Mystics, Masters, Saints, and Sages
Page 12
constituted me. I would continue in this despite the jeers of my elder brother who wouldsarcasticallycallme“Sage”or“Yogi”andadvisemetoretireintothejungle
liketheancientRishis.
WhenNagaswami,SriBhagavan'sbrotherremarked,“Whatuseisallthistosucha
one,”themeaningwasobvious;thatonewhowishedtolivelikea sadhuhadnoright toenjoytheamenitiesofhomelife.Venkataraman(Ramana)recognizedthetruthin
hisbrother'sremark.Makingtheexcusethathehadtoreturntoschool,herosetohis
feettoleavethehousethenandthereandgoforth,renouncingeverything.Forhim
that meant Tiruvannamalai and the Holy Hill Arunachala. Unconsciously providing him with funds for the journey, his brother said, “Take five rupees from the box downstairsandpaymycollegefeesontheway.”Calculatingthedistanceinanold
atlas, he found that three rupees should suffice for the fare to Tiruvannamalai.
Leaving behind a note and a balance of two rupees he started off for the railway station.
AschoolfriendwhilevisitingSriBhagavanyearslaterinSriRamanashramasked,
“Why did you not tell at least me that you were leaving home?” Sri Bhagavan replied:“HowcouldI?Imyselfdidnotknow.”
“Hearken; it stands as an insentient Hill. Its action is mysterious, past human understanding. From the age of innocence it had shone within my mind that
Arunachala was something of surpassing grandeur, but even when I came to know throughanotherthatitwasthesameasTiruvannamalaiIdidnotrealizeitsmeaning.
When it drew me up to it, stilling my mind, and I came close, I saw it (stand) unmoving.”
With quick steps, his heart throbbing with joy, he hastened straight to the great temple.Inmutesignofwelcome,thegatesofthethreehighcompoundwallsandall
thedoors,eventhatoftheinnershrine,wereopenbeforehim.Heenteredtheinner
shrine alone and stood overcome before his Father. Embracing the linga, in utter ecstasy,theburningsensationwhichhadbegunatMaduraivanishedandmergedin
the linga of light, Arunachaleswara. There, in the bliss of union, was the journey ended.
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Immediately upon leaving the temple, someone called out to ask whether he wanted his head shaved. Taking it to be the injunction of Sri Arunachala, he consentedandwasconductedtoAyyankulamTankwhereanumberofbarbersplied
theirtrade.Therehehadhisheadcompletelyshaved.Then,standingonthestepsof
the tank, he threw away his remaining money—a little over three rupees. He never handled money again. He also threw away the packet of sweets which he was still carrying.
Discarding the sacred thread and wearing only a loin cloth, thus unintentionally completing the acts of renunciation, he returned to the temple. Hindu Scriptures enjoin a bath after a head shave. Although there had been no rain for a very long time, Sri Arunachala Himself came in the shape of a single cloud, which hovered directly overhead. Immediately there was a short, sharp shower so that before enteringthetemplehewasgivenabath.
Entering the thousand-pillared mantapam he sat in silent absorption, but being subjectedtothepranksoflocalurchinshedidnotremaintherelong.Seshadriswami,
areveredasceticwhohadarrivedatTiruvannamalaiafewyearsearlier,attemptedto
protect Brahmana Swami, as he was now known. These efforts were not very
successful;infact,attimestheyhadtheoppositeeffect.SoBrahmanaSwamisought
refugeinthePathalaLingam,anundergroundvaultinthethousand-pillaredhall.The
sun's rays never penetrated this cave, which was inhabited by ants and vermin. So absorbedwasheinmeditationthathewascompletelyobliviouswhenhewasbodily
carried out of the Pathala Lingam vault to the Subramanya Shrine. For about two monthshestayedintheshrineabsorbedinsamadhi.Payingnoheedtonourishment,
food had to be put into his mouth, and he remained immersed in the effulgence of Bliss, barely conscious of his body, not speaking or moving, so that to onlookers it appearedtobethemostintense tapas.Itwasnotreally tapasatall.Hewassimply ignoring the body he had ceased to need. He was already a Jivanmakta [liberated whilealive]inunwaveringconsciousnessofidentitywiththeSelfandhadno karma
lefttowipeout,nofurthergoaltoattain.
