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

1954-01-20

Chapter 44

Ramdas-Ashram, Bhavnagar, January 20, 1954

461. Lunch with the Maharaja

Invited to lunch, Papa, Sri Sai Sattar Shah, Mataji, Appibai, and S went to the palace, where with folded hands the Maharaja received Papa saying: "Please come in. I am highly honoured by your gracious visit." He took Papa to the spacious hall and seated him on a sofa and the others on chairs nearby. The Maharani, the Yuvaraja, his brother and a few others also came and paid their respects to Papa. To the chanting of vedic Mantras by priests, the Maharaja performed pooja to Papa and garlanded him. The Maharani garlanded Mataji. The Maharaja then sat near Papa.

Maharaja: I returned from Junagadh only this morning. It is very gracious of you to have come to us today. All the people of Bhavnagar are blessed that you have chosen to stay in the city a few months every year.

Papa: It is the love of people that brings here many mahatmas. Recently you had the company of Bindu Maharaj and Punit Maharaj. This mahatma (pointing to Sai Sattar Shah) comes here very often. The ashram that has been built here is a token of the esteem of the people of Bhavnagar for saints.

Maharaja: All the subjects of this state are very devout. The presence of saints like you helps to maintain their devotion. So kindly visit us here occasionally.

Papa: There is another reason why the subjects are so devout. They have had successive maharajas who are great souls. From what the people talk of you, Ramdas can well understand the love and regard they have for you.

Maharaja: It is all the grace of gurus. Without their grace what can we do?

Papa: Of course, Guru's grace is everything.

Maharaja: How long are you staying here?

462. Papa's sadhana days contrasted with later life

Papa: We are here till 28th. We then go to Ahmedabad and Bombay. From Bombay we proceed to Nagpur, Calcutta and Katrasagarh. We return to Bombay, spend a month there and propose to go to Matheran during the summer months, as Ramdas’ body is not able to stand the heat. It had withstood intense cold and intense heat when Ramdas was moving about from place to place in different parts of India. He was then wearing only one piece of cloth. But even with all these comforts now, he is not able to stand the summer heat. In those days he had great tapo-bala (strength of austerities). Now, having attained the goal, no tapas is necessary for him. He led a strictly disciplined life in those days. Now he has no such discipline. He puts on fine dress and lives comfortably.

Maharaja: They were all your sadhana days. Now you have reached the goal. What more discipline do you need now?

Papa: The other day Mrs Pattani was asked by somebody why Ramdas is living like a maharaja, putting on rich garments. She replied, 'Swamiji does not require any such thing; it is for us that he is having all these comforts. We give him everything and we want him to have this and that. What does he want for himself?"

Maharaja: The person who asked this question must be having a wrong vision. He sees only the superficial things. He does not realise that you have gone through severe austerities and that having reached the goal, need no further sadhana. Now you live only for us. We have to take advantage of your presence.

Papa: There is nothing strange in their remarking so. All cannot understand the nature of saints. While moving about in the Himalayas, Ramdas happened to be in the Nilkant Hills and he wanted to lose himself in the jungles there. But Ram commanded him, 'You have done enough of wandering in the jungles and you have attained what you wanted. Now you have to live in the world and spread the glory of My Name. You may go about from place to place rendering service to ME'. So Ramdas gave up the idea of staying on in the Himalayas and came down to do His bidding.

Maharaja: When you were in the mountains you said Ram commanded you. How did He talk to you?

Papa: He commanded Ramdas, talking from within. His talk from within was as clear as the talk of yourself and others. Before that he had wandered all over India visiting the four dhams and many other holy places.

Maharaja: You must have met many mahatmas also during your wanderings.

Papa: Yes, he had darshan of many saints, and he was living, moving and going about in the company of sadhus. They took care of him and were very kind. When it was intensely cold and Ramdas had only a piece of cloth, they spread a blanket for him and made him sleep on it. Ramdas was like a child in their company.

In the course of the lunch the Maharaja was talking to Papa.

Maharaja: When you are sitting, eating, walking and doing other things, Ram Nam repetition must be going on within you. Is it not so?

