A GURU said to his disciple: "The world is illusory. Come away with me." "But revered sir," said the disciple, "my people at home—my father,my mother, my wife—love me so much. How can I give them up?" The guru said: "No doubt you now have this feeling of T and 'mine' and say that they love you; but this is all an illusion of your mind, I shall teach you a trick, and you will know whether they love you truly or not." Saying this, the teacher gave the disciple a pill and said to him:
"Swallow this at home. You will appear to be a corpse, but you will not lose consciousness. You will see everything and hear everything. Then I shall come to your house and gradually you will regain your normal state."
The disciple followed the teacher's instructions and lay on his bed like a dead person. The house was filled with loud wailing. His mother, his wife, and the others lay on the ground weeping bitterly.
Just then a brahmana entered the house and said to them, "What is the matter with you?" "This boy is dead", they replied. The brahmana felt the pulse and said: "How is that? No, he is not dead. I have a medicine that will cure him completely." The joy of the relatives was unbounded; it seemed to them that heaven itself had come down into their house.
"But", said the brahmana, "I must tell you something else. Another person must take some of this medicine first, and then the boy must swallow the rest. But the other person will die. I see he has so many dear relatives here; one of them will certainly agree to take the medicine. I see his wife and mother crying bitterly. Surely they will not hesitate to take it."
At once the weeping stopped and all sat quiet. The mother said: ''Well, this is a big family: Suppose I die; then who will look after the family?" She fell into a reflective mood.
The wife, who had been crying a minute before and bemoaning her ill luck,said: "Well he has gone the way of mortals. I have these two or three young children. Who will look after them if I die?"
The disciple saw everything and heard everything.
He stood up at once and said to the teacher: "Let us go, revered sir. 1 will follow you."
Source: Tales and Parables of Sri Ramakrishna
Wednesday, 30 September 2009
Sri Ramakrishna Says One Should Cry For God Like A Child
GOD cannot be seen without yearning of heart,and this yearning is impossible unless one has finished with the experiences of life. Those who live surrounded by 'woman and gold', and have not yet come to the end of their experiences, do not yearn for God.
When I lived at Kamarpukur, Hriday's son, a child of four or five years old, used to spend the whole day with me. He played with toys and almost forgot everything else. But no sooner did evening come than he would say, "I want to go to my mother." I would try to cajole him in various ways and would say, "Here, I'll give you a pigeon." But he wouldn't be consoled with such things; he would weep and cry, "I want to go to my mother."
He didn't enjoy playing any more. I myself wept to see his state.
One should cry for God that way, like a child. That is what it means to be restless for God. One doesn't enjoy play or food any longer. After one's experiences of the world are over, one feels this restlessness and weeps for God.
Source: Tales and Parables of Sri Ramakrishna
Readers interested are requested to read Ramana Maharshi's views regarding this.
http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2010/03/ramana-maharshi-tells-difference.html
When I lived at Kamarpukur, Hriday's son, a child of four or five years old, used to spend the whole day with me. He played with toys and almost forgot everything else. But no sooner did evening come than he would say, "I want to go to my mother." I would try to cajole him in various ways and would say, "Here, I'll give you a pigeon." But he wouldn't be consoled with such things; he would weep and cry, "I want to go to my mother."
He didn't enjoy playing any more. I myself wept to see his state.
One should cry for God that way, like a child. That is what it means to be restless for God. One doesn't enjoy play or food any longer. After one's experiences of the world are over, one feels this restlessness and weeps for God.
Source: Tales and Parables of Sri Ramakrishna
Readers interested are requested to read Ramana Maharshi's views regarding this.
http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2010/03/ramana-maharshi-tells-difference.html
Sri Ramakrishna Says God Alone Is The Giver
WHEN Akbar was the Emperor of Delhi there lived a hermit in a hut in the forest. Many people visited the holy man. At one time he felt a great desire to entertain his visitors.
But how could he do so without money? So he decided to go to the Emperor for help, for the gate of Akbar's palace was always open to holy men.
The hermit entered the palace while the Emperor was at his daily devotions and took a seat in a corner of the room.
He heard the Emperor conclude his worship with the prayer, "O God, give me money; give me riches", and so on and so forth. When the hermit heard this he was about to leave the prayer hall, but the Emperor signed to him to wait.
When the prayer was over the Emperor said to him, "You came to see me: how is it that you were about to leave without saying anything to me?" "Your Majesty need not trouble yourself about it",answered the hermit. "I must leave now."
When the Emperor insisted, the hermit said: "Many people visit my hut, and so i came here to ask you for some money." "Then", said Akbar, "why were you going away without speaking to me?" The hermit replied:
"I found that you too were a beggar; you too prayed to God for money and riches. Thereupon I said to myself:
'Why should I beg of a beggar? If I must beg, let me beg of God."
Source: Tales and Parables of Sri Ramakrishna
But how could he do so without money? So he decided to go to the Emperor for help, for the gate of Akbar's palace was always open to holy men.
The hermit entered the palace while the Emperor was at his daily devotions and took a seat in a corner of the room.
He heard the Emperor conclude his worship with the prayer, "O God, give me money; give me riches", and so on and so forth. When the hermit heard this he was about to leave the prayer hall, but the Emperor signed to him to wait.
When the prayer was over the Emperor said to him, "You came to see me: how is it that you were about to leave without saying anything to me?" "Your Majesty need not trouble yourself about it",answered the hermit. "I must leave now."
When the Emperor insisted, the hermit said: "Many people visit my hut, and so i came here to ask you for some money." "Then", said Akbar, "why were you going away without speaking to me?" The hermit replied:
"I found that you too were a beggar; you too prayed to God for money and riches. Thereupon I said to myself:
'Why should I beg of a beggar? If I must beg, let me beg of God."
Source: Tales and Parables of Sri Ramakrishna
Sri Ramakrishna Suggests To Throw Whole Responsibility Upon God, Do Work In The World
IN a certain village there lived a weaver. He was a very pious soul. Everyone trusted him and loved him. He used to sell his goods in the market-place.When a customer asked him the price of a cloth,the weaver would say: "By the will of Rama the price of the yarn is one rupee and the labour four annas; by the will of Rama the profit is two annas.
The price of the cloth, by the will of Rama, is one rupee and six annas." Such was the people's faith in the weaver that the customer would at once pay the price and take the cloth, The weaver was a real devotee of God. After finishing his supper in the evening, he would spend long hours in the worship hall meditating on God and chanting His name and glories. Now, late one night the weaver couldn't sleep. He was sitting in the worship hall, smoking,now and then, when a band of robbers happened
to pass that way.
They wanted a man to carry their goods and said to the weaver, "Come with us." So saying, they led him off by the hand. After committing a robbery in a house, they put a load of things on the weaver's head commanding him to carry them. Suddenly the police arrived and the robbers ran away. But the weaver, with his load,was arrested. He was kept in the lock-up for the night.
Next day he was brought before the magistrate for trial. The villagers learnt what had happened and came to the court. They said to the magistrate, "Your Honour, this man could never commit robbery." Thereupon the magistrate asked the weaver to make his statement.
The weaver said: "Your Honour, by the will of Rama I finished my meal at night. Then by the will of Rama I was sitting in the worship hall. It was quite late at night by the will of Rama. By the will of Rama I had been thinking of God and chanting His name and glories, when by the will of Rama a band of robbers passed that way. By the will of Rama they dragged me with them; by the will of Rama they committed a robbery in a house; and by the will of Rama they put a load on my head. Just then, by the will of Rama the police arrived and by the will of Rama was arrested. Then by the will of Rama the police kept me in the lock-up for the night, and this morning by the will of Rama I have been brought before Your Honour."
The magistrate realized that the weaver was a pious man and ordered his release. On his way home the weaver said to his friends, "By the will of Rama I have been released."
Whether you live in the world or renounce it,everything depends upon the will of Rama. Throwing your whole responsibility upon God, do your work in the world.
Source: Tales and Parables of Sri Ramakrishna
The price of the cloth, by the will of Rama, is one rupee and six annas." Such was the people's faith in the weaver that the customer would at once pay the price and take the cloth, The weaver was a real devotee of God. After finishing his supper in the evening, he would spend long hours in the worship hall meditating on God and chanting His name and glories. Now, late one night the weaver couldn't sleep. He was sitting in the worship hall, smoking,now and then, when a band of robbers happened
to pass that way.
They wanted a man to carry their goods and said to the weaver, "Come with us." So saying, they led him off by the hand. After committing a robbery in a house, they put a load of things on the weaver's head commanding him to carry them. Suddenly the police arrived and the robbers ran away. But the weaver, with his load,was arrested. He was kept in the lock-up for the night.
Next day he was brought before the magistrate for trial. The villagers learnt what had happened and came to the court. They said to the magistrate, "Your Honour, this man could never commit robbery." Thereupon the magistrate asked the weaver to make his statement.
The weaver said: "Your Honour, by the will of Rama I finished my meal at night. Then by the will of Rama I was sitting in the worship hall. It was quite late at night by the will of Rama. By the will of Rama I had been thinking of God and chanting His name and glories, when by the will of Rama a band of robbers passed that way. By the will of Rama they dragged me with them; by the will of Rama they committed a robbery in a house; and by the will of Rama they put a load on my head. Just then, by the will of Rama the police arrived and by the will of Rama was arrested. Then by the will of Rama the police kept me in the lock-up for the night, and this morning by the will of Rama I have been brought before Your Honour."
The magistrate realized that the weaver was a pious man and ordered his release. On his way home the weaver said to his friends, "By the will of Rama I have been released."
Whether you live in the world or renounce it,everything depends upon the will of Rama. Throwing your whole responsibility upon God, do your work in the world.
Source: Tales and Parables of Sri Ramakrishna
Sri Ramakrishna shows the difference between Lover Of God,Jnani and an Ignorant
ONCE, three friends were going through a forest,when a tiger suddenly appeared before them.
"Brothers," one of them exclaimed, "we are lost!" "Why should you say that?" said the second friend, "Why should we be lost? Come, let us pray to God." The third friend said: "No. Why should we trouble God about it? Come, let us climb this tree."
The friend who said 'We are lost!' did not know that there is a God who is our Protector. The friend who asked the others to pray to God was a jnani. He was aware that God is the Creator,Preserver and Destroyer of the world. The third friend, who didn't want to trouble God with prayers and suggested climbing the tree, had ecstatic love of God. It is the very nature of such love that it makes a man think himself stronger than his Beloved. He is always alert lest his Beloved should suffer. The one desire of his is to keep his Beloved from even being pricked in the foot by a thorn.
Source: Tales and Parables of Sri Ramakrishna
"Brothers," one of them exclaimed, "we are lost!" "Why should you say that?" said the second friend, "Why should we be lost? Come, let us pray to God." The third friend said: "No. Why should we trouble God about it? Come, let us climb this tree."
The friend who said 'We are lost!' did not know that there is a God who is our Protector. The friend who asked the others to pray to God was a jnani. He was aware that God is the Creator,Preserver and Destroyer of the world. The third friend, who didn't want to trouble God with prayers and suggested climbing the tree, had ecstatic love of God. It is the very nature of such love that it makes a man think himself stronger than his Beloved. He is always alert lest his Beloved should suffer. The one desire of his is to keep his Beloved from even being pricked in the foot by a thorn.
Source: Tales and Parables of Sri Ramakrishna
Sri Ramakrishna says Nothing is impossible to the Lord, nor can anyone know His nature fully
ONCE there lived two yogis who were practising austerities with a view to realize the Lord. One day Narada, the divine sage, was passing by their hermitage, when one of them asked him, "Are you coming from Heaven". Narada replied, "Yes, that is so." The yogi said, "Do tell me what you saw the Lord doing in Heaven." Narada replied, "I saw the Lord playing by making camels and elephants pass through the eye of a needle." At this the yogi observed: "There is nothing in it to marvel at.
Nothing is impossible with God!" But the other man exclaimed: "O nonsense! That is impossible! It only shows that you have never been to the Lord's abode."
The first man was a bhakta and had the faith of a child. Nothing is impossible to the Lord, nor can anyone know His nature fully. Everything can he predicted of Him.
Source: Tales and Parables of Sri Ramakrishna
Nothing is impossible with God!" But the other man exclaimed: "O nonsense! That is impossible! It only shows that you have never been to the Lord's abode."
The first man was a bhakta and had the faith of a child. Nothing is impossible to the Lord, nor can anyone know His nature fully. Everything can he predicted of Him.
Source: Tales and Parables of Sri Ramakrishna
Sri RamaKrishna says a true devotee has faith in everything: the formless Reality, God with form
Once, while going to Kamarpukur, I was overtaken by a storm. I was in the middle of a big meadow. The place was haunted by robbers. I began to repeat the names of all the deities: Rama,Krishna and Bhagavati. I also repeated the name of Hanuman. I chanted the names of them all.
What does that mean? Let me tell you. While the servant is counting out the money to purchase supplies, he says, "These pennies for potatoes,these for egg plants, these for fish." He counts the money separately, but after the list is completed, he puts the coins together.
Is there anything impossible for faith? And a true devotee has faith in everything: the formless Reality, God with form, Rama, Krishna and the Divine Mother.
Source: Tales and Parables of Sri Ramakrishna
Readers interested are requested to read below article as well
http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2009/09/sri-ramakrishna-says-god-is-both-with.html
http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2009/10/sri-ramakrishna-says-one-needs-images.html
http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2009/08/ramana-maharshi-answers-to-question.html
What does that mean? Let me tell you. While the servant is counting out the money to purchase supplies, he says, "These pennies for potatoes,these for egg plants, these for fish." He counts the money separately, but after the list is completed, he puts the coins together.
Is there anything impossible for faith? And a true devotee has faith in everything: the formless Reality, God with form, Rama, Krishna and the Divine Mother.
Source: Tales and Parables of Sri Ramakrishna
Readers interested are requested to read below article as well
http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2009/09/sri-ramakrishna-says-god-is-both-with.html
http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2009/10/sri-ramakrishna-says-one-needs-images.html
http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2009/08/ramana-maharshi-answers-to-question.html
Tuesday, 29 September 2009
Sri Ramakrishna tells the behaviour of a person who has seen visions of god
Question: "Does anyone ever attain that state of mind (state of mind of superior devotee who says: It is God Himself who has become everything; whatever I see is only a form of God. It is He alone who has become maya, the universe, and all living beings. Nothing exists but God.')?"
Sri Ramakrishna: "One cannot attain it unless one has seen God. But there are signs that a man has had the vision of God. A man who has seen God sometimes behaves like a madman: he laughs, weeps, dances, and sings. Sometimes he behaves like a child, a child five years old—guileless, generous, without vanity, unattached to anything, not under the control of any of the gunas, always blissful. Sometimes he behaves like a ghoul: he doesn't differentiate between things pure and things impure; he sees no difference between things clean and things unclean. And sometimes he is like an inert thing, staring vacantly: he cannot do any work; he cannot strive for anything."
Source: P. 265 The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna
Sri Ramakrishna: "One cannot attain it unless one has seen God. But there are signs that a man has had the vision of God. A man who has seen God sometimes behaves like a madman: he laughs, weeps, dances, and sings. Sometimes he behaves like a child, a child five years old—guileless, generous, without vanity, unattached to anything, not under the control of any of the gunas, always blissful. Sometimes he behaves like a ghoul: he doesn't differentiate between things pure and things impure; he sees no difference between things clean and things unclean. And sometimes he is like an inert thing, staring vacantly: he cannot do any work; he cannot strive for anything."
Source: P. 265 The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna
Ramana Maharshi says Fear Is Only a Thought
D.: How to get rid of fear?
M.: What is fear? It is only a thought. If there is anything besides the Self there is reason to fear. Who sees the second (anything external)? First the ego arises and sees objects as external. If the ego does not rise, the Self alone exists and there is no second (nothing external). For anything external to oneself implies the seer within. Seeking it there will arise no doubt, no fear - not only fear, all other thoughts centred round the ego will disappear along with it.
Source: From Talk 146
M.: What is fear? It is only a thought. If there is anything besides the Self there is reason to fear. Who sees the second (anything external)? First the ego arises and sees objects as external. If the ego does not rise, the Self alone exists and there is no second (nothing external). For anything external to oneself implies the seer within. Seeking it there will arise no doubt, no fear - not only fear, all other thoughts centred round the ego will disappear along with it.
Source: From Talk 146
Sri RamaKrishna says God alone is real, and all else is illusory
Once, several men were crossing the Ganges in a boat. One of them, a pandit,was making a great display of his erudition, saying that he had studied various books—the Vedas, the Vedanta, and the six systems of philosophy. He asked a fellow passenger, "Do you know the Vedanta?" "No,revered sir." "The Samkhya and the Patanjala?" "No, revered sir." "Have you read no philosophy whatsoever?" "No, revered sir."
The pandit was talking in this vain way and the passenger sitting in silence when a great storm arose and the boat was about to sink. The passenger said to the pandit,
"Sir, can you swim?" "No", replied the pandit. The passenger said, "1 don't know Samkhya or the Patanjala, but I can swim."
What will a man gain by knowing many scriptures? The one thing needful is to know how to cross the river of the world. God alone is real, and all else is illusory.
Source: Tales and Parables of Sri Ramakrishna
The pandit was talking in this vain way and the passenger sitting in silence when a great storm arose and the boat was about to sink. The passenger said to the pandit,
"Sir, can you swim?" "No", replied the pandit. The passenger said, "1 don't know Samkhya or the Patanjala, but I can swim."
What will a man gain by knowing many scriptures? The one thing needful is to know how to cross the river of the world. God alone is real, and all else is illusory.
Source: Tales and Parables of Sri Ramakrishna
Sri RamaKrishna says One cannot realize God if one has even the least trace of desire
ONCE upon a time a sadhu acquired great occult powers. He was vain about them. But he was a good man and had some austerities to his credit.One day the Lord, disguised as a holy man, came to him and said, "Revered sir, I have heard that you have great occult powers." The sadhu received the Lord cordially and offered him a seat. Just then an elephant passed by. The Lord, in the disguise of the holy man, said to the sadhu, "Revered sir, can you kill this elephant if you like?" The sadhu said,"Yes, it is possible." So saying he took a pinch of dust, muttered some mantras over it, and threw it at the elephant. The beast struggled a while in pain and then dropped dead. The Lord said: "What power you have! You have killed the elephant!"
The sadhu laughed. Again the Lord spoke: "Now,can you revive the elephant?" "That too is possible," replied the sadhu. He threw another pinch of charmed dust at the beast. The elephant writhed about a little and came back to life.
