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

1956-01-10

Chapter 48

Ramdas-Ashram, Bhavnagar, January 10, 1956

513. Papa's command of languages

6.45 p.m. After supper Papa sat on the sofa. Mukund Rai who was standing nearby, was about to prostrate before Papa. Looking at him intently, Papa, in his characteristic way, asked, 'What is the matter?' Mukund Rai simply said, 'No matter'. Papa would not let it go at that. He questioned further, 'If there is no matter, all is spirit then, is it not?' Mukund Rai was nonpulssed. He said, "All spirit? I have not yet come to realize that." Papa laughed.

8 p.m. On the previous two days, bhajans were conducted in the shamiana put up for that purpose in front of the ashram. As the cold was a bit severe, Papa suffered from the cold sitting there. So Mataji and Champaben suggested that bhajan be held in the hall.

S and Mataji were in the room. That was the time they generally talked about various things. S, while writing his notes, spoke to Mataji: "When Papa speaks in Hindi I am able to follow easily. But when others talk, I cannot follow very well."

Mataji: Papa's talks in different languages are very clear and good. It is not so with me. Sometimes when I start talking I blabber and Papa does not understand. He would ask me what I am saying. I can't talk straight to the point. But Papa talks beautifully. His English is good, his Konkani is beautiful, and so his Hindi.

S: One has to be very careful in talking to Papa. One should not be confused in his ideas. One must be clear and not waver. Subbaram finds it difficult to talk to Papa.

January 11, 1956

514. God resides in the devotee's heart

10 a.m. Bhajan was just over. In Papa's room Gunvantrai Desai and some other devotees were seated with him. All of them were silent for a long time. Desai broke the silence asking: "Papa, have you said everything that you have to say or have you yet anything more to say or write?"

Papa: Ramdas has said everything he has to say. But he says the same thing again and again in different ways. Some who have not heard him ask questions and he answers; and those who have heard him, want to hear him again and again. Some like it to be hammered repeatedly. It is a joy to hear about God again and again. To sing or hear of Him or do bhajan is a great pleasure. Once when Ramdas was in Katrasgarh, he met a sannyasi who was coming for the bhajan there. He lived in a cave in a jungle. During bhajan one devotee who sang God's name was going into ecstasies, and tears flowed from his eyes. He was immersed in the Name and was supremely blissful. Looking at him, the swami said: 'Look at this man. He is so happy in doing bhajan and tears of joy flow from his eyes. He is in ecstasy. I have renounced worldly things and I live in a cave. I speak of jnana and follow that path. But it has no real joy and sweetness. Why should I resort to the caves?' The Lord says that He is not in the caves or jungle, but He resides in the heart of the devotee who sings His name!"

Mukutbhai: In solitude we get vairagya, don't we?

Papa: Only after getting vairagya we can think of living in solitude.

Mukutbhai: Will you kindly tell us again the story of Narada and the devotee who prayed for a child?

Papa: Ramdas told you once.

Mukutbhai: Yes. But none of these people has heard it.

Papa: Then Ramdas will tell you.

515. God fulfils saints' blessings

Papa narrated the story. As soon as he finished it, Sai Sattar Shah told the following story: "A devotee had the vision of God as light when he was meditating under a tree. Thereafter he used to go to the place everyday and tell God what he wanted to say. In his village there was a childless couple. They asked the devotee to pray to God to bless them with children. The devotee went to the place as usual and prayed that the couple might be blessed with children. God replied that the couple were not destined to have children in that birth and therefore He could not do anything about it. The devotee came back and told them so. A few days later a fakir was passing through the village saying that he would give blessings for a child if anybody gave him a roti. The wife heard this. Women have generally more faith, whereas men are doubting Thomases. The woman wished to feed the fakir and so requested her husband to call the fakir to their home for meals. The husband wondered what a fakir could do, when God Himself could not do anything. However he was persuaded to call the fakir. He was asked to stand near the fakir and fan him while his wife started preparing rotis. When one roti was baked on one side she asked the fakir what type of roti he would like to have. He replied that the child she would get would be according to the type of roti she served. He also suggested that the roti be fully baked so that she could have a fully grown or normal child. He was given seven rotis fully baked, which he ate, and blessed the couple with seven children. After some years the man was sitting with seven children, one on his lap, one standing near, one sitting on his shoulder, and so on. The devotee saw this and was surprised. When he came near, the man said, "I have no faith in your God who said I was not destined to have children. See now I am blessed with seven children." At this the devotee was perplexed and wondered how God could tell a lie. He straightaway went to the foot of the tree and asked God about it. God replied: "In fact the couple were not destined to have children and I could not do anything for them. But a fakir went and blessed them. I have to fulfil the word given by those who have surrendered themselves to me. So, for the sake of the fakir, I had to confer the boon."