Papa: Repetition might be going on. Ramdas is not conscious of it. But the purpose of the repetition has been served. Ramdas has become Ram Himself. There is no more need for repetition. Now he lives and moves in the ocean of bliss all the time.

Maharaja: The young folk are more drawn towards siddhis and miracles nowadays.

Papa: To run after siddhis is not good.

463. A miraculous cure

Maharaja: I understand that you yourself worked a miracle recently. This boy Raghuvir's father, Ajit Singh, told me that he had a very bad type of ringworm on his body, neck and head, and with your blessings it was cured overnight. You blessed him while you were at Dhrangadhra and afterwards he had a dream one night. The next morning when he got up and looked into the mirror he found that the ringworm had disappeared. He wrote to his wife to this effect but she could not believe it; for it was a long-standing trouble and he had tried many medicines with little effect. So he had again to write to her that he was completely free from that trouble.

Papa: Ramdas did not know anything about it. When Ajit Singh took Ramdas to Dhrangadhra he told him about the ringworm and wanted Ramdas to pass his hand over his neck and head and bless him so that he might be cured. Ramdas did so but never heard anything about it later. He wanted to ask Raghuvir about it, but every time he came there Ramdas forgot to ask him.

Maharaja: I would request you to bless my son also that he may develop bhakti.

Papa: Ramdas blesses him.

Maharaja: Maharani is anxious that he should get married soon, and get a good bride. Please bless him.

Papa: Yes. Her wish will be fulfilled.

Yuvaraja: First I need blessings for passing my examination.

Papa: Which examination?

Yuvaraja: BA, final, next March.

Papa: Oh, that is very near. You will pass.

Maharaja: Before he passes any other examination, you yourself have to pass him.

Papa: Oh yes, Ramdas passes him. He is coming for the bhajans there often. Raghuvir and some other young men also come with him. It is good these young men have a taste for bhajan and satsang. These are the two important things required, which they have. So their spiritual progress is assured. Generally such young men, especially college students, have no taste for bhajan. But these youngsters are different. They are on the right path.

Maharaja: I am very happy today because you have blessed that he will pass his BA examination. I have five lakhs children in the State. Please bless them all.

The Yuvaraja then took Papa to his room and played for about half an hour Madhuriben's tape-recorded songs at the same time getting autographs from Papa. Papa then got up to leave. The Maharaja again requested him to bless all his five children and also the five lakhs in the State. His children prostrated before Papa.

Maharaja: When you come next time you may be pleased to stay a few days in my house and also for a few days in the seaside house. I would have taken you to my house near the tank this time but unfortunately it is not ready. You may be pleased to stay there during your next visit.

Papa: Ramdas will do so.

Papa then walked almost up to the portico. The Maharaja with folded hands expressed his joy and gratitude with a broad smile. Papa got into the car and reached the ashram at 12.45 afternoon.

In a few minutes Papa was resting. Remembering the visit to the palace, Papa said: "How childlike the Maharaja is! He was very happy to have Ramdas there. He talks without abhiman."

S: Last time his son performed Papa's pooja and now he himself did it.

Papa: So during the one year, Ramdas has risen in their estimation. Is it not so? Ramdas is going to be a popular figure!

S: Going to be? As if you are not! (Papa laughs)

Papa: And miracles do happen even these days.

S: We could not believe when reading in books about various miracles. Now we hear about them first hand. I shall get further details from Raghuvir about the miraculous cure of his father's ringworm trouble.

464. Saints promote happiness of others

5.30 p.m. Papa had returned from visits to the houses of two devotees and was with Mataji and some others. Mataji was writing Ram Nam. S was sitting in front of Papa. Ramprasad Dave, with his wife Shantaben from Ahmedabad, had come in the morning. They were also there, gently rubbing Papa's legs. Papa started talking to Ramprasad Dave how Ram Nam should be kept continuously on the tongue, and about other topics.

Then a man of about forty years, with a black coat and thick spectacles came in and enquired of Papa about Akbarbhai and Ismailbhai. When he was told that they had not yet arrived, he took his seat quietly with the other devotees a few feet away from Papa, and listened to Papa's talks. After a few minutes he came near Papa and asked, "Swamiji, what is the use of simply preaching all these which make people idle? In the name of devotion they neglect their work. Should they not be industrious?"