Then the Lord said: "Wonderful is your power. But may I ask you one thing? You have killed the elephant and you have revived it. But what has that done for you? Do you feel uplifted by it? Has it enabled you to realize God?" Saying this, the Lord vanished.
Subtle are the ways of Dharma. One cannot realize God if one has even the least trace of desire. A thread cannot pass through the eye of a needle if it has the smallest fibre sticking out.
Source: Tales and Parables of Sri Ramakrishna
The sadhu laughed. Again the Lord spoke: "Now,can you revive the elephant?" "That too is possible," replied the sadhu. He threw another pinch of charmed dust at the beast. The elephant writhed about a little and came back to life.
Then the Lord said: "Wonderful is your power. But may I ask you one thing? You have killed the elephant and you have revived it. But what has that done for you? Do you feel uplifted by it? Has it enabled you to realize God?" Saying this, the Lord vanished.
Subtle are the ways of Dharma. One cannot realize God if one has even the least trace of desire. A thread cannot pass through the eye of a needle if it has the smallest fibre sticking out.
Source: Tales and Parables of Sri Ramakrishna
Sri RamaKrishna parable to explain Process of 'Neti, neti
IT is not easy to get rid of illusion. It lingers even after the attainment of knowledge. A man dreamt of a tiger. Then he woke up and his dream vanished. But his heart continued to palpitate.
Some thieves came to a field. A straw figure resembling a man had been put there to frighten intruders. The thieves were scared by the figure and could not persuade themselves to enter the field. One of them, however, approached and found that it was only a figure made of straw. He came back to his companions and said, "There is nothing to be afraid of." But still they refused to go. They said that their hearts were beating fast.Then the daring thief laid the figure on the ground and said, "It is nothing, it is nothing." This is the process of 'Neti, neti.'
Source: Tales and Parables of Sri Ramakrishna
Some thieves came to a field. A straw figure resembling a man had been put there to frighten intruders. The thieves were scared by the figure and could not persuade themselves to enter the field. One of them, however, approached and found that it was only a figure made of straw. He came back to his companions and said, "There is nothing to be afraid of." But still they refused to go. They said that their hearts were beating fast.Then the daring thief laid the figure on the ground and said, "It is nothing, it is nothing." This is the process of 'Neti, neti.'
Source: Tales and Parables of Sri Ramakrishna
Sri Ramakrishna Parable To Explain What Is Maya
ONCE Narada besought the Lord of the universe,"Lord, show me that Maya of Thine which can make the impossible possible." The Lord nodded assent. Subsequently the Lord one day set out on a travel with Narada. After going some distance, He felt very thirsty and fatigued. So He sat down and told Narada, "Narada, I feel much thirsty; please get me a little water from somewhere." Narada at once ran in search of water.
Finding no water nearby, he went far from the place and saw a river at a great distance. When he approached the river, he saw a most charming young lady sitting there, and was at once captivated by her beauty. As soon as Narada went near her,she began to address him in sweet words, and ere long, both fell in love with each other. Narada then married her, and settled down as a householder. In course of time he had a number of children by her.And while he was thus living happily with his wife and children, there came a pestilence in the country. Death began to collect its toll from every place. Then Narada proposed to abandon the place and go somewhere else.His wife acceded to it, and they both came out of their house leading their children by the hand. But no sooner did they come to the bridge to cross the river than there came a terrible flood, and in the rush of water, all their children were swept away one after another, and at last the wife too was drowned.
Overwhelmed with grief at his bereavement, Narada sat down on the bank and began to weep piteously. Just then the Lord appeared before him, saying, "O Narada,where is the water? And why are you weeping?"
The sight of the Lord startled the sage, and then he understood everything. He exclaimed, "Lord, my obeisance to You, and my obeisance also to Your wonderful Maya!"
Source: Tales and Parables of Sri Ramakrishna
Finding no water nearby, he went far from the place and saw a river at a great distance. When he approached the river, he saw a most charming young lady sitting there, and was at once captivated by her beauty. As soon as Narada went near her,she began to address him in sweet words, and ere long, both fell in love with each other. Narada then married her, and settled down as a householder. In course of time he had a number of children by her.And while he was thus living happily with his wife and children, there came a pestilence in the country. Death began to collect its toll from every place. Then Narada proposed to abandon the place and go somewhere else.His wife acceded to it, and they both came out of their house leading their children by the hand. But no sooner did they come to the bridge to cross the river than there came a terrible flood, and in the rush of water, all their children were swept away one after another, and at last the wife too was drowned.
Overwhelmed with grief at his bereavement, Narada sat down on the bank and began to weep piteously. Just then the Lord appeared before him, saying, "O Narada,where is the water? And why are you weeping?"
The sight of the Lord startled the sage, and then he understood everything. He exclaimed, "Lord, my obeisance to You, and my obeisance also to Your wonderful Maya!"
Source: Tales and Parables of Sri Ramakrishna
SriRamaKrishna replies why he did not lead the life of a householder with his wife
WHEN asked why he did not lead the life of a householder with his wife, the Master replied:
'Kartikeya (Son of Siva) one day happened to scratch a cat with his nail. On going home, he saw that there was the mark of a scratch on the cheek of his Divine Mother, Parvati. Seeing this he asked her, 'Mother, low did you get this ugly scratch on your cheek?' The mother of the universe replied,'This is the work of your own hand; it is the scratch of your nail.' Kartikeya asked in wonder: 'How is it, Mother? I do not remember to have scratched you at any time. The Mother replied, 'Darling, have you forgotten the fact of your laving scratched a cat this morning?' Kartikeya said, Yes, I did scratch a cat, but how did your cheek get the scar?'
The Mother replied, 'Dear child, nothing exists in this world but Myself. The whole creation is Myself; whomsoever you may hurt, you only hurt me.'
Kartikeya was greatly surprised to hear this; and then he determined never to marry. For, whom could he marry? Every woman was mother to him.
Realizing thus the motherhood of woman, he gave up marriage. I am like Kartikeya. I consider every woman as my Divine Mother."
Source: Tales and Parables of Sri Ramakrishna
'Kartikeya (Son of Siva) one day happened to scratch a cat with his nail. On going home, he saw that there was the mark of a scratch on the cheek of his Divine Mother, Parvati. Seeing this he asked her, 'Mother, low did you get this ugly scratch on your cheek?' The mother of the universe replied,'This is the work of your own hand; it is the scratch of your nail.' Kartikeya asked in wonder: 'How is it, Mother? I do not remember to have scratched you at any time. The Mother replied, 'Darling, have you forgotten the fact of your laving scratched a cat this morning?' Kartikeya said, Yes, I did scratch a cat, but how did your cheek get the scar?'
The Mother replied, 'Dear child, nothing exists in this world but Myself. The whole creation is Myself; whomsoever you may hurt, you only hurt me.'
Kartikeya was greatly surprised to hear this; and then he determined never to marry. For, whom could he marry? Every woman was mother to him.
Realizing thus the motherhood of woman, he gave up marriage. I am like Kartikeya. I consider every woman as my Divine Mother."
Source: Tales and Parables of Sri Ramakrishna
Sri Ramakrishna says Lord looks into a man's heart and does not judge him by what he does or where he lives
Once, two friends were going along the street when they saw some people listening to a reading of the Bhagavata. "Come, friend," said the one to the other, "let us hear the sacred book." So saying he went in and sat down. The second man peeped in and went away. He entered a house of ill fame.But very soon he felt disgusted with the place."Shame on me!" he said to himself. "My friend has been listening to the sacred word of Hari and see where I am!" But the friend who had been listening to the Bhagavata also became disgusted. "What a fool I am!" he said. "I have been listening to this fellow's blah-blah, and my friend is having a grand time."
In course of time they both died. The messenger of death came for the soul of one who
had listened to the Bhagavata and dragged it off to hell. The messenger of God came for the soul of the one who had been to the house of prostitution and led it up to heaven.
Verily, the Lord looks into a man's heart and does not judge him by what he does or where he lives.
Source: Tales and Parables of Sri Ramakrishna
Readers interested are requested to read below articles as well
http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2009/10/sri-ramakrishna-says-our-heart-must-be.html
In course of time they both died. The messenger of death came for the soul of one who
had listened to the Bhagavata and dragged it off to hell. The messenger of God came for the soul of the one who had been to the house of prostitution and led it up to heaven.
Verily, the Lord looks into a man's heart and does not judge him by what he does or where he lives.
Source: Tales and Parables of Sri Ramakrishna
Readers interested are requested to read below articles as well
http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2009/10/sri-ramakrishna-says-our-heart-must-be.html
Monday, 28 September 2009
Sri Ramakrishna Parable About Satva, Rajas, And Lamas Gunas
Once, a man was going through a forest, when three robbers fell upon him and robbed him of all his possessions. One of the robbers said, "What's the use of keeping this man alive?" So saying, he was about to kill him with his sword, when the second robber interrupted him, saying: 'Oh, no! What is the use of killing him? Tie his hand and foot and leave him here." The robbers bound his hands and feet and went away. After a while the third robber returned and said to the man: "Ah, I am sorry. Are you hurt? I will release you from your bonds." After setting the man free, the thief
said: "Come with me. I will take you to the public high way." After a long time they reached the road. At this the man said: "Sir, you have been very good to me. Come with me to my house." "Oh,no!" the robber replied. "I can't go there. The police will know it."
This world itself is the forest. The three robbers prowling here are Satva, rajas, and lamas. It is they that rob a man of the Knowledge of Truth. Tamas wants to destroy him.Rajas binds him to the world.
But Satva rescues him from the clutches of rajas and tamas. Under the protection of Satva, man is rescued from anger, passion and other evil effects of tamas.
Further, Satva loosens the bonds of the world. But Satva also is a robber. It cannot give man the ultimate Knowledge of Truth, though it shows him the road leading to the Supreme Abode of God.Setting him on the path, Satva tells him: "Look yonder. There is your home." Even Satva is far away from the knowledge of Brahman.
Source: Tales and Parables of Sri Ramakrishna
said: "Come with me. I will take you to the public high way." After a long time they reached the road. At this the man said: "Sir, you have been very good to me. Come with me to my house." "Oh,no!" the robber replied. "I can't go there. The police will know it."
This world itself is the forest. The three robbers prowling here are Satva, rajas, and lamas. It is they that rob a man of the Knowledge of Truth. Tamas wants to destroy him.Rajas binds him to the world.
But Satva rescues him from the clutches of rajas and tamas. Under the protection of Satva, man is rescued from anger, passion and other evil effects of tamas.
Further, Satva loosens the bonds of the world. But Satva also is a robber. It cannot give man the ultimate Knowledge of Truth, though it shows him the road leading to the Supreme Abode of God.Setting him on the path, Satva tells him: "Look yonder. There is your home." Even Satva is far away from the knowledge of Brahman.
Source: Tales and Parables of Sri Ramakrishna
Sunday, 27 September 2009
Sri Ramakrishna says neither the mind nor words can express the real nature of God
Sri Ramakrishna said that once a doll, made of salt, wanted to measure the depth of the ocean; but no sooner did it touch the water than it melted in the ocean. How could it tell about the depth?Similarly, neither the mind nor words can express the real nature of God when the aspirant has merged in Him. A text of the Vedas says: "The words come back with the mind vainly trying to express what Truth is."
Source: Tales and Parables of Sri Ramakrishna
Readers interested are requested to read below article as well
http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2009/10/sri-ramakrishna-says-what-brahman-is.html
Source: Tales and Parables of Sri Ramakrishna
Readers interested are requested to read below article as well
http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2009/10/sri-ramakrishna-says-what-brahman-is.html
Saturday, 26 September 2009
Sri RamaKrishna says God is both with and without form and yet transcends both
Has God any form? Or is He formless? God is both with and without form and yet transcends both. He alone can say what else He is. God with form and God without form are like ice and water.
When water freezes into ice it has form. When the same ice is melted into water, all form is lost. God with form and without form arc not two different beings. He who is with form is also without form.
To a devotee, the worshipper of a Personal God,He manifests Himself in various forms. Just think of a shoreless ocean— an infinite expanse of water—no land visible in any direction! Only here and there are visible blocks of ice formed by the intense cold, similarly under the intensifying influence of the deep devotion of His worshipper,the Infinite reduces Himself, as it were, into the Finite and appears before him as a Being with form.
Again, as on the appearance of the sun the ice melts away, so with the awakening of
knowledge, God with form melts away into the Formless, The water of the ocean, when viewed from a distance, appears to have a dark-blue colour, but becomes colourless when taken in the hand; in the same way God is also associated with a definite colour and complexion from a distance,but He is the attribute-less Truth when the devotee
merges in Him.
Source: Tales and Parables of Sri Ramakrishna
Readers interested are requested to read below article as well
http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2009/09/sri-ramakrishna-says-true-devotee-has.html
http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2009/10/sri-ramakrishna-says-one-needs-images.html
http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2009/08/ramana-maharshi-answers-to-question.html
When water freezes into ice it has form. When the same ice is melted into water, all form is lost. God with form and without form arc not two different beings. He who is with form is also without form.
To a devotee, the worshipper of a Personal God,He manifests Himself in various forms. Just think of a shoreless ocean— an infinite expanse of water—no land visible in any direction! Only here and there are visible blocks of ice formed by the intense cold, similarly under the intensifying influence of the deep devotion of His worshipper,the Infinite reduces Himself, as it were, into the Finite and appears before him as a Being with form.
Again, as on the appearance of the sun the ice melts away, so with the awakening of
knowledge, God with form melts away into the Formless, The water of the ocean, when viewed from a distance, appears to have a dark-blue colour, but becomes colourless when taken in the hand; in the same way God is also associated with a definite colour and complexion from a distance,but He is the attribute-less Truth when the devotee
merges in Him.
Source: Tales and Parables of Sri Ramakrishna
Readers interested are requested to read below article as well
http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2009/09/sri-ramakrishna-says-true-devotee-has.html
http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2009/10/sri-ramakrishna-says-one-needs-images.html
http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2009/08/ramana-maharshi-answers-to-question.html
Friday, 25 September 2009
Suri Nagamma Says Impurities Of The Mind Will Vanish When Living At The Feet Of The Guru Ramana
A devotee asked me, “Anger and resentment may not be visible outside but may be latent. Is there any harm in it?” I then remembered an incident that happened in Bhagavan’s presence in 1944-45.
A lady devotee from Andhra Pradesh came to the Ashram and stayed for some time. Her devotion was of a peculiar nature. Her conception of Bhagavan was that he was Lord Sri Krishna and she was a Gopika (shepherdess).
The devotees here however felt that such a concept had no place here as Bhagavan was a brahmachari from birth and a Jivanmukta. But then she would not keep her view to herself but publicised it and even wrote to Bhagavan accordingly.
Bhagavan was as usual indifferent to such writings. He however gave me those papers to read.He remained untouched by all such trivialities but I could not keep quiet after seeing such atrocious writings. So I quietly rebuked the lady.
She flared up and began writing all sorts of nasty things about me. On seeing them Bhagavan said laughingly, “Here are the papers from her. All about you only,” and handed over the papers to me.
I was completely upset, but what to do? At last one day with tears in my eyes I told Bhagavan, “I cannot read such letters any longer and keep quiet. Let her damn herself. Please do not give me her letters any more.” “All right. I won’t given them,” said Bhagavan and stopped giving me her letters.
Some days later, that lady began tearing her clothes and started running about in the streets shouting, perhaps because of mental imbalance or deliberately.
When Bhagavan came to know of it he remarked, “Somebody must take pity on her and do something, otherwise how can she get on?” Taking it as an order, I spoke to a few of the well-to-do Andhra devotees and with their help sent a telegram to her husband
and also arranged a person to look after her until the arrival of her husband. In a few days her husband came and took her away.
Sometime later she sent registered notices to four or five of us saying we had out of envy at her attaining siddhi (deliverance) dubbed her as a mad person and that she
would file a suit against us for defamation. She followed it up with a visit to the Ashram with her lawyer.
When Bhagavan explained to him all that had happened, the lawyer spoke apologetically to us all and scolded her saying, “What nonsense! Enough. Enough of it,” and left. Realising she could not bluff any more, she also left for her native place in
Andhra Pradesh.
Subsequently, sometime in November 1949, I received a letter from her enquiring about Bhagavan’s health, as she had received alarming reports about his health.
She wrote,“I have heard that Bhagavan’s health is not satisfactory. Please let me know how he is now. I had earlier written to you abusive letters.
I am sorry for what I had done. You are really Bhagavan’s child. Please excuse me and favour me with an immediate reply. I have given below my address.”
I informed Bhagavan about the letter. He simply said, “Is it so?” and kept quiet for about three days. During those days the usual graciousness in his look was absent whenever I prostrated before him; instead he used to turn his face away from me.
It then occurred to me that the cause of his displeasure was perhaps because of the internal impurity of my mind in still harbouring ill-will towards that lady and
not replying to her.
I therefore bought a postcard immediately and wrote to her. “There is nothing particular now to worry about Bhagavan’s health.
I will write again in case there is any cause for anxiety.” I posted the card and
came to Bhagavan. When I got up after prostrating before him, he looked at me graciously. I told him that I had just posted a reply to that Andhra lady.
In a pleasant tone, he remarked, “Yes, yes,” and calling Rangaswamy, Satyanandam
and other attendants that were there said, “Look. She has written a letter to that Telugu lady. It seems that the lady had stated in her letter to Nagamma, I had abused you some time back but now I have realised my mistake.
Please excuse me and let me know about Bhagavan’s health.’ Nagamma has just sent her a reply. So that lady has now expressed her regret.” He thereafter turned towards me with a benign and benevolent look.
I was extremely happy and pleased. So this is the result of living at the feet of the Guru — all the impurities of the mind get washed away thus.
Narrating this incident I told that lady devotee from Andhra Pradesh that renunciation can never be real if anger and resentment remain in the mind.
That lady wondered if such impure thoughts occur even in the presence of Bhagavan
and if he would treat such people with sympathy and tolerance.
The saying that Mahatmas are Patitapavanas (saviours of fallen people) has been illustrated in Bhagavan’s presence.
Though the lady had behaved senselessly,Bhagavan always had compassion for her, and he made me understand in his inimitable way that I should not harbour any ill will towards her; he kept up a cool attitude towards me until my anger and resentment towards that lady were given up. What are we to say about his great compassion!
