Ramdas-Ashram, Bhavnagar, January 27, 1956

541. A temple function

It was the day for laying the foundation stone of the Jagadish Mandir. Papa had accepted Indubhai Thakker's invitation to be present at the ceremony. Papa left at 9.30 a.m. after bhajan and in a few minutes reached the spot, about a mile from the ashram. He was received by Indubhai, some of the trustees and prominent people of the place, and conducted, along with Mataji to a decorated dais. Papa was later taken inside the existing temple and was offered worship in the vedic style after which he returned to the dais. A few people spoke on the occasion and the Collector of the district who was to formally lay the foundation stone was taken inside and he too returned in a few minutes. Papa, acceding to the request of the organizers, spoke a few words and blessed the efforts of the devotees to raise a new structure for the temple. The party then returned to the ashram.

January 29, 1956

542. A privilege to be a servant of God

10 a.m. Papa: To be a servant of God is a privilege. To be a servant is very difficult. To be a master is easy. To be a disciple is difficult. To be a Guru is easy. We have so many gurus now, but few disciples. Hanuman was the ideal servant of God. Because he was an ideal servant, he is worshipped everywhere, especially in Uttar Pradesh. He could serve well because he had no upadhis (encumbrances). He was a brahmachari and therefore had no interest in life other than service of his master. In UP there are many Hanuman temples. They smear some red colour on a piece of stone (sometimes without any shape) and worship it as Hanuman. What colour is it? How do they prepare that colour?

Devotee: They mix kum kum and ghee.

543. What desirelessness means

Devotee: I get a glimpse of Satchidananda. I feel extreme joy. But my mind descends to lower desires again.

Papa: Desires are powerful in you. You must see that they get weaker day by day until you are perfectly one with the atman and enjoy the bliss continuously without break. Before you get to that blessed state, it is 'touch and go'. You get experience for some time and you lose it. The mind comes in contact with the outside world and you are unhappy. But when you have intense desire to be one with the atman, to realise that you are the immortal Self, the duration of your bliss in the realisation or experience of the atman will extend for longer and longer periods. It will encroach upon worldly activities, which will be greatly lessened and desires will get weakened. Then the inner joy will express itself in all your activities.

Desirelessness is what is needed. Desirelessness means that you do not expect anything for yourself from the work that you do. This is lokasangraha. Your powers are used for the good of others. At this time the bliss of the atman is unbroken. At other times, you lose it, because you are involved in so many things for your own good or partly for others also. The work must be efficiently done for others without the lower self intruding. That can be done only when you enjoy the perfect state of bliss within, through the realisation of the Self as yourself – 'I am all bliss and peace'. When you enjoy that bliss continually, no desire for sense enjoyment will be left in you, because you have found the supreme joy. Your actions then automatically become selfless. You cannot keep quiet. You must be doing something, and that something will be done for the sake of others. You do not need anything from outside to give you happiness, because you have found self-existent happiness in the atman. That does not depend upon any external object.

Why should God have created this world? We say it is for play. So you are also playing. Play the part. He is within, prompting you to do things. Do everything in that spirit. Then you will enjoy supreme bliss. The knowledge of the atman will be constantly with you. That requires constant practice. Suddenly you cannot jump into the infinite ocean of bliss. In the beginning you have to dip yourself for some time and see the difference between the joy you get in that and the happiness you get outside. Go on dipping yourself more and more until you dissolve yourself in it; and then there is no more coming out, because there is nobody to come out. You are one with the Supreme Reality. You can boldly declare: 'I am He' – Anal Haq – Aham Brahmasmi. Go on doing sadhana. One day something in you will snap. Hridaya granthi breaks one day and then you know you are the immortal Self.

Devotee: Guru-Kripa hi kevalam: It is nothing but Guru's grace.

Papa: Ramdas is telling you how Guru-Kripa works. To talk about God means to get pure joy and peace. Just as the lotus blossoms in the presence of the sun, when you hear the talk of God your heart blossoms. So satsang is necessary. It is so elevating.

544. The bhavas

2 p.m. Papa was sitting in his room with Mataji, Shukla and S. Shukla was called out by somebody. After a short time he came in and told Papa that a young man with his wife wished to see Papa privately. Papa asked then to come in. They came, prostrated and sat near him.

Papa: What do you want to say?

Visitor: I want to ask you something about my wife. She is a devotee and enjoys singing bhajans. Sometimes she is so much immersed in the bhajan that she forgets many things. She says, when she starts singing and closes her eyes she sees before her Shivalinga or something like that and she is afraid. Sometimes she is absorbed in the bhajan and has no idea of what is happening outside. Today, while she was cooking she was, as usual, repeating God's name. She had washed rice and put it in the boiling water for cooking. Forgetful of this, she again washed another quantity of rice and put it in the same water. What can be done about this?