Papa: People are very industrious in the West. With what result? It has produced bombs – atom bombs for destruction. So if you go on merely working and working, instead of creating harmony and peace, you will become an instrument for war and destruction. This is the example shown by the West and we are trying to imitate them. Westerners are not able to sit for a few minutes quietly without doing anything. Their only business is work and work, either to loot or exploit somebody. This is the spirit that has seized Western and other countries. But thousands of people from those countries are coming to India in quest of peace because they have no peace there. So do you think mere industrious life would do?

Young man: Vinoba Bhave leads a very simple life and works hard (hinting perhaps that Papa is simply talking and doing no work).

Papa: Saints are working for the happiness of others, for the uplift of others. But we expect them to work as we want them to do. We do not know the value of their work. Do you think people are idling away their time chanting Ram Nam? In fact, they are chanting the Name and at the same time working also. Chanting Ram Nam, they create a power to quell destructive forces, thereby contributing towards peace and harmony. There will be less exploitation then.

If you come to our Ashram you will see what activities are going on there. All are engaged in writing and repeating Ram Nam. We are running an industrial school where many young boys are given free vocational training. We have a dispensary where hundreds of patients are given free treatment. We hold lands and cultivate paddy. We have a goshala. So everybody is busy with Ram Nam and work.

What are you doing? What have you sacrificed for others? Those who talk much do very little and those who do much, talk very little. Ramdas started talking about this because of your question. Everybody knows what he has to do. We are mere talkers. Before trying to find out what others are doing and not doing, we have to find out for ourselves what we have done.

By repeating God's name people give up laziness, become more alert, energetic and self-sacrificing and thereby useful to all; miserly people become liberal; selfish people become broad-minded and help others by sacrificing their lives. There may be cases where the effect of Ram Nam on them may be slow, but we cannot expect results suddenly. Ram Nam in all cases must bring inner peace. If you have mental peace you will be able to act as a human being, otherwise you act as an animal.

The young man could not put any more questions; he quietly went back and occupied his seat.

465. Close your intellect and open your heart

Ramprasad Dave, whose hearing was bad, was taking part in the above conversation, though he could hear only bits here and there. As the young man went back to his seat Dave started: "I know by intellect that all these are perishable things and I have to leave them behind one day or other. Still when something happens I forget all about it."

Papa: Mere knowing is not sufficient. It is a question of feeling. You must close your intellect and open your heart. Then you can be kind, compassionate and loving to others.

Shantaben now put in a word: "Papa, he talks about love and compassion, but refuses to give alms to the poor people who beg for it. He asks them to get away."

Dave (trying to defend himself): "By our giving alms we encourage beggary. I am prepared to give them food, but they don't want it. They want to carry things home."

Mataji: They may have their children to be looked after. How can they eat alone?

Papa: If you allow your intellect to play its part here, it will deceive you. You must allow your heart to have full play. You will see that the heart is always for giving. You expect God to be loving and compassionate to you but you do not want to be loving and compassionate to others. Suppose you go and ask somebody for some help and you are refused. How would you feel then? You must put yourself in their position and see. Nobody's position is permanent. The king today becomes a pauper tomorrow. Ramdas was begging from door to door and in some places he was asked to get away. How would you like it? You want others to help you when you are in difficulty but when others come to you for help you refuse. You get angry when somebody insults you but you insult others.

466. Turn the searchlight inward

Papa continued: "Can you not try to forgive others for what they do? If you forgive them, you will receive forgiveness from God. Otherwise not. Peace does not come to us as we do not realise how we are cursing and abusing others without forgiving them. What you should do is to forgive others and turn the torch on yourself and rectify whatever defects you have. If you do that you get peace for yourself and you will also be able to transform others as you will be a centre that radiates peace. See for yourself whether you are a paragon of virtue or an embodiment of iniquity. How can one get happiness if one covers up one's defects and points out others'? Let us examine ourselves and know our assets and liabilities. We will of course find more liabilities than assets.