Source: Letters from Sri Ramanasramam VOLUMES I, II & Letters from and Recollections of Sri Ramanasramam By SURI NAGAMMA Translated by D. S. SASTRI
A lady devotee from Andhra Pradesh came to the Ashram and stayed for some time. Her devotion was of a peculiar nature. Her conception of Bhagavan was that he was Lord Sri Krishna and she was a Gopika (shepherdess).
The devotees here however felt that such a concept had no place here as Bhagavan was a brahmachari from birth and a Jivanmukta. But then she would not keep her view to herself but publicised it and even wrote to Bhagavan accordingly.
Bhagavan was as usual indifferent to such writings. He however gave me those papers to read.He remained untouched by all such trivialities but I could not keep quiet after seeing such atrocious writings. So I quietly rebuked the lady.
She flared up and began writing all sorts of nasty things about me. On seeing them Bhagavan said laughingly, “Here are the papers from her. All about you only,” and handed over the papers to me.
I was completely upset, but what to do? At last one day with tears in my eyes I told Bhagavan, “I cannot read such letters any longer and keep quiet. Let her damn herself. Please do not give me her letters any more.” “All right. I won’t given them,” said Bhagavan and stopped giving me her letters.
Some days later, that lady began tearing her clothes and started running about in the streets shouting, perhaps because of mental imbalance or deliberately.
When Bhagavan came to know of it he remarked, “Somebody must take pity on her and do something, otherwise how can she get on?” Taking it as an order, I spoke to a few of the well-to-do Andhra devotees and with their help sent a telegram to her husband
and also arranged a person to look after her until the arrival of her husband. In a few days her husband came and took her away.
Sometime later she sent registered notices to four or five of us saying we had out of envy at her attaining siddhi (deliverance) dubbed her as a mad person and that she
would file a suit against us for defamation. She followed it up with a visit to the Ashram with her lawyer.
When Bhagavan explained to him all that had happened, the lawyer spoke apologetically to us all and scolded her saying, “What nonsense! Enough. Enough of it,” and left. Realising she could not bluff any more, she also left for her native place in
Andhra Pradesh.
Subsequently, sometime in November 1949, I received a letter from her enquiring about Bhagavan’s health, as she had received alarming reports about his health.
She wrote,“I have heard that Bhagavan’s health is not satisfactory. Please let me know how he is now. I had earlier written to you abusive letters.
I am sorry for what I had done. You are really Bhagavan’s child. Please excuse me and favour me with an immediate reply. I have given below my address.”
I informed Bhagavan about the letter. He simply said, “Is it so?” and kept quiet for about three days. During those days the usual graciousness in his look was absent whenever I prostrated before him; instead he used to turn his face away from me.
It then occurred to me that the cause of his displeasure was perhaps because of the internal impurity of my mind in still harbouring ill-will towards that lady and
not replying to her.
I therefore bought a postcard immediately and wrote to her. “There is nothing particular now to worry about Bhagavan’s health.
I will write again in case there is any cause for anxiety.” I posted the card and
came to Bhagavan. When I got up after prostrating before him, he looked at me graciously. I told him that I had just posted a reply to that Andhra lady.
In a pleasant tone, he remarked, “Yes, yes,” and calling Rangaswamy, Satyanandam
and other attendants that were there said, “Look. She has written a letter to that Telugu lady. It seems that the lady had stated in her letter to Nagamma, I had abused you some time back but now I have realised my mistake.
Please excuse me and let me know about Bhagavan’s health.’ Nagamma has just sent her a reply. So that lady has now expressed her regret.” He thereafter turned towards me with a benign and benevolent look.
I was extremely happy and pleased. So this is the result of living at the feet of the Guru — all the impurities of the mind get washed away thus.
Narrating this incident I told that lady devotee from Andhra Pradesh that renunciation can never be real if anger and resentment remain in the mind.
That lady wondered if such impure thoughts occur even in the presence of Bhagavan
and if he would treat such people with sympathy and tolerance.
The saying that Mahatmas are Patitapavanas (saviours of fallen people) has been illustrated in Bhagavan’s presence.
Though the lady had behaved senselessly,Bhagavan always had compassion for her, and he made me understand in his inimitable way that I should not harbour any ill will towards her; he kept up a cool attitude towards me until my anger and resentment towards that lady were given up. What are we to say about his great compassion!
Source: Letters from Sri Ramanasramam VOLUMES I, II & Letters from and Recollections of Sri Ramanasramam By SURI NAGAMMA Translated by D. S. SASTRI
A Lady Devotee Who Sees Ramana Maharshi As A Little Child
Sometime in 1944-45, a devotee by name Somasundaram Pillai came to Arunachala with the intention of staying in the Ashram permanently. His wife is also a great devotee of Bhagavan. Her devotion is however of a peculiar nature.
It seems Bhagavan once appeared to her in a dream as a little child; so she wrote some verses about feeding the little child,bathing it, putting it in a cradle and lulling it to sleep.
She began singing those songs in the hall and at times used to faint after getting into an ecstasy. Her relatives used to take her home on such occasions with a strong belief that it was a divine blessing.
Bhagavan watched the whole thing with amusement but kept quiet. One day, she brought a cradle, sat opposite to Bhagavan in the hall, kept a small photo of his in it, rocked the cradle and began singing a lullaby. She had by her side a diaper bag with a spare bed and children’s clothing.People in the hall were witnessing the whole thing with curiosity.
She says, ‘Come my little child; I will give you milk; I will give you a bath; I will give you food; I will put you to sleep.’ She is doing all this in my very presence. What to tell them! People do all sorts of funny things according to their preconceived notions. We have merely to keep quiet witnessing them,” said Bhagavan.
Source: Letters from Sri Ramanasramam VOLUMES I, II & Letters from and Recollections of Sri Ramanasramam By SURI NAGAMMA Translated by D. S. SASTRI
It seems Bhagavan once appeared to her in a dream as a little child; so she wrote some verses about feeding the little child,bathing it, putting it in a cradle and lulling it to sleep.
She began singing those songs in the hall and at times used to faint after getting into an ecstasy. Her relatives used to take her home on such occasions with a strong belief that it was a divine blessing.
Bhagavan watched the whole thing with amusement but kept quiet. One day, she brought a cradle, sat opposite to Bhagavan in the hall, kept a small photo of his in it, rocked the cradle and began singing a lullaby. She had by her side a diaper bag with a spare bed and children’s clothing.People in the hall were witnessing the whole thing with curiosity.
She says, ‘Come my little child; I will give you milk; I will give you a bath; I will give you food; I will put you to sleep.’ She is doing all this in my very presence. What to tell them! People do all sorts of funny things according to their preconceived notions. We have merely to keep quiet witnessing them,” said Bhagavan.
Source: Letters from Sri Ramanasramam VOLUMES I, II & Letters from and Recollections of Sri Ramanasramam By SURI NAGAMMA Translated by D. S. SASTRI
Thursday, 24 September 2009
Ramana Maharshi supports mixing chillies in food
4th February, 1950
In the last week of April 1947, Bharati, a Telugu monthly journal, was received in the Ashram. It contained an article on the chillies of Palnad (a part of Guntur District, Andhra Pradesh).
In it, it was stated that chillies would cure congestion of the chest due to phlegn, help digestion, and act as a good tonic for the body.
The author also said that chillies have a number of beneficial effects to the body and stimulate the brain and are useful in the preparation of many medicines.
He also quoted authorities in support of this theory. Bhagavan asked me to read out the article, called the Ashram doctors and said smilingly, “Look here. You want me to cut down on chillies.
The efficacy of chillies has been described in an article in the Bharati. Nagamma is going to read it. Listen carefully. It prevents phlegm and acts as a good tonic.
Many are the beneficial effects of chillies.” So saying Bhagavan asked Venkataratnam to preserve that issue of Bharati.
Venkataratnam and I were wondering why Bhagavan wanted us to preserve this particular copy. Ten days later,Janaki Ammal, wife of the retired surgeon, Ganapathi Iyer,
(now Janaki Matha) came with some other ladies to stay in the Ashram for a few days.
One afternoon, around 3 o’clock,addressing Bhagavan, she said, “Bhagavan, you are looking very weak.
You must completely cut out chillies and take only nutritious food. Chillies dry up the system,” and quoted a number of examples in support of her statement.
She went on in the same strain even though someone there remarked that chillies had never done any harm to Bhagavan.
Again someone nearby tried to interrupt her. Then Bhagavan remarked, “Don’t be impatient. She is the wife of a surgeon.
While he prescribes the medicines, she prescribes the patients the diet. What can you know about such things?”
He then turned towards her and said, “You say chillies are not good but there is a long article in the Bharati extolling the good qualities of chillies.
Whose advice am I to follow? Wait a minute. They will read the article to you and you can yourself understand all about it.
According to you, chillies weaken the body but according to the article, the Reddis of Palnad are strong and sturdy because they eat plenty of chillies. Listen to the details.”
So saying Bhagavan asked Venkataratnam to get the journal and read out the article.
The lady was not able to say anything any more.
Source: Letters from Sri Ramanasramam VOLUMES I, II & Letters from and Recollections of Sri Ramanasramam By SURI NAGAMMA Translated by D. S. SASTRI
Readers interested are requested to read below articles as well regarding food
http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2010/01/bhagavan-ramana-maharshis-simplicity-in.html
http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2009/08/ramana-maharshi-suggets-to-have-any.html
http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2009/09/ramana-maharshi-does-not-offer-costly.html
http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2009/09/ramana-maharshi-says-food-mixed-with.html
http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2009/08/ramana-maharshi-suggests-to-eat-without.html
http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2009/03/ramana-maharshi-suggests-eating-strict.html
http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2009/04/ramana-maharshi-about-regulating.html
http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2010/02/ramana-maharshi-answers-why-does-he.html
In the last week of April 1947, Bharati, a Telugu monthly journal, was received in the Ashram. It contained an article on the chillies of Palnad (a part of Guntur District, Andhra Pradesh).
In it, it was stated that chillies would cure congestion of the chest due to phlegn, help digestion, and act as a good tonic for the body.
The author also said that chillies have a number of beneficial effects to the body and stimulate the brain and are useful in the preparation of many medicines.
He also quoted authorities in support of this theory. Bhagavan asked me to read out the article, called the Ashram doctors and said smilingly, “Look here. You want me to cut down on chillies.
The efficacy of chillies has been described in an article in the Bharati. Nagamma is going to read it. Listen carefully. It prevents phlegm and acts as a good tonic.
Many are the beneficial effects of chillies.” So saying Bhagavan asked Venkataratnam to preserve that issue of Bharati.
Venkataratnam and I were wondering why Bhagavan wanted us to preserve this particular copy. Ten days later,Janaki Ammal, wife of the retired surgeon, Ganapathi Iyer,
(now Janaki Matha) came with some other ladies to stay in the Ashram for a few days.
One afternoon, around 3 o’clock,addressing Bhagavan, she said, “Bhagavan, you are looking very weak.
You must completely cut out chillies and take only nutritious food. Chillies dry up the system,” and quoted a number of examples in support of her statement.
She went on in the same strain even though someone there remarked that chillies had never done any harm to Bhagavan.
Again someone nearby tried to interrupt her. Then Bhagavan remarked, “Don’t be impatient. She is the wife of a surgeon.
While he prescribes the medicines, she prescribes the patients the diet. What can you know about such things?”
He then turned towards her and said, “You say chillies are not good but there is a long article in the Bharati extolling the good qualities of chillies.
Whose advice am I to follow? Wait a minute. They will read the article to you and you can yourself understand all about it.
According to you, chillies weaken the body but according to the article, the Reddis of Palnad are strong and sturdy because they eat plenty of chillies. Listen to the details.”
So saying Bhagavan asked Venkataratnam to get the journal and read out the article.
The lady was not able to say anything any more.
Source: Letters from Sri Ramanasramam VOLUMES I, II & Letters from and Recollections of Sri Ramanasramam By SURI NAGAMMA Translated by D. S. SASTRI
Readers interested are requested to read below articles as well regarding food
http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2010/01/bhagavan-ramana-maharshis-simplicity-in.html
http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2009/08/ramana-maharshi-suggets-to-have-any.html
http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2009/09/ramana-maharshi-does-not-offer-costly.html
http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2009/09/ramana-maharshi-says-food-mixed-with.html
http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2009/08/ramana-maharshi-suggests-to-eat-without.html
http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2009/03/ramana-maharshi-suggests-eating-strict.html
http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2009/04/ramana-maharshi-about-regulating.html
http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2010/02/ramana-maharshi-answers-why-does-he.html
Ramana Maharshi recollects the first time he covered the body with shawl after coming to arunachala
That was when I was in the Virupaksha Cave. At that time I was not covering the upper part of the body with anything.
For some unknown reason the trouble from mosquitoes was unusually great that year. Jayaraman bought a good shawl and pressed me to cover my body with that. I did not even touch it. He waited for some time.
The shawl remained folded. The mosquito trouble continued unabated. Unable to bear the nuisance,the people near me conferred amongst themselves and without the knowledge of outsiders, made all preparations for going to Tirupati.
They told me that we should go by this way and should come back by that way and the like. I nodded my head in assent to all that they said. They fixed an auspicious day for the journey, packed everything and,before starting, came to me saying, ‘Swami, shall we start?’ I said, ‘Yes. Do go and come back.’ ‘What about Bhagavan?’
‘Where can Bhagavan go? Where is he staying?’ I said. They said, ‘We are unable to bear this mosquito trouble, you see.’ I said, ‘If you are not able to bear it, you may go and come back. Is it for my sake that you are going? Did I say that I was not able to bear the mosquito nuisance?’
What more could they say? They felt that it was no use arguing further,gave up their journey, and began pressing me to cover my body with the shawl. Jayaram’s son Pichandi was at the time a very young fellow. He used to come every day covering
himself with an old rug.
As I felt that they would not leave me in peace until I covered my body to avoid the mosquito bites, I told them that I would wear the old rug if they gave that young man the new shawl in exchange.
What could they do? Unwillingly they exchanged the new rug for the old one and I covered myself with the rug. That was the beginning of my covering the body with anything.
When I began covering myself with that prickly type of rug, the mosquitoes did not dare to come anywhere near me. It used to be warm too,” said Bhagavan.
Source: Letters from Sri Ramanasramam VOLUMES I, II & Letters from and Recollections of Sri Ramanasramam By SURI NAGAMMA Translated by D. S. SASTRI
My Spritial Friend Subramanian.R wants to add few more points
Bhagavan and devotees all went for a day's stay with eatables in baskets,to Skandasramam, after years of gap.The day was quite cold and windy.Bhagavan Ramana was asked to place a shawl on his head to cover the face and shoulders.Bhagavan agreed to wear.He looked exactly like His Mother, Suri Nagamma observed.Bhagavan Ramana said: Yes.Alamelu (sister) also had said the same thing before.
For some unknown reason the trouble from mosquitoes was unusually great that year. Jayaraman bought a good shawl and pressed me to cover my body with that. I did not even touch it. He waited for some time.
The shawl remained folded. The mosquito trouble continued unabated. Unable to bear the nuisance,the people near me conferred amongst themselves and without the knowledge of outsiders, made all preparations for going to Tirupati.
They told me that we should go by this way and should come back by that way and the like. I nodded my head in assent to all that they said. They fixed an auspicious day for the journey, packed everything and,before starting, came to me saying, ‘Swami, shall we start?’ I said, ‘Yes. Do go and come back.’ ‘What about Bhagavan?’
‘Where can Bhagavan go? Where is he staying?’ I said. They said, ‘We are unable to bear this mosquito trouble, you see.’ I said, ‘If you are not able to bear it, you may go and come back. Is it for my sake that you are going? Did I say that I was not able to bear the mosquito nuisance?’
What more could they say? They felt that it was no use arguing further,gave up their journey, and began pressing me to cover my body with the shawl. Jayaram’s son Pichandi was at the time a very young fellow. He used to come every day covering
himself with an old rug.
As I felt that they would not leave me in peace until I covered my body to avoid the mosquito bites, I told them that I would wear the old rug if they gave that young man the new shawl in exchange.
What could they do? Unwillingly they exchanged the new rug for the old one and I covered myself with the rug. That was the beginning of my covering the body with anything.
When I began covering myself with that prickly type of rug, the mosquitoes did not dare to come anywhere near me. It used to be warm too,” said Bhagavan.
Source: Letters from Sri Ramanasramam VOLUMES I, II & Letters from and Recollections of Sri Ramanasramam By SURI NAGAMMA Translated by D. S. SASTRI
My Spritial Friend Subramanian.R wants to add few more points
Bhagavan and devotees all went for a day's stay with eatables in baskets,to Skandasramam, after years of gap.The day was quite cold and windy.Bhagavan Ramana was asked to place a shawl on his head to cover the face and shoulders.Bhagavan agreed to wear.He looked exactly like His Mother, Suri Nagamma observed.Bhagavan Ramana said: Yes.Alamelu (sister) also had said the same thing before.
Few Follies Committed By Few People In Ramana Ashramam
16th December, 1949
Some time in 1942-43, Sri Jagadeeswara Sastri’s son who was studying in the Vedapatasala in Madurai, came here during the holidays. Being young, he had tresses of hair hanging down to the shoulders. May be he wanted to appear fashionable. As soon as he came into the hall and got up after prostrating, Bhagavan said, “Oh, is that you? When I saw your hair style, I thought it was somebody else. Oh! My! How you look! Who would believe that you are the son of Jagadeeswara Sastri?” The boy was so ashamed, that he came to the hall next day with only a small tuft of hair behind.Noticing it, Bhagavan said, “Yes. That is right. Will not people criticise adversely if Jagadeeswara Sastri’s son, a bachelor living in a Gurukula (the house of a Guru), has an unbecoming hair style?”
In 1943, Gurram Subbaramayya Garu came here with his daughter of five or six years of age. As you know, she had no mother. Noticing that she had a plait of hair on either side of her head, Bhagavan remarked, “What child! Only two plaits? Why not have two more in front and two in the centre of the head?” So saying Bhagavan laughed.Bhagavan had passed similar remarks before whenever he saw other children dressed up like this. Now this child felt ashamed, came to me,got her hair done into a single plait and went to Bhagavan.Smiling at it and saying it was good, Bhagavan told her father, “Look, European ladies who come here, wear sarees, tie their hair in a plait and put some flowers in it and thus try to appear like our ladies, while our people try to adopt their style. What to do?”
