Dada Nigamananda was one of the senior-most avadhutas in Ananda Marga. He became a worker in 1966. For many years he served as trainer in the Varanasi Wholetimer Training Center, after which he held various posts in Central Office. Nearly four months ago he suffered a stroke, from which he never regained consciousness. He passed away today.
Namaskar.
The sad demise of Acarya Nigamananda Avadhuta, after a long time in Max Hospital after he got brain hemorrhage, hurt us deeply. He was one of the most efficient and hard-working workers of Baba, and he was always pushing hard to accomplish the work. In his lifetime he did a lot of constructive work, especially during Baba's physical presence. He worked as General Training Secretary and Central Training Secretary of Varanasi Training Centre, as Sectorial Secretary of Delhi Sector, Regional Secretary of Mumbai, and in different positions in south India. After Baba's departure, he was an important member of the Ananda Marga Central Committee. He was a great devotee of Baba. We express our heartfelt condolences. May his soul rest in Baba's lap.
Ac. Kalyaneshvarananda Avadhuta
I remember that whenever I used to go to Varansii Training Center, Dada Nigamanandajii used to take lots of care. He used to care for many sick dadas and didis, and he took special care of junior workers. Whenever we traveled together by train, he used to take good care of everyone. His fatherly and loving nature were unforgettable.
With brotherly love and best wishes, in Him
Dádá Shuddhátmánanda
Please see Dada Bhaskarananda's beautiful stories in the Comments.
Ac. Nigamananda was a direct disciple and so was a well trained acharya who played an important role in the org.,even when marga guru was alive.Sharing his experiences he polished many rough diamonds into worthy successors.
ReplyDeleteDadaji has dedicated many years to his renunciation of worldly life and as a monk was a glaring example of a tantrik avadhuta.
All margiis of Guyana send their condolences.
I came into contacts of this great heart sometime in mid 2006 and after that we were in constant touch with each other.
ReplyDeleteHis personality to attract any person any time is something miraculous.
I am greatly impressed by his wisdom, simplicity and love to all.
I would like to pay my deepest regard to this great soul.
I pray to BABA to bless the great soul dedicated to the service of the humanity.
ReplyDeleteKalyan Kumar
Dada Nigamanandajii's body was brought to Ananda Nagar, and was placed at the entrance of Baba’s Quarter till his Shraddha Ceremony, which took place on 27th May morning between 8 to 10am. Many of Beloved BABA’s devotees came by to offer their last respects with flowers and garlands. The Shraddhanjali took place with all respects filled with sadness and tears with grief, sorrow and unhappiness who knew Dada personally as well as organizationlly. Cremation was done by the side of the river near the Dadhicii’s memorial.
ReplyDeleteMemories of Dada Nigamanandaji by Dada Bhaskarananda
ReplyDeleteIn January 1966 I went back to the Wholetimer training in order to do SPT, a new program Baba had added. While I was there an energetic boy in shorts named Gopal arrived. He was just sixteen or seventeen with little mustache or beard, though he was stout and resolute. He used to cling to my shoulders, and I loved him very dearly. Next I heard that Baba had given him the sweet, devotional name Gopiishvarananda. Unfortunately, because he was still a minor, his family filed kidnapping charges against Baba, so his name was changed to Dada Nigamananda.
During those early years we used to see each other during DMC's and reporting. He was very active and lovely in his devotion to Baba. Because we were both busy in our work and chasing Baba through different ways, our meetings were brief.
In 1971, in the wake of Baba's arrest, he became a Regional Secretary in the South, a supervisory post. I was posted in Patna as the principal of the Ananda Marga School in Alpana Bazaar near the Pataliputra Colony where Baba's residence and the Central Office were located. All the RS's as well as other workers used to first come to my school to rest whenever they arrived in Patna. I watched and scanned the dadas very carefully, in order to spot those who were pretending to be close to Baba, but who had actually defected and were trying to persuade other workers to become informants for the Central Bureau of Intelligence (CBI). I was transferred from there shortly before the State of Emergency was declared on 24 June 1975, when we were all taken to different jails throughout India for about two years.
The next time I saw Dada Nigamananda was when I visited him in the Varanasi Training Center where he had become trainer. He had tears in his eyes when he saw me. He took me to his room, sat me in a chair, and immediately cleaned the floor with a wet rag. He fed me with all the best food he could arrange. I asked him to tell me his stories. It was remarkable that he never appreciated if anyone praised him. He stopped me from praising him.
Actually I was very curious about him. I had an exaggerated feeling about my capacity, and wanted to compare myself with him, who already had the very important post of Central Training Secretary or GTS. I went there to directly ask about him and how Baba got him there.
Now there is a ticklish problem while writing about Baba. He had his Liila or sportive side, and His Nitya or eternal side. Which role Baba would take at which time was very unpredictable. In the liila or sportive aspect, Baba acted like an erring human at times. He never used His spiritual powers as long as he used His unusually developed intellect and smart common sense. He only used His spiritual power when He gave experiences to sadhakas and when He accepted their bad samskaras in return. It was very difficult to understand when He used his spiritual powers and where.