A devotee: Is everything not already destined for all?

Sai Sattar Shah: Yes. In fact everything is predestined. In this case the couple were destined to be visited by the fakir, to be blessed by the fakir, and so on. But only the earlier part of it was revealed to them and the latter was hidden till it actually took place.

516. Why proxy?

11 a.m. Mataji had forbidden Papa the bath. He was to have only a wash and change. When he was about to get up, Yashomatiben and Anantrai Pattani came and bowed before Papa, Sattar Shah and Mataji. Anantrai said: "I am not well on account of the trip I took to Rajkot. I am suffering from asthma. That is why I could not come here the very day I returned from Rajkot."

Papa: Travelling is not good for you.

Anantrai was coughing and was not feeling well at all. Addressing Mataji who was standing near Papa, he said: "Please ask him to make me all right."

Mataji: You can ask him direct. He does not need a lawyer to represent your case.

Anantrai: God can be approached only through the bhakta. Otherwise God does not respond at all.

Papa: Bhakta and God are not different. God Himself comes in the form of the bhakta and blesses. Bhakta and Bhagavan are one. Sometimes somebody comes to Ramdas and says, 'So and so wants blessings from you for the cure of his illness'. Ramdas then asks him what fee he receives for representing his case to Ramdas. Ramdas does not at all like any representation through a party.

Papa then asked Anantrai to sit for a while, and went for a wash and change.

517. Love is everything

A very old man trotted in with great difficulty. He sat before Papa, placed his head at his feet and asked Papa to place his hands on his head and bless him. Papa, with great love, placed both his hands on his head. He raised his head and said, "I did not know that you were here. I searched for you everywhere and finally came here. When I came to the gate and asked if I could get in, one said I should not and another said I could. Actually I need not ask permission to get in where a saint is, and I do not go where a saint is not."

Papa: It is well you came.

Old man: I am a poor man. This is all I can offer you.

So saying he took out one pice and handing it over to Papa, added: "Rich people give you many rupees. But a poor man like me can only give this."

Papa: That is enough and more. You are giving it with all love and devotion. What more is required? Love is everything.

Sai Sattar Shah who had gone out came in and took his seat. After a while the old man again placed his head at Papa's feet and requested him to pat him on the back with both hands. Papa did so. The old man now got up and going near S, who was sitting a few feet away, was about to touch his feet. Immediately, S touched the old man's feet. The latter resented this and asked: "Are you not the chela of Swamiji?"

S: Yes.

Old man: Then you must put both your hands on my back and bless me.

S: Guruji, who is to bless you, has already done it.

Old man: You are his chela and you must also bless me.

This created a scene in the room. Papa then asked S to place his hands over the old man. When this was done, he was happy and said: "That is the way. I must have blessings from the Guruji as well as the chela."

The old man then left the room. Then one devotee who was sitting by Papa's side, also prostrated at Papa's feet requesting him to pat him on the back. Others followed suit and Papa blessed them all by patting them on the back. After they had left, Sai Sattar Shah said: "They are Pathans and their ways are different. They are not satisfied by our merely bowing before them when they prostrate. They want to be patted on the back."

518. God helps the contented

1.30 p.m. A young man from South India came with a request for some financial help and handed over a letter to Papa. After reading the letter, Papa gave him ten rupees. He asked for more to cover his return journey expenses. He went on repeating his request.

Papa: You must be satisfied with whatever you are given. When there is contentment, God brings you further help. The giver is God Himself. We are only instruments. If you are discontented with what He gives, you do not deserve more. Your discontent proves to be an obstacle between you and the help that He gives. So be satisfied with this now. You can go to other friends who can help you.

The postman brought a few letters. Papa received them and got busy with them. One by one the friends who were sitting in the room left. Papa called Mataji to sit near him, and read out some letters to her. One of the letters contained a beautiful silk handkerchief sent by a French lady as a New Year gift. Papa showed it to Mataji who said, "It is fine. It may be sent to Ramkishor when writing to him next," and continued: "Papa, the young man who came to you for some help and to whom you paid ten rupees, came to me with the same request. Champaben Kamdar was then talking to me. She arranged to get a ticket for him and he was very happy."

Papa: It was well done. Ramdas paid him ten rupees and gave him a short lecture that he should be content with what was given to him.

519. Mysterious is grace

5 p.m. Papa's massage was over early. He signed the outgoing letters and gave them to S. He then went to the hall where some devotees were waiting. After a few strolls across the hall, Papa sat on the sofa. Maganlal Contractor and Gunvantrai Desai sat in front of him.