Sometime in 1943-44, a European by name Mr. McIver used to live here; on a Dipavali day, he wore a Salem silkbordered dhoti in the orthodox style, covered the upper
portion of his body with a similar cloth, prostrated before Bhagavan, put on his forehead holy ashes and kumkum, went out of the hall and sat there with closed eyes in padmasana style. Bhagavan began smiling to himself, looking at him through the window. Meanwhile Rajagopala Iyer came into the hall, whereupon Bhagavan, laughing loudly, exclaimed, “Look at that. McIver Sastri has come here. There he is,sitting over there. Really, if anyone were to see him now,could they say he was not a Sastri? While all of you put on suits and boots, instead of wearing dhoties, he dressed himself up like a Sastri. The only thing that is wanting now is the sacred thread. As our people are discarding even that, there is no difficulty even on that score now. Look at him!”
Whenever Bhagavan speaks to native Indians, he normally talks to them in their own language, namely Tamil,Telugu or Malayalam, but never in English. Even though they know this, some of our young men put their questions to Bhagavan in English. Sometimes, there will be nobody to translate or the translation will be found difficult. If on such occasions, we enquire why those people could not put their questions in their own language, Bhagavan would say, “You want to know why they ask me in English? That is because they want to test Bhagavan. They have gained some knowledge of the English language. Should not all people know about it? Not only that, they sincerely believe that their language is no good for such an important matter. The infatuation for that language makes them feel like that. Poor people!What can they do?”
Source: Letters from Sri Ramanasramam VOLUMES I, II & Letters from and Recollections of Sri Ramanasramam By SURI NAGAMMA Translated by D. S. SASTRI
Some time in 1942-43, Sri Jagadeeswara Sastri’s son who was studying in the Vedapatasala in Madurai, came here during the holidays. Being young, he had tresses of hair hanging down to the shoulders. May be he wanted to appear fashionable. As soon as he came into the hall and got up after prostrating, Bhagavan said, “Oh, is that you? When I saw your hair style, I thought it was somebody else. Oh! My! How you look! Who would believe that you are the son of Jagadeeswara Sastri?” The boy was so ashamed, that he came to the hall next day with only a small tuft of hair behind.Noticing it, Bhagavan said, “Yes. That is right. Will not people criticise adversely if Jagadeeswara Sastri’s son, a bachelor living in a Gurukula (the house of a Guru), has an unbecoming hair style?”
In 1943, Gurram Subbaramayya Garu came here with his daughter of five or six years of age. As you know, she had no mother. Noticing that she had a plait of hair on either side of her head, Bhagavan remarked, “What child! Only two plaits? Why not have two more in front and two in the centre of the head?” So saying Bhagavan laughed.Bhagavan had passed similar remarks before whenever he saw other children dressed up like this. Now this child felt ashamed, came to me,got her hair done into a single plait and went to Bhagavan.Smiling at it and saying it was good, Bhagavan told her father, “Look, European ladies who come here, wear sarees, tie their hair in a plait and put some flowers in it and thus try to appear like our ladies, while our people try to adopt their style. What to do?”
Sometime in 1943-44, a European by name Mr. McIver used to live here; on a Dipavali day, he wore a Salem silkbordered dhoti in the orthodox style, covered the upper
portion of his body with a similar cloth, prostrated before Bhagavan, put on his forehead holy ashes and kumkum, went out of the hall and sat there with closed eyes in padmasana style. Bhagavan began smiling to himself, looking at him through the window. Meanwhile Rajagopala Iyer came into the hall, whereupon Bhagavan, laughing loudly, exclaimed, “Look at that. McIver Sastri has come here. There he is,sitting over there. Really, if anyone were to see him now,could they say he was not a Sastri? While all of you put on suits and boots, instead of wearing dhoties, he dressed himself up like a Sastri. The only thing that is wanting now is the sacred thread. As our people are discarding even that, there is no difficulty even on that score now. Look at him!”
Whenever Bhagavan speaks to native Indians, he normally talks to them in their own language, namely Tamil,Telugu or Malayalam, but never in English. Even though they know this, some of our young men put their questions to Bhagavan in English. Sometimes, there will be nobody to translate or the translation will be found difficult. If on such occasions, we enquire why those people could not put their questions in their own language, Bhagavan would say, “You want to know why they ask me in English? That is because they want to test Bhagavan. They have gained some knowledge of the English language. Should not all people know about it? Not only that, they sincerely believe that their language is no good for such an important matter. The infatuation for that language makes them feel like that. Poor people!What can they do?”
Source: Letters from Sri Ramanasramam VOLUMES I, II & Letters from and Recollections of Sri Ramanasramam By SURI NAGAMMA Translated by D. S. SASTRI
Wednesday, 23 September 2009
Ramana Maharshi explains purpose of decorating floor with rice powder
14h December, 1949
On a festival day in 1944, some ladies were decorating the floor of the Ashram with rice paste prepared by soaking rice in water and then grinding it. While returning from the cowshed, Bhagavan remarked to the people following him,“Look at those people. See what they are doing. They concentrate their mind on that sort of work. What to do? Let them carry on. Be careful not to step on the drawings. Why should we step on them when they are doing it with such great devotion?” So saying, he walked carefully without disturbing the designs and sat in the hall.
Immediately after that, Bhagavan noticed an old lady of the Ashram carefully drawing designs with dry lime powder on the floor below the steps opposite to the hall.
Bhagavan called her by the familiar name, Granny, and when she came with great expectations, he said, “Look here,Granny. You are taking so much trouble for decorating the floor with that powder, but is it rice flour?” When she replied that it was powdered lime only, Bhagavan said, “What a pity! It will not be useful even for the ants. The ladies there are also doing the same thing. It is mere waste of time.
Their work is of no use whatsoever. The paste they are using is made of rice dough which sticks to the ground and so the ants cannot eat it. Decorating the floor really means feeding the ants. If that dharma is given up and powdered lime is used not only the ants cannot eat it but if, by mistake,they come anywhere near, they die because of the strong pungent smell. Why all that? Please add at least some rice flour to it.”
An Andhra gentleman enquired, “Is it for feeding the ants that in the dhanurmasa, i.e., in the month of December- January, that floors are decorated with rice powder?”
“Yes, of course!” said Bhagavan. “Out of their feelings of happiness and joy at the receipt of the fresh crop of rice, they decorate the floor with rice powder thus feeding the ants. Practices laid down by elders are always based on kindness to living creatures. But who cares for those traditions now? They do most things just for the sake of beauty only.”
Source: Letters from Sri Ramanasramam VOLUMES I, II & Letters from and Recollections of Sri Ramanasramam By SURI NAGAMMA Translated by D. S. SASTRI
On a festival day in 1944, some ladies were decorating the floor of the Ashram with rice paste prepared by soaking rice in water and then grinding it. While returning from the cowshed, Bhagavan remarked to the people following him,“Look at those people. See what they are doing. They concentrate their mind on that sort of work. What to do? Let them carry on. Be careful not to step on the drawings. Why should we step on them when they are doing it with such great devotion?” So saying, he walked carefully without disturbing the designs and sat in the hall.
Immediately after that, Bhagavan noticed an old lady of the Ashram carefully drawing designs with dry lime powder on the floor below the steps opposite to the hall.
Bhagavan called her by the familiar name, Granny, and when she came with great expectations, he said, “Look here,Granny. You are taking so much trouble for decorating the floor with that powder, but is it rice flour?” When she replied that it was powdered lime only, Bhagavan said, “What a pity! It will not be useful even for the ants. The ladies there are also doing the same thing. It is mere waste of time.
Their work is of no use whatsoever. The paste they are using is made of rice dough which sticks to the ground and so the ants cannot eat it. Decorating the floor really means feeding the ants. If that dharma is given up and powdered lime is used not only the ants cannot eat it but if, by mistake,they come anywhere near, they die because of the strong pungent smell. Why all that? Please add at least some rice flour to it.”
An Andhra gentleman enquired, “Is it for feeding the ants that in the dhanurmasa, i.e., in the month of December- January, that floors are decorated with rice powder?”
“Yes, of course!” said Bhagavan. “Out of their feelings of happiness and joy at the receipt of the fresh crop of rice, they decorate the floor with rice powder thus feeding the ants. Practices laid down by elders are always based on kindness to living creatures. But who cares for those traditions now? They do most things just for the sake of beauty only.”
Source: Letters from Sri Ramanasramam VOLUMES I, II & Letters from and Recollections of Sri Ramanasramam By SURI NAGAMMA Translated by D. S. SASTRI
Ramana Maharshi Explains The Importance Of Yatra And Pradakshina (Pilgrimage And Circumambulation)
26th June, 1949
One of the devotees who had recently come and had been staying for some time, asked Bhagavan, “Several people here go round the hill frequently. What is its greatness?”
Bhagavan told him the following story:
“The greatness of this Giri Pradakshina has been described at length in Arunachala Puranam. Lord Nandikesa asked Sadasiva a similar question and Sadasiva narrated as follows: ‘To go round this hill is good. The word ‘Pradakshina’ has a typical meaning.
The letter ‘Pra’ stands for removal of all kinds of sins; ‘da’ stands for fulfilling the desires; ‘kshi’ stands for freedom from future births; ‘na’ stands for giving deliverance through jnana.
If by way of Pradakshina you walk one step it gives happiness in this world, two steps, it gives happiness in heaven, three steps, it gives bliss of Satyaloka which can be attained.
One should go round either in mouna (silence) or dhyana (meditation) or japa (repetition of Lord’s name) or sankeertana (bhajan) and thereby think of God all the time. One should walk slowly like a woman who is in the ninth month of pregnancy.
It seems Amba who was doing tapas here, went round the hill on the day of the Krithikai star in the first quarter of the night. Immediately after the darshan of the holy beacon, she became finally absorbed in Lord Siva.
It is stated that on the third day after the festival of the Holy Beacon, Siva himself started for the Pradakshina with all his followers. Really, it is difficult to describe the pleasure and the happiness one gets by this Pradakshina.
Besides this, there are several varieties of medicinal herbs on the hill.
The air that passes over those herbs is good for the lungs. As there is no vehicular traffic there is no worry about making way for cars and buses. One can walk carefree according to one’s wishes.
Source: Letters from Sri Ramanasramam VOLUMES I, II & Letters from and Recollections of Sri Ramanasramam By SURI NAGAMMA Translated by D. S. SASTRI
One of the devotees who had recently come and had been staying for some time, asked Bhagavan, “Several people here go round the hill frequently. What is its greatness?”
Bhagavan told him the following story:
“The greatness of this Giri Pradakshina has been described at length in Arunachala Puranam. Lord Nandikesa asked Sadasiva a similar question and Sadasiva narrated as follows: ‘To go round this hill is good. The word ‘Pradakshina’ has a typical meaning.
The letter ‘Pra’ stands for removal of all kinds of sins; ‘da’ stands for fulfilling the desires; ‘kshi’ stands for freedom from future births; ‘na’ stands for giving deliverance through jnana.
If by way of Pradakshina you walk one step it gives happiness in this world, two steps, it gives happiness in heaven, three steps, it gives bliss of Satyaloka which can be attained.
One should go round either in mouna (silence) or dhyana (meditation) or japa (repetition of Lord’s name) or sankeertana (bhajan) and thereby think of God all the time. One should walk slowly like a woman who is in the ninth month of pregnancy.
It seems Amba who was doing tapas here, went round the hill on the day of the Krithikai star in the first quarter of the night. Immediately after the darshan of the holy beacon, she became finally absorbed in Lord Siva.
It is stated that on the third day after the festival of the Holy Beacon, Siva himself started for the Pradakshina with all his followers. Really, it is difficult to describe the pleasure and the happiness one gets by this Pradakshina.
Besides this, there are several varieties of medicinal herbs on the hill.
The air that passes over those herbs is good for the lungs. As there is no vehicular traffic there is no worry about making way for cars and buses. One can walk carefree according to one’s wishes.
Source: Letters from Sri Ramanasramam VOLUMES I, II & Letters from and Recollections of Sri Ramanasramam By SURI NAGAMMA Translated by D. S. SASTRI
Ramana Maharshi was reluctant for usage of electric fan
4th June, 1949
Yesterday evening, by the time Bhagavan went out and came back, some of the modern civilised devotees switched on all the fans in the new hall and sat there comfortably, awaiting Bhagavan’s return.
As soon as he came, he looked up and while sitting on the couch, asked the attendants as to who had switched on all the fans. Pointing to the people sitting there,they said, “They wanted us to do so and we have done it.” “I see.
What a great thing you have done! If they were feeling so very sultry it would have been sufficient if only those fans where they are sitting had been switched on. Why all this?” asked Bhagavan.
“They said that it would be very pleasant if all the fans were switched on,” said the attendants. “Is that so? What an amount of electric power will be consumed by these fans! What a costly bill! Why this expense on our account? Enough, enough. Stop that,” said Bhagavan.
“They are asking that they may be kept on until at least the Veda Parayana is over,” said Krishnaswami. “Oh! Is that so? They are rich people and so in their houses they can sit down with fans whose use may cost ten times more than this. Why should we have this?
Why this show? The hand fan is there and the hands are there. Stop them all,” said Bhagavan. At that, the attendants switched off all the fans except the one above those people.
During the early days of my stay here, i.e. in 1941-42,someone brought an electric fan and requested that it be used by Bhagavan.
“Why this fan? The ordinary fan is there. We have hands. I will fan myself with it whenever necessary. Why do I require all these things?” said Bhagavan.
“Is it not some trouble? If the electric fan is used there is no trouble whatsoever,” said that devotee. “What is the trouble? If the ordinary fan is used we get just as much breeze as we want.
The electric fan blows too much breeze and with a whizzing noise. Moreover, some electric current is consumed. For that,there will be a bill. Why should we make the office bear that expense on our account?” said Bhagavan.
“We have got it here, Swami, with the permission of the office,” said the devotee. “Oh, is that so? Then let them have the fan for themselves.
They are people who work and it is necessary for them. Why should I need it?” said Bhagavan. The devotee did not say anything further but went away, leaving the fan
there.
As it was a table fan, it was kept near Bhagavan’s sofa and it used to be switched on by someone nearby whenever it was sultry.
Bhagavan would immediately say, “It is only because of such things I had said you should not keep it here at all. If you want a fan you can keep it near yourselves.”
And if nobody stopped it he used to stop it himself with the aid of a small stick.
Source: Letters from Sri Ramanasramam VOLUMES I, II & Letters from and Recollections of Sri Ramanasramam By SURI NAGAMMA Translated by D. S. SASTRI
My Spiritual Friend Subramanian R wants to add few more points
In earlier years,the devotee Kunju Swami used to keep some tooth powder in small pockets for everyday use by Bhagavan.If the tooth powder was more than required, He used to keep the excess and neatly folded and pocket and gave it back to be given next morning!
Even Vibhuti, He used to take only adequate quantity and apply it on His forehead without wasting even a speck.Saiva Siddhantam says some methods to apply Vibhuti. The ashes, while applied,should not fall as specks on the floor! One should take a towel and show it below the palm, so that the ashes in excess would fall on the towel and the same is applied all over the chest.
Yesterday evening, by the time Bhagavan went out and came back, some of the modern civilised devotees switched on all the fans in the new hall and sat there comfortably, awaiting Bhagavan’s return.
As soon as he came, he looked up and while sitting on the couch, asked the attendants as to who had switched on all the fans. Pointing to the people sitting there,they said, “They wanted us to do so and we have done it.” “I see.
What a great thing you have done! If they were feeling so very sultry it would have been sufficient if only those fans where they are sitting had been switched on. Why all this?” asked Bhagavan.
“They said that it would be very pleasant if all the fans were switched on,” said the attendants. “Is that so? What an amount of electric power will be consumed by these fans! What a costly bill! Why this expense on our account? Enough, enough. Stop that,” said Bhagavan.
“They are asking that they may be kept on until at least the Veda Parayana is over,” said Krishnaswami. “Oh! Is that so? They are rich people and so in their houses they can sit down with fans whose use may cost ten times more than this. Why should we have this?
Why this show? The hand fan is there and the hands are there. Stop them all,” said Bhagavan. At that, the attendants switched off all the fans except the one above those people.
During the early days of my stay here, i.e. in 1941-42,someone brought an electric fan and requested that it be used by Bhagavan.
“Why this fan? The ordinary fan is there. We have hands. I will fan myself with it whenever necessary. Why do I require all these things?” said Bhagavan.
“Is it not some trouble? If the electric fan is used there is no trouble whatsoever,” said that devotee. “What is the trouble? If the ordinary fan is used we get just as much breeze as we want.
The electric fan blows too much breeze and with a whizzing noise. Moreover, some electric current is consumed. For that,there will be a bill. Why should we make the office bear that expense on our account?” said Bhagavan.
“We have got it here, Swami, with the permission of the office,” said the devotee. “Oh, is that so? Then let them have the fan for themselves.
They are people who work and it is necessary for them. Why should I need it?” said Bhagavan. The devotee did not say anything further but went away, leaving the fan
there.
As it was a table fan, it was kept near Bhagavan’s sofa and it used to be switched on by someone nearby whenever it was sultry.
Bhagavan would immediately say, “It is only because of such things I had said you should not keep it here at all. If you want a fan you can keep it near yourselves.”
And if nobody stopped it he used to stop it himself with the aid of a small stick.
Source: Letters from Sri Ramanasramam VOLUMES I, II & Letters from and Recollections of Sri Ramanasramam By SURI NAGAMMA Translated by D. S. SASTRI
My Spiritual Friend Subramanian R wants to add few more points
In earlier years,the devotee Kunju Swami used to keep some tooth powder in small pockets for everyday use by Bhagavan.If the tooth powder was more than required, He used to keep the excess and neatly folded and pocket and gave it back to be given next morning!
Even Vibhuti, He used to take only adequate quantity and apply it on His forehead without wasting even a speck.Saiva Siddhantam says some methods to apply Vibhuti. The ashes, while applied,should not fall as specks on the floor! One should take a towel and show it below the palm, so that the ashes in excess would fall on the towel and the same is applied all over the chest.
Ramana Maharshi is The Helper Of The Helpless
24th May, 1949
You remember, till 1943, in the old hall there used to be a door on the southern side opposite to where Bhagavan used to sit on the sofa and a window in the southern wall
which is now converted into a door.
Devotees used to enter by the southern door, have a darshan of Bhagavan who is the incarnation of Dakshinamurthy and go out by the northern door.
Some ladies used to sit on the southern side opposite to Bhagavan. As time passed, the number of visitors increased and ladies with their children began sitting there. The children naturally began to create some nuisance.Besides that, from 1943 onwards, the number of visitors of all types increased still more.
