← The Gospel of Swami RamdasHis talks, as recorded by Swami Satchidananda

1951-08-06

Chapter 1

Anandashram, August 6, 1951

1. Love Human and Divine

It was about 9.30 a.m. Papa was in the bhajan-hall along with S and Iqbal Nath Bakshi. S brought in a bottle of medicated oil for massaging Papa's knee-joints which had developed rheumatic pain. Papa sat on a low bench. Iqbal Nath and S started massaging.

Tarabai's children, Umesh and Uma, came to the hall. Uma was four and Umesh two years old. Papa asked Umesh about his mother who was suffering from typhoid. Umesh prattled something in his peculiar language which Papa took to mean that his mother was sleeping. Uma was looking after her younger brother with great care as a grandmother would. Noticing Uma's love for Umesh, S remarked, "How loving the children are now! But as they grow up, they begin to lose their love and when they have their own separate families to look after, they may fail even to keep up their relationship as brother and sister."

Papa: Human love is like that. The object of such love goes on changing. Human love belongs to an ordinary plane. The truth is that everybody stands severely alone in this world. We come alone and we go alone. Viewed from the plane of the highest Reality, this human love, nay, even universal love, belongs to a much lower plane. We have to rise above all these which pertain to the plane of the mind.

Papa then referred to a poem he had written many years ago. S got up and brought the book of poems and handed it over to Papa, who then read out the poem:

In the infinite silence of the soul everything is naught; It is beyond the utmost depths of the mind; It is eternal rest, repose and peace. The loftiest, the sweetest love stands Aghast before that august Presence; Even it has no entry in that mysterious realm What then is mind? – what then is love? Mind is movement in darkness, Love is movement in light. But the great Truth is beyond both – It transcends thought, name, form, movement, Change, time, space, causation. One sole Reality – one sole Existence, One supreme, colourless, attributeless, unthinkable Truth.

Continuing, Papa said, "This poem is about the highest experience before which even the loftiest love stands aghast. Very few people can understand the meaning of this poem unless it is explained to them. They may even then understand it only to the extent they have experienced."

2. Transcend Himsa and Ahimsa

It was 12 noon. Papa was about to retire for his midday rest. In the hall were Motiben, Natverlal Shah and S. Papa soon after went to bed. Motiben and S started massaging gently his body while Natverlal was fanning him.

Papa: Last night the rats were doing a lot of mischief. They were running about on the ceiling, making much noise; they also came down and started biting Mataji's and Ramkishor's feet. We must get a rat-trap to catch these rats.

After a pause, Papa continued, "What shall we do after catching the rats? We may not kill them. If we take them to some distant place and leave them there, we will be causing trouble to the people close by. If we do not catch them at all, how are we to live here? In course of time, we may have to leave the ashram in charge of the rats and go away to Benares or some other place.

S: Then what is the solution?

Papa: What is the solution? Find out.

All kept silent. After a few minutes, Papa said, "If we have to carry on in this world, we have to deal with many such problems. Running away from them, saying that this is sin and that is sin, is not correct. Absolute ahimsa is not practicable in this worldly life. The solution lies in going beyond the pairs of opposites and getting rid of the sense of doership and non-doership. We should realise that God is everything. The rat is God; and the people, whom the rats trouble after we leave them at a distance, are also God. Thus everything is God. Then who is to be affected by what?

After the evening bhajan a number of devotees were sitting in front of Papa. Gopal was making Papa's bed. By the evening post, Papa, had received a copy of ‘Gita Meditations’ by Sri TL Vaswani. Papa was having the book in his hand. Addressing those in front of him, he said, "It is wrong to say that the ‘Gita’ teaches absolute ahimsa or non-violence. The Gita, in fact, permits war and violence. Sri Krishna asked Arjuna to kill all his opponents, even though they happened to be his close relations, friends, teachers and so on. The Gita teaches us to do all actions in the world, whether violent or non-violent, with absolute detachment. That is the teaching. The stress is on detachment. The work should be done in a spirit of dedication to God. Work will never bind the knower of Reality who is completely detached in his actions."

Papa continued: "Absolute ahimsa is not possible when we are engaged in activities in the world. For a spiritual aspirant, non-violence, as a sadhana, is all right. For realising God, one has to develop suddha sattwa. This is possible only by the practice of total ahimsa, among many other disciplines. But in the last stage, the sadhaka has to beyond that too before he reaches his ultimate goal."

August 8, 1951

3. Faith in Blessings

It was about 7 a.m. Papa, who was in the bhajan-hall, sent for S. S found Papa waiting for him with a letter in hand. Papa told S: "We have to send a Telegraphic Money Order for five rupees to a devotee. She wants Ramdas to send this money for inclusion in her son's Medical College fees (first fee) so that he may successfully get through the college course. She has also sent a rupee note which she wants Ramdas to touch and return to her. She will use this rupee for the purchase of her son's books."

