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> 第六十五章 Sasi And The Three Sapphires
第六十五章 Sasi And The Three Sapphires
My companion，a veterinary surgeon，was a confrmed agnostic。His young son Santosh had implored me to take an interest in his father。
Dr。Roy accompanied me the following day to the Serampore hermitage。After Master had granted him a brief interview，marked for the most part by stoic silence on both sides，the visitor brusquely departed。
“Why bring a dead man to the ashram？”Sri Yukteswar looked at me inquiringly as soon as the door had closed on the Calcutta skeptic。
“Sir！The doctor is very much alive！”
“But in a short time he will be dead。”
I was shocked。“Sir，this will be a terrible blow to his son。Santosh yet hopes for time to change his fathers materialistic views。I beseech you，Master，to help the man。”
“Very well；for your sake。”My gurus face was impassive。“The proud horse doctor is far gone in diabetes，although he does not know it。In ffteen days he will take to his bed。The physicians will give him up for lost；his natural time to leave this earth is six weeks from today。Due to your intercession，however，on that date he will recover。But there is one condition。You must get him to wear an astrological bangle；he will doubtless object as violently as one of his horses before an operation！”Master chuckled。
“I am in the best of health。You will never impress me with these astrological superstitions。”The doctor glanced at me belligerently。
Two weeks later the physician in attendance told me that his patients case was hopeless。He supplied harrowing details of the ravages inficted by diabetes。
I shook my head。“My guru has said that，after a sickness lasting one month，Dr。Roy will be well。”
The physician stared at me incredulously。But he sought me out a fortnight later，with an apologetic air。
“Dr。Roy has made a complete recovery！”he exclaimed。“It is the most amazing case in my experience。Never before have I seen a dying man show such an inexplicablecomeback。Your guru must indeed be a healing prophet！”
“Tell your teacher that by eating meat frequently，I have wholly regained my strength。His unscientifc ideas on diet have not infuenced me。”It was true that Dr。Roy looked a picture of health。
But the next day Santosh came running to me from his home on the next block。“This morning Father dropped dead！”
One of my friends，Sasi，spent a number of happy week ends in Serampore。Master became immensely fond of the boy，and lamented that his private life was wild and disorderly。
“Sasi，unless you reform，one year hence you will be dangerously ill。”Sri Yukteswar gazed at my friend with affectionate exasperation。“Mukunda is the witness：don‘t say later that I didn’t warn you。”
Sasi laughed。“Master，I will leave it to you to interest a sweet charity of cosmos in my own sad case！My spirit is willing but my will is weak。You are my only savior on earth；I believe in nothing else。”
“At least you should wear a two-carat blue sapphire。It will help you。”
“I cant afford one。Anyhow，dear guruji，if trouble comes，I fully believe you will protect me。”
“In a year you will bring three sapphires，”Sri Yukteswar replied cryptically。“They will be of no use then。”
“I cant reform！”Sasi would say in comical despair。“And my trust in you，Master，is more precious to me than any stone！”
A year later I was visiting my guru at the Calcutta home of his disciple，Naren Babu。About ten oclock in the morning，as Sri Yukteswar and I were sitting quietly in the second-foor parlor，I heard the front door open。Master straightened stiffy。
“It is that Sasi，”he remarked gravely。“The year is now up；both his lungs are gone。”
Sasi burst into tears and brushed past me。He threw himself at Sri Yukteswars feet，placing there three beautiful sapphires。
“Omniscient guru，the doctors say I have galloping tuberculosis！They give me no longer than three more months！I humbly implore your aid；I know you can heal me！”
“Isnt it a bit late now to be worrying over your life？Depart with your jewels；their time of usefulness is past。”Master then sat sphinxlike in an unrelenting silence，punctuated by the boys sobs for mercy。
I was not surprised a tense hour later when Master turned a sympathetic gaze on myprostrate friend。
“Get up，Sasi；Return your sapphires to the jewelers；they are an unnecessary expense now。But get an astrological bangle and wear it。Fear not；in a few weeks you shall be well。”
Sasis smile illumined his tear-marred face like sudden sun over a sodden landscape。
In a few weeks Sasi was stouter and in better health than ever before。
The frst two years of my course at Scottish Church College were drawing to a close。
I fled to Puri，where my guru was spending a few weeks。Vaguely hoping that he would sanction my nonappearance at the finals，I related my embarrassing unpreparedness。
But Master smiled consolingly。“Apply yourself diligently to your books for the next week：you shall get through your ordeal without failure。”
I returned to Calcutta，firmly suppressing all reasonable doubts that occasionally arose with unnerving ridicule。A long period of meditation brought me a labor-saving inspiration。Opening each book at random，I studied only those pages which lay thus exposed。Pursuing this course during eighteen hours a day for a week，I considered myself entitled to advise all succeeding generations on the art of cramming。
The following days in the examination halls were a justifcation of my seemingly haphazard procedure。I passed all the tests，though by a hairbreadth。
On his return from Puri，Sri Yukteswar gave me a pleasant surprise。“Your Calcutta studies are now over。I will see that you pursue your last two years of university work right here in Serampore。”
I was puzzled。“Sir，there is no Bachelor of Arts course in this town。”Serampore College，the sole institution of higher learning，offered only a two-year course in Intermediate Arts。
Two months later Professor Howells，president of Serampore College，publicly announced that he had succeeded in raising suffcient funds to offer a four-year course。Serampore College became a branch affliation of the University of Calcutta。I was one of the frst students to enroll in Serampore as an A。B。candidate。