Moreover, some poor ladies were coming with their children to prostrate and the children were urinating there. The mothers do not get even a cloth to wipe it out; and even if a cloth was given, some of the modern ladies would not take the trouble to clean the place. Therefore, Bhagavan’s attendants had to clean it up.
They were tired and vexed at this and thought of preventing such uncivilised people from coming into the hall. Bhagavan, however, would not, under any circumstances, agree to it.
Hence, they began thinking of preventing ladies from sitting in the hall and making
arrangements for their sitting in the verandah only.
At last, one day, they went to Bhagavan and told him that they would make seating
arrangements for ladies outside. Bhagavan thereupon asked why men should sit in the hall if women could not sit there.
The attendants stated the difficulties they were experiencing in looking after the ladies that come and go. Bhagavan said, “What work is there in the hall even for Bhagavan? It will be all right if he sits under the almond tree, which is opposite.
There will then be no trouble or worry for anybody, whatever the children may do.” When he said that, they gave up all their attempts to isolate the ladies.
Instead, the window on one side was replaced by the door on the other side and vice-versa. After that, the ladies got their seating place opposite to Bhagavan’s feet.
A similar incident happened in 1946.The people used to wander about the town and so when they came to Bhagavan’s presence very much tired, some used to squat on the floors with legs outstretched; some used to discuss their affairs in loud voices and some used to lie down and snore.
That used to happen between 12 noon and 2 p.m. Mothers used to sleep while breast-feeding the children and the other children used to wander and play about everywhere. When attempts were made to send such people away, it seems Bhagavan said, “Poor people! They must have wandered about a good deal. They are now taking some rest. How could you drive them away? Let them stay on.”
Krishnaswami and others had to clean the places themselves. Unable to put up with that nuisance any longer, Krishnaswami was requesting Bhagavan to sit in the hall only. Bhagavan did not agree.
Krishnaswami: “Who will tidy up the nuisance committed by the children?”
Bhagavan: “It should be all right if their mothers are asked to clean it up themselves and are requested to be careful thereafter.”
Bhagavan: “Poor people! They come here only to see Swami; and they get all the required conveniences here.”
One day, Bhagavan saw a poor man struggling under a tree as he could not get his share of the food. Next day, when the gong was struck,Bhagavan got up and went to the tree where the poor people had gathered, stood there and said, “If you do not give them food first, I will not come to the dining hall at all.
I will stand under the tree along with these people, stretch out my hands for food like them, and when I am given a ball of food, I will eat it, go straight to the hall and sit there.” From that day onwards, it is only after food is sent to the poor, they strike the gong in the dining hall.
Source: Letters from Sri Ramanasramam VOLUMES I, II & Letters from and Recollections of Sri Ramanasramam By SURI NAGAMMA Translated by D. S. SASTRI
You remember, till 1943, in the old hall there used to be a door on the southern side opposite to where Bhagavan used to sit on the sofa and a window in the southern wall
which is now converted into a door.
Devotees used to enter by the southern door, have a darshan of Bhagavan who is the incarnation of Dakshinamurthy and go out by the northern door.
Some ladies used to sit on the southern side opposite to Bhagavan. As time passed, the number of visitors increased and ladies with their children began sitting there. The children naturally began to create some nuisance.Besides that, from 1943 onwards, the number of visitors of all types increased still more.
Moreover, some poor ladies were coming with their children to prostrate and the children were urinating there. The mothers do not get even a cloth to wipe it out; and even if a cloth was given, some of the modern ladies would not take the trouble to clean the place. Therefore, Bhagavan’s attendants had to clean it up.
They were tired and vexed at this and thought of preventing such uncivilised people from coming into the hall. Bhagavan, however, would not, under any circumstances, agree to it.
Hence, they began thinking of preventing ladies from sitting in the hall and making
arrangements for their sitting in the verandah only.
At last, one day, they went to Bhagavan and told him that they would make seating
arrangements for ladies outside. Bhagavan thereupon asked why men should sit in the hall if women could not sit there.
The attendants stated the difficulties they were experiencing in looking after the ladies that come and go. Bhagavan said, “What work is there in the hall even for Bhagavan? It will be all right if he sits under the almond tree, which is opposite.
There will then be no trouble or worry for anybody, whatever the children may do.” When he said that, they gave up all their attempts to isolate the ladies.
Instead, the window on one side was replaced by the door on the other side and vice-versa. After that, the ladies got their seating place opposite to Bhagavan’s feet.
A similar incident happened in 1946.The people used to wander about the town and so when they came to Bhagavan’s presence very much tired, some used to squat on the floors with legs outstretched; some used to discuss their affairs in loud voices and some used to lie down and snore.
That used to happen between 12 noon and 2 p.m. Mothers used to sleep while breast-feeding the children and the other children used to wander and play about everywhere. When attempts were made to send such people away, it seems Bhagavan said, “Poor people! They must have wandered about a good deal. They are now taking some rest. How could you drive them away? Let them stay on.”
Krishnaswami and others had to clean the places themselves. Unable to put up with that nuisance any longer, Krishnaswami was requesting Bhagavan to sit in the hall only. Bhagavan did not agree.
Krishnaswami: “Who will tidy up the nuisance committed by the children?”
Bhagavan: “It should be all right if their mothers are asked to clean it up themselves and are requested to be careful thereafter.”
Bhagavan: “Poor people! They come here only to see Swami; and they get all the required conveniences here.”
One day, Bhagavan saw a poor man struggling under a tree as he could not get his share of the food. Next day, when the gong was struck,Bhagavan got up and went to the tree where the poor people had gathered, stood there and said, “If you do not give them food first, I will not come to the dining hall at all.
I will stand under the tree along with these people, stretch out my hands for food like them, and when I am given a ball of food, I will eat it, go straight to the hall and sit there.” From that day onwards, it is only after food is sent to the poor, they strike the gong in the dining hall.
Source: Letters from Sri Ramanasramam VOLUMES I, II & Letters from and Recollections of Sri Ramanasramam By SURI NAGAMMA Translated by D. S. SASTRI
Tuesday, 22 September 2009
Final Part - Ramana Maharshi Recollects Few Experiences With Mother Alagamma During Virupaksha Cave Days
14th February, 1949
“When mother came to live with me I was in the Virupaksha Cave itself. At that place there was no water. She was, therefore, inconvenienced on that account. We used to
go to the Skandasramam, to bathe as there was a waterfall.
She was too old, you see, and so she could not accompany us. We had at the time two big kamandalams with us. We made one of them ourselves.
The other, some one brought and gave us. Each could hold a small potful of water. I used to bring water in both of them, carrying one in each hand.
She used to sit down wearing a small cloth and I used to pour the water over her head just as we do abhishekam over an idol. That is how she used to have her bath. There was no cooking. Some one used to wash her cloth and bring it back.
That was all. If water was brought in those two kamandalams all her requirements used to be met.”
“The kamandalams should then be very large,” I said.“Yes. They were large,” said Bhagavan. “What has become of them now?” asked some devotee.
Bhagavan: “One of them must be here. The other disappeared even while we were in the Skandasramam.
Vallimalai Muruganar used to visit us even while we were in Virupaksha Cave. After our residence was changed to the Skandasramam, he came again.
He had a loud voice and was very fond of chitchatting. He cast his eyes on that
kamandalam. He knew it was no good asking Perumalswamy and others and so he approached Mother.
She was a simpleton. If anyone flattered her by saying that there was no one equal to her in this world, she used to give away whatever was asked of her. He was clever enough to discover this. ‘Mother, you have given birth to a diamond of a son.
There is no one to equal you in this world. Your son is a very great personage, unparalleled,’ and so on. After praising her like that for some time, he finally said, ‘If you give me one kamandalam, I will bring Ganges water in it and will do you
abhishekam with it.’
No sooner he said that, than she was overjoyed and gave away the kamandalam. He could not,however, bring Ganges water during her lifetime.
But recently, that is about twelve years back, he did bring Ganges water in that kamandalam and performed abhishekam over Mother’s image, thus keeping his word. That was the first time she had abhishekam performed with Ganges water.
Subsequently, several people did abhishekam with Ganges water but they brought it in small vessels whereas he brought it in a large kamandalam. The kamandalams that we have just received are small in comparison.”
Source: Letters from Sri Ramanasramam VOLUMES I, II & Letters from and Recollections of Sri Ramanasramam By SURI NAGAMMA Translated by D. S. SASTRI
Viewers interested in this article are requested to read below article also.
http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2009/09/ramana-maharshi-recollects-few.html
“When mother came to live with me I was in the Virupaksha Cave itself. At that place there was no water. She was, therefore, inconvenienced on that account. We used to
go to the Skandasramam, to bathe as there was a waterfall.
She was too old, you see, and so she could not accompany us. We had at the time two big kamandalams with us. We made one of them ourselves.
The other, some one brought and gave us. Each could hold a small potful of water. I used to bring water in both of them, carrying one in each hand.
She used to sit down wearing a small cloth and I used to pour the water over her head just as we do abhishekam over an idol. That is how she used to have her bath. There was no cooking. Some one used to wash her cloth and bring it back.
That was all. If water was brought in those two kamandalams all her requirements used to be met.”
“The kamandalams should then be very large,” I said.“Yes. They were large,” said Bhagavan. “What has become of them now?” asked some devotee.
Bhagavan: “One of them must be here. The other disappeared even while we were in the Skandasramam.
Vallimalai Muruganar used to visit us even while we were in Virupaksha Cave. After our residence was changed to the Skandasramam, he came again.
He had a loud voice and was very fond of chitchatting. He cast his eyes on that
kamandalam. He knew it was no good asking Perumalswamy and others and so he approached Mother.
She was a simpleton. If anyone flattered her by saying that there was no one equal to her in this world, she used to give away whatever was asked of her. He was clever enough to discover this. ‘Mother, you have given birth to a diamond of a son.
There is no one to equal you in this world. Your son is a very great personage, unparalleled,’ and so on. After praising her like that for some time, he finally said, ‘If you give me one kamandalam, I will bring Ganges water in it and will do you
abhishekam with it.’
No sooner he said that, than she was overjoyed and gave away the kamandalam. He could not,however, bring Ganges water during her lifetime.
But recently, that is about twelve years back, he did bring Ganges water in that kamandalam and performed abhishekam over Mother’s image, thus keeping his word. That was the first time she had abhishekam performed with Ganges water.
Subsequently, several people did abhishekam with Ganges water but they brought it in small vessels whereas he brought it in a large kamandalam. The kamandalams that we have just received are small in comparison.”
Source: Letters from Sri Ramanasramam VOLUMES I, II & Letters from and Recollections of Sri Ramanasramam By SURI NAGAMMA Translated by D. S. SASTRI
Viewers interested in this article are requested to read below article also.
http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2009/09/ramana-maharshi-recollects-few.html
Ramana Maharshi Visions Of Supernatural Sights On Arunachala
15th January, 1949
One of the devotees addressed Bhagavan: “You told us once that you had seen on
this hill very high temples, gardens and such like. Was that all during the period you were on the hill?”
Bhagavan: “Yes. That was perhaps when I was in the Virupaksha Cave. I closed my eyes. I felt I was walking on the hill itself towards the northeast. I saw at one place a nice flower garden, a big temple, a fine compound wall and a big Nandi (a bull carved in stone). There was a strange light. It was extremely pleasant. As I was looking at all these, it was time for puja (worship). The bell was rung and immediately after that I opened my eyes.”
Devotee: “Bhagavan told us some time back that there was a big cave also.”
Bhagavan: “Yes, yes. That also happened when I was living on the hill. I was wandering about aimlessly when I found at one place a big cave. When I entered the cave, I saw a number of waterfalls, beautiful gardens, tanks within those gardens, well laid paths, fine lighting; everything there was most pleasing. As I went farther and farther I saw a Realised Person (Siddha Purusha) seated like Dakshinamurthy under a tree on the banks of a tank. Around him, a number of saints (munis) were seated. They were asking something and he was replying to them. That place appeared to me very familiar. That is all. I opened my eyes. Subsequently,after some time, when I saw Arunachala Puranam in Sanskrit in the two slokas that cave and that Siddha Purusha have been described and so I was surprised that what appeared to me in a trance was to be found in that book. So I translated them into Tamil: ‘Angiyuru vayumoli mangugiri yaga...’. Its meaning is: ‘Though you are in the form of fire,you have kept away the fire and have taken the shape of a hill mainly to shower your blessings on the people. You are always living here in the form of a Siddha. The cave that appeared to me is in you with all the luxuries of the world.’
Recently when the temple in Adi Annamalai was renovated,it has been reported that in the sanctum sanctorum of the temple a large tunnel was found and when people tried to
find out its extent they saw that it was extending to the very centre of the hill.
As they could not go in very far, they came back. I therefore thought that which occurred to me and that which is in the Purana appears to be true and that the
tunnel was the way to the place I had seen. It is reported that Siddha Purushas come from the cave inside to the temple through that tunnel night after night and go back after worshipping Ishwara. Why so far? Recently, something like that was seen even here. I was going on to the hill as usual when, as I was getting near the steps over there, a big city appeared before me. There were huge buildings of several varieties, well laid thoroughfares, good lighting; and it appeared to be a great city. At one place a meeting was being held. Chadwick was with me. He was even saying, ‘Bhagavan,
all this is so self-evident! Who will believe if we say this is all a dream!’ Everything appeared as if it was actually happening.
Meanwhile, I opened my eyes.”
Devotee: “Is all this really a dream?”
Bhagavan: “I can’t say whether it is a dream or not.What is real?”
Source: Letters from Sri Ramanasramam VOLUMES I, II & Letters from and Recollections of Sri Ramanasramam By SURI NAGAMMA Translated by D. S. SASTRI
One of the devotees addressed Bhagavan: “You told us once that you had seen on
this hill very high temples, gardens and such like. Was that all during the period you were on the hill?”
Bhagavan: “Yes. That was perhaps when I was in the Virupaksha Cave. I closed my eyes. I felt I was walking on the hill itself towards the northeast. I saw at one place a nice flower garden, a big temple, a fine compound wall and a big Nandi (a bull carved in stone). There was a strange light. It was extremely pleasant. As I was looking at all these, it was time for puja (worship). The bell was rung and immediately after that I opened my eyes.”
Devotee: “Bhagavan told us some time back that there was a big cave also.”
Bhagavan: “Yes, yes. That also happened when I was living on the hill. I was wandering about aimlessly when I found at one place a big cave. When I entered the cave, I saw a number of waterfalls, beautiful gardens, tanks within those gardens, well laid paths, fine lighting; everything there was most pleasing. As I went farther and farther I saw a Realised Person (Siddha Purusha) seated like Dakshinamurthy under a tree on the banks of a tank. Around him, a number of saints (munis) were seated. They were asking something and he was replying to them. That place appeared to me very familiar. That is all. I opened my eyes. Subsequently,after some time, when I saw Arunachala Puranam in Sanskrit in the two slokas that cave and that Siddha Purusha have been described and so I was surprised that what appeared to me in a trance was to be found in that book. So I translated them into Tamil: ‘Angiyuru vayumoli mangugiri yaga...’. Its meaning is: ‘Though you are in the form of fire,you have kept away the fire and have taken the shape of a hill mainly to shower your blessings on the people. You are always living here in the form of a Siddha. The cave that appeared to me is in you with all the luxuries of the world.’
Recently when the temple in Adi Annamalai was renovated,it has been reported that in the sanctum sanctorum of the temple a large tunnel was found and when people tried to
find out its extent they saw that it was extending to the very centre of the hill.
As they could not go in very far, they came back. I therefore thought that which occurred to me and that which is in the Purana appears to be true and that the
tunnel was the way to the place I had seen. It is reported that Siddha Purushas come from the cave inside to the temple through that tunnel night after night and go back after worshipping Ishwara. Why so far? Recently, something like that was seen even here. I was going on to the hill as usual when, as I was getting near the steps over there, a big city appeared before me. There were huge buildings of several varieties, well laid thoroughfares, good lighting; and it appeared to be a great city. At one place a meeting was being held. Chadwick was with me. He was even saying, ‘Bhagavan,
all this is so self-evident! Who will believe if we say this is all a dream!’ Everything appeared as if it was actually happening.
Meanwhile, I opened my eyes.”
Devotee: “Is all this really a dream?”
Bhagavan: “I can’t say whether it is a dream or not.What is real?”
Source: Letters from Sri Ramanasramam VOLUMES I, II & Letters from and Recollections of Sri Ramanasramam By SURI NAGAMMA Translated by D. S. SASTRI
Monday, 21 September 2009
Ramana Maharshi's affection with children
10th October, 1948
A few days ago, Mahadeva Sastri, son of Kavyakanta Ganapati Sastri, came here. Bhagavan introduced him to us all.
As he is now living in this place our talk turned on his father Sri Kavyakanta yesterday afternoon. Bhagavan began telling us:
“When I was living in Virupaksha Cave, sometime in 1903, Nayana came there with his family. At that time this Mahadeva was about four or five years of age. Nayana prostrated before me and then asked the little boy to do likewise.
He appeared not to have heard it and, with an air of indifference, kept quiet. Nayana too did not mind it. Then,all of a sudden, that boy prostrated before me in full length (Sashtanga namaskaram).
Like a young boy who has had his Thread Ceremony he placed his hands on his ears and then touched my feet.
I wondered how that little boy could have known the correct procedure of prostration and felt that it must have come from family traditions.”
“You know what I did one day? Seating Mahadeva on my back I began swimming in the tank opposite the Pachiamman Shrine from one end to the other.
When we were halfway through he began pressing me down, greatly elated, shouting ‘Aha, Hai!’ as cart drivers do to their bullocks.
Another devotee enquired if it were a fact that Bhagavan and Nayana used to swim in the Pandava Tank.
Bhagavan replied, “Yes. That also was only in those days.We used to try to excel each other in swimming. That was great fun.”
Another devotee said, “It seems you played marbles with children?”
Bhagavan replied, “Yes. That was so. That too was while we were in the Virupaksha Cave. The holes dug for the purpose of playing marbles must be there even now. Those
children sometimes used to bring packets of sweets.We all shared them.
During Dipavali they used to put aside my share of crackers and bring them up to me. We used to fire the crackers together. It was most entertaining.”
Source: Letters from Sri Ramanasramam VOLUMES I, II & Letters from and Recollections of Sri Ramanasramam By SURI NAGAMMA Translated by D. S. SASTRI
My Spiritual Friend Subramanian.R Garu wants to add few more points
After spending some early years in Tiruvannamalai,Mahadevan went for schooling perhaps,to an outside place.He came back,as a grown up lad after many years. He was sporting a long flowing hair ( a la Tyagaraja Bhagavatar).