Papa: There is nothing wrong in this. You need not be anxious. When love is awakened in the devotees, they forget the things of the world. All this comes under the ashta bhavas. It does not last long. It comes for a while and disappears. You say, she gets the vision of her Ishta (Shivalinga). Let her pray to God not to give her these ashta bhavas. By this prayer she will be soon free from these.

Visitor: Sometimes she starts crying.

Papa: These are all the different bhavas. Some cry, some laugh, some have their hair standing on end, and so on. They should pray to God to take these away and grant them the sahaja avastha – normal state. Your wife need not be afraid at all. She is in a good state. Let her go on with her bhajans.

Visitor's wife: I am afraid of what other people may think if I neglect my duties and do certain strange things.

Papa: Why do you worry what others will think of you? They may say anything. You need not mind their opinion too much, especially in such matters. Take courage and go on with bhajan; pray to God to lift you up soon from the bhavas.

She was satisfied and got some courage. The couple left after paying their respects to Papa.

As soon as they left, another young man who had earlier come with his wife then came in with his little son. Sai Baba, he had reported, was giving a lot of trouble to his wife! He had appeared before her every now and then, especially in dreams with the result she got terribly frightened and nervous. Papa had given his blessings to her and assured her that there was no cause for fear as Baba would not harm anybody. As soon as this young man came in, Papa asked him how his wife was, to which he replied: "Her condition is very bad. She is not even able to cook.

Papa: Yes, your wife is not in a fit condition to cook. You must make some other arrangement for cooking. You should not force her to cook. Be kind and loving to her.

Papa called the young man's son near and patted him on the back. Both of them made pranams and left the room.

February 2, 1956

545. Bhakta and Bhagavan – a thrilling scene

A very old man from Jasdan, a village about a hundred miles from Bhavnagar, came and sat before Papa. Papa looked at him and immediately asked: "How is Ram Nam repetition going on?" This was a very surprising question. Apparently Papa had not seen him or heard of him and the old man did not even introduce himself. But the conversation between Papa and the old man was on intimate terms.

As soon as Papa asked this question, the old man with tears in his eyes, fell at Papa's feet and sobbing like a child, tried to say: “Ram Nam is going on. I want nothing but Ram – nothing but Ram."

The old man stayed at the ashram. Whenever he had an opportunity, he would come and sit in a corner in Papa's room. He was seen repeating God's name continuously, with a rosary in hand. During bhajan he sat in a corner and joined others in the chorus. One could easily see that he was then in ecstasy, bubbling with joy.

Papa later came to know that the old man was too poor to travel by train or bus and so had come on foot all the way from Jasdan. His condition was miserable. He wore dirty and torn clothes. However, he was always in a state of inner joy.

When he informed Papa that he was leaving, Papa wished that he might be given a railway ticket to travel to his destination. He came to know about that and was perturbed. He felt how lukewarm his devotion should be to accept money or ticket from Papa for his return journey! So he told others that however poor he might be, he did not like to accept any gift. When informed, Papa assured him that there was no harm in accepting money for a ticket, as it was given by Ram Himself. He agreed.

At the time of leaving, he knelt before Papa with folded hands and prayed to him, "Maharaj, I want nothing but your holy feet. Blessed I am to have got then." Saying this, he placed his head at Papa's feet. Papa placed his hands on his head as well as on his back, and blessed him. He got up and again kneeling, prayed to Papa: "I do not want the Durbar of Delhi, I do not want any material prosperity. Let me have God's name constantly and when I leave this body I should remember you. This is my prayer." Saying this he again fell at Papa's feet, sobbing like a child. Papa again placed his hands on his head and, patting on the back, blessed him: "Your wish will be fulfilled." The old man then got up. Tears were freely flowing down his cheeks. He was so much overpowered by emotion that he pressed his own body with both his hands as if he did not know what he was to do. He once more fell at Papa's feet and laid himself there for some minutes, sobbing. Papa asked him to get up and assured him that his wishes would be fulfilled.

He got up, prostrated before Mataji and everybody else in the room, and left. Everyone was quiet during this thrilling scene, all eyes were on the old man and Papa – Bhakta and Bhagavan.

A little later Sompura came and prostrated before Papa.

Papa: What is the news? What is the news? What is the news?"

Sompura: News? God is all love. God is all compassion. God is mercy.

Papa: Is this the news? This is stale news; Ramdas had known this many years ago! (Laughter)