Papa: Ramdas does not feel like walking any more.

S: Does Papa feel tired?

Papa (thinking a moment): Tired? No, he cannot say he is tired. But....

S: He feels like sitting down.

Papa: Yes, that is it.

All were silent for a while. Papa broke the silence saying: "There is nothing unnatural if the body is ill. But, of course, they say the natural condition of the body is a state of perfect health without any illness. Mind is also like that. With some persons the mind is healthy while with some others it is diseased. But, the person whose mind is dead – who has experienced that which is beyond the mind – has no concern whether the body is ill or well. It makes no difference to him."

S: In their case, is there no wish to keep the body in a fit condition?

Papa: They are in the grip of a higher power. They cannot explain how it is. The fact is that they are mysteriously guided and prompted to do things.

Papa was in a thoughtful mood for some time. All were silent. Then Papa himself began: "Today Sai Sattar Shah said in his talk that even saints are partial or have favourites. He says that saints love some persons more than some others; they give what they have to some, not to all. If a saint takes a liking for somebody, he may give away all his spiritual wealth to him whether that person deserves it or not. Even if he is not fit for it, the saint can first make him fit and then give him. Saints are all-powerful. They can do anything. So many deserving persons may live with a saint for years together, doing sadhana without deriving any benefit, whereas he may spiritually elevate another who may be most unprepared and undeserving. That is real grace. We do not know when it comes and under what conditions. It is a mystery. When it comes suddenly to an undeserving man, we try to find out so many reasons for it. We say he must have done a lot of intense sadhana in his previous birth and so he got grace in this birth. But if you ask Ramdas about himself, he would say that he never deserved it. He does not think he had attained a lot of punya or done sadhana and such like in his previous life. If there was anybody undeserving, it was Ramdas. Ramdas never did any sadhana for it. If at all he did any, he was fully conscious that it was God who made him do sadhana. By His grace He prepares us and then we attain Him. In this connection Sri Ramakrishna gives a beautiful example in the form of a story: There was a king who had a very faithful servant. The servant was poor, just making both ends meet on what he got as monthly salary. He had a great desire that the king should visit his abode. As the intensity of the desire grew in him, one day he boldly requested the king to be kind enough to pay a visit to his hut. Considering the loyalty and love of the servant, the king agreed and fixed a day for the visit. Immediately, the king called some of his other servants and ordered them to go to that servant's house, make it clean, whitewash it, decorate it inside and out and also furnish it with sofa, carpets and other materials befitting a royal visit. All this was done before the appointed time, and the king visited. The servant was extremely pleased.

"So also, God purifies us by making us do sadhana and so on, and when we have become pure He takes His seat in our heart. As an Upanishadic saying goes: 'God reveals Himself in the heart of the person whom He chooses'. On what condition He chooses, we do not know. But when He chooses to come, He prepares the person thoroughly well and then He comes."

Maganlal Contractor: Then what have we got to do?

Papa: Ah, that is the problem. We have to wait. But how long? Even if we wait for ages He may not choose to reveal Himself in us. There are many who have been doing sadhana for years but have gained no real spiritual experience. Ramdas never thought God would take him to such a state. He was a fakir, wandering from place to place. In those days he never liked to be honoured more than others. Whenever he went to meet friends they would give him a chair to sit. But Ramdas would never sit on the chair. He would sit on the floor along with others. He was a humble servant. If people prostrated before him, he also would prostrate before them exactly the same way they did. If they did a dandavat namaskar, he also would do likewise. Now he is not doing it physically, but he does mentally. He is now made to sit on sofas and high pedestals and people worship him. So the servant has become the master! Is it actually so? Perhaps it is in a different way. Ramdas looked upon God from two viewpoints – as a servant to the master, and as a child to the mother. So now Ramdas is in the position of child. You know the mother places the child on a higher seat and looks at it intently and enjoys every word the child utters; of course all the words the child utters are only taught by the mother herself. So the mother has seated this child on a higher level and enjoys his talks. Further, God says, 'If you worship My servant, I am pleased, because I am My own servant.' This is the way God talks. This language we cannot understand. As Jesus has it, 'I and My Father are one. He, who sees the Son, sees the Father.' The servant and the Master are one, the Son and the Father are one."

520. Seek saints' company

Maganlal Contractor: Coming to our point, are we not to do any sadhana?

