The following excerpt has been taken from the book Spiritual Treasures: Letters of Swami Turiyananda by Swami Chetanananda.
Dear Baburam Maharaj [Swami Premananda],
The sweet memory of Swamiji at Meerut [a place between Hardwar and Delhi] is still vivid in my mind. He was very sick at Rishikesh, then he was brought to Meerut for treatment, and we stayed with him for six months [six to eight weeks] until he recovered.
I can’t describe how blessed were those days! Swamiji taught us everything from mending shoes to studying the scriptures. On the one hand, he would read and explain to us Vedanta scriptures, Upanishads, Sanskrit dramas; and on the other, he taught us how to cook and many other things.
During this period an incident happened that left an everlasting impression on my mind. One day he cooked pilao and some other fancy dishes for us. It was so delicious that I can’t express it to you.
While we praised his tasty cooking, he served everything on our plates and he himself did not take even a bite. When we objected, he said: “I have eaten these things many times. It is a great joy for me to feed you. Please eat everything.”
Just imagine his attitude! It was an insignificant incident, but it is imprinted on our minds forever. How great were his love and care for us! We talked together; we walked together -the memory of those experiences is still vivid in my mind.
From Meerut Swamiji began his journey alone. In Delhi we met Swamiji again and stayed with him for a month. Later, just before his departure for America, Maharaj [Swami Brahmananda] and I met him briefly in Bombay.
We were virtually out of touch with him for eight years, until he returned to the Alambazar Monastery as a world figure. Now he is with the Master. But the immortal memory of our association with him is our lifelong companion. That is the subject of our meditation, our conversation, and our spiritual practice….
With love and salutations,
Turiyananda
