ATTEND TO YOUR BUSINESS
It was the period when TPR was accepted in the hall as one of Bhagavan’s attendants. There was already an array of devout attendants like Krishnaswamy, Rangaswami, Sivanandaswami,. Vaikuntavasar, Sathyananda Swami, Venkataratnam and others. Being a reputed lawyer, and well-read in philosophy and religious literature, TPR told me that he always had problems because of his accumulated information and fixed notions and argumentative mind.
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Once, he noticed a particular devotee, coming to the hall, at eight in the morning, the appointed hour, along with the others. As soon as he sat in front of Bhagavan, he would fall sleep. At eleven, when Bhagavan arose for lunch, he would be woken up. At two in the afternoon, he would promptly be there. But again he would fall into deep slumber. This was happening for three or four continuous days. Noticing this, TPR felt pity for the sleeping man, who he thought, was losing the great opportunity of taking full advantage of the grace and presence of Bhagavan. Instead of telling that person directly, lest he should take offence, he went near Bhagavan and told him, in elaborate detail, all that was taking place every day. Bhagavan, as if deeply interested, asked TPR whether he was noticing this every day. “Not only every day, Bhagavan, I have noticed this, without fail, at every session, too!”
Bhagavan who seemed to be listening sympathetically, suddenly became very stern, and in a rather harsh tone pulled up TPR saying, “Vanda velayai paarumoyi”, meaning, “Attend to the business for which you have come”.
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After a while Bhagavan went on to say, “Who said one cannot grasp or be a recipient of grace, presence or the teaching, while in sleep? But one who is awake and yet distracted from paying attention to these, positively denies oneself the benefit of receiving the blessing. The loss is not for the sleeping man but for you who lost it on all these four days due to inattention caused by distraction. Beware! Attend to your own business. The only purpose in life is to be the Self. All other activities are a waste of time. Your only business in this life is to realize the Self, here and now, thereby cutting asunder the cycle of births and deaths”.
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Was this precious upadesa from Bhagavan meant only for TPR? Are they not directed to each one of us by the compassionate master? So, let us wake up and dedicate ourselves to the business for which we came. Here and now.
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