of his strong will power....
Persons come and go. It is infallible law of Parma Prakritii, but person like Ac. Cida’nanda Avdt. ji rarely comes and when they go, they leave their unforgettable imprint on the chest of time so that others may take inspiration from it. He left us today but his spirit will always remain in our memory and will continue to inspire us.
Dada Cidanandaji was great saint. I remember those days when he was working at Bangalore as RS Bangalore Region .Once we were with Dada Parshivananda,Dada Cidanandaji at Kolar and we went for night meditation at Antrganga,two miles walking from the jagrtii.Place was very good for night meditation.Dada Cidananda later told that we have to do long meditation then only we can establish His mission.His grace is alwayas with us.I am remembering him for saintly life and dedication for Baba.
ReplyDeleteDada Mahaviirananda
Dada Cidananda ji will be fondly remembered and missed amidst us. He visited NY Sector for addressing the Dharma Maha Sammelana on the occasion of the Golden Jubilee celebrations of Ananda Marga in the year 2005. For me he was a great sadhaka as I knew him. He was a mentor and guardian to many. I remember many thoughtful conversations with him on various occasions in the past before he finally fell sick to his failing health conditions. Now he peacefully rests in Baba’s lap.
ReplyDeleteMy respectful homage to the silent worker of Baba.
Ac. Vimalananda Avt.
Apr. 19, 2008
Dearest Dada Cidanandaji,
ReplyDeleteMy deepest pranam to you who is now in Babas abode.I can never forget how you train us,me with so much fatherly love and i really undertand more Babas teaching by your glaring example and a very compassianate heatrt.I will always remember you in all my being ,you are mini Baba indeed...I know you are with our Beloved Baba now..we love you all..
love
Lokamitrananda
RS LA
Namaskar to all,
ReplyDeleteIt is a great shock for me to read the passing away of Dada Cidanandaji. And I am deeply in so much pain for the loss of a great
acarya and a loving trainer. Dadaji was my trainer and a loving father as well during my training days. We, Maharlikan acaryas used to call him Tatang. "Tatang" is a Tagalog term for father. In the course of my one-year training with Dadaji, I learnt so many things. He was the first person in Ananda Marga who showed me the greatness of our Beloved Baba.
He used to tell us his beautiful spiritual experiences with Baba. He used to tell us those stories with so much sweetness and by his
expressions while speaking of them, we could feel how much he loved Baba and how special Baba was. With those spiritual inspirations, my longing to see Baba in person and to finish my training to serve His mission became even stronger.
During my training, he was very strict with me and used to point my mistakes then and there when I did something wrong or not proper. He gave me several duties and responsibilities as a trainee to be able to learn how to be organized and be hardworking. He taught me how to manage the training center's peanut factory, deal with the local authorities and have meetings with them, manage the affairs of the sisters in the training centers and even used to send us ( Part B and
A trainees) to give lectures in the universities during our training period.
Later, in my worker's life, I made use of all those trainings that he
gave me personally. They helped me to cope with the different
pressures I encountered in my worker's life or in difficult fields I have been sent to. And I thanked Dadaji for preparing me for those kinds of
situations in my young age.
Few months before I finished my training in Davao, he told me
personally, "When you will become an acarya, you will have a lot of
work in your field and the time for sadhana could be less.
Nevertheless, you should never compromise your sadhana. Offer all your work to Baba. But work should not be done at the cost of sadhana. Even if the work is very difficult, do it and accomplished it wholeheartedly and think that it is for Baba and it will make Him happy." I have always remembered this teaching of him all my life as a worker and it has brought me much closer to our beloved Baba.
Aside from his spiritual guidance, he was a very positive, dynamic and efficient worker. He was empty handed when he came for the first time in Davao, Maharlika . He showed us by his own example how to be hardworking and to always think of the welfare of other people. Dadaji was a generous person in many ways. He taught us how to be hospitable and welcome people to Ananda Marga. And when he left Davao, Maharlika, his success could be seen and measured through the different
projects he had established - schools, orphanages, Babaś Foundation, master units, etc and to those people whom he brought closer to Baba by his own example of humility and spirituality. Aside from that, he also gave some trainees training how to manage farms, teach in the school, run the Children Homes, manage the household affairs of each
training center , etc, etc.
I can still remember that during my training period when the two
trainee sisters got sick and could not teach in the school. Dadaji had to find a replacement for them for that day. At the time, the school was just attached to the peanut factory (Lotus Food Products) where I was managing and supervising , and to the Sisters Training Center itself. Dadaji came in and said to me, "leave your work now and go there in
the school. The children need a teacher." I told him that I was only 19 years old and I did not really know how to teach and handle children. Then he said, " fetch your guitar and just sing songs with them.." I protested but Dadaji insisted that I leave my work and the peanut factory employees. Dadaji left and came back again in the afternoon when all the kids had gone home already. I met him in the
peanut factory and asked me, " How did it go with the children?" I
just told him that I survived the 50 children and they liked me
singing songs and playing with them outside in the yard. But I really became so tired and exhausted." Dadaji just laughed and said, "very good" and then he talked with the employees in the factory. And that one day of experience with the children in the school gave me later, a huge samskara of managing kindergartens in Ananda Marga.
And to our beloved Tatang:
Please accept my last humble pranam to you. I only wish you all
the bliss that you deserved and may you attain union with
Paramapurusa.
in His love,
Anandakrpa
DSL-Helsinki
Didi, Have you documented these personal Baba stories from Dada for posterity?
DeleteFor Most margiis and acaryas, Dada Cidananda will always be remembered
ReplyDeleteas a father figure to us all.
