Giving my first spiritual name in the West

Another colleague of mine was Acharya, a senior clerk. When his wife gave birth to a little girl, they had a name, but Acharya wanted me to choose a name. He asked me if I could give his child a name. I said, “I can give a name, but nobody will call her that.”

He said, “I am the father.”

So I gave the name Bela, meaning “Time: one who will go beyond time.”

Acharya said, “Ghose’s name is the best,” and they used the name I gave.

Many years later at a function in Manhattan, I lifted this former colleague. He asked me, “How is it that you are not asking me about my daughter? You gave her the name. It is your name and nobody else’s name, and you have totally forgotten?”

So he reminded me of his daughter, asking why I was not enquiring after her.

Then I asked our singers to sing my song “Bela chale jai,” and he was very happy.

[Note: On 21 April 1989, Sri Chinmoy and his disciples held a special function in Manhattan to observe the 25th anniversary of Sri Chinmoy’s arrival in the West. Sri Chinmoy lifted several special guests overhead with one arm to show his sincere gratitude to them. Mr. N. C. Acharya was one of those. Mr. Macwan, another colleague, also attended the function.]