Inspirational story

[Guest guest]

Here is a story about, Akhilandama, who served Ramana Maharshi and

his devotees by cooking food for them for many years:

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Akhilandama begins her first person account of her story as follows:

 

A fellow devotee, advised me, "When Bhagavan comes, please request

him impart some upadesa to you through his gracious words."

 

By inclination I am a person who has neither the desire nor the

capacity to make such a request. To see Bhagavan, to think of him

and to do service to him--these alone were sufficient for my

happiness.

 

While Bhagavan was sitting there I approached him, bowed, stood up

and then said, "Bhagavan, kindly tell me something."

 

He looked at me graciously and said, "Be without leaving yourself."

 

I could not comprehend the meaning of this high-level upadesa, and

had no idea how to practice it, but as soon as the words came from

Bhagavan's mouth I felt an immense satisfaction and a wonderful

effulgence in my mind.

 

What was told? How to be without leaving myself? What is the state

of leaving? What is the meaning of "yourself'"? Let the spiritual

teachers, the vedantins, explain all these things. To me they are

all incomprehensible. What is more, I have no desire to understand

them. The happiness that can be attained not only by understanding

this sentence, but also by practicing it, that same happiness

Bhagavan gave me at the moment when the words came from his mouth. I

didn't need to understand with my mind because I immediately

experienced the state that the words were indicating without ever

really understanding what the word themselves meant. I came to

understand through this experience that in Bhagavan's benign presence

a single gracious utterance can produce the fruit and the fulfillment

of all spiritual practices such as sravana (hearing), manana

(thinking or reflection) and nididhyasanan (contemplation or

abidance).

 

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Edited and condensed from "The Power of the Presence" by David Godman