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

1953-09-22

Chapter 21

Anandashram, September 22, 1953

176. Make no Plans. Surrender to God.

Harvesting started in the morning. Papa and Mataji together went to the SKV fields. Mataji requested Papa to harvest the first sheaf. Papa took the sickle and cut a few ears of paddy and handed them over to Keshav, who in turn gave them to Mataji to bless.

4.30 p.m. Papa was closing the doors from outside his room and locking them. Coming out, he saw S and said, "Ramdas is going out."

S: Where to, Papa?

Papa: He must go and see Ramachandra Rao.

S: Not going to the fields?

Papa: He would like to, but not now.

Coming out from the ashram, he saw David Haggot coming towards the ashram.

Haggot: Are you going out?

Papa: Only to see this friend here. Where had you been?

Haggot: May I also come? I must show him how I wear my dhoti.

Papa: By all means.

Just then Mataji came from the kitchen.

Papa (to Mataji): Where are you going?

Mataji: To the fields.

Haggot: I had been to the fields. I wanted to join those harvesting the crops. But they were all women. So I did not think it proper to join them.

Mataji went to the fields, and Papa, Haggot and S to Ramachandra Rao's room. Narottamdas also joined the party.

Papa entered the room and sat on a chair, when Ramachandra Rao prostrated before him. Papa asked him, "Did you notice our friend?'

Now Haggot joined his hands to pay his respects to Ramachandra Rao, saying, "I have been wearing this dhoti only to show you."

Ramachandra Rao: Yes. You wear it nicely. This is Kanarese fashion. Where did you learn to wear it?

Haggot: At Hassan.

Papa asked all to sit, and they did.

Haggot: Swamiji, to attain to a state of complete surrender, is it really necessary that one should give up making all plans?

Papa: Yes. Absolutely no plans whatsoever. Whatever He brings about, you accept.

Haggot: Say, for businessmen; they have to make some plan for their trade. Can they not do it?

Papa: Business or no business. There is no compromise here. If you want to attain to Truth, you must give up making plans.

177. Gandhiji's End

Haggot: But Gandhiji was making plans. He planned Swarajya. Did he not?

Papa: That was why he had a lot of worry too. There was always something or other to worry him. Ramdas still remembers what he is said to have remarked while he was detained in Yervada jail. At that time there were riots in many places, resulting in bloodshed. Daily news was extremely painful for Gandhiji to hear. A friend or co-worker of Gandhiji went and asked him when he would be back to take up the leadership which they missed so badly. Gandhiji replied that he was doing better work for the world by his silent prayers from within the jail, and that he did not want to enter into meddlesome activities. He felt that by his doing something, he was meddling with God's will, trying to assert his own. The moment we allow God's will to work, then everything will be all right. No friction anywhere. Gandhiji was unhappy during his last days because of the partition, the resultant refugees' problem and communal disturbances. In fact he had wished for an early death, by being shot, and he got it. Some people ask why God did not prevent that tragedy, when Gandhiji was in the hands of God. Ramdas finds that God did not prevent it because Gandhiji himself had wished it and God fulfilled his wish.

September 23, 1953

178. What, after all, is the loss of a Watch?

9 a.m. Papa, during his morning round, visited the kitchen, and also went to see Ramachandra Rao. Coming out from the latter's room he told S: "Ramdas feels he must today go to Chandri's house. For many days he has not been there. The Gujarati friend staying there is going away, so also the Trichur friends. Swami Agrhorananda is also going away next Sunday. Let us go and see them."

Before Papa entered the house, Swami Aghorananda was seen coming out.

Papa: We are coming to your house.

Swami Aghorananda now returned with Papa to the house. The Gujarati friend (Amin) and another devotee from Trivandrum were sitting in the veranda. As soon as Papa reached the veranda, both of them got up and paid their respects to Papa.

Papa (addressing Amin): You are running away from us. You wanted to stay for two months, but you have decided to go away so soon. Do you not like us?

Amin laughed and kept quiet.

Papa: Why do you leave us alone and run away? Let us go in.

They entered the room where Amin was staying.

Swami Aghorananda: Swamiji, this friend went to Mangalore yesterday, and he took the opportunity to see the Panch Pandav cave also.

Papa (to Amin): Who took you there?

Amin: Those friends who came here took me there. Swamiji, it is a horrible cave. How did you stay there?

Swami Aghorananda: Amin saw the cave and was happy, but he was sorry he lost his pocket watch.

Papa (to Amin): Have you lost your watch?

Amin: Yes, perhaps it slipped through my shirt when I tried to put it in my pocket.

Papa: How old are you?'

Amin: Sixty-three years.

Papa: Say, you may live up to 100 years. During this period, you look after the body, nourish it, love it, feed it, clothe it and what not, but finally such a loved body you drop and go. What, after all, is a watch then, when this precious body itself is to be left behind by you?

Saying that he wanted to see Chandribai’s room also, Papa called Chandribai, who had gone to kitchen apparently to bring some sweets. Papa, standing before the pictures of saints and gods that Chandribai had kept for worship, said, "Ramdas has come here to see your gods."

