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

1951-09-05

Chapter 5

Anandashram, September 5, 1951

40. Ganesh Pooja

After midday meal, Papa was resting. Mataji, standing near his cot, was fanning him. Motiben and S were massaging his body.

Mataji asked S: "Where is Natverlal?"

S: He must have gone to Anna's (T Bhavanishankar Rao's) house.

Sri Bhavanishankar Rao was an old devotee of the ashram. After retirement from Government service, he lived in his house near the ashram. His wife, Lakshmi Devi was Papa's sister. Both the husband and the wife were greatly devoted to Papa. God made them instruments to help Papa in the construction of this ashram. They were celebrating ‘Vinayaka Chaturthi’ that day and had invited, among many ashramites, Natverlal Shah also, for the feast at their house.

Mataji: Natverlal not seem to be well nowadays. What is the matter? Do you know?

S: There is nothing wrong with him as far as I know.

Papa (to Mataji): Ramdas asked Natverlal yesterday whether he would like to go away or stay on when we are away from the ashram on tour. He replied, ‘As you suggest’. He seems to be quite happy here. There is nothing to worry him. His mind is at peace.

In the evening Papa started to go out earlier than usual. He called S and told him: "Ramdas is going to Anna's house to see the image of Ganapati. Amma (Lakshmi Devi) has requested Ramdas to go there in the evening."

So Papa, Ramkishor, S and some children went together to Anna's house. Papa spent a few minutes there, entered the pooja-room and saw the image of Ganapati. Anna and all members of the family prostrated one by one before Papa. Lakshmi Devi offered various kinds of sweets to Papa and others who had accompanied him.

September 6, 1951

41. Setbacks in Sadhana

It was about 10 o'clock in the morning. Papa was sitting in the veranda of the building behind the bhajan-hall. Talking about sadhana, he said to S: "Without vairagya one cannot properly derive benefit from Ram Nam. Taken with intense vairagya and faith, the Guru-Mantra produces wonderful results. By constant repetition of Ram Nam and training the mind to dwell on God always and by being conscious of Him as the all-pervading Reality, as well as by satsang, the sadhaka can go beyond the dvandvas. Bhakti is a safe path, though setbacks are inevitable here also. If any disturbance is caused, the aspirant is apt to get upset, feeling that he has fallen. But such temporary setbacks can be remedied by going to his teacher and explaining everything. Learning the cause of the setback from his Guru, he returns and resumes his practice with greater zeal. At such times he should get away from the busy world and go into solitude to practise intense sadhana. Thus setbacks prove helpful to drive the mind inwards and to do sadhana with redoubled vigour."

It was noon. Papa was sitting on his cot and was about to take his midday rest. Mataji was sitting near the cot, making flower-garlands. Natverlal Shah and S were standing by their side.

Mataji (to Natverlal): Yesterday Papa said that you are a good man.

Natverlal kept quiet. Then Papa added: "By saying to his face that he is a good man, he is not spoiled. But there are certain people who, by such remarks, get so puffed up that they seem to burst."

All laughed.

Mataji was looking at Natverlal. She noticed that his dhoti was not well washed. She asked him: "Did you not use soap to wash your dhoti? Have you not got soap with you?"

Natverlal: I have soap, but I did not use it. When a sadhu came the other day and asked you for some money for constructing a Krishna Mandir, you asked him to make Krishna's Mandir first in his own heart before building it outside. So I must try to clean my inside first.

Then Papa remarked: "He wants to apply soap inside first. Is that right?"

Natverlal (smiling): Yes, Papa.

September 13, 1951

42. Ramdas Belongs to all Religions

About 9.30 a.m. a party consisting of Swami Krishnananda and other friends arrived from Trichur. The Swami was permitted by Papa to adopt sannyas early that year. After that, he went on a pilgrimage to Badrinath and, returning from the Himalayas, had been staying in a lonely place near Trichur.

In the afternoon, Swami Krishnananda with the Trichur friends came to the bhajan-hall and introduced his friends to Papa. One among them was a Christian named NP Verghese. The Swami told Papa that Verghese was a very pious soul who was regular in saying his prayers.

Papa (to Verghese): It is good you are regular in your prayers. You should continue the practice. Christ is a great saviour. His name is as great as Ram Nam. Christ should not be looked upon as a mere human being. He is the all pervading Reality. You should create and develop Christ-consciousness in you. You can repeat the name of Christ taking initiation from some Christian saint.

Swami Krishnananda: I have told this friend that Papa is also a Christian.

Papa: Yes, Ramdas is a Christian, a Mussalman and everything else. He belongs to all religions and all religions are his. He holds that Christ's name is as powerful as Rama's or Krishna's. Our friend should repeat the name of Christ with all faith and devotion. He should spend a few minutes daily in deep meditation. He must also read the New Testament. He will profit by that.

On behalf of Verghese, the Swami asked Papa if he had any objection to giving Verghese the Mantra of Christ. Papa said he had absolutely no objection.

43. Fast on a Call from Within

Swami Krishnananda: What is the spiritual value of fasting? I have read in your books that fasting is helpful to sadhakas.

Papa: Yes, fasting is good especially when you are mentally or physically disturbed. But it should not be made a matter of routine. You may fast only when you get a call from within to fast, otherwise not. If you fast as a mere routine, for example, on all Ekadasi days, it might be that you will be fasting when you had no real call and so should not, and you may not be fasting when you felt the call and so should. By forced fasting you will not gain much spiritually, as your mind may be inclined to dwell on foodstuffs.

Papa then started reading ‘the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna’. When the reading was over, Swami Krishnananda asked: "Why was Sri Ramakrishna so uneasy in the presence of evil-minded persons?"

Papa: He was always in a state of suddha sattwa. One who is in that state cannot bear the presence of evil-minded persons. Although Sri Ramakrishna had gone beyond the gunas, still he preferred to remain in sattwa. The ways of saints are mysterious!

44. Meditation must be Spontaneous

Swami Krishnananda: Papa read just now that Sri Ramakrishna asked one of his devotees if he was meditating too much and advised him not to strain himself. What is the meaning of 'meditating too much'? Can meditation ever be excessive?

Papa: Sri Ramakrishna might have noticed in the devotee weakness, depression, and so on and attributed them to overstrain in meditation. Too much of force put on the mind during meditation is not good. Meditation should be spontaneous. It should come without much exertion. If you have to exert much and feel fatigue in the process, it means you are not yet quite fit for that sadhana. When you are not ready, there is no use unduly forcing the mind. The result will be extreme weakness, depression and dullness. When you come out of your meditation, your face should be bright and you should feel blissful. Meditation must make you more and more cheerful. During meditation you are communing with God – the embodiment of Bliss. And how can its after-effect be anything other than pure bliss and joy?

Another friend asked Papa if he should repeat Ram Nam during meditation.

Papa: Better repeat the Mantra when you begin. Repetition will help you to still the mind. When the mind is perfectly still, repetition automatically stops.

Papa continued: "When you repeat Ram Nam you should bring to your mind the attributes of God. You should also cultivate love for Ram Nam. The moment you hear the Name, it should cause in you spiritual joy. That comes only after continuous repetition of the Name for a long time. If somebody chants Ram Nam even at a distance, your mind will be drawn there immediately. The devotee's love for Ram Nam should be like the miser's love for money. The miser may be busy with many things. If a coin falls on the ground, even at a distance, he will be instantly attracted by the sound, though some persons very near may not hear it at all. That is so because his mind is so much centred on money. Our mind too should be similarly consumed with love for God's name."

September 14, 1951

8 a.m. Swami Krishnananda and the Trichur friends were sitting in front of Papa in the bhajan-hall. Papa gave some of them the sacred Mantra. Verghese requested Papa for the Mantra of Jesus Christ. Papa gave him the Mantra and told him: "Repeat this Mantra constantly. Enshrine Christ in your heart which will then be gradually purified and you will have the Darshan of Christ. Remember God is Love. Live a life of Love. Then you will live in God and God will live in you."

Verghese prostrated, his eyes moist with tears.

Swami Krishnananda: Papa said yesterday that meditation should not be tiresome and depressing. When one feels extreme viraha in meditation, the agony of not having attained God, how can one avoid feeling depressed?

Papa: Do you mean to say that when one sits for meditation, one struggles to fix one's mind on God, but fails and therefore feels depressed. Is it so?

Swami Krishnananda: Yes.

Papa: Then you refer only to the sadhaka's struggle to fix his mind firmly on the Ishta. He has not yet reached the stage of true meditation, which really means communing with God. There is no question of struggle there.

45. Concentrate in Heart Centre or above

A friend asked: "On which part of the body are we to concentrate on God in our meditation?"

Papa: God is everywhere, but generally we concentrate in the heart, or the centre between the eyebrows. Those who meditate on the forms of God concentrate in the heart and those who meditate on light concentrate in the centre between the eyebrows. Some concentrate on the sound of the name of God i.e., the Sabda Brahman. When the divine forms and lights are transcended, the body-idea completely disappears and the kundalini rises to the Sahasrara, brining about the union of the individual soul with the Cosmic Soul. This is the state of nirvikalpa samadhi. There are the oordhvagati and adhogati – the upward and downward movements – of the kundalini. The mind should not be fixed in centres below the heart-centre. Else, it will be attracted to sense-pleasures. So, it should always dwell either in the heart or in the forehead-centre.

Talking about physical pain and suffering, Papa said: "You should feel you are the immortal Spirit and not this perishable body. If any pain is caused to the body, remember it is only for the body. You, as the supreme Spirit, are not really affected by it. Of course, during states of spiritual ecstasy, physical pain and suffering are not at all felt. The mind is then completely absorbed in God-consciousness."

Asked to give some advice to householder devotees, Papa said: "Remember that forgetfulness of God is sin and remembrance of God is virtue. Try to think of God constantly. Surrender to His will. If you strive to reach the goal by your own effort, you will have any number of falls. But if you allow God to take care of you, you are safe in His hands. Make God your guide and protector, and your Sarathi – the driver of your chariot. Then you are quite safe. See how Arjuna managed to win the battle against heavy odds by having Sri Krishna for his Sarathi. So long as your 'l' – ego-sense – is persisting, God is far away from you. You should do sadhana to overcome the ego. Then alone God can take possession of you."

A friend asked: "May we concentrate on the mooladhara (base of the spinal column) to awaken the kundalini?"

Papa: Some do concentrate there, the hatha-yogis especially. But by concentrating in the heart-centre, or further up in the centre between the eyebrows, you can as well draw up the kundalini from the mooladhara by divine grace. For drawing water from a well, a pump working on the upper ground level is used. It draws up the water from the bottom by its force. You do not have to go to the bottom of the well and push the water upwards. So also in yoga.

In the evening Swami Krishnananda and party left for Trichur.