Page "Nitya Chaitanya Yati" Paragraph 10

Guru Nitya ’ s anonymity was intentional and jealously guarded, and his intimate friends appreciated that the distortions of fame seldom intruded into the peaceful atmosphere around him.

There are several stories of the Guru actively avoiding the limelight, but one of the most amusing took place in the late 1970s.

In those days Indian gurus were big news, with their exotic trappings and weird philosophies.

Nitya and a small entourage were passing through Las Vegas, USA, and the anchorman of a local TV affiliate arranged an interview.

Cameras ready and notebook in hand, he asked a few innocuous questions, building to a stereotyped climax.

Prepared for a soundbite revelation to frighten his viewers, he asked: “ And what kind of belief is it that binds your group together ?” Nitya looked thoughtfully into the middle distance and slowly answered, “ We are all united by our … deep love … of the avocado .” He looked questioningly at his students to see if they were willing to go that far in agreement with him.

The interviewer closed his notebook and tucked it away with the flicker of a pitying smile, the cameras were turned off, and Nitya was able to continue on his way as an ordinary human rather than as a cult hero.

The subtle point that no self-respecting guru would demand any kind of belief from anyone was completely missed.