After the sojourn in Kolkata, Acharya Maharaj and his sangha arrived at the pilgrimage centre of UdayagiriKhandagiri in Orissa. We stayed there for a few days and then headed for Raipur via Sambalpur. En route, we stopped at an unfamiliar place called Angui, where there were no Jain households. The local populace had never seen any Jain monks and hence, there was a natural curiosity on its part. After the proceedings of ahar had been conducted, we thought of camping in the grounds of the local High School, but the children were quite noisy and the shravaks accompanying us urged us to proceed to a nearby dharmashala for our samayik. They were afraid that the children might create a disturbance. After the samayik, a large crowd gathered near the dharmashala. The shravaks were on edge. Anything untoward could have happened. In that charged atmosphere, they requested Acharya Maharaj to invoke the powers of mantras and control the situation Unthinkingly, I also endorsed the suggestion. Acharya Maharaj did not say anything to the shravaks, but he looked at me and said, “Have you forgotten about spiritual contemplation? The practice that matters is that of equanimity. A sadhu has to be above retaliation and preemption. Realise the infinite power of the soul. Have faith in the impact of the conquest of attachment and aversion Come, let us move on.” And then calmly, he began to climb down the stairs. The entire sangha followed in his wake. The crowd parted as Acharya Maharaj advanced. We were all astonished. That magical impact of the practice of equanimity is vividly imprinted in my memory to this day and provides succour to me.
Angul (1984)
Dharmashala- A charitable inn.