FromtheSubramanyaShrinehemovedtotheadjoiningflower-gardenandbanana
grove. Also, at this time, he would sometimes be found in the vehicle room, where thelargefloatsusedfortemplecelebrationswerestored.Heevenmovedaboutinthis
state,foronwakingtotheworldhewouldsometimesfindhimselfunderthewheelof
avehicle,withnorecollectionofhowhegotthere.Withinthetempleprecincts,by
thesideoftheroadwhichrunsalongtheoutsidetemplewall,henextsatunderthe
shade of a large Illupai tree or in the Mangai Pillayar Shrine, which was nearby. It was here that he was joined by his first regular attendant, Uddandi Nayanar.
Brahmana Swami's shining countenance, resulting from his profound realization,
begandrawingpilgrimsinlargenumbers.TogiveBrahmanaSwamimoresolitudehe
was moved to Gurumurtam less than a year and a half after his arrival at
Tiruvannamalai.
Hisbodywassoneglectedthatitmightnothaveenduredlongandhemighthave
effortlessly discarded it. So the story would have ended. Yet the story was just beginning;forhislifewastobeaperfectexampleofanancient RishiofUpanishadic lore. Living in the world, yet completely untouched by it, he was to attract earnest 104
soulsfromfarandnear,guidingsoprofoundlythatitwouldnotceasewiththebody's passing,asisthecaseofallgreatsagesdownthroughtime.
The scene of the young sage, glowing with self-realization as he enters the
ArunachaleswaraTemple,shallforeverremainimprintedontheheartofhumanity.
FromthewordsofSriBhagavanRamanaMaharshiandthoseclosetohiminhis
earlylife.
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SWAMI(PAPA)RAMDASMOTHERKRISHNABAI
106
FIFTEEN
SWAMI(PAPA)RAMADASMOTHER
KRISHNABAI
1884-1963,INDIA1903-1989,INDIA
THEREISperhapsnobeingwhomorefullyembodiesabsolutesurrenderthanSwami
Ramdas.BornasVittalRaotoadevoutHinducoupleinKerala,India,heeventually
marriedandledthelifeofahouseholderuntiltheageofthirty-six.Havingenjoyed
the tribulations and suffered the trials of life in the world, Vittal was overcome, in 1920, with a passionate yearning to realize his Divine nature. The attainment of everlasting peace and knowledge of the Supreme Self was all that mattered to him.
InfluencedbytheteachingsofRamakrishna,Vivekananda,andothers,heallowedall
attachments to family and ordinary life simply to fall away. There was no other choicetoVittalthantowholeheartedlysurrenderhimselftoGod.Hisfather,realizing
Vittal'scalling,initiatedhimwiththeRam(God)mantra.Thiswastheturningpoint
ofVittal'slife.ThenameofRamdidnotleavehisbreathorhisconsciousnessfrom
thatdayforward.
Devotedtolifeasa sadhu,orwanderingbeggar,Vittalrenouncedworldlylifeto wanderwhereverGodledhim.
Theremarkabletalesofhisjourneyarerecountedin
his autobiography, In Quest of God. As he traveled, penniless yet blissful, he saw nonebutGodHimself,beitintheformofhisfellow sadhusorthosewhosoughtto robhimofhisveryfewpossessions.Infact,Vittalmagnanimouslyinvitedthethiefto
take whatever he wanted, assuring him that he must need it more. Reciting
perpetuallythemantram“OmSriRamJaiRamJaiJaiRam,”whichmeans“Victory
toGod,”Vittaljoyouslyacceptedeachmomentasitunfoldedasthefulfillmentofthe
Divinewill.
UndertheguidanceofRam,VittaltookthenameofRamdas(servantofRam)and
from that time on, no longer referred to himself in the first person. Ramdas'
pilgrimage took him far and wide. After receiving the darshan (sitting before the teacher and receiving blessing) of Ramana Maharshi, Ramdas, filled with
inexpressible ecstasy, undertook a month-long retreat in a cave on the slopes of Tiruvannamalai.ChantingonlythenameofGodintheformofPapaRam,Ramdas
was blessed with the luminous vision that Ram and only Ram was in every form, innerandouter.Permeatedwiththisradianceandblissandoblivioustohisbodyand
surroundings,forRamdastheexperiencewasatfirsttemporary,thenindwellingand
permanent.