Papa: What sadhana can we do? We must court the company of saints. Our long contact with them should gradually transform us – not by our conscious effort. By long association with a saint, those around him slowly imbibe his qualities. They say, the trees that grow near a sandal tree in the forest, turn into sandal trees in course of time. But you must not forget that all trees do not become sandal; hollow ones cannot become sandal. Association with the saints is a wonderful help. But you must never be like bamboos, all hollow inside.

521. The heart and the hands, what for?

Just then Mataji was seen going with a few small paper packets in her hand. Papa asked her what they were. She replied they were some eatables for the children. She smiled and walked away in order to distribute them to the children. Papa also gave a broad smile and turning to the devotees sitting before him, said: "Mataji is in her element when she has something to give. In the ashram there, she is always giving and giving. But here she has not much scope. Still she manages to do something here also. You must see her face when she is giving. It is lit up and bright. She enjoys giving. She knows the heart is intended to feel for others, and the hands to give to others. We are misusing these by making the heart feel for ourselves only and the hands to render service to ourselves only. Those who have self-pity are the meanest and most narrow-minded people. They are weak. We must have pity for others. That is real strength. We must be strong and bold. Swami Vivekananda never liked anybody belittling or pitying himself. He would tell him, 'Why do you belittle yourself? The great God is seated in your heart. How can you then say that you are a sinner and so on?' Be bold and daring, but never be foolhardy or rash. There is a saying, 'Fools rush in where angels fear to tread.' We should not be like that. We must be 'heroes in the strife and never be like dumb driven cattle'."

January 12, 1956

522. Diverse doubts set at rest

9.30 a.m. Bhajan was over. A few devotees were talking with Papa. A lady devotee who came from Bhopal for Papa's darshan was in the group and was asking questions.

Devotee: What is Truth?

Papa: The only One.

Devotee: All the rest must be unreal.

Papa: According to mayavadins the whole creation is unreal, non-existent. They say everything is like a dream. But according to lilavadins the whole creation is the expression of God. God Himself has become all these forms. God's nature is to manifest Himself as various forms and play His lila.

Devotee: Then man is not responsible for his actions, sinful or otherwise.

Papa: God is the doer of all actions and man is only an instrument.

Devotee: Then why are we asked to do good actions?

Papa: That is to go beyond sin and merit. Having gone beyond the pairs of opposites – good and bad, vice and virtue, and so forth – saints blissfully play the game. They have no hatred towards anybody as they have no sense of duality. Duality is the cause of hatred, dislike and so on. Their life is pure. In such a life pure bliss alone is. Without knowing this, people run after worldly pleasures and consequently suffer.

Devotee: If Atman is One, why should there be many forms?

Papa: Clay is one and out of it many pots are made. So also the original Being is One and from Him all these forms have come.

Devotee: Is darshan of the Lord possible?

Papa: It is possible for one who aspires after it.

Devotee: Can you say that is also lila?

Papa: Who is giving darshan to whom? He Himself is everything. One who follows the path of lila is always happy. But mayavadins, who hold the view that the world is non-existent, do not get the real joy of life.

Devotee: If all this is lila, how can you account for the cheating and many other horrible things that men do?

Papa: All these must be there in the lila. In a drama you see a king, a robber and many other characters. You do not ask why a robber should be there. You know that without a robber's part the drama will be incomplete. So all parts are necessary.

Devotee: They say, in Kali-yuga there will be many evils.

Papa: Those who do sadhana will say that this is Satya-yuga. Kali-yuga, Satya-yuga and all such things are manokalpita (mind-made).

Devotee: Then the fact that God is in our heart must also be manokalpita.

Papa: He who is in us and everywhere about us is the only Reality. It is by His power alone that all things happen.

Devotee: Some devotees say that they have visions of light and so on. What are such visions?

Papa: When the mind is pure, one has visions of light and so on. In the pure mind, light is reflected. In fact one sees only one's own light.

Devotee: If I see light in you, is it my light or your light?

Papa: It is your own light. As your mind is pure, you see light here.

Devotee: I see light in some and not in others.

Papa: In that case it must be his (Ramdas’) light. But the point is that that light is not seen by all. That means you also need some purity to see that light in him.

Devotee: Has one got to go beyond all visions of light, and so on?

Papa: By seeing light you should not think that you have attained everything. You have, in fact, to go much farther. You have yet to get the experience of God in His fullness. Experience of light is only a ray.

Devotee: Can you talk to God as you talk to us?

Papa: Yes. In the saguna aspect, God acts and talks to us as we do among ourselves.

Devotee: Is the path very difficult?

Papa: Those who have ananya bhakti (one-pointed devotion) find the path easy. They attain God soon.

Devotee: But one encounters many difficulties.