Saying these words Papa laughed and continued: "Hers is no ordinary faith. She wants to get everything done by blessings alone. The only thing she could not do was to bring back her departed husband's life. About that too, she now regrets she did not wire to Ramdas for blessings when her husband's illness was serious. Even now she feels for what she considers to be her mistake. Faith carries her smoothly through all crises in life."

S then left for the office to arrange for the TMO to be sent.

After correspondence was over, Iqbal Nath and S were giving massage to Papa's knee-joints with oil. Papa then took out a letter from his pocket and read it out. It was from a devotee in Bombay asking for blessings for one or two things. After reading the letter he observed: "People ask for blessings from the time the child is in its mother's womb for its save delivery; then for his birthday, upanayanam, promotion in school, marriage, recovery from diseases, appointment and so on. Then in due course, blessings are similarly wanted for the son's child. And even after his death, the son asks for blessings so that his father's soul may rest in peace. You can imagine how many blessings they ask for!"

4. Self-adulation, a vice

In that letter there was also a reference to a particular sadhaka. Iqbal Nath wanted to know when the sadhaka first came in touch with the ashram. Papa said, "Oh, he has been known to Ramdas for many years. When he came here for the first time he was a first class dandy, putting on fine dress, hair oiled and combed, and a tilak on his forehead. In this dress he used to sit for bhajan. Once he told Ramdas that he was a spiritual aspirant. Then Ramdas replied: ‘Nothing doing! How can a sadhaka lead such a fashionable life, spending two or three hours daily on his toilet!’ After this he got the hair on his head closely cut and made his dress also much simpler. He is a great lover of saints and he is after satsang. Ramdas feels he has been leading a pure life. He has no vices except self-adulation. Of course, self-adulation is one of the worst vices."

Vaidyanathan, a visitor from Jaffna, who had been staying for some days in the ashram and was returning to his place, came to the bhajan-hall to take his leave of Papa. After prostrating before Papa, he asked, "Papa, please bless me."

Papa replied: "You need not specially ask for blessings. When you go to a saint, his blessings are with you. Write to us some time after reaching your place."

After the evening bhajan, at 8.15 p.m., Dr R Kuppuswami, in charge of the Anandashram Free Hospital, came and reported to Papa that a sadhu who was being treated for rheumatism had moved from the room allotted to him to the common dharmashala.

Papa told the doctor: "Ramdas knew it. Who is there now to look after him? He has been fighting with Mohideen who was attending on him. He even went to the length of beating the latter. These sadhus are still very orthodox. They cannot mix freely with harijans, muslims and others. We have nobody else but Mohideen to attend on this sadhu. Let Mataji decide the matter."

5. Milk, the best Diet

It was 9.30 p.m. S took a glass of salt water to Papa for gargling. Papa took the glass and said laughing: "Oh, Ramdas did not remember this salt-water business. He remembered only sugar candy."

S: Yes, Papa, I shall bring sugar candy after the salt-water gargle.

Papa: That is very consoling.

Motiben: Nobody can get on without salt. We want salt to be added to every vegetable preparation.

Papa: That is our own making. In fact, there is a certain percentage of salt in every vegetable. But we want to add more salt that we may have better taste and eat more. For a sadhaka, saltless diet is very good. Of course, milk diet is the best. When one is on milk diet his mind is very bright – as bright as burnished gold; but he should also repeat Ram Nam and do meditation. Now Ramdas must go to bed.

August 9, 1951

6. No Ill Will

8.30 a.m. After attending to the day's correspondence, Papa was pacing up and down the bhajan-hall. He told S, who was by his side: "The headmaster of Sri Krishna Vidyalaya has asked Ramdas for a strictly private interview this evening in the Vidyalaya hall upstairs. He expressed to Ramdas yesterday that he felt his going away, incurring the displeasure of Ramdas, was not good for him. Ramdas has absolutely no ill will towards any body. He will make this clear to the headmaster."

Next, Papa and S went to see the hospital ward building which had just been completed. While returning, Dr Kuppuswami said that Mataji was unwell, feeling giddy. Then Papa, S and the doctor went straight to the room in the building behind the bhajan-hall, where Mataji was lying down with a wet kerchief on her forehead. Papa asked her what the matter was. She replied she felt slight giddiness and would be all right soon.

Papa: The trouble is that you are not taking any rest at all. All through the day you are engaged in work and nowadays you have given up even your one-hour rest in the afternoon. That is why you are not keeping well.

Mataji (smiling): I am not doing any work.

Papa: Then, why can't you rest and sleep a short while in the afternoon? Now at least you should take complete rest.