Dada Nigamananda narrated to me what happened. He was a small lad when he was first posted in Delhi as Circle Commander North. He could not speak English, nor did he know the philosophy properly. Yet Baba zealously protected His young children. Baba separately called Mangal Bihariji, who was a high official in the food department of Delhi Central Government, and R. Prasad, who was a friend of the Nehru family and the collector of Central Excise in Delhi. To each of them, in front of Dada Nigamananda, Baba told them in a very serious way, “See this young boy! He has dedicated his life for me. I do not want to see him suffer without money. If I ever see it, I will not leave you without rebuking!”
Both of them thereafter started giving Dada Nigamananda ten thousand Rupees, a very sizable amount in those days, every month for several years. This was Baba's starting gift to Dadajii, who was in tears while telling me this story. From this big start he gradually learned to become very efficient in collecting donations, which he used to take care of trainees and workers.
[see continuation]
[continuation of story by Dada Bhaskarananda]
ReplyDeleteI stood astonished, and for the first time in my life I realised the shallowness of my little knowledge and my ego. My superiority thereafter changed to inferiority for years to come. Baba is truly Mu'kam Karoti vacalam, pangum langhayate girim, “He who makes the dumb to speak and the lame to cross mountains.” I needed very badly this lesson which Baba graciously gave me through Dada Nigamananda. This knowledge is fundamental on the spiritual path, for without humility, without undergoing insults, no one can reach Him.
Dada Nigamananda's devotion to Baba was like that of Hanuman, the servant of the Lord. This relationship is one of the three highest forms of devotion. (The other two are the friend relation of Arjuna with Krsna, and the sweet loving relation of Radha. Adherents of these three types of devotion are all convinced that theirs is the highest form.)
The last story I heard about Dadajii was from the mouth of Dada Nareshananda.
Let me say a few words about Dada Nareshanandajii, whom I like a lot. He is bold and honestly says what he feels, even when he was in front of Baba. Baba always forgave him for his frankness. Why? In Baba's own words, “Nareshananda heard that God had come to this world when he heard of Baba. He left his hearth and home immediately, without caring for anything of his past belongings or completing his college studies, and he came to me.” Nareshananda always behaved boldly like Baba's own son. Baba gave Nareshananda freedom to say anything, and never took it as an insult. He also asked other central workers not to mind his honest reaction.
In 1990 Baba demanded that every Sunday at least eight new Wholetimers be brought to Him to be posted and receive Personal Contact. He was only giving PC to newly posted workers. Whereas the training course should take a few years, Baba's insistence meant that trainees were studying for a very short time before they were called back for postings. This contradiction was so unreasonable for Dada Nareshanada, who was then the Chief Training Secretary, that he could not tolerate it. So one week he convinced Dada Nigamananda not to bring any trainees, saying that he would would personally fight with Baba. He said, “Baba, it is patently wrong to bring a WT here for posting after only three or four days of training.” Baba listened silently.
That afternoon Baba went to the darshan hall where hundreds of Margiis and workers were waiting for Him, but He only gave Namaskar to them and left. Everyone was in deep anguish and Baba's mood was grim.
When He passed through the main door of His quarters, He turned to face Dada Nareshananda while Dada Nigamananda hid from Baba's view. But instead of scolding Dada Nareshanada, Baba shouted, “Where is my Gopal? My Gopal loves me dearly. My Gopal can never cheat me. So far he has never even told me a lie. He is such an obedient boy. How is this happening? He can never disobey me.” Then Baba went into His room.
Dada Nigamananda was sobbing as he listened from his hiding place as Baba praised him using his childhood name. Then he became ferocious. He turned on Dada Nareshananda and ordered him to bring the boys from BTC, and immediately handed him the money he needed for this. In less then 36 hours eight dadas were brought to Baba for Personal Contact, and the situation became normal.
Afterwards Baba called Dada Nareshananda and asked, "Who won? Your drama or my drama? You should not disobey me as I do not have enough time. You have already wasted 36 hours.” No one understood why Baba was being so hard and unreasonable. No one realized that in fact it was because of His impending departure and that He wanted to give the maximum number of PCs to human beings without breaking the rules He had made and without hinting that His time on earth was ending. It was only after His departure that we could understand that, in this case, too, whatsoever be the Guru's action has a hidden purpose.
[see continuation]
[Conclusion of Dada Bhaskarananda's story]
ReplyDeleteIn the last few years, Dada Nigamananda and I disagreed strongly about the organization. But I never forgot the love that we felt for each other. Just a few months before he passed away, he called me and told me that his gate is always open and asked me to join him. I declined, but I still expressed my overflowing love for him. The rest is history.
How can anyone who knew Dada Nigamananda ever forget this devotee? I wish the posterity should know all this and try to understand the sportive side of Baba, how He played with his devotees.
Bhaskarananda – bhaskarananda@psysri.com
Nigmanand dada always with us.....he is the great avt; who never die...baba .. Namaskar....
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