Bhagavan Ramana called him and asked:"Are you not Nayana's son? You are not having a shika (tuft of hair) and instead are having this long hair! I am surprised."
Mahadevan became ashamed.Next morning he came with a nice tuft of hair, with tonsure on the frontal portion of the head and the hair nicely rolled up in the back of the head!
A few days ago, Mahadeva Sastri, son of Kavyakanta Ganapati Sastri, came here. Bhagavan introduced him to us all.
As he is now living in this place our talk turned on his father Sri Kavyakanta yesterday afternoon. Bhagavan began telling us:
“When I was living in Virupaksha Cave, sometime in 1903, Nayana came there with his family. At that time this Mahadeva was about four or five years of age. Nayana prostrated before me and then asked the little boy to do likewise.
He appeared not to have heard it and, with an air of indifference, kept quiet. Nayana too did not mind it. Then,all of a sudden, that boy prostrated before me in full length (Sashtanga namaskaram).
Like a young boy who has had his Thread Ceremony he placed his hands on his ears and then touched my feet.
I wondered how that little boy could have known the correct procedure of prostration and felt that it must have come from family traditions.”
“You know what I did one day? Seating Mahadeva on my back I began swimming in the tank opposite the Pachiamman Shrine from one end to the other.
When we were halfway through he began pressing me down, greatly elated, shouting ‘Aha, Hai!’ as cart drivers do to their bullocks.
Another devotee enquired if it were a fact that Bhagavan and Nayana used to swim in the Pandava Tank.
Bhagavan replied, “Yes. That also was only in those days.We used to try to excel each other in swimming. That was great fun.”
Another devotee said, “It seems you played marbles with children?”
Bhagavan replied, “Yes. That was so. That too was while we were in the Virupaksha Cave. The holes dug for the purpose of playing marbles must be there even now. Those
children sometimes used to bring packets of sweets.We all shared them.
During Dipavali they used to put aside my share of crackers and bring them up to me. We used to fire the crackers together. It was most entertaining.”
Source: Letters from Sri Ramanasramam VOLUMES I, II & Letters from and Recollections of Sri Ramanasramam By SURI NAGAMMA Translated by D. S. SASTRI
My Spiritual Friend Subramanian.R Garu wants to add few more points
After spending some early years in Tiruvannamalai,Mahadevan went for schooling perhaps,to an outside place.He came back,as a grown up lad after many years. He was sporting a long flowing hair ( a la Tyagaraja Bhagavatar).
Bhagavan Ramana called him and asked:"Are you not Nayana's son? You are not having a shika (tuft of hair) and instead are having this long hair! I am surprised."
Mahadevan became ashamed.Next morning he came with a nice tuft of hair, with tonsure on the frontal portion of the head and the hair nicely rolled up in the back of the head!
Sunday, 20 September 2009
Ramana Maharshi tells the reason for Sage Vasishta being called by that name?
19th May, 1948
Another person took up the conversation and asked, “It is said that Valmiki got his name because he got out of a valmika (anthill) and that Vyasa got his name because of his arranging (vyasa = arranger) the Vedas in their present form. What could be the reason for Vasishta being called by that name?”
Bhagavan: “Vasishta means a person who knows what is best (Visishta).”
Source: Letters from Sri Ramanasramam VOLUMES I, II & Letters from and Recollections of Sri Ramanasramam By SURI NAGAMMA Translated by D. S. SASTRI
Another person took up the conversation and asked, “It is said that Valmiki got his name because he got out of a valmika (anthill) and that Vyasa got his name because of his arranging (vyasa = arranger) the Vedas in their present form. What could be the reason for Vasishta being called by that name?”
Bhagavan: “Vasishta means a person who knows what is best (Visishta).”
Source: Letters from Sri Ramanasramam VOLUMES I, II & Letters from and Recollections of Sri Ramanasramam By SURI NAGAMMA Translated by D. S. SASTRI
Ramana Maharshi answers to How did the difference of karma come about in the very beginning?
29th April, 1948
This morning, at about 9 o’clock, a lawyer from Rayalaseema who came here yesterday, sat near Bhagavan’s couch and asked, “Swami, in the Gita, Lord Krishna first said that everything is embraced in the ‘doing’ only, and one’s self plays no role. Subsequently, He says that He Himself is the ‘doer’, the ‘doing’ and the ‘deed’ (karta, karma and karyam); though ‘doing’ (karma) is the most important of the three, it is ineffectual by itself (jadam). If this is so, then everything depends upon the ‘doer’, who is Ishwara. Why when He first created ‘doing’ (karma), did He create different karmas for different people? It is said that afterwards everyone is made to function according to his karma. How did this difference come about in the very beginning? How did it arise? Not only that, if everything is left to the ‘doing’ and to the ‘doer’ who is Ishwara, where does personal effort (purushakaram) come in? If there is no personal effort, why is it said that we ourselves must attain Realization? What does it mean?”
Bhagavan said,“Who is it that is asking? To whom has this doubt arisen? Why has it arisen? First think that over and find out.”
The devotee: “Swami, I am only enquiring why Lord Krishna said that.”
Bhagavan: “That is what I am referring to. What exactly did Lord Krishna tell Arjuna? He told him, the deed will get done according to the ‘doing’. I am the ‘doer’ watching the whole thing from above. Why do you worry? It is your body which does the killing of your relatives. Are you the body?
No! Why then this bondage for you? Renounce the idea, He said. This means that He asks Arjuna to do the thing but to give up the feeling that it is he that is doing it. That is personal effort.
The feeling that one is, or is not, the body, comes from one’s own ignorance. One only has to give up that feeling; that which one has, one must oneself reject. Who
else can do it? If by personal effort that bondage is removed,action, under the orders of the ‘doer’, Ishwara, goes on of its own accord.
Every one has his work allotted to him and he will do it automatically. Why should one worry? Arjuna, when he felt that it was not proper to kill his relatives, was only told to give up the feeling that he was the ‘doer’, yet it was Arjuna himself who ultimately fought.By listening to the Gita, he lost the feeling of being the ‘doer’ and the doubt he had had was no longer there.
The work had to be done with that particular body, and it was done. Even Duryodhana was like that. Not that he was not aware of the correctness or otherwise of what he was doing. He knew that what he was doing was not right, but some force was leading him on to that work. What could he do? That work had to be done in that way by that body, and it was done. He is reported to have said so at the time of his death. Hence it is clear that some Force is making all people to do things. Getting rid of the feeling that ‘I myself am doing’ is personal effort (purushakaram). All spiritual practices (sadhanas) are towards that end.”
Another devotee: “That is all right. For this karma there must be a beginning, but how it began, no one has mentioned.”
Bhagavan: “Yes, but it is the same thing. If you are asked ‘how did you get this?’ you say you have got it by ‘doing’ (karma). How were you born? By ‘doing’ (karma) that is all that could be said. If, however, you ask how was this karma born, you are told you should not ask such questions.
This is known as the Law of the seed and the tree (bija ankura nyayam). The tree is born of the seed; again from the tree a seed is born. Where is the origin of that seed? That is a question which you are told is not to be asked. What can we say to that? That is why I always ask people to find out first how they were born and where they were born.”
O Arjuna, the Lord dwells in the heart of all beings who are mounted upon the automation of this body, causing them by His illusive power to spin round according to their actions.
-- Gita XVIII: 61
Seek refuge in Him alone, with all your being, O Arjuna! Through His grace, you shall obtain supreme peace and the eternal abode.
-- Gita XVIII: 62
Source: Letters from Sri Ramanasramam VOLUMES I, II & Letters from and Recollections of Sri Ramanasramam By SURI NAGAMMA Translated by D. S. SASTRI
Readers Interested in the article can read below posts as well
http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2010/03/ramana-maharshi-answers-to-how-did-we.html
http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2010/03/ramana-maharshi-about-free-will-and.html
http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2010/02/ramana-maharshi-explains-regarding.html
http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2010/02/ramana-maharshi-about-sanyasam-and.html
http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2009/09/ramana-maharshi-says-ones-course-of.html
http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2009/10/ramana-maharshi-says-success-and.html
http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2010/02/ramana-maharshi-says-root-of-prakruti.html
http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2009/09/important-couplets-from-tripura-rahasya.html
http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2010/01/devikalottara-translated-by-t-k.html
http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2009/06/nan-yar-who-am-i-from-original-tamil.html
http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2010/03/few-important-points-from-ramana.html
http://plaintruthsfromprasad.blogspot.com/2009/06/illustration-of-i-mine-past-and-future.html
http://plaintruthsfromprasad.blogspot.com/2009/06/truth-about-action-change-event.html
This morning, at about 9 o’clock, a lawyer from Rayalaseema who came here yesterday, sat near Bhagavan’s couch and asked, “Swami, in the Gita, Lord Krishna first said that everything is embraced in the ‘doing’ only, and one’s self plays no role. Subsequently, He says that He Himself is the ‘doer’, the ‘doing’ and the ‘deed’ (karta, karma and karyam); though ‘doing’ (karma) is the most important of the three, it is ineffectual by itself (jadam). If this is so, then everything depends upon the ‘doer’, who is Ishwara. Why when He first created ‘doing’ (karma), did He create different karmas for different people? It is said that afterwards everyone is made to function according to his karma. How did this difference come about in the very beginning? How did it arise? Not only that, if everything is left to the ‘doing’ and to the ‘doer’ who is Ishwara, where does personal effort (purushakaram) come in? If there is no personal effort, why is it said that we ourselves must attain Realization? What does it mean?”
Bhagavan said,“Who is it that is asking? To whom has this doubt arisen? Why has it arisen? First think that over and find out.”
The devotee: “Swami, I am only enquiring why Lord Krishna said that.”
Bhagavan: “That is what I am referring to. What exactly did Lord Krishna tell Arjuna? He told him, the deed will get done according to the ‘doing’. I am the ‘doer’ watching the whole thing from above. Why do you worry? It is your body which does the killing of your relatives. Are you the body?
No! Why then this bondage for you? Renounce the idea, He said. This means that He asks Arjuna to do the thing but to give up the feeling that it is he that is doing it. That is personal effort.
The feeling that one is, or is not, the body, comes from one’s own ignorance. One only has to give up that feeling; that which one has, one must oneself reject. Who
else can do it? If by personal effort that bondage is removed,action, under the orders of the ‘doer’, Ishwara, goes on of its own accord.
Every one has his work allotted to him and he will do it automatically. Why should one worry? Arjuna, when he felt that it was not proper to kill his relatives, was only told to give up the feeling that he was the ‘doer’, yet it was Arjuna himself who ultimately fought.By listening to the Gita, he lost the feeling of being the ‘doer’ and the doubt he had had was no longer there.
The work had to be done with that particular body, and it was done. Even Duryodhana was like that. Not that he was not aware of the correctness or otherwise of what he was doing. He knew that what he was doing was not right, but some force was leading him on to that work. What could he do? That work had to be done in that way by that body, and it was done. He is reported to have said so at the time of his death. Hence it is clear that some Force is making all people to do things. Getting rid of the feeling that ‘I myself am doing’ is personal effort (purushakaram). All spiritual practices (sadhanas) are towards that end.”
Another devotee: “That is all right. For this karma there must be a beginning, but how it began, no one has mentioned.”
Bhagavan: “Yes, but it is the same thing. If you are asked ‘how did you get this?’ you say you have got it by ‘doing’ (karma). How were you born? By ‘doing’ (karma) that is all that could be said. If, however, you ask how was this karma born, you are told you should not ask such questions.
This is known as the Law of the seed and the tree (bija ankura nyayam). The tree is born of the seed; again from the tree a seed is born. Where is the origin of that seed? That is a question which you are told is not to be asked. What can we say to that? That is why I always ask people to find out first how they were born and where they were born.”
O Arjuna, the Lord dwells in the heart of all beings who are mounted upon the automation of this body, causing them by His illusive power to spin round according to their actions.
-- Gita XVIII: 61
Seek refuge in Him alone, with all your being, O Arjuna! Through His grace, you shall obtain supreme peace and the eternal abode.
-- Gita XVIII: 62
Source: Letters from Sri Ramanasramam VOLUMES I, II & Letters from and Recollections of Sri Ramanasramam By SURI NAGAMMA Translated by D. S. SASTRI
Readers Interested in the article can read below posts as well
http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2010/03/ramana-maharshi-answers-to-how-did-we.html
http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2010/03/ramana-maharshi-about-free-will-and.html
http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2010/02/ramana-maharshi-explains-regarding.html
http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2010/02/ramana-maharshi-about-sanyasam-and.html
http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2009/09/ramana-maharshi-says-ones-course-of.html
http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2009/10/ramana-maharshi-says-success-and.html
http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2010/02/ramana-maharshi-says-root-of-prakruti.html
http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2009/09/important-couplets-from-tripura-rahasya.html
http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2010/01/devikalottara-translated-by-t-k.html
http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2009/06/nan-yar-who-am-i-from-original-tamil.html
http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2010/03/few-important-points-from-ramana.html
http://plaintruthsfromprasad.blogspot.com/2009/06/illustration-of-i-mine-past-and-future.html
http://plaintruthsfromprasad.blogspot.com/2009/06/truth-about-action-change-event.html
Saturday, 19 September 2009
Ramana Maharshi Recollects His The First Bath And The First Shave After Coming To Tiruvannamalai
12th April, 1948
“After I came to this place, Tiruvannamalai, I had no bath for four months. One day, when I was in the compound of the Arunachala Temple, the wife of a devotee by name Ponnuswami, came unexpectedly, pulled me along, made me sit, cleaned my head with soap-nut powder and gave me a bath.
She had been coming to the temple every now and then; so I had thought that she had come as usual, but that day, she had come there prepared! That was my first bath.”
“Were you bathing regularly everyday afterwards?” I asked.
“No, there was no question of a bath; who was to make me bathe? Who was the one to bathe? After that, a year or so passed in the same way.
I had been in Gurumurtham for some time, you see, and as not many people came there
every day, no one bothered me.
Even so, a lady, by name Minakshi, who used now and then to bring food to give me,
one day brought a large pot and began to boil water.
I thought it was for some use for herself, but, taking from a basket some oil, soap-nut, etc., she said, ‘Swami, please come’.
I did not move. But would she keep quiet! She pulled me by the arm, made me sit, smeared the oil all over my body and bathed me.
The hair on the head which had got matted for want of care, was now spread out and hung down like the mane of a lion.
That was my second bath. After that,Palaniswami came and everything was adjusted into routine of daily baths.”
“No, that is so,” said Bhagavan, “it was never written then. Shaving was also like that. The shave I had on the day I came here has been recorded; the second was after a year and a half.
The hair had got matted and woven like a basket. Small stones and dust had settled down in it and the head used to feel heavy. I had also long nails, and a frightful appearance.
So people pressed me to have a shave, and I yielded. When my head was shaven clean, I began to wonder whether I had a head or not, it felt so light.
I shook my head this way and that to assure myself that it was there. That showed the
amount of burden I had been carrying on my head.”
Source: Letters from Sri Ramanasramam VOLUMES I, II & Letters from and Recollections of Sri Ramanasramam By SURI NAGAMMA Translated by D. S. SASTRI
Readers interested are requested to read below articles as well
http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2010/04/ramana-maharshi-recollects-heavy.html
http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2009/06/ramana-maharshi-recollects-about-his.html
“After I came to this place, Tiruvannamalai, I had no bath for four months. One day, when I was in the compound of the Arunachala Temple, the wife of a devotee by name Ponnuswami, came unexpectedly, pulled me along, made me sit, cleaned my head with soap-nut powder and gave me a bath.
She had been coming to the temple every now and then; so I had thought that she had come as usual, but that day, she had come there prepared! That was my first bath.”
“Were you bathing regularly everyday afterwards?” I asked.
“No, there was no question of a bath; who was to make me bathe? Who was the one to bathe? After that, a year or so passed in the same way.
I had been in Gurumurtham for some time, you see, and as not many people came there
every day, no one bothered me.
Even so, a lady, by name Minakshi, who used now and then to bring food to give me,
one day brought a large pot and began to boil water.
I thought it was for some use for herself, but, taking from a basket some oil, soap-nut, etc., she said, ‘Swami, please come’.
I did not move. But would she keep quiet! She pulled me by the arm, made me sit, smeared the oil all over my body and bathed me.
The hair on the head which had got matted for want of care, was now spread out and hung down like the mane of a lion.
That was my second bath. After that,Palaniswami came and everything was adjusted into routine of daily baths.”
“No, that is so,” said Bhagavan, “it was never written then. Shaving was also like that. The shave I had on the day I came here has been recorded; the second was after a year and a half.
The hair had got matted and woven like a basket. Small stones and dust had settled down in it and the head used to feel heavy. I had also long nails, and a frightful appearance.
So people pressed me to have a shave, and I yielded. When my head was shaven clean, I began to wonder whether I had a head or not, it felt so light.
I shook my head this way and that to assure myself that it was there. That showed the
amount of burden I had been carrying on my head.”
Source: Letters from Sri Ramanasramam VOLUMES I, II & Letters from and Recollections of Sri Ramanasramam By SURI NAGAMMA Translated by D. S. SASTRI
Readers interested are requested to read below articles as well
http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2010/04/ramana-maharshi-recollects-heavy.html
http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2009/06/ramana-maharshi-recollects-about-his.html
Ramana Maharshi tells What is the meaning of sashtanga namaskara
6th April, 1948
Bhagavan told the people near him: “Namaskara means prostration a number of times according to some. What can be done? The real meaning of namaskara is the dissolving of the mind.”
“What is the meaning of sashtanga namaskara, Bhagavan?” asked the devotee.
“It means that eight limbs of the body, namely, two hands, two legs, two arms, chest and forehead, touch the ground while saluting. The idea behind this type of obeisance is that the person doing it says, ‘the body which touches the earth, will resolve itself into that earth ultimately, and the “I” in me will continue to be “I” alone’.
That idea must be known to oneself by enquiry.
Without knowing it, there is no use in doing these. With meaningless namaskaras people want to secure all the benefits: ‘Swami must give them whatever they desire, be it a bag of clothes or money.’
Source: Letters from Sri Ramanasramam VOLUMES I, II & Letters from and Recollections of Sri Ramanasramam By SURI NAGAMMA Translated by D. S. SASTRI
Bhagavan told the people near him: “Namaskara means prostration a number of times according to some. What can be done? The real meaning of namaskara is the dissolving of the mind.”
“What is the meaning of sashtanga namaskara, Bhagavan?” asked the devotee.