“Professor Howells does not dream how much he owes to your silent help！”
Dr。Roy accompanied me the following day to the Serampore hermitage。After Master had granted him a brief interview，marked for the most part by stoic silence on both sides，the visitor brusquely departed。
“Why bring a dead man to the ashram？”Sri Yukteswar looked at me inquiringly as soon as the door had closed on the Calcutta skeptic。
“Sir！The doctor is very much alive！”
“But in a short time he will be dead。”
I was shocked。“Sir，this will be a terrible blow to his son。Santosh yet hopes for time to change his fathers materialistic views。I beseech you，Master，to help the man。”
“Very well；for your sake。”My gurus face was impassive。“The proud horse doctor is far gone in diabetes，although he does not know it。In ffteen days he will take to his bed。The physicians will give him up for lost；his natural time to leave this earth is six weeks from today。Due to your intercession，however，on that date he will recover。But there is one condition。You must get him to wear an astrological bangle；he will doubtless object as violently as one of his horses before an operation！”Master chuckled。
“I am in the best of health。You will never impress me with these astrological superstitions。”The doctor glanced at me belligerently。
Two weeks later the physician in attendance told me that his patients case was hopeless。He supplied harrowing details of the ravages inficted by diabetes。
I shook my head。“My guru has said that，after a sickness lasting one month，Dr。Roy will be well。”
The physician stared at me incredulously。But he sought me out a fortnight later，with an apologetic air。
“Dr。Roy has made a complete recovery！”he exclaimed。“It is the most amazing case in my experience。Never before have I seen a dying man show such an inexplicablecomeback。Your guru must indeed be a healing prophet！”
“Tell your teacher that by eating meat frequently，I have wholly regained my strength。His unscientifc ideas on diet have not infuenced me。”It was true that Dr。Roy looked a picture of health。
But the next day Santosh came running to me from his home on the next block。“This morning Father dropped dead！”
One of my friends，Sasi，spent a number of happy week ends in Serampore。Master became immensely fond of the boy，and lamented that his private life was wild and disorderly。
“Sasi，unless you reform，one year hence you will be dangerously ill。”Sri Yukteswar gazed at my friend with affectionate exasperation。“Mukunda is the witness：don‘t say later that I didn’t warn you。”
Sasi laughed。“Master，I will leave it to you to interest a sweet charity of cosmos in my own sad case！My spirit is willing but my will is weak。You are my only savior on earth；I believe in nothing else。”
“At least you should wear a two-carat blue sapphire。It will help you。”
“I cant afford one。Anyhow，dear guruji，if trouble comes，I fully believe you will protect me。”
“In a year you will bring three sapphires，”Sri Yukteswar replied cryptically。“They will be of no use then。”
“I cant reform！”Sasi would say in comical despair。“And my trust in you，Master，is more precious to me than any stone！”
A year later I was visiting my guru at the Calcutta home of his disciple，Naren Babu。About ten oclock in the morning，as Sri Yukteswar and I were sitting quietly in the second-foor parlor，I heard the front door open。Master straightened stiffy。
“It is that Sasi，”he remarked gravely。“The year is now up；both his lungs are gone。”
Sasi burst into tears and brushed past me。He threw himself at Sri Yukteswars feet，placing there three beautiful sapphires。
“Omniscient guru，the doctors say I have galloping tuberculosis！They give me no longer than three more months！I humbly implore your aid；I know you can heal me！”
“Isnt it a bit late now to be worrying over your life？Depart with your jewels；their time of usefulness is past。”Master then sat sphinxlike in an unrelenting silence，punctuated by the boys sobs for mercy。
I was not surprised a tense hour later when Master turned a sympathetic gaze on myprostrate friend。
“Get up，Sasi；Return your sapphires to the jewelers；they are an unnecessary expense now。But get an astrological bangle and wear it。Fear not；in a few weeks you shall be well。”
Sasis smile illumined his tear-marred face like sudden sun over a sodden landscape。
In a few weeks Sasi was stouter and in better health than ever before。
The frst two years of my course at Scottish Church College were drawing to a close。
I fled to Puri，where my guru was spending a few weeks。Vaguely hoping that he would sanction my nonappearance at the finals，I related my embarrassing unpreparedness。
But Master smiled consolingly。“Apply yourself diligently to your books for the next week：you shall get through your ordeal without failure。”
I returned to Calcutta，firmly suppressing all reasonable doubts that occasionally arose with unnerving ridicule。A long period of meditation brought me a labor-saving inspiration。Opening each book at random，I studied only those pages which lay thus exposed。Pursuing this course during eighteen hours a day for a week，I considered myself entitled to advise all succeeding generations on the art of cramming。
The following days in the examination halls were a justifcation of my seemingly haphazard procedure。I passed all the tests，though by a hairbreadth。
On his return from Puri，Sri Yukteswar gave me a pleasant surprise。“Your Calcutta studies are now over。I will see that you pursue your last two years of university work right here in Serampore。”
I was puzzled。“Sir，there is no Bachelor of Arts course in this town。”Serampore College，the sole institution of higher learning，offered only a two-year course in Intermediate Arts。
Two months later Professor Howells，president of Serampore College，publicly announced that he had succeeded in raising suffcient funds to offer a four-year course。Serampore College became a branch affliation of the University of Calcutta。I was one of the frst students to enroll in Serampore as an A。B。candidate。
“Professor Howells does not dream how much he owes to your silent help！”
