KUNJU SWAMI

[Guest guest]

http://www.omshaantih.com/Ramana/Stories/Kunju%20Swami/As%20I%20Saw%20Him.htm

 

Love,

 

Joyce

 

-

"Harsha" <harsha (AT) cox (DOT) net>

"" <>

Cc: <RamanaMaharshi>

Saturday, April 03, 2004 9:46 AM

[RamanaMaharshi] Kunju Swami

> Kunju Swami was one of the great devotees of Sri Ramana.> > As a young boy, he

was left in Bhagavan's care by a Malayali devotee.> > He spent his life with

Bhagavan.> > There are many stories of Kunju Swami. After Bhagavan's passing,

he remained > in the Ashram.> > Kunju Swami lived to a ripe old age and often

explained Bhagavan's teachings > to the devotees.> > We have posted stories

about Kunju Swami before, perhaps some more can be > posted.> > Many people may

not be aware that some of Bhagavan's devotees like Kunju > Swami were some of

the greatest yogis of the day who far surpassed many of > the well known gurus

of the time.> > They were content to remain in the background in the soothing

shadow of > Bhagavan.> > Love to all> Harsha> >

/join> > Magazine

and Website is at> > > > "Love itself is the

actual form of God."> > Sri Ramana> > In "Letters from Sri Ramanasramam" by

Suri Nagamma> > > > > > > > > > > Post message:

RamanaMaharshi> Subscribe:

RamanaMaharshi-> Un:

RamanaMaharshi> List owner:

RamanaMaharshi-owner> > Shortcut URL to this page:>

http://www./community/RamanaMaharshi > Links> >

<*> >

RamanaMaharshi/> > <*> To from this

group, send an email