Spiritual life is a normal life, and life without knowledge is abnormal. The state of ignorance is a disease. When you are cured of the disease of ignorance, you realise what you really are and then the life that you lead is normal. You must free yourself from this illness and become normal. Some people think that to lead a spiritual life is abnormal!

January 22, 1954

467. Have a world vision

5 p.m. When Papa was about to return to the ashram after visiting the house of a devotee, Mataji asked Papa: "Shall we go and see Anantrai Pattani? It seems he has a cold and is not able to come to the ashram to see you. We can be back in an hour."

Papa (after a moment's thought): Yes, we shall go. He was coming to the ashram in the cold wind. That must have affected him.

In ten minutes they were at Anantwadi. As the car stopped at the portico, Papa and Mataji noticed Anantrai standing in his vegetable garden nearby. They got down and walked up to the garden. He greeted Papa with great joy: "I am very glad you have come to my garden. You must go round. I cannot walk, so I have sent word to my wife; she will be coming in a few minutes to take you round."

Papa: It does not matter. You should not walk. Your man is here. He can show us round.

One of his servants walked ahead and Papa followed. Papa had his walking stick in hand but was still unsteady as the ground was uneven and there were bunds every five or ten yards. After looking at the various vegetable plants grown there, Papa reached the wheat field, and, standing there for a minute, had a view of the large green field in front extending over a furlong. From there he took a turn to see the swimming pool close by. To reach it, one had to climb six or seven steps made of smooth white stones. When Papa was about to climb the steps, Mataji called out: "Papa, please take care and climb slowly."

Papa: Ramdas is ever careful. Don't you think he is? For your sake he wants to keep this body long and allows it to be taken proper care of. He is also trying to keep himself fit. He volunteers for the treatment of his diabetes.

Mataji: Yes, Papa, you should do so.

Papa: Do you think he is going away soon, leaving you all?

Mataji: No, Papa, you should not, for our sake.

Papa saw the swimming pool and the well from which water is pumped. When Papa was standing near the well, Mrs Pattani came and joined the party.

Papa: Ah, you have come! Do you use this water for drinking?

Mrs Pattani: Yes, we take it for drinking purpose.

She then took him to another side of the garden through the narrow track leading from the well. Anantrai had by that time been called to his bungalow and was attending a meeting. Mrs Pattani ordered some chairs to be brought to the garden. Papa and others sat down. In a few minutes a servant brought some pooja materials. Mrs Pattani began to perform pada-pooja sitting on the sodden earth and Papa's feet placed on a plate. She then washed his feet and did pooja. Mataji asked her why she was doing pooja then.

Mrs Pattani: I wanted to come to the ashram in the morning for doing pooja. But somehow I could not. You know the health of my late brother's son is not good. I want to send him this tirtha so that he may take daily a small quantity.

When Papa got up and was nearing the car, Anantrai came out and called Papa in. Papa followed him.

Anantrai: We are having a meeting. The leading educationists of Bhavnagar are here. Won't you please come in so that they may also have your darshan?

As soon as Papa entered the room, four persons who were there got up and greeted Papa with folded hands. Papa was seated on a sofa and Anantrai introduced his friends to him.

Anantrai: We are having a conference, our annual affair, and we have to send a report to Delhi. We are here discussing the world problems when we cannot solve our own problems.

Papa laughed and encouraged them: "That is what is happening. But so doing, it is clear you have at least a world vision. There are many people who have a very narrow vision and just look after their own families only. Well, permit Ramdas to take leave of you now."

Anantrai: Yes, it is late for you.

Papa reached the ashram before 6 p.m.

468. Truth not in books but in the heart

Krishnadas Dalela of Gwalior was at the ashram to receive Papa. He had long been trying to have Papa's darshan, but due to ill-health and financial difficulties, could not. Even before the car stopped, Papa saw Krishnadas waiting there, and told Mataji, "That is Krishnadas." Krishnadas rushed forward saying, "Krishnadas", and as soon as Papa got down, he fell prostrate at his feet and then at Mataji's.

Papa: How are you? Are you well now?

Krishnadas: I am still unwell, but if I do not meet you here, where and when can I have your darshan? I felt, even if I die it does not matter, but I should have your darshan now.