“It means that eight limbs of the body, namely, two hands, two legs, two arms, chest and forehead, touch the ground while saluting. The idea behind this type of obeisance is that the person doing it says, ‘the body which touches the earth, will resolve itself into that earth ultimately, and the “I” in me will continue to be “I” alone’.
That idea must be known to oneself by enquiry.
Without knowing it, there is no use in doing these. With meaningless namaskaras people want to secure all the benefits: ‘Swami must give them whatever they desire, be it a bag of clothes or money.’
Source: Letters from Sri Ramanasramam VOLUMES I, II & Letters from and Recollections of Sri Ramanasramam By SURI NAGAMMA Translated by D. S. SASTRI
Friday, 18 September 2009
Navaratra according to Devi Bhagavatam translated by Swami Vijnanananda
In former days, Srî Râma Chandra suffered very much owing to his being deprived of his kingdom; and, then on account of his wife being stolen away. Subsequently he performed this Navarâtra vow in Kiskindhyâ, his heart being heavily laden with grief.
Though troubled very much, on account of the bereavement of Sîtâ,still Râma Chandra observed the Vow of Navarâtra and worshipped the Goddess according to the prescribed rules and rites.
As a fruit of this worship he was able to bridge the great ocean and kill the giant Kumbha Karna, Meghanâda, the Râvana’s son, and Râvana,the king of Lanka; and subsequently he was able to recover his Sîtâ.He installed Vibhîsana on the throne of Lanka and at last returned to Ayodhyâ and reigned there without any enemies.
Râma Chandra, of incomparable prowess, was able to obtain happiness in this world on account of the influence of this Navarâtra ceremony.
Narada said,"O Descendant of Raghu! I am now telling how that Râvana can be killed. Perform, in this very month of Âs’vin, the vow with devotion.
"Fasting for nine nights, the worship of the Bhagavatî, and repeating the Mantram silently and performing the Homa ceremony, observing all the rules, will certainly fulfill one’s all the desires."
Then the powerful Bhagavân Hari, hearing all from the Muni, believed them to be true; and, on the approach of the month of Âs’vin, prepared the altar on the top of a hill and placed the Auspicious Goddess, the World Mother and, observing all the rules, performed the vow and worshipped the Goddess.
Fasting for nine days, Râma celebrated the vow and duly offered sacrifices, performed the worship and Homa ceremonies.
When, on the grand night of the Eighth lunar day, the two brothers completed the vow as told by Nârada, the Supreme Bhagavatî was pleased with the worship and appeared before them, mounted on a lion, and remaining there on the mountain top, addressed Râma and Laksmana, in a sweet grave tone, like the rumbling of a rain cloud, thus :-- “Râma, I am satisfied with your worship; ask from me what you desire."
"You will kill Râvana; then you would worship Me, with great devotion,in the vernal season and then enjoy your kingdom according to your liking."
Thus saying, the Devî disappeared. Râma Chandra became very glad and,completing that most auspicious ceremony, performed the Vijayâ Pûjâ on the tenth day and gave lots of presents to Nârada and made him go towards the ocean.
Though troubled very much, on account of the bereavement of Sîtâ,still Râma Chandra observed the Vow of Navarâtra and worshipped the Goddess according to the prescribed rules and rites.
As a fruit of this worship he was able to bridge the great ocean and kill the giant Kumbha Karna, Meghanâda, the Râvana’s son, and Râvana,the king of Lanka; and subsequently he was able to recover his Sîtâ.He installed Vibhîsana on the throne of Lanka and at last returned to Ayodhyâ and reigned there without any enemies.
Râma Chandra, of incomparable prowess, was able to obtain happiness in this world on account of the influence of this Navarâtra ceremony.
Narada said,"O Descendant of Raghu! I am now telling how that Râvana can be killed. Perform, in this very month of Âs’vin, the vow with devotion.
"Fasting for nine nights, the worship of the Bhagavatî, and repeating the Mantram silently and performing the Homa ceremony, observing all the rules, will certainly fulfill one’s all the desires."
Then the powerful Bhagavân Hari, hearing all from the Muni, believed them to be true; and, on the approach of the month of Âs’vin, prepared the altar on the top of a hill and placed the Auspicious Goddess, the World Mother and, observing all the rules, performed the vow and worshipped the Goddess.
Fasting for nine days, Râma celebrated the vow and duly offered sacrifices, performed the worship and Homa ceremonies.
When, on the grand night of the Eighth lunar day, the two brothers completed the vow as told by Nârada, the Supreme Bhagavatî was pleased with the worship and appeared before them, mounted on a lion, and remaining there on the mountain top, addressed Râma and Laksmana, in a sweet grave tone, like the rumbling of a rain cloud, thus :-- “Râma, I am satisfied with your worship; ask from me what you desire."
"You will kill Râvana; then you would worship Me, with great devotion,in the vernal season and then enjoy your kingdom according to your liking."
Thus saying, the Devî disappeared. Râma Chandra became very glad and,completing that most auspicious ceremony, performed the Vijayâ Pûjâ on the tenth day and gave lots of presents to Nârada and made him go towards the ocean.
Ramana Maharshi's Knowledge Of Other Languages
29th October, 1947
This afternoon at 2-30, Bhagavan was reading a Malayalam book and was speaking to a devotee seated near him. The devotee was asking, “Did Bhagavan learn to read
Malayalam in his younger days?”
“No,” Bhagavan replied, “while I was staying in Gurumurtham, Palaniswami used to be with me. He had a copy of the Adhyatma Ramayanam and was often reading it aloud. Every Malayali who knows how to read, invariably reads that book.
“Hence, even though he did not know how to read well,he somehow managed to read it, albeit with many mistakes.
I was at the time observing silence, and so I used merely to listen. After we shifted to the palmyra grove, I took the book and found it to be in Malayalam script. Having already learnt that script, I easily learned to read and write.”
“When did you learn Telugu?” asked someone.
“When I was in the Virupaksha Cave,” said Bhagavan,
“Gambhiram Seshayya and others asked me to write some stanzas in Telugu and so I transcribed letter by letter from Sanskrit into Telugu script and practised them. Thus I slowly learnt Telugu in the year 1900.”
I asked him when he had learnt the Nagari script.“That must also have been about the same time,” said Bhagavan. “Muthurama Dikshitar and others used to come frequently, as they had books in Nagari script, I used to copy the letters and in that way got used to them.” Someone said, “We had heard that you learnt Telugu only after Nayana came to you.”
“No,” said Bhagavan, “I learnt it much earlier, but I got used to speaking it freely only after he came, that’s all.” “We had heard,” said another, “that you learnt Telugu in your boyhood days.”
“I did not know how to write or read Telugu at that time,” said Bhagavan. “My grandfather’s younger brother knew Telugu; he used to keep me by his side on the cot and teach me Telugu alphabet. That was all. I learnt Telugu only while writing the stanzas. Subsequently, when I wrote ‘Upadesa Saram’, Yogi Ramiah wanted it in Telugu, so I wrote it in couplets (dvipada), closely following the Tamil metre.
I then showed it to Nayana who said that it was not a correct Telugu couplet and he taught me the metres (ganas) of the Telugu verses.
I wrote them down in Tamil script and then made the required alterations. When I showed it to Nayana,he said it was correct and could be given to the printers.
Later,when Balarama Reddy got me a copy of the Sulakshana Saram,I learnt the metres of the other verses, copied them on two pages of paper and pasted them in our copy of the Telugu primer.
That has been sufficient for my purposes. Now, if anyone reads a verse, I can easily find out in what metre it is and what mistakes, if any, there are. I learnt one language after another in the same way. I did not purposely learn any language,” said Bhagavan.
Source: Letters from Sri Ramanasramam VOLUMES I, II & Letters from and Recollections of Sri Ramanasramam By SURI NAGAMMA Translated by D. S. SASTRI
This afternoon at 2-30, Bhagavan was reading a Malayalam book and was speaking to a devotee seated near him. The devotee was asking, “Did Bhagavan learn to read
Malayalam in his younger days?”
“No,” Bhagavan replied, “while I was staying in Gurumurtham, Palaniswami used to be with me. He had a copy of the Adhyatma Ramayanam and was often reading it aloud. Every Malayali who knows how to read, invariably reads that book.
“Hence, even though he did not know how to read well,he somehow managed to read it, albeit with many mistakes.
I was at the time observing silence, and so I used merely to listen. After we shifted to the palmyra grove, I took the book and found it to be in Malayalam script. Having already learnt that script, I easily learned to read and write.”
“When did you learn Telugu?” asked someone.
“When I was in the Virupaksha Cave,” said Bhagavan,
“Gambhiram Seshayya and others asked me to write some stanzas in Telugu and so I transcribed letter by letter from Sanskrit into Telugu script and practised them. Thus I slowly learnt Telugu in the year 1900.”
I asked him when he had learnt the Nagari script.“That must also have been about the same time,” said Bhagavan. “Muthurama Dikshitar and others used to come frequently, as they had books in Nagari script, I used to copy the letters and in that way got used to them.” Someone said, “We had heard that you learnt Telugu only after Nayana came to you.”
“No,” said Bhagavan, “I learnt it much earlier, but I got used to speaking it freely only after he came, that’s all.” “We had heard,” said another, “that you learnt Telugu in your boyhood days.”
“I did not know how to write or read Telugu at that time,” said Bhagavan. “My grandfather’s younger brother knew Telugu; he used to keep me by his side on the cot and teach me Telugu alphabet. That was all. I learnt Telugu only while writing the stanzas. Subsequently, when I wrote ‘Upadesa Saram’, Yogi Ramiah wanted it in Telugu, so I wrote it in couplets (dvipada), closely following the Tamil metre.
I then showed it to Nayana who said that it was not a correct Telugu couplet and he taught me the metres (ganas) of the Telugu verses.
I wrote them down in Tamil script and then made the required alterations. When I showed it to Nayana,he said it was correct and could be given to the printers.
Later,when Balarama Reddy got me a copy of the Sulakshana Saram,I learnt the metres of the other verses, copied them on two pages of paper and pasted them in our copy of the Telugu primer.
That has been sufficient for my purposes. Now, if anyone reads a verse, I can easily find out in what metre it is and what mistakes, if any, there are. I learnt one language after another in the same way. I did not purposely learn any language,” said Bhagavan.
Source: Letters from Sri Ramanasramam VOLUMES I, II & Letters from and Recollections of Sri Ramanasramam By SURI NAGAMMA Translated by D. S. SASTRI
Ramana Maharshi does not like to eat any food without sharing it with the people around him
18th October, 1947
Recently, owing to some maladjustment in diet,Bhagavan’s health has been somewhat indifferent. Noticing this, a rich devotee, by name Kamala Rani, sent a soup made
of costly vegetables and sweet grapes to the Ashram one morning, with a request that it might be served to Bhagavan.
As it was received just as Bhagavan was about to take his food, Bhagavan accepted it.
Next day, she again prepared it in the same way and sent it to the Ashram. But this time, looking at his attendants,Bhagavan said, “Why this daily? Please tell her not to send it henceforth.”
The lady, however, sent it the following day too.
“There!” said Bhagavan, “It has come again. She will not stop sending it. I should have said ‘No’ at the very beginning. It was my mistake to have accepted it.”
A devotee said, “At present, Bhagavan is much run down.She is perhaps sending it because a liquid preparation with grapes might be good for Bhagavan’s health.”
“Oho!” Bhagavan exclaimed, “Is that so? And have you authority to plead on her behalf?”
“That is not it, Bhagavan. I am saying so because I thought that such preparations might be good for the health.”
“May be so,” rejoined Bhagavan, “but such things are for rich people, not for us.”
“That devotee says that she herself will prepare it and send it,” persisted the devotee.
“That is all right,” replied Bhagavan, “and if so, please find out if she could supply the same thing for all the people who sit here.”
“Our anxiety is that Bhagavan’s body should be healthy.”
“That is all right,” Bhagavan rejoined, “but do you mean to say that health could be maintained only if soup prepared from grapes and costly vegetables is taken? If it were so, then rich people should all be enjoying good health. Why is it then that they are more unhealthy and sickly than the others? The satisfaction that poor people get by taking sour rice-gruel cannot be had from anything else. In olden days, when we were doing the cooking during summer, we used to have a pot into which we put all the cooked rice left over, fill it up with water, a little buttermilk,a little rice-gruel, dry ginger and lemon leaves, and set it aside. It would get sour, cool and clear.
The liquid used to be drunk with a pinch of salt by all of us by the tumblerful,and we used to feel very happy. No one had any illness whatsoever. Even now, if I were to drink two tumblerfuls of such water, all my ailments would disappear.
But then nobody prepares it for me. ‘Aye! Aye! How could we give sour milk gruel to Swami?’ they say. What is to be done? To prepare soup of this sort will cost a rupee. If, with that money, millet (ragi) were brought and ground into flour, it would last for about a month for preparing gruel from it Grape juice, tomato soup and the like are offered to me. Why do I require such things? Tell her not to send the soup from tomorrow.”
The thing stopped there. Bhagavan told us several times that while he was living on the hill he was eating bilva fruit (a sort of wood-apple) for some days and sustaining himself on it.
Bhagavan does not like to eat any food without sharing it with the people around him.
Source: Letters from Sri Ramanasramam VOLUMES I, II & Letters from and Recollections of Sri Ramanasramam By SURI NAGAMMA Translated by D. S. SASTRI
Readers interested are requested to read below articles as well regarding food
http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2010/01/bhagavan-ramana-maharshis-simplicity-in.html
http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2009/08/ramana-maharshi-suggets-to-have-any.html
http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2009/09/ramana-maharshi-supports-mixing.html
http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2009/09/ramana-maharshi-says-food-mixed-with.html
http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2009/08/ramana-maharshi-suggests-to-eat-without.html
http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2009/03/ramana-maharshi-suggests-eating-strict.html
http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2009/04/ramana-maharshi-about-regulating.html
http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2010/02/ramana-maharshi-answers-why-does-he.html
Recently, owing to some maladjustment in diet,Bhagavan’s health has been somewhat indifferent. Noticing this, a rich devotee, by name Kamala Rani, sent a soup made
of costly vegetables and sweet grapes to the Ashram one morning, with a request that it might be served to Bhagavan.
As it was received just as Bhagavan was about to take his food, Bhagavan accepted it.
Next day, she again prepared it in the same way and sent it to the Ashram. But this time, looking at his attendants,Bhagavan said, “Why this daily? Please tell her not to send it henceforth.”
The lady, however, sent it the following day too.
“There!” said Bhagavan, “It has come again. She will not stop sending it. I should have said ‘No’ at the very beginning. It was my mistake to have accepted it.”
A devotee said, “At present, Bhagavan is much run down.She is perhaps sending it because a liquid preparation with grapes might be good for Bhagavan’s health.”
“Oho!” Bhagavan exclaimed, “Is that so? And have you authority to plead on her behalf?”
“That is not it, Bhagavan. I am saying so because I thought that such preparations might be good for the health.”
“May be so,” rejoined Bhagavan, “but such things are for rich people, not for us.”
“That devotee says that she herself will prepare it and send it,” persisted the devotee.
“That is all right,” replied Bhagavan, “and if so, please find out if she could supply the same thing for all the people who sit here.”
“Our anxiety is that Bhagavan’s body should be healthy.”
“That is all right,” Bhagavan rejoined, “but do you mean to say that health could be maintained only if soup prepared from grapes and costly vegetables is taken? If it were so, then rich people should all be enjoying good health. Why is it then that they are more unhealthy and sickly than the others? The satisfaction that poor people get by taking sour rice-gruel cannot be had from anything else. In olden days, when we were doing the cooking during summer, we used to have a pot into which we put all the cooked rice left over, fill it up with water, a little buttermilk,a little rice-gruel, dry ginger and lemon leaves, and set it aside. It would get sour, cool and clear.
The liquid used to be drunk with a pinch of salt by all of us by the tumblerful,and we used to feel very happy. No one had any illness whatsoever. Even now, if I were to drink two tumblerfuls of such water, all my ailments would disappear.
But then nobody prepares it for me. ‘Aye! Aye! How could we give sour milk gruel to Swami?’ they say. What is to be done? To prepare soup of this sort will cost a rupee. If, with that money, millet (ragi) were brought and ground into flour, it would last for about a month for preparing gruel from it Grape juice, tomato soup and the like are offered to me. Why do I require such things? Tell her not to send the soup from tomorrow.”
The thing stopped there. Bhagavan told us several times that while he was living on the hill he was eating bilva fruit (a sort of wood-apple) for some days and sustaining himself on it.
Bhagavan does not like to eat any food without sharing it with the people around him.
Source: Letters from Sri Ramanasramam VOLUMES I, II & Letters from and Recollections of Sri Ramanasramam By SURI NAGAMMA Translated by D. S. SASTRI
Readers interested are requested to read below articles as well regarding food
http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2010/01/bhagavan-ramana-maharshis-simplicity-in.html
http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2009/08/ramana-maharshi-suggets-to-have-any.html
http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2009/09/ramana-maharshi-supports-mixing.html
http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2009/09/ramana-maharshi-says-food-mixed-with.html
http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2009/08/ramana-maharshi-suggests-to-eat-without.html
http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2009/03/ramana-maharshi-suggests-eating-strict.html
http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2009/04/ramana-maharshi-about-regulating.html
http://prashantaboutindia.blogspot.com/2010/02/ramana-maharshi-answers-why-does-he.html
Thursday, 17 September 2009
Ramana Maharshi Devotees consider Tirthas and prasadas out of uchishtam (food and water left as a remainder) of Bhagawan Ramana Maharshi plate
6th July, 1947
Long back, when there were not many people in the Ashram, one of the attendants of Bhagavan used to wait until Bhagavan had finished eating and then used to have
his food on Bhagavan’s leaf. Gradually Asramites and old devotees began asking for that leaf and getting it.
So long as rival claims for the leaf did not take a serious turn,Bhagavan did not take much notice of it. A plate also had to be placed before the leaf for washing his hands.
As soon as he went away after washing his hands, that water also used to be taken in like tirtha (holy water). In due course,these two practices of the Asramites went beyond the Ashram precincts and spread to Ramana Nagar also.
One day the mother of a wealthy devotee came there during lunch time and stood by the side of Bhagavan.
Seeing her, Bhagavan said, “Why don’t you sit down for meals?” She did not do so. Bhagavan understood the purpose but kept quiet as if he did not know anything.
On the other side, the granddaughter of another devotee,aged eight, stood with a tumbler in her hand.