Papa: Difficulties are good. In trying to overcome difficulties, we remember Him evermore. Difficulties and obstacles are incentives to progress. We get great strength, overcoming them. By such strength we get to our goal soon. We must be prepared to sacrifice everything for the sake of God.

Devotee: Should we be prepared to give our life also to God?

Papa: Yes. We must be prepared to give Him our life. But who is prepared to do so.

Devotee: A devotee in Ahmedabad went to a temple and took his head off. Can you say, by doing so he got the darshan of God?

Papa: He must have got the darshan. God must have taken him to Himself.

Devotee: I have a friend. He says that he thinks of God with love. Whenever he meets with obstacles, he overcomes them, but they keep coming. How is he then to have faith in God?

Papa: By going on removing obstacles, gradually he will get faith. In due course, God's grace will come to him. One must not get dispirited by one or two obstacles. God is for the strong and not for cowards. Cowards are afraid and cannot go near God. You must have firm determination that without attaining Him you will not turn back.

Devotee: When we are struggling to realise God, He also must be earnestly wishing to take us to Him.

Papa: He is more anxious than we are. A mother is really more anxious about her child. So is God.

523. On his world tour

This dialogue was interrupted by the entry of Hiralal Pandya, Mastram Pandya and Jivanlal Bhatt. The former two were Upendra Bhatt's uncles and the latter, his father. Upendra Bhatt had the privilege of having Papa at his house whenever he visited Rajkot. They garlanded Papa with beautiful rose garlands. Greeting them Papa said: "Ramdas has been thinking of you all very often. Now you trimurtis have come."

Mastram: We were engaged in the opening of the sanatorium and could not come earlier.

Jivanlal: Upendra's mother is unwell. So I had to go to Rajkot.

Papa: Ramdas knew about it.

The talk then turned to world tour. They asked Papa if the tour reports had been published. Papa took the book ‘World is God’ from the table near him and handed it over to Hiralal saying: "This is the book."

Jivanlal: Yes. We read the circular letter written by S during the tour. This book must be more comprehensive.

Papa took the book from Hiralal's hand, saying: "Do you know Ramdas went to Europe?" He then opened it and started reading from the introduction: "God has made Ramdas into a ripe fruit on His huge tree of manifest life for presentation to the world as a gift. Under His guidance, care and grace, Ramdas’ life grew, budded, bloomed and fruited until at last it became ripe, sweet and fragrant. Surely all the glory for the production of such a fruit is His – Ramdas’ beloved Master's!"

Papa closed the book, turned his glance from the book to the trimurtis, and his face brightened with his usual broad smile. The listeners seemed to have enjoyed what Papa read out to them.

Hiralal: It is good Bhavnagar is able to enjoy the sweet and fragrant fruit for two months. Thanks to Gunvantbhai. You are so sweet and specially kind to us!

Papa: It is like dipping a piece of sugarcandy in syrup. Ramdas is like a ripe fruit. As he has said, it was all done by Him. He does everything. We have only to be His children. That is a difficult job indeed.

Jivanlal: Did you maintain good health all through the tour?

Papa: Yes. All of us maintained good health. God arranged everything for us, in all places, very comfortably and perfectly. A fakir is free from all anxieties. God looks after him.

524. The effect of saint's presence

Just then a sannyasi came in followed by two men dressed in white. He gave a guava fruit to Papa and prostrated at his feet. Papa also touched his feet and asked him to sit on a chair. The swami sat there and the other two on the floor.

Papa: You have been so gracious to come and give your darshan, Maharaj! Where do you come from?

Swamiji: I come from the Punjab, and belong to the Udasi Panth (of the sikhs).

Papa: Oh, when Ramdas was in the Punjab he went to Amritsar and to the Golden Gurudwara there. There he met Mahatma Bhai Vir Singh. God's name is everything. It is sweet, sweet like nectar. Of course, by the grace of saints alone we take God's name and taste its sweetness. Grace is in the beginning, in the middle and in the end also. See, you have been gracious enough to come here.

Swamiji: It was by your grace that I could come here. This devotee has some trouble in his left eye. He wants your blessings for relief.

Papa: When he has your blessings – a mahatma's – what more does he require? Let him repeat Ram Nam. Ram Nam must cure all diseases. Let him take it constantly. He will be all right. Ram Nam is all-powerful. But when we take it in the company of saints, we find its real taste. We must have saints' blessings.

A devotee: What is a saint's influence on a seeker?

Papa: The very presence of saints throws light on the sadhaka. He feels a strange peace and joy. When you sit in the sun, you automatically get light and heat. So also when devotees sit in front of a saint, they find their minds are still and also enjoy peace. This happens without any effort on their part.