Krishnadas was an old devotee of Papa. He was an expert in singing the ‘Ramayana’. He was going about from village to village in various parts of India doing bhajans and kirtans. Lately he had been unwell, being laid up with typhoid and chronic dysentery. He had translated the ‘Bhagavad Gita’ into Marathi, Hindi, Bengali, Oriya, Urdu, Nepali, Persian and English. He brought the complete manuscript and showed a few pages to Papa. He then chanted a sloka of the ‘Gita’ and its translation in those languages.

One devotee: It is a wonderful work. How many years did you take to complete this?

Krishnadas: It was done in the course of many years.

Papa: He has been at it from the very beginning and he is a natural linguist.

One devotee: Who composed all these? You?

Krishnadas (Pointing to Papa): It is all his.

Papa: Ramdas is being accused of everything done and not done!

Krishnadas laughed, and pointing to the heap of books, said: "Papa, this is, after all, a heap of ignorance."

Papa burst into laughter and said: "He says the right thing. After all, Truth is not in these things. Truth is in our own hearts."

Krishnadas: What words can describe Truth?

Papa: Now, take all these books and keep them in your box. If you put them here they will be spread everywhere here. So take them away.

Krishnadas: Papa, I shall take them away but please touch these books so that I can keep them as your prasad.

Papa touched the books

469. Foreign tour, no plans

6.30 p.m. Question and answer time. Papa took his seat and for a few minutes all were quiet.

One devotee (breaking the silence): If Papa is going to the West, what Mantra will Papa give them, as they belong to a different faith?

Papa: Ramdas does not make any plan now about it. Whatever Ram prompts him he will do. There is no need to think of it now itself and Ramdas has not thought of it. There are, of course, so many people calling him there. Even today there is a letter to say that they are expecting Ramdas in America. When Ram takes him, Ramdas will go. Even if He does not take him, still it is all right. When He takes Ramdas, He will show what Ramdas should do and should not do there.

There was perfect silence for a long while.

470. Be busy with sadhana

Papa: You have no more doubts. You seem to have no question to ask, as you are all sitting quiet.

One devotee: We have heard everything from you. Now our business is to do sadhana.

Papa: What you have to do now is sadhana. If you are hungry, and somebody tells you that you should go to the bazaar, get provisions, cook food and eat, what will you do? You will go to the bazaar and so on. You cannot satisfy your hunger by simply sitting and talking about provisions and food. So also you have now heard enough. You must do what you are told to do and be busy with your sadhana.

471. The Mantra represents Saguna, Nirguna and Shakti

A devotee: You described to us the darshan you had of Lord Krishna. But you never told us about Ram's darshan.

Papa: Ram gave darshan to Ramdas in the form of Krishna. He can come in any form. In the Mantra "Om Sri Ram Jai Ram Jai Jai Ram', Om stands for Nirguna Brahman, Sri for Jaganmata or Shakti, and Ram for Saguna Brahman. So in this you have Saguna, Nirguna and Shakti all together. It can be said that Ram stands for Purushottama – Nirguna and Saguna at the same time. Saguna means that which has name and form, and that is the prakriti. Om is Nirguna and both together is Ram, the Purushottama. Victory to Him! Victory to Him? Where? In your own heart. What will happen then? He will reveal Himself in your heart and then all your desires, vasanas and abhiman will disappear. So go on singing: "Om Sri Ram Jai Ram Jai Jai Ram."

472. About sakshatkar

A devotee: When did you have your sakshatkar?

Papa: One cannot exactly say when and where he had sakshatkar. Because it is not a thing that happens in a second. There are various stages and types of sakshatkar – Saguna sakshatkar, Nirguna sakshatkar and the experience of the Purushottama who is beyond Saguna and Nirguna. He who has got the vision of Ram as all beings, creatures and things (as Saguna), and as static Brahman (as Nirguna) and also as beyond both, is a mahatma rarely found.

