Renuka’s farewell speech at the funeral of her mom.
My mother, my Ba, was the most beautiful, peaceful, loving, understanding, humble, full-of-inner-wisdom and fun-loving person. As her children, we know the full extent to which our mother’s faith inspired her life, moulded her attitudes and helped her show to others the eternal values of human life. An upright life spent in quiet dignity, a determination to pursue the virtues of compassion, humility, sacrifices and kindness to others and a grateful celebration of life. These are the elements that I wish to celebrate with you all.
My mother was born on 7th August 1924 in Dar-es-salaam to Karunashanker and Rukshmani Vyas. She studied at Arya Kanya Gurukul in Probander. She was a brilliant student and was awarded 4 gold medals during her academic years. One of the gold medals was awarded by the Maharajah of Kutch in 1942 for her brilliant skills in archery. Gurukul was a perfect base for her spiritual journey: discipline and inner strength.
After my father’s death in 1974 my mother and my younger brother Jyotindra came to settle in London. We looked after our mother like a flower for 39 years. As the divine Mother says “Life must blossom like a flower offering itself to the divine” and she truly started blossoming with her inner strength. In 1981 she took sannyas from Osho and her spiritual name was Ma Yoga Nirmala. We both embarked on a spiritual journey together and we were fortunate enough to meet J Krishnamurti, Dada Bhagwan, Irene Tweedie, a sufi enlightened master and were also inspired by the Mother and Shree Aurobindo. Our guru gave us total freedom to go to other living masters for guidance for which we are eternally grateful and richer.
Over the years she attended meditation workshops to learn different meditation techniques. As Osho says, “meditation is an experiment in how one attains to a gradual voluntary death – then death happens in full consciousness.”
For the last 6 months I could see that she was preparing for her conscious death. She was constantly falling into deep meditation for hours. Gradually she started dropping her worldly desires like an autumn leaf. Our communication was in silence most of the times.
Last Thursday (30th May) afternoon when she was in hospital, I could sense that she became detached from me, and my brother – dropping her last worldly attachments. Finally, at 2am last Friday our mother peacefully slipped away in my loving arms with full awareness and consciouness.
Ba, we are all going to miss you immensely, our lives won’t be the same, you were a pillar of strength, ocean of love, full of wisdom and a great source of inspiration. You have left a big vacuum in our lives. My humble prayer to you: “Please be our guide, our guardian angel so we can be like you.”
Tributes
I saw the news that ba is no more in the body! Feel sad, but we all have to go. Happy that she went nicely in your arms! I met her here in Pune. Lots of love to you. I hope to see you some time here in Pune – I am alwayes here…..
Pragya (Pune ashram)