WITH YOGI RAMSURATKUMAR
It is a fallacy to believe that great sages and saints walked on this earth only during ancient, Vedic times. Even now they are everywhere. Not just in India. Only, we have to have the eyes to see them and the ears to hear them. God’s assurance, according to Srimad Bhagavatham, is that he will be accessible in the present, dark age of Kali yuga, in the form of sages and saints.
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Yogi Ramsuratkumar, a great siddha purusha, lived in our midst till as recently as 2001. He often declared, “This beggar has three masters –Aurobindo, Ramana Maharshi and Swami Ramdas. My father gave them the work of preaching and teaching. He didn’t give that work to this beggar. Instead he gave this beggar the duty of alleviating the physical, mental and spiritual suffering of earnest seekers.” Many have witnessed the compassionate way in which he helped hundreds of suffering souls, mostly in the physical and mental realms. I would like to share how he once alleviated my spiritual suffering.
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J. Krishnamurti was a great spiritual mentor who lived amongst us till 1986. For many years I was blessed to attend all his talks, including his last talk, in Chennai.
As a beginner approaching J. Krishnamurti’s teaching, I was faced with two hurdles. (i) He employed unconventional terms. (ii) He rejected all forms of spiritual technique and even exhorted his listeners not to follow any scripture, guru or God.
I put my problems before Yogi Ramsuratkumar, who was himself, a great admirer of this modern sage. He listened attentively, and with a brilliant smile said, “Krishnaji is for non–believers. For us believers there are any number of masters to follow. But for genuine non-believers, what is the recourse? Hence, Krishnaji chooses terms that are different, yet completely acceptable to non-believers,” After a pause, he added, “I assure you, Krishnaji gives us the same essence as any of the great masters. But he couches it in opposite terminologies!”
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As I sat transfixed, and puzzled over his explanation, Yogi Ramsuratkumar narrated a page from his own life history. “My master, Swami Ramdas, emphasized that everything is in the Name. When I read J. Krishnamurti with equal reverence and interest, I found that he said there is nothing in the Name. I was perplexed with these two differing and diametrically opposite statements. I also knew that both these utterances came from great masters. But by now, Swami Ramdas had passed away.
So, I sought Krishnaji to get this clarified. I went to Madras. But Krishnaji had gone to Rishi Valley. I went there. I could not meet him. He then went to Bombay. I followed him. There also, I could not meet him. He returned to Madras. I too, relentlessly followed. I was keen to get my doubt cleared by this living master. In Madras, I was told I could not meet him.
Early one morning, I waited in the garden of Vasant Vihar, where he was residing, hoping that he would come down and meet me. What happened after that, I can’t describe as dream, vision or reality! But this is what happened. Krishnaji came straight to me. I prostrated fully before him. After some time, he lifted me up affectionately and put both his hands on my shoulders tenderly. I could not speak a single word as I was in a state of spiritual awe, physical wonder and mental exhilaration! He said in his ever-sweet voice, “Both of us say the same thing!”
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I was in ecstasy. My doubt was eradicated. Yes! Both the statements, “Name is everything” and “Name is nothing”, convey in essence, the same Truth. Purna, total Presence, and sunya, total Absence mean exactly the same, single, indivisible Oneness!”
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Having received this inspiring clarification from the incomparable siddha purusha, Yogi Ramsuratkumar, I plunged again into reading both J. Krishnamurti and Bhagavan Ramana. It was not surprising that I stumbled across a plethora of striking similarities. These not only gladdened my heart, but also widened my understanding that all masters speak the same Truth, though in different languages!
The Upanishads too, proclaim this same truth, “Ekam sat vipra bahuda vadanti”. It means, “Truth is one. Sages speak of it differently!
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