Noticing her also, Bhagavan said, “Why are you also standing? Sit down and eat food.” “No,” she said. “Then why have you come? What is that tumbler for?” asked Bhagavan.
After all, she was an unsophisticated child, and so, not knowing it to be a secret, said, “Grandmother has sent me to fetch tirtham.” Bhagavan could not contain his anger any longer and so said, “I see. That is the thing.
This child is waiting for tirtham and that lady for the leaf; that is it, isn’t it?”
When he thus asked with a commanding tone, one of the people near him said, “Yes.” “I have been noticing this nonsense for some time now,” he said.
“They think that Swami sits in the hall with closed eyes and does not notice any of these things. I did not want to interfere in such matters all these days, but there does not seem to be any limit to them.
Tirthas and prasadas out of uchishtam (food and water left as a remainder) and people to take turns for them! Look! Henceforth, I will not wash my hands in the plate, not even anywhere about this place. I will not leave the leaf here and go. I myself will remove it and throw it away.
You understand? All of you join together and do these things. This is the only punishment.” So saying and repeating several other charges for a long time, Bhagavan folded his leaf after eating food and then got up with the used leaf in his hand.
However much people there begged of him, he did not give them the leaf, but went up the hill and, after turning a corner, threw it away and then washed his hands there. Eventually the Asramites prayed and assured him that they would stop those undesirable practices.
He said, “When everyone removes his used leaf and throws it away, why should I leave mine?” Until 1943, after meals, everyone used to remove their leaf and throw it away. That practice was changed only after this incident.
After all the Asramites swore that they themselves would remove all the leaves and throw them away along with Bhagavan’s leaf, he reluctantly began leaving his leaf there.
But even till today he has been washing his hands outside,near the steps leading into the hall. If anybody requested him to wash his hands in a plate, he would say, “Will you provide all these people with plates? If all the others do not have them,why do I require one?” What reply could we give him?
Source: Letters from Sri Ramanasramam VOLUMES I, II & Letters from and Recollections of Sri Ramanasramam By SURI NAGAMMA Translated by D. S. SASTRI
My spiritual friend Subramanian.R Garu wants to add few points
People who were eating on His left-over leaf, had some differentiation too! Whenever Mudaliar Patti's rice ball with ghee was served,they would not eat on that leaf, casteism! So normally this happened only after night meals. Tirtham business was of course happening on daytime too!
Once Muruganar wanted to take food on the left over leaf of Bhagavan Ramana. When Muruganar was about to sit on the leaf,someone said: It is not now. Mudaliar Patti's food has been served on this! He took away the leaf immediately. Muruganar was also terribly disappointed. He composed a verse immediately. It starts as Thacchariyatha Chaturmarai Paarpan..... and it appears in Sri Ramana Sannidhi Murai. The meaning runs somewhat as under:
Brahma, the Creator who mastered all the Vedas,
Does not know even how to give me a proper birth,
He had given me a useless Brahmin birth
If it had been a dog's birth, I would have gladly eaten
Bhagavan's Ucchishtam*, O what a pity of this birth!
This verse is titled Ucchishta Vaibhavam. Ucchishtam is called the left overs ( of a guru or husband or god.)
Source: http://www.arunachala-ramana.org/forum/index.php?topic=4967.msg13787#new
Long back, when there were not many people in the Ashram, one of the attendants of Bhagavan used to wait until Bhagavan had finished eating and then used to have
his food on Bhagavan’s leaf. Gradually Asramites and old devotees began asking for that leaf and getting it.
So long as rival claims for the leaf did not take a serious turn,Bhagavan did not take much notice of it. A plate also had to be placed before the leaf for washing his hands.
As soon as he went away after washing his hands, that water also used to be taken in like tirtha (holy water). In due course,these two practices of the Asramites went beyond the Ashram precincts and spread to Ramana Nagar also.
One day the mother of a wealthy devotee came there during lunch time and stood by the side of Bhagavan.
Seeing her, Bhagavan said, “Why don’t you sit down for meals?” She did not do so. Bhagavan understood the purpose but kept quiet as if he did not know anything.
On the other side, the granddaughter of another devotee,aged eight, stood with a tumbler in her hand.
Noticing her also, Bhagavan said, “Why are you also standing? Sit down and eat food.” “No,” she said. “Then why have you come? What is that tumbler for?” asked Bhagavan.
After all, she was an unsophisticated child, and so, not knowing it to be a secret, said, “Grandmother has sent me to fetch tirtham.” Bhagavan could not contain his anger any longer and so said, “I see. That is the thing.
This child is waiting for tirtham and that lady for the leaf; that is it, isn’t it?”
When he thus asked with a commanding tone, one of the people near him said, “Yes.” “I have been noticing this nonsense for some time now,” he said.
“They think that Swami sits in the hall with closed eyes and does not notice any of these things. I did not want to interfere in such matters all these days, but there does not seem to be any limit to them.
Tirthas and prasadas out of uchishtam (food and water left as a remainder) and people to take turns for them! Look! Henceforth, I will not wash my hands in the plate, not even anywhere about this place. I will not leave the leaf here and go. I myself will remove it and throw it away.
You understand? All of you join together and do these things. This is the only punishment.” So saying and repeating several other charges for a long time, Bhagavan folded his leaf after eating food and then got up with the used leaf in his hand.
However much people there begged of him, he did not give them the leaf, but went up the hill and, after turning a corner, threw it away and then washed his hands there. Eventually the Asramites prayed and assured him that they would stop those undesirable practices.
He said, “When everyone removes his used leaf and throws it away, why should I leave mine?” Until 1943, after meals, everyone used to remove their leaf and throw it away. That practice was changed only after this incident.
After all the Asramites swore that they themselves would remove all the leaves and throw them away along with Bhagavan’s leaf, he reluctantly began leaving his leaf there.
But even till today he has been washing his hands outside,near the steps leading into the hall. If anybody requested him to wash his hands in a plate, he would say, “Will you provide all these people with plates? If all the others do not have them,why do I require one?” What reply could we give him?
Source: Letters from Sri Ramanasramam VOLUMES I, II & Letters from and Recollections of Sri Ramanasramam By SURI NAGAMMA Translated by D. S. SASTRI
My spiritual friend Subramanian.R Garu wants to add few points
People who were eating on His left-over leaf, had some differentiation too! Whenever Mudaliar Patti's rice ball with ghee was served,they would not eat on that leaf, casteism! So normally this happened only after night meals. Tirtham business was of course happening on daytime too!
Once Muruganar wanted to take food on the left over leaf of Bhagavan Ramana. When Muruganar was about to sit on the leaf,someone said: It is not now. Mudaliar Patti's food has been served on this! He took away the leaf immediately. Muruganar was also terribly disappointed. He composed a verse immediately. It starts as Thacchariyatha Chaturmarai Paarpan..... and it appears in Sri Ramana Sannidhi Murai. The meaning runs somewhat as under:
Brahma, the Creator who mastered all the Vedas,
Does not know even how to give me a proper birth,
He had given me a useless Brahmin birth
If it had been a dog's birth, I would have gladly eaten
Bhagavan's Ucchishtam*, O what a pity of this birth!
This verse is titled Ucchishta Vaibhavam. Ucchishtam is called the left overs ( of a guru or husband or god.)
Source: http://www.arunachala-ramana.org/forum/index.php?topic=4967.msg13787#new
Ramana Maharshi recollects incident of devotee who did abhisekham to Bhagavan with coconut water
3rd July, 1947
A devotee, who has been coming to the Ashram off and on, yesterday, during conversation regarding Bhagavan’s stay on the hill, asked him, “While Bhagavan was on the hill, it seems some one did abhisekham to Bhagavan with coconut water. Is that a fact?” Laughingly Bhagavan said, “Yes, while I was in Virupaksha Cave, some ladies from the north came.
I was sitting on a platform under the tamarind tree with half-closed eyes, without particularly noticing their arrival. I thought they would go away after a while.
Suddenly there was a noise of breaking something. I therefore opened my eyes and saw coconut water trickling down my head.
One of those ladies had done that abhisekam. What was I to do? I was in mouna and couldn’t talk. I had no towel even to wipe the water off, and so the water dried on my body as it was.
Not only that. There used to be lighting of camphor, pouring of water on the head, thirthas (sacred waters), prasadas, and several such troublesome performances. It used to be quite a job stopping such things.”
I myself have seen similar instances some four or five years back. In the room where Bhagavan takes his bath, there is a hole through which the water that is used drains out.Below that, a gutter was constructed to drain off the water.
At the time of his bathing, some devotees used to gather at that place, sprinkle on their heads the water that came out of the room, wipe their eyes and even use it for achamaniyam (sipping drops of water for religious purposes).
That was going on quietly and unobserved for some time. But in due course people began bringing vessels and buckets to gather that water and soon there was a regular queue.
That naturally resulted in some noise which reached Bhagavan’s ears. He enquired and found out the facts. Addressing the attendants,he said, “Oh! Is that the matter? When I heard the noise I thought it was something else.
What nonsense! Will you get this stopped or shall I bathe at the tap outside? If that is done, you will be saved the trouble of heating water for me,and there will be no trouble for them either, to watch and wait for that tirtha. What do I want? Only two things, a towel and a koupinam.
I can bathe and then rinse them at the tap and that completes the job. If not the tap, you have the hill streams and the tanks. Why this bother? What do you say?”
When Bhagavan thus took them to task, they told everything to Sarvadhikari who thereupon put a ban on any one going to the side of the bath room during the bathing hour.
Another thing happened during those days. Bhagavan used to go to the hill in the hot sun after taking meals in the forenoon.
On his return, when he came to the platform near the hall, the attendants used to pour water on his feet from the kamandalu (wooden bowl) and he used to wash his feet
and then go in.
Some used to hide somewhere there and, as soon as he went into the hall, they used to collect that water and sprinkle it on their heads.
Once an enquiry starts, all faults come to light, don’t they? Bhagavan appears to have noticed that also. One afternoon he saw through the window an old and long standing devotee sprinkling this water on his head.
Seizing that opportunity, he began saying, “There it is! See that! As I have not been taking any special notice of it, it is going beyond all limits. However long they are here and however often they hear what I say, these ridiculous things do not stop.
What is it they are doing? I shall henceforth stop washing my feet, do you understand?” He thus reprimanded them severely. That devotee was stunned,and with shame and grief, went to Bhagavan immediately and begged to be excused.
Not only did Bhagavan admonish him like that, but from the next day onwards, Bhagavan refused to wash his feet there even though the attendants pleaded with him to retain the existing custom.
Source: Letters from Sri Ramanasramam VOLUMES I, II & Letters from and Recollections of Sri Ramanasramam By SURI NAGAMMA Translated by D. S. SASTRI
A devotee, who has been coming to the Ashram off and on, yesterday, during conversation regarding Bhagavan’s stay on the hill, asked him, “While Bhagavan was on the hill, it seems some one did abhisekham to Bhagavan with coconut water. Is that a fact?” Laughingly Bhagavan said, “Yes, while I was in Virupaksha Cave, some ladies from the north came.
I was sitting on a platform under the tamarind tree with half-closed eyes, without particularly noticing their arrival. I thought they would go away after a while.
Suddenly there was a noise of breaking something. I therefore opened my eyes and saw coconut water trickling down my head.
One of those ladies had done that abhisekam. What was I to do? I was in mouna and couldn’t talk. I had no towel even to wipe the water off, and so the water dried on my body as it was.
Not only that. There used to be lighting of camphor, pouring of water on the head, thirthas (sacred waters), prasadas, and several such troublesome performances. It used to be quite a job stopping such things.”
I myself have seen similar instances some four or five years back. In the room where Bhagavan takes his bath, there is a hole through which the water that is used drains out.Below that, a gutter was constructed to drain off the water.
At the time of his bathing, some devotees used to gather at that place, sprinkle on their heads the water that came out of the room, wipe their eyes and even use it for achamaniyam (sipping drops of water for religious purposes).
That was going on quietly and unobserved for some time. But in due course people began bringing vessels and buckets to gather that water and soon there was a regular queue.
That naturally resulted in some noise which reached Bhagavan’s ears. He enquired and found out the facts. Addressing the attendants,he said, “Oh! Is that the matter? When I heard the noise I thought it was something else.
What nonsense! Will you get this stopped or shall I bathe at the tap outside? If that is done, you will be saved the trouble of heating water for me,and there will be no trouble for them either, to watch and wait for that tirtha. What do I want? Only two things, a towel and a koupinam.
I can bathe and then rinse them at the tap and that completes the job. If not the tap, you have the hill streams and the tanks. Why this bother? What do you say?”
When Bhagavan thus took them to task, they told everything to Sarvadhikari who thereupon put a ban on any one going to the side of the bath room during the bathing hour.
Another thing happened during those days. Bhagavan used to go to the hill in the hot sun after taking meals in the forenoon.
On his return, when he came to the platform near the hall, the attendants used to pour water on his feet from the kamandalu (wooden bowl) and he used to wash his feet
and then go in.
Some used to hide somewhere there and, as soon as he went into the hall, they used to collect that water and sprinkle it on their heads.
Once an enquiry starts, all faults come to light, don’t they? Bhagavan appears to have noticed that also. One afternoon he saw through the window an old and long standing devotee sprinkling this water on his head.
Seizing that opportunity, he began saying, “There it is! See that! As I have not been taking any special notice of it, it is going beyond all limits. However long they are here and however often they hear what I say, these ridiculous things do not stop.
What is it they are doing? I shall henceforth stop washing my feet, do you understand?” He thus reprimanded them severely. That devotee was stunned,and with shame and grief, went to Bhagavan immediately and begged to be excused.
Not only did Bhagavan admonish him like that, but from the next day onwards, Bhagavan refused to wash his feet there even though the attendants pleaded with him to retain the existing custom.
Source: Letters from Sri Ramanasramam VOLUMES I, II & Letters from and Recollections of Sri Ramanasramam By SURI NAGAMMA Translated by D. S. SASTRI
Ramana Maharshi recollects only occasion on which he got into a cart after coming to Tiruvannamalai
27th June, 1947
“That was when I was still in Virupaksha Cave and about four or five years after I came to Tiruvannamalai. It is a funny story.
One day when Palaniswamy and myself went round the hill and came near the temple it was 8 p.m. As we were tired, I lay down in Subrahmanya temple. Palani went out to fetch food from the choultry.
He (the head of the mutt) was going into the temple. As usual there were a number of disciples around him. One of them saw me and told them about it. That was enough.
While returning, he came with ten of his disciples and stood around me. He began saying, ‘Get up, Swami. We shall go.’ I was in mouna then, so I showed by signs that I wouldn’t accompany them. Was he the man to listen to me?
‘Lift him up bodily, lift,’ he said to his disciples. As there was no alternative, I got up. When I came out, there was a bandy ready. ‘Get in, Swami,’ he said. I declined and showed them by signs that I would prefer to walk and suggested that he
should get into the bandy. He took no notice of my protestations.
Instead, he told his disciples, ‘What are you looking at? Lift Swami and put him in the cart.’ There were ten of them and I was alone. What could I do? They lifted
me bodily and put me into the cart. Without saying anything more, I went to the mutt.
He had a big leaf spread out for me, filled it with food of all kinds, showed great respect and began saying ‘Please stay here always.’ Palaniswami went to the temple, enquired about me and then came to the mutt.
After he came, I somehow managed to escape from there.That was the only occasion on which I got into a cart after coming to Tiruvannamalai. Subsequently whenever new people arrived they sent a cart, asking me to go over to their place.
If once I yielded, I was afraid there would be no end to that sort of invitation and so I sent back the cart, refusing to go. Eventually they stopped sending carts. But that was not the only trouble with them.
Source: Letters from Sri Ramanasramam VOLUMES I, II & Letters from and Recollections of Sri Ramanasramam By SURI NAGAMMA Translated by D. S. SASTRI
Here bhagavan says recalls the only occasion he has travelled in the cart.
But according to Arunachala's Ramana Volume VII Book page: 133 Line No 4 it states that ramana maharshi did travel in a cart when he shifted from Mangai Pillaiyar Shrine to Guru-Murtham.
Above information was given from account of Mula Mantapam Ramaswami a mayali from calicut recorded on 3-4-1930 by B.V Narasimhaswamy.
So that means it must be atleast 2 times ramana maharshi should have travelled in a cart.
“That was when I was still in Virupaksha Cave and about four or five years after I came to Tiruvannamalai. It is a funny story.
One day when Palaniswamy and myself went round the hill and came near the temple it was 8 p.m. As we were tired, I lay down in Subrahmanya temple. Palani went out to fetch food from the choultry.
He (the head of the mutt) was going into the temple. As usual there were a number of disciples around him. One of them saw me and told them about it. That was enough.
While returning, he came with ten of his disciples and stood around me. He began saying, ‘Get up, Swami. We shall go.’ I was in mouna then, so I showed by signs that I wouldn’t accompany them. Was he the man to listen to me?
‘Lift him up bodily, lift,’ he said to his disciples. As there was no alternative, I got up. When I came out, there was a bandy ready. ‘Get in, Swami,’ he said. I declined and showed them by signs that I would prefer to walk and suggested that he
should get into the bandy. He took no notice of my protestations.
Instead, he told his disciples, ‘What are you looking at? Lift Swami and put him in the cart.’ There were ten of them and I was alone. What could I do? They lifted
me bodily and put me into the cart. Without saying anything more, I went to the mutt.
He had a big leaf spread out for me, filled it with food of all kinds, showed great respect and began saying ‘Please stay here always.’ Palaniswami went to the temple, enquired about me and then came to the mutt.
After he came, I somehow managed to escape from there.That was the only occasion on which I got into a cart after coming to Tiruvannamalai. Subsequently whenever new people arrived they sent a cart, asking me to go over to their place.
If once I yielded, I was afraid there would be no end to that sort of invitation and so I sent back the cart, refusing to go. Eventually they stopped sending carts. But that was not the only trouble with them.
Source: Letters from Sri Ramanasramam VOLUMES I, II & Letters from and Recollections of Sri Ramanasramam By SURI NAGAMMA Translated by D. S. SASTRI
Here bhagavan says recalls the only occasion he has travelled in the cart.
But according to Arunachala's Ramana Volume VII Book page: 133 Line No 4 it states that ramana maharshi did travel in a cart when he shifted from Mangai Pillaiyar Shrine to Guru-Murtham.
Above information was given from account of Mula Mantapam Ramaswami a mayali from calicut recorded on 3-4-1930 by B.V Narasimhaswamy.
So that means it must be atleast 2 times ramana maharshi should have travelled in a cart.
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