PapacontinuedhisjourneythroughoutIndiaoverthenextseveralyears,ultimately
settlingintoasmallashraminKerala.Thepresentashram,Anandashram,foundedin
1931,hasattractedthousandsofdevoteesfromIndiaandabroad.Papawasservedby
Mother Krishnabai, who was drawn to him following the death of her husband in 107
1928.InitiatedalsointotheRammantram,MotherKrishnabaibecamerenownedfor herlove,devotion,andservice.Eternalpeace,surrender,joy,purity,andcompassion
werepalpablypresentinthelivesofbothPapaRamdasandMotherKrishnabai.Papa
left his body in 1963 and she carried on his work until her death in 1989. Her enlightenmentstoryisalsoincluded.
SwamiRamdas'storycomesfromhisownaccountofhisspiritualsearch,entitled
God Experience. Mother Krishnabai's story was recorded by a disciple and is reprintedfrom OmSriRamnewsletter.
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THEREISONLYRAM(GOD)
WHENTHEGurugaveRamdastheRamMantra,hetoldhim,“IfyouchantthisMantra
always you will attain everlasting joy.” After receiving the Mantra Ramdas started chantingitasinstructedbytheGuru.Hecouldnotdoanyotherworkthereafter.Most
ofhistimewasspentinchantingtheMantra.Thenpeopleaskedhim,“Isthatallthe
teaching that you have received from the Guru? Did you not ask him any other question?” There was no other question to be asked until Ramdas first put into practice what he was asked to do. The first lesson we must learn well before we proceedtothesecondlesson.Thatlessonhewastryingtoputintopractice.Afterthat hefoundtherewerenoquestionslefttobeasked.Alldoubtsdissolved,allquestions
disappeared and what the Guru promised he got by chanting the Mantra. The
aspirationofeveryoneistogethappiness—real,lastinghappiness;andthatgoalwas
reachedbychantingRamnam.Thentherewasnothinglefttobeattainedandsothere
werenoquestionstobeaskedatall.
When he was chanting Ram Mantra, God took him out of Mangalore on a
wanderinglife.InthecourseofhiswanderingshewenttoRamanaMaharshi.There
toohedidnotaskanyquestion.Hestoodbeforehimandprayedonlyforgrace.And
grace was granted, not by talk but by look. Ramdas left that place and came to SiddharudhaMath.TherehegottheDarshanofthesage,didPranams[prostrations]
to him and sat before him, especially during the morning and afternoon Parayana
[teachings].Ramdashadnodoubtstobecleared,noquestionstoask.Inthecourseof
the reading, Siddharudha Swami in some connection said, “You see, we have to realize the Truth not merely for our own sake, but we must see that by our contact andinfluence,othersalsogetapushtowardstherealizationofGod.Itisnotenough
ifweenjoypeaceourselves,butwemustshareitalsowithothers.”
AtthattimeRamdaswasmovingfromplacetoplacelikeonegonemad,inastate
of divine intoxication. Ramnam was on his tongue ceaselessly. He had hardly any sleepinthenights.Foodwasreducedtotheminimumsothathemightnotgetinto
Tamasic [dull and lazy] mood. Then came the universal vision, when the inner illuminationwascompletethroughrepetitionofRamnamandthecontactandgrace
ofsaints.Thereafterthemindceasedtotroublehimbecausetheminditselfceasedto
be,andwiththemindallVasanas[mentaltendencies]disappeared.Whenyouattain
universal vision, the entire individuality ceases. You see the universe as the expression of the Self or Atman. Atman is nameless and formless. The universe is with names and forms. So the universe is the manifest and the Atman is the unmanifest. Actually they are both one and the same. This is a mystery which you cannotexplaininwordsorgraspwiththemind.
WecankeepVasanasundercontroltemporarily.Wecannotentirelydestroythem
withoutthegraceofsaintsorGuru.WeattainJnanawhentheminddisappearswith
allitsdesires.ThereafterthereisnoSadhananecessaryforself-control,becausethere isnomind.Weliveinanaturalstate.ItiscalledSahaja.