To have darshan of Krishna Bhagawan in a particular form is itself not everything, because that form does disappear. So you must pray for the vision that lasts forever and by which you see God everywhere. Wherever you look there is Ram. Then you have darshan of Ram always. For one who has realised the Purushottama, there is absolutely no misery of any kind. How is it possible? Because all the desires of the mind are gone. Now every particle of his being is filled with bliss and he radiates rays of bliss. To attain this blessed state nobody strives. Why? Because God's command has not come in their case. Nothing is possible without God's grace. With His grace alone can a person think of God. When He chooses to reveal Himself in his heart, all his desires and vasanas disappear and he has the vision of God everywhere. He who has this vision is God himself. It is not that he is God and others are not. For him every form is the form of God. Some one asked Swami Rama Tirtha, 'Who are you?’ His reply was, 'I am God, and so are you.’

473. Shanti and Ananda, the same

One devotee: Is it possible that one gets peace (shanti) and does not get bliss (ananda)?

Papa: Shanti and Ananda are one and the same. There is no shanti without ananda and no ananda without shanti. When your mind is still you get shanti or peace. From the state of peace arise waves of joy. That is ananda. Peace is like the deep and still ocean and ananda is the wave that rises on it. The deep sea is water and waves are also water. So shanti and ananda are not different. Ananda is only a manifestation of shanti.

With Shiva, the nirguna Brahman, as the foundation, Shakti (prakriti) is dancing. Shakti is responsible for creation, preservation and destruction in the manifestation. Shakti is the expression of Shiva Himself. Those who have realised all the aspects of the divine see the whole universe as waves of bliss rising out of the deep ocean of peace.

In the Atlantic Ocean there are icebergs floating. However big they may be and however different they may appear to be from one another, they are only solid forms of water. As you see only water in the ice, you will see only the Nirakara, Niranjana Atman in all the names and forms.

In the course of these talks an old mother in the audience became tired of the questions being asked. With folded hands she said: "What is the use of asking all these questions about God? God is sitting in front of us (pointing to Papa). That is enough for me; what more do you all want?

January 24, 1954

474. On Kundalini Yoga

In the evening Papa had been to the Yeswant Satsang Mandal where, in the Yeswant Mahadev's temple compound, there was bhajan for about an hour. It was attended by a large number of people. From there Hiralal Pandya and Jivanlal Bhatt took Papa to the Sant Ashram. Papa spent a few minutes there and returned to Ramdas-Ashram before 6.30 p.m.

6.30 p.m. Question and answer time. All the devotees were sitting silent looking at Papa. After some time, Papa himself started talking.

Papa: Ramdas is prompted to talk to you something about Kundalini Yoga. Kundalini is a hidden power that rests in the Muladhar which is at the base of the vertebra. It is like a serpent having three and a half coils. In the state of ignorance this serpent is asleep with its head downward. As long as it sleeps, the person is immersed in worldly pleasures, has no taste for God's name, has no aspiration to realise God, and even dislikes satsang. If by any chance he comes into contact with a saint, the latter's power and grace work in him and he thenceforth aspires for a spiritual life and eternal happiness. He renounces the transitory pleasures of the senses. Now Kundalini awakes and seeks to rise up.

Kundalini is awakened by various methods. Raja yogis and Hatha yogis do it by yogic practices. Also by nama japa, Kundalini is awakened and it rises. Ramdas shall tell you the external signs of a person when his kundalini is at the various centres. The one above the Muladhar is ‘swadhisthana’. When the Kundalini rises to this centre, there is seen in a person a keen desire to court satsang and to visit holy places. When it goes to the next higher centre, ‘manipura’, passion for the enjoyment of sense-desires is lessened. As soon as it reaches the heart centre, ‘anahata’, devotion to God is awakened, dispassion becomes firm, and day and night there is only one desire in him and that is to realise God. With it grows love, compassion, kindness and peace in his heart. Now the cruel become kind and loving, the miserly becomes generous and the angry becomes sober.