7. Unkempt in sadhana Days

From there Papa went to the bhajan-hall. S and Iqbal Nath began to massage Papa's knees with oil, while the talk went on about Iqbal Nath's admission to the Engineering College in Bangalore.

Papa said: “Ramdas wrote to KCR only to remind about your talk with him, lest he should forget it amidst his many worries. Everybody has worries. Do not think that big people have no worries. They have big worries. Why, even sannyasins have worries. They may have only trifling worries, but having nothing else to think of, they magnify them."

At ten o'clock Papa again went to Mataji's room and asked her not to disturb herself for the sake of his bath, which she usually attended to. He said, "Kindly give Ramdas freedom today. Ramdas will manage it himself. He does not like anyone else to help him in his bath." Addressing S he continued: "Mataji started giving bath to Ramdas when he was ill for a long time, and she continues it as she finds joy in it."

Mataji: Papa was not allowing anyone even to touch his body while bathing. When he had rheumatism and was unable to freely raise his hands to reach his back, I began to help him. If he is allowed to take bath unaided, he may not bathe his back and body properly.

Papa: In those days Ramdas had to allow Mataji to give him bath, but he is not going to allow anyone else to do so.

Papa went for his bath alone and then went for bhajan after a few words with Mataji. Mataji told S: "Papa took fifteen minutes for his bath today. He said he took his bath properly because he remembered me. See how careless he is about his body! During his sadhana days, he even had lice on his head and body. He never cared to shave or wash properly, except when forced by friends."

8. Tapasavins alone have Creative Genius

After Papa's lunch, before his afternoon rest, Motiben, Natverlal Shah and S were with him. He read a few pages from the book ‘Lava and Kusa’ in Hindi. When the clock struck twelve, he closed the book and said: "How nicely sage Valmiki has narrated the story! What wonderful brains these great rishis had! Whether we accept their works as historical or not, we have to appreciate their genius which gave us great works like the ‘Ramayana’ and the ‘Mahabharata’. Tapasvins alone have such creative genius and capacity. What they produced have been a source of inspiration for ages past and will continue to be so for ages to come. The works of mere intellectuals, however great, last for a short time and then become stale. These rishis were spiritually inspired poets. They composed their works in a state of spiritual ecstasy. The intellectuals, without any spiritual experience, cannot find enjoyment in their work as much as the rishis do, who are ever in tune with the Eternal, and create great works which express their inner ecstasy and experience."

9. Inaction in Action

For an hour in the afternoon, Papa read a few pages from the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna. Closing the book, Papa observed: "Sri Ramakrishna never liked anyone criticising another, as in doing so there is the danger of straying away from Truth."

S reported that Mataji's giddiness continued and that she had not had any food.

Papa: Ramdas has been repeatedly asking her to take sufficient rest daily. But she finds no time for rest. When further pressed, she would say, ‘I am not doing anything at all. Work is all done by others.’ Though she is working long hours, she says she never does anything! That is real inaction in action. She acts and at the same time feels she acts not. Siddhas say that they never work, though they are seen engaged in ceaseless activity. Bhagavan Vyasa drank a potful of curds and standing on the bank of the Jamuna, said, 'If I am a nitya-upavasi – one who is ever fasting – may the river Jamuna make way for me. Instantly, the waters parted and a clear passage was seen across the river. Such is the secret of inaction in action. When you are established in the Cosmic Consciousness, in the Atman, you are not affected by your activities in the sphere of prakriti.’

10. The Marks of a Jivanmukta

After the night bhajan, when devotees were sitting in front of Papa, S reminded him of the question raised in the afternoon on the signs of a jivanmukta.

Papa: Yes, this is a point worthy of consideration. How can you make out if one is a jivanmukta or not? He may be engaged in worldly activities as any other man, eating like any other man and doing many things as ordinary people. Take for example the case of Ramdas himself. How can any of you say he is a self- realised soul?

All remained silent for a while.

S: I feel it can be done only by intuition. One might be able to find a lot of difference between Papa and an ordinary man by long and close observation also.

Papa asked Natverlal Shah: “What do you say?”

Natverlal: S has moved with Papa for a longer time. He might have observed something special.

Papa: You have also been with Ramdas for a long time. What have you observed?

Natverlal kept quiet, when S remarked: "The wise man keeps quiet."

Then Papa himself came out with the answer: "It is not possible to say one is a jivanmukta or not from his external appearance and actions. The qualities of a jivanmukta, as described in the scriptures are – he is conscious of his immortality; he has conquered fear; his senses are under control; he is ever in tune with the Infinite; he has Sama-drishti – equal vision; he is ever immersed in bliss.