WhenyouattaintotheSahajastate,thereisnothingleftforyoutodo.Thatisthe
end of all Sadhanas. That is the Siddha Avastha, which means the state of spiritual perfection.Youhavenothingmoretoattain.Worldlydesiresarereplacedbydesire
109
forJnanaorliberation.Whenliberationisachieved,thatdesirealsodisappears.Then youareperfectlydesireless.Thatisyournormalstate.Whenyouaredesiringthings
andrunninghereandthereinpursuitofthemyouareinanabnormalstate.
TillwereachtheSahajastateweare,asitwere,inadiseasedcondition.Ignorance
isthediseasewhichhasmadethesoulboundandmiserable.Healthreturnswhenwe
know that we are the Self. Otherwise we think we are the body. Identification with thebodyandthesensesgivesrisetoduality.Thencomesthedualthrongandyouare
caught up in the Gunas and Dwandwas like praise and blame, honor and dishonor, etc.Youhaveforgottenorignoredyourrealnaturewhichistheeternal,infiniteSelf.
Youthinkyouareabodysubjecttobirth,decay,diseaseanddeaththoughyouare
theimmortal,changelessSpirit.InsteadofidentifyingyourselfwiththeAtman,you
identifyyourselfwiththebodyandtheresultispain,misery,anxietyanddeath.Thus
runstheprayerintheUpanishads:
LeadmefromtheunrealtotheReal.
LeadmefromdarknesstoLight.
LeadmefromdeathtoImmortality.
SuchasoulwhohasrealizedthepristinegloryofhisimmortalSelfishappyand
cheerfulatalltimes.Sorrowanddeathcannottouchhim.Hehasconquereddeathand
willbravelyfaceitwithoutflinching.
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WITHTHEDIVINEMOTHER
INTHEBEGINNING,therewasonlymyInfinitebeginninglessandendlessPapa(God).
Then,inordertoenjoyHisownbliss,Heprojectedforthasthisvastuniverseandall
thethingsinit.Inthecreationmanalonei
sendowedwithallsuchqualitiesaswould
helphimtoreturneventuallytohissource—infinitePapahimself.Tohelphiminhis
spiritualprogress,PapacreatedtheRishis[sages],Vedas,Mantrasandotherreligious
practicesaswouldhelpmantotakehismindwithin.Thisinfinite,eternalPapaalso
came in the form of “Ramdas” to teach the world how to attain His own Supreme Being.
WhenPapafirstgavemetheRammantra,hetoldmetopractise Bhakti[devotion]
Yoga, Karma[action]Yogaand Jnana[knowledge]Yogasimultaneouslyinorderto attain His Supreme Being. Papa asked me to repeat the Name constantly—that
became Bhakti Yoga; to bring to mind all the universal attributes of Papa such as
“Papa, Thou art infinite, Papa, Thou art eternal, Thou art manifest and unmanifest and beyond both” and so on. That became Jnana Yoga. And, Papa told me that whateverworkIdidwithmyhandsIshouldregardasHisserviceandthisbecame
KarmaYoga.Bydoingallthesethreesimultaneously,Papagrantedmethreeofthe
four Sakshatkars (realizations). Before I got the final experience, the fourth Sakshatkar, I had to leave the place for another town. There, bereft of Papa's company,IwasafraidImightlosewhateverIhadgainedtillthen.
So, I came back to Papa and, then, Papa granted me the fourth and ultimate Sakshatkar. Till that moment, the Kundalini [coiled serpent power] had come up to Bhrukuti or the point between the eyebrows. Papa told me that up to that point, he would guide me from outside. Thereafter, in the final journey of Kundalini from Bhrukuti to Sahasrara [thousand-petaled lotus], only the “Ramdas who was within me”wouldtakemeupward.ByHisGrace,infactwhateverIhadachievedwasonly
byHisGrace—for,Ihadneitherthestrengthnorthecapacitytogosofastonmyown
—aflameofindescribablelustershotpasttheBhrukutitoSahasraraandIgotlostin
that Anandaorblissdivine.
TheexperiencethatIhadatthattimecannotbedescribedbecause,inthatsupreme