The next centre is ‘visuddha’. As soon as the Kundalini reaches this chakra, the devotee talks of God and only God. He does not find interest in talking about anything else. He talks only of God to all he meets. The next centre is ‘ajna’. Now the devotee gets the vision of God in the form he meditates upon – as an image or as light like the moon or the sun. This is a very critical stage for the devotee. To go beyond this centre is very difficult. This is the spot where the three subtle nerves (ida, pingala and sushumna) join together and form a knot. Guru-kripa is necessary to break this knot and raise the Kundalini higher to reach the thousand-petalled centre called ‘sahasrara’. Before the devotee rises beyond the ‘ajna’ centre, he gets only ‘saguna’ darshan. He gets jnana when the Kundalini reaches ‘sahasrara’. The three ‘nadis’ or nerves mentioned above are so subtle that no physician can ever find them, and they are called psychic nerves. After the attainment of jnana one gets mukti or liberation. Only now do all the vasanas completely disappear.

Before reaching ‘sahasrara’ one remains in ‘suddha sattwa’, but as soon as the Kundalini reaches this culminating point, the devotee experiences ‘nirvikalpa samadhi’ in which the body is completely forgotten and becomes inert as an image of stone. It is here that the devotee realises his identity with the Paramatman and now a complete transformation takes place in his life. Then starts the process of gradual divinisation of the body ending in the vision of God everywhere.

475. Purna Yoga won by bhakti

Papa continued: "Jnanis stop with the experience of ‘nirvikalpa samadhi’ and they consider the body and all the universe as illusion or non-existent. Even after the experience of ‘nirvikalpa samadhi’, though the mind is free from vasanas, the body is not. Of course, jnanis do not care about it as the body and everything connected with it is unreal. But the yogis are not satisfied with this realisation. They make the body also pure and illumined. That is Purna Yoga. Then every particle of his body is radiant with spiritual splendour. Now the yogi has attained perfection of the body also, the grandest spiritual experience.

This attainment is possible for one who walks the path of bhakti. In Raja yoga they watch and mark the progress of the rising of the Kundalini from centre to centre by these external indications. The bhakta's case is different. From the very beginning he attunes himself to God. He does not worry whether he is pure or impure, but he clings on to God. He also never cares whether the Kundalini has risen or not. By his intense devotion the Kundalini, instead of rising stage by stage, shoots up and reaches the ‘sahasrara’.

That is why it is said that bhakti is the easiest path. All other paths need a settled and regulated course of discipline, but in bhakti no such discipline is necessary. Love is a natural trait in us all from our very childhood. As children we love our parents; as we grow, we love our brother, friends, relations, husband or wife and so on. Instead of having these perishable things as objects of love, we have only to look upon God, the imperishable, as the sole object of our aspiration and love. Instead of loving the perishable which brings us sorrow, we must love the imperishable which brings us eternal peace. This path is therefore easy. You have heard the ‘sloka’, the meaning of which is:

'Thou art my mother, my father Thou art; Thou art my relation, my friend Thou art; Thou art my learning, my wealth Thou art; Thou art my all, O my God of gods!'"

Magan Vihar, Matunga, Bombay, March 10, 1954

476. Interest in astrology

The usual evening bhajan was over at 8.30 and a few devotees were talking to Papa in his room on the third floor. Bansidhar Parikh, Natverlal Parikh, Narottam Shah and some others were in the gathering, talking about various matters. At 9.30 the crowd dispersed and Papa was about to go to bed when Bansidharbhai, Natverlal and his wife came back to sit with Papa as their car had been sent by Mataji on some errand. Papa said: "All right. You can sit here. But Ramdas will be lying down. Of course he is not going to sleep so soon. When his body is being massaged, we can go on talking. Now there is a packet here (taking it in hand). It smells fine. It may contain some sweets. (Opening the packet) Ah! Fine pedas! Ramdas will give you one each."

He distributed the pedas, washed his hand and lay down on the bed. The lights were switched off. There was a dim light coming from the other room. On one side of the cot sat Bansidharbhai, Natverlal and Narottam Shah. All were quiet for some time. Papa suddenly remembered what he had been talking in connection with Sri Aurobindo's book and his remark about astrology.