During my 16 years of working at Baba's Foundation, Dad Cid has always
been an inspiration to me. Though he left Davao many years ago, he never
stopped thinking and caring for BFI. Even from long distance, he would
always inquire about BFI, and send advises and good vibes. He is the solid
rock that we are holding on even in the midst of struggles and
difficulties. Of course, to teach us our lessons, he would oftentimes
scold us (when he was still here in Davao) esp.when projects goes wrong and
he would give us clash like anything that you would not want to report to
work the next day. But he always has a way of making up and letting us
know that he loves us, like sending food to the office when he knows we
are still doing overtime during the night, or bringing fruits from the
Cabantian Master Unit for us all to share.
In the midst of emergency he is always a calm presence. One time I
remember, we had an emergency in the Davao Training Center, when two of
our brother trainees fainted inside the elevated water tank they were
painting, and had to be taken out of the tank and carried down from the
high elevation on one’s shoulder. We were already rushing here and there, calling the ambulance and doing first aid. But Dada was so calm. He called me and told me, "You know Tara, we should start a mobile clinic project, to help
people in times of crisis like this". Even in the midst of an emergency
situation, he always manage to come up with an idea of a project for other
people.
At one time, Dada started a Natural Health clinic inside the Davao Training Center compound. It was just a simple structure, with mud pack room, acunpuncture and acupressure room, and steam bath cubicle which he designed himself. One day, a boy of about 10 years old came with his mother. He was bitten by a dog, and the hospital doctors already turned him away and would not admit him anymore as he was already infected with rabies. His mother said while they were in the hospital and do not know what to do after they were refused admission , a man approached them and told the mother to bring the child to the “yoga” in Buhangin. The mother immediately asked for direction and brought the child to Dada in our simple Naturopath clinic. Looking at the child who already exhibited the symptoms of an advance rabid condition, Dada readily accepted the boy to stay in the clinic for the night. I cautioned Dada that we don’t have the proper facilities, and the boy is also already in the advance stage of rabies infection. Dada only said “we cannot turn away people being sent by God to us”. So the whole night, Dada nursed the boy, with some homeopathic treatment, perhaps to just ease his physical pain and the mental pain of his family. At 3 in the morning, the boy grew worse, already salivating , very restless and in really advance deteriorating condition that we have to tie him with blanket to refrain him from attacking people around him. The boy specifically asked for Dada (he said I want the “bearded man” referring to Dada). We asked a brother-trainee to wake Dada up , and so Dada came. We cautioned him not to come closer or touch the boy , but Dada just held the boy’s hands and stared at him with that powerful eyes of his , I guess telling him in his mind to stay calm. Looking at Dada doing that, I can feel the love and will power he directed at the boy, who in turn looked at him, and they were staring at each other for a long time, until the boy fell asleep. At around 5 in the morning, Dada instructed the family of the boy to bring him to hospital, perhaps he knows that the boy’s time is approaching, and he would not want him to die in our compound. The family rushed the boy to the nearby hospital, where he expired after about an hour.We never also knew who was that man who sent the boy to Dada's Natural Health Center.
Dada will also always remembered for being someone who makes every
individual in his circle important. When we have activities or projects to
start, he called margiis and trainees for meetings and meetings, until late at night, and would not let us all go unless things were clear and ironed out. He would
consult everyone, letting us all feel that our small ideas are important
and contributory to the collective outcome. And nobody would mind going
home late from the meetings, because he is the inspiring presence. He has
only good words and thoughts for everyone. He is like a magnet, pulling
every individual he comes in contact with, into his circle and into a more
deep spiritual experience.
Dada, we will all miss you, but we know your presence will always be with
us, in the many initiatives and inspiring messages and wisdom you have
left behind. You will always be in my heart too Dada....and I know that
should I falter in my walk and get tired in my efforts at Baba’s Foundation, your spirit will always be there to guide and strengthen me. All our efforts at BFI will be dedicated to you and Baba. Though it is painful to think you have gone forever ,I am happy knowing no physical pain can touch you anymore, and that finally you have merged your spirit with Baba. I love you Dada, my father, my inspiration, my mini Baba!
Sister TARA
Baba's Foundation
Davao City,Maharlika
A tribute to a great soul – Acarya Cidananda Avadhuta
ReplyDeleteAt last you are free now, resting in the lap of the Almighty
Your pains and suffering disappearing like a fog as the sun rises,
And as they touch the great effulgence of the Divine,
You and your pains, merge in the eternal, loving entity who is Anandamurti.
Your sacrifice and dedication will be remembered by many,
We, your loving sons and daughters whom for us, a father you'll always be.
Your love, your wisdom, your guidance and ideals
Will spread like a bright flame to enlighten numerous desperate hearts.
Pranam….
By: Didi Anandakrpa (27th April 2008)
……. Dada Cidanandaji passed away 4.55 am on 19th April 2008 at Bangalore, India. I wrote this humble poem as my last tribute to my respected Shraman (trainer), whose inspiration and spiritual guidance brought me closer to my beloved spiritual master, Shrii Shrii Anandamurtiji
a great soul you sure are Dada Cidananda.. despites the fact that i'm no longer with ananda marga.. and different path of evolution that we take, i always remember you of a pure and strong heart.. i offer this love to you Dadaji.. nothing is ever lost in this universe.. it was a great privilege to cross path with and shared lessons of our souls .. all the blessings.. namaste...
ReplyDeletemuch love, soul traveller
The passing away of Dada Cidanandajii has left the entire AM family in gloom. May the departed soul find Baba's everloving lap forever.
ReplyDeleteSnigdhananda
unknown tavellers it mesmerized the soul its inspire the heart and mine to those thee understand.the lifts to its earness that begets man the soul of a person thats inspire humanity to its feet to stand let it be a reminder to us that we can be great by our action and dedication to our goal.may he continue inspire other great soul who are still asleep.
ReplyDelete