"As these signs refer only to the internal state, how is it possible to know a jivanmukta from merely external signs? It is not possible. But by the inner joy and peace one gets in the presence of a jivanmukta, one feels intuitively that he is such a saint. One does not get inner joy when one is in the presence of worldly people or moves with them. The only reliable sign of a jivanmukta – that too seen only in rare cases – is that he has a certain extraordinary personal charm, which draws people to him in thousands. When people flock to a person in thousands and also go to him often, we can be sure that God has manifested in him in a special degree more than in others. Of course, there are many jivanmuktas who are not at all known to people. They do not wish to be known and so remain obscure."

S here mentioned how Janakinath Bakhshi, the Kashmir friend, became Papa's devotee the instant he met Papa.

Papa: Then Ramdas had put on ochre robes.

S: But there were so many with ochre robes on. Why did he pick out only Papa?

Papa then narrated how he came into contact with Janakinath Bakhshi, and his trip to Amarnath.

August 10, 1951

11. Strictness in sadhana

It was about 9.30 a.m. Papa had just returned to the bhajan-hall after spending a few minutes with Mataji in the room where she way lying down, still unwell. S brought the bottle of oil and asked Papa to sit on the low stool so that Iqbal Nath and he might massage his legs. Considering that massage was no longer absolutely necessary, as he was almost free from the rheumatic pain, and not liking much the idea of sitting quiet while the legs were massaged, Papa asked S: "This massage business has become a routine. Is it not time to stop this?"

S: This being the rainy season, it would be better if the massage is continued as a precautionary measure.

Papa then reluctantly agreed.

While massaging, S started talking about sadhana. In reply to one of his questions Papa said: "When a sadhaka advances on the spiritual path, and his mind gets purified, sattwa guna becomes predominant in him. Then he sees visions of light and forms. Even when he closes his eyes, he will be seeing sparks of light, light like that to the moon, and so on. These signs indicate that he is sattwa guna. But he does not stay long in that state. He has to be very, very careful at this time as a fall back to rajas and tamas is easy. Slackness in sadhana, bad company or impure food may cause the fall. After reaching the state, in which sattwa guna is dominant, he must go beyond the gunas. If he is intense, persevering and sincere in his sadhana, he will definitely rise to the higher stage. Strict self-discipline is absolutely necessary. Ramdas was very particular about his food and sleep when he was passing through such a stage. He wanted to control sleep and for that he had to control food. He was for a long time living only on boiled potatoes and milk. Even milk he gave up later. The stomach used to burn with hunger as also the whole body. His sister, Lakshmi Devi, one day brought some sweets she had made and requested Ramdas to take them. Ramdas firmly refused saying, ‘No, Ramdas won't give in till his goal is attained.’ Once he even refused to take the bread offered by Gurudev. So strict was his discipline. When he made a vow, nobody could make him break it until he got a command from within to do so.”

In the afternoon, Papa read as usual from the ‘Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna’ to a few ashramites. At the close of the reading, Dr Kuppuswami came and requested Papa to go over to his house for coffee, as it was the day of Varalakshmi pooja. The doctor invited others also who were sitting in the bhajan-hall. The doctor's wife was full of love and devotion. As soon as Papa entered the house, she prostrated at Papa's feet and took him to the pooja-room which was nicely decorated with flowers and green leaves. Papa felt happy to see how the Universal Mother was worshipped. He came out and sat on a chair in another room. Seeing the house clean and tidy, Papa observed: "The arrangement and neatness in the house show that there are no children here. That is why everything is in its right place." The doctor and his wife had not so far had a child. Papa was given a cup of coffee after drinking which he watched others taking prasad consisting of various sweets.

12. Corruption even in Ashrams

It was evening and Papa went on his usual rounds. S was with him. After visiting the Vidyalaya and Udyog Shala, Papa was going towards the new hospital building. On the way he observed; "Corruption has become nowadays so common that it threatens to enter even our institutions."

S was surprised to hear these remarks.

Papa continued: "Mataji often says that it was a mistake to have started these institutions. Of course, we started these placing lofty ideals before ourselves, but unfortunately some of the workers do not co-operate, or even care to understand the ideals."

The evening post brought a photograph of Mother Anasuya Devi of Jharia. Papa and Mataji had visited her house in Jharia during their tour that year. The picture of the pious mother, taken when she was in a state of ecstatic trance, brought back to Papa all the memories of the visit, the loving welcome she gave him and Mataji and her devout, loving, and childlike nature. After the bhajan was over, he showed the picture with great joy to all those present in the hall, talking to them about his visit to her house.

It was nearing ten o'clock and Papa was about to retire when Mataji came up to the bhajan-hall. She was feeling slightly better and looked it. She sat near Papa's cot. He talked with her for a few minutes about his visit to Dr Kuppuswami's house and the pooja arrangements there.