Papa: Ramdas cannot but laugh when he remembers Sri Aurobindo's remark about the ‘Bhrigu Samhita’ as the 'Old Dodge'. Ramdas had some interest in astrology. When he was at home in his thirties he used to read the horoscopes of his parents and their thirteen children – 10 boys and 3 girls. From the horoscope he would gather some points and compare them with their life and character. Ramdas can tell you that such a study gave him faith in astrology. In one case he found, according to the horoscope of one of his brothers, that the person had something in him which nobody could have understood or known from his external life. Ramdas came to know of this from the horoscope and he wanted to make sure of it, but there was no way of doing so except by asking him direct about it. Ramdas boldly asked him if he had such a secret as that. He was wonder-struck and asked how Ramdas came to know it.

S: Did Papa's own horoscope reveal anything great in those days?

Papa: Ramdas did not pay much attention to his own horoscope. He was more after reading the characters of others from their horoscope.

477. The elusive Ramdas

Bansidharbhai: Now Papa can read the hearts of all people. Does astrology give him any help now?

Papa (laughing): Who said that Ramdas can read the hearts of all people? Ramdas never said that. You can't catch him, because he is so elusive. (Peals of laughter)

Bansidharbhai: You can read the minds of people when they come and prostrate before you. By knowing exactly who they are and where they stand, are you not helping them?

Papa: No, Ramdas does not do that. If he goes on reading the minds of each and everybody who comes near him, he will be simply moving about superficially in the mental and physical planes. But he now directly pierces through to the source and sees only the divine in everybody. Living and moving in that consciousness, he cannot see good or bad anywhere. Good and evil are after all, relative terms. So Ramdas does not care to read the minds of those who come near him.

478. Ramdas could gauge progress made by devotees

But, one thing Ramdas clearly sees. He can understand immediately if a person has progressed or not. If he sees him now, and again after a month, Ramdas can clearly see what progress he has made. But Ramdas does not talk about this to that person or anybody else, as by doing so he will be only retarding the progress of that person. If he is told that he is progressing on the divine path, he is likely to get puffed up and thereby stagnate; if he is told that he is not progressing, he is likely to get dejected. So it is not advisable for Ramdas to tell if somebody is progressing or not. Ramdas can say this: All those who are attached to him beyond everything else are progressing on the path.

You may all say that you make no progress. That is quite natural, as a devotee never admits his progress until he has the fullest vision of God. Till then you struggle and persevere and declare, 'I have no real love for God. If I had, I would have had his darshan.' You feel you cannot remember God constantly and strive hard to do so; you will not admit even if you have progressed. This is born out of humility.

479. Awareness through practice

Continuing, Papa said: "You must develop witness-consciousness. Stand apart from the movements of the mind and watch it. If you do so the mind will become still in no time. To develop this witness-consciousness, constant repetition of Ram Nam is of great help. Witness-consciousness cannot come all of a sudden. Long and continued practice of Ram Nam is absolutely essential. To sit even for a short time, entirely detached from all objects, and to remain merged in your own Self, will give you ecstatic joy and you will thereafter be able to maintain this consciousness even when you are engaged in various activities. You can always remain conscious of the eternal, all-pervading, changeless Truth behind all movements and changes in the manifestation. Then you are always joyful. In the beginning you will find that you lose this witness-consciousness when you are engaged in any activity. By constant practice alone you can be established in it. This is what J Krishanamurti calls 'awareness'. Constant remembrance of the divine will gradually develop into that consciousness in which you can live and move. If you have listened to Ramdas, you must have understood what he said. Try to assimilate it and put it into practice."

Bansidharbhai: That man who brought those pedas today is really a good man. Out of the pedas all this talk came.

Papa: As soon as Ramdas took the packet and opened it, he found it to be so nice-smelling. Therefore he distributed them to all. If they are not distributed, what is the use of having such nice pedas at all?

S: From consciousness we have suddenly come to pedas.

Papa (laughing): Pedas are the solidified form of that consciousness. When the whole world is the form of that consciousness, why not pedas?

The car had returned. Bansidharbhai and Natverlal got up to go home. While prostrating before Papa, Bansidharbhai said: "Papa, you talked about witness-consciousness. Now you must give us that consciousness." Papa touched his head saying: "Now go home. It is getting late for you. We ended the talks nicely with sweet pedas. It was a sweet end."