Anecdotes of Compassionate Bhagavan By Krishna Bikshu


 
*1. Bhagavan Called Rama Rao to come to Ramanasramam* 

One Rama Rao, an advocate in Nellore, was requested many times by his friends to come with them to Ramanasramam. Invariably he would answer: "I shall go when Bhagavan calls me.'' 

Once when Rama Rao was praying, Bhagavan appeared to him and asked: "Why have you not come?" 

Rama Rao immediately left for Tiruvannamalai. Before reaching the Asramam, he had a dream in which a unique Chakra (symbolic drawing) appeared before him. He told the dream to Bhagavan, described the Chakra and asked who could help him in having one drawn correctly. 

Bhagavan gave him all the necessary information. When the Chakra was ready, Bhagavan examined it carefully and gave it to Rama Rao, telling him to use it in his worship.

 *2. You are doing right with your heart and soul.* 

Once an old woman came to the Asramam. She always carried with her a framed picture of Bhagavan Narayana and she would worship it on every occasion. She asked Bhagavan whether she was right in doing so. 

Bhagavan replied: "Without name and form, on what is one to concentrate? What you are doing with your heart and soul is just right for you." 

 *3. Not to make a show of one's devotion* 

One night there were only one or two persons in the hall. Madhavaswami was massaging Bhagavan's legs. A gentleman from Kakinada asked Bhagavan's permission to massage his legs. Bhagavan did not reply. The man repeated his request, saying: "At home I am daily praying to Bhagavan and now I have a chance to serve him." 

Suddenly Bhagavan thundered: "You had all the chances of serving me at home. Why did you come here?"

The man became quite frightened and could not speak. Thus Bhagavan taught us not to make a show of our devotion. Nobody could guess about the way Bhagavan would meet people. The high and mighty of the land would not get even a blank look, while some insignificant looking wanderer would become the object of his concentrated attention for hours and days. On the other hand eminent people would sometimes be taken up by him and given the immense blessing of being the centre of his interest.

 *4. Name is superior to form* 

Once I said to Bhagavan: "Bhagavan, formerly, whenever I thought of you, your form would appear before my eyes. But now it does not happen. What am I to do?" 

"You can remember my name and repeat it. Name is superior to form. But in the course of time even the name will disappear. Till then repeat the name," advised Bhagavan. 

 *5. I have not come here to punish people* 

An inmate of the Asramam who had been serving Bhagavan for many years started visiting a certain woman in the town. Her relatives came to know of it and decided to catch and kill the man. 

One night they caught him at her house, bound him hand and foot and locked him up in a room, postponing the cutting of his throat until they had found a safe way of disposing of the body. 

Our man managed to escape and came running to the Asramam, pursued by his enemies. When he entered the gate they gave up the chase. He entered the Hall trembling and fell on the ground shouting: "Save me, save me!'' 

Bhagavan ordered the doors to be shut and said: "Don't fear, tell me what happened." 

After having been told everything, he looked at the culprit with understanding and pity and said reassuringly: "Don't fear any more. Go and sleep." 

From the next day the man was at his work and Bhagavan would not mention the matter at all. Everybody in the town came to know what happened. The Asramam people requested Bhagavan to send the man away, for his presence would tarnish the good name of the Asramam. 

Bhagavan called the man and told him in front of everybody: "You have done some wrong, but you were too foolish to keep it secret. Others do worse things, but they take care not to be caught. Now, the people who were not caught want you to leave the Asramam because you were caught. They will make your life miserable. You had better stay outside for some time, until things settle down." 

The man stayed with some devotees outside the Asramam and came back after a few months. When people would complain to Bhagavan about some mischief or other done in the Asramam, Bhagavan would say: "I have not come here to punish people. If I start punishing people, even a black crow would not remain in this place. People come here, each with his own purpose, and each may find his purpose fulfilled. Why don't you take care of your own purpose? Why do you pay attention to what others do?" 

On some other occasion Bhagavan remarked about some of the visitors: "On their first visit to the Asramam they seem to be all right; on their second visit they discover that the Asramam is not properly run; on their third visit they start giving advice; on the fourth they know best how to run the place; on the fifth they discover that the management is not responsive and they are very displeased; on the sixth they suggest that the present staff should walk out, leaving the Asramam to them. Finally they become disheartened and blame me for what I have never done." 

After all it is perfectly true that Bhagavan neither started nor organised the Asramam. It was all done by others who just did what they thought right. 

 *6. why don't one feed the animals before taking food* 

At food time Bhagavan would ask to be served very little and he would carefully clear the plate of the last grain of food before getting up. Although he never lasked us to do the same, I (Krishna Bikshu) told him: "If we clear our dining leaves so scrupulously, the dogs, cats, monkeys, rats and the ants will starve." 

Bhagavan answered: "Well, if you are so compassionate, why not feed the animals before taking food yourselves? Do you think they relish your scraps?" 

 *7. Trust your Guru* 

Once a visitor said, "I have been coming to you, Swami, many times, hoping that something will happen and I shall be changed. So far I do not see any change in me. I am as I was: a weakling of a man, an inveterate sinner." And he started weeping piteously. 

"On this road there are no milestones," replied Bhagavan. 

"How can you know which direction you are going? Why don't you do what the first-class railway passenger does? He tells the guard his destination, locks the doors and goes to sleep. The rest is done by the guard. If you could trust your guru as much as you trust the railway guard, it would be quite enough to make you reach your destination. Your business is to shut the door and windows and sleep. The guard will wake you up at your destination."

Source:
Arunachala's Ramana
Boundless Ocean of Grace 


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