He then went straight to the kitchen. Chandribai put into his mouth a small ball of sweet prepared out of coconut and jaggery, when Papa remarked: "There is some gain in Ramdas' coming here. Isn't it?"

Chandribai distributed sweets to all those who were with Papa, before he left.

12.15. p.m. Mataji, Subbaram and S were in ‘The Vision’ office where Saiba was framing photographs. Subbaram took a photo and showed it to Mataji.

Subbaram: This frame is good but each side has a different colour. However it looks nice from a distance.

S: Everything looks nice from a distance.

Mataji: Yes. Everything looks nice from a distance. Study a person by staying near him; and the effect of water by taking a dip in it. That is why I tell all those who praise me that they should come and stay near me. Then they will know me well and will stop praising me.

September 26, 1953

179. Devotees are like Bhramaras

11 a.m. The postman came in with a telegram. Papa took it and opened the cover. It was about Ammini's arrival from Salem by Mail the next day.

Papa: Ammini is coming tomorrow.

Ramachandra Rao: Who is she, Papa?

Papa: She is Dr Ramaswami's sister. She is a widow. She lost her daughter recently and, on that account, is immersed in grief. It is better that she comes and stays here for some time. She might feel peaceful in this atmosphere. Is it certain that she will have peace here?

Ramachandra Rao: Yes, where is any doubt about it, Papa?

Papa: So, you testify to it. Now what do you say, Lakshmi Narasimhiah?

Lakshmi Narasimhiah laughed and kept quiet.

Papa: Ramdas asks you because you are all bhramaras (large black bees) coming from distance to drink the honey, and therefore know its sweetness. But we here are all frogs under the lotus plant.

Lakshmi Narasimhiah: You are honey itself. How can honey know its own sweetness? So we, who come from outside, only can know the sweetness.

180. Transcend Gunas to see the Universe as God

9.30 p.m. Papa was lying down. Subbaram and Ramachandra Rao were fanning him. Shivashanker was sitting on one side. Shivashanker would be quite unconcerned about all the talks going on, but suddenly, like a shot, would bring out a question, making all those present burst into laughter. He would always talk about 'Bhagawan-Maya.' That day, when all were quiet, Shivashanker suddenly quoted a verse from a Hindi song, the meaning of which was, "Having forgotten ourselves we have become miserable." Papa repeated the same verse twice in Hindi, and laughed. All laughed, including Shivashanker.

Papa: Remove your forgetfulness. Then you will be all right.

Shivashanker: Mahatmas must do it for us.

Papa: Mahatmas have told you this verse, and it is up to you to do the rest. What more can mahatmas do?

Shivashanker: Tulsidasji had enabled many to get Darshan.

Papa: Darshan of what? Only saguna-sakshatkar. That comes and vanishes. When you get Darshan you are happy and at other times you suffer intensely from viraha. That type of Darshan won't do. Saguna Darshan, one can get when he is in sattwa. It is only Darshan of one's Ishta in a bright form, when the mind is concentrated upon that form. But the moment the mind is subdued by rajas, the Ishta disappears.

Shivashanker: By the highest type of Saguna Darshan, can we not see the whole universe as His form?

Papa: No. For that Darshan one has to go beyond all gunas; must be trigunatita, dvandvatita. While having Saguna Darshan, mind's existence is still there. It must go. For this higher Darshan, jnana is the background. That is why it is said one must have jnana-bhakti or para-bhakti. By Ram Nam alone one can get this higher Darshan. Ram Nam is the surest means of destroying all vasanas and purifying the mind to qualify itself for Darshan. You know Kabir has sung many of his songs, extolling Ram Nam.

Subbaram: In Kabir's songs the end is always 'listen, O Sadhu!' Why is it so?

Papa: Because there are any number of sadhus of different types and creeds. They generally do not have faith in Ram Nam, but go on doing various other sadhanas. To them Kabir says, 'Sing Ram Nam', and extols its glory.

181. Ram Nam, the Nectarine pill

Papa got up and sat on the cot. Mataji came near him from the bhajan-hall, where she was resting.

Papa (to Mataji): Ram Nam is the nectarine pill. But who knows about it? Leaving this nectar behind, many go after siddhis which only help them to strengthen their ego. He who was once saying 'I am a householder', after becoming a sadhu, says 'I am a sannyasi'. In both cases the 'I' is there. One who takes to Ram Nam becomes so humble, sweet and blissful from the very beginning of his sadhana. But none wants it. They do some concentration and meditation, get the mind one pointed to some extent; then some siddhis come and they go astray from the path. They run after siddhis and are lost. There is no such danger in regard to Ram Nam.

Papa was speaking this with so much joy that it looked as if he would be dancing about soon.

Continuing, he said, "Walking, Ram Nam; sitting, Ram Nam; eating, Ram Nam; drinking, Ram Nam; talking, Ram Nam; hearing, Ram Nam; seeing, Ram Nam; always Ram Nam, Ram Nam, Ram Nam. Let us plunge in the nectarine sea of Ram Nam. We shall not die by plunging into that sea. But we will become immortal.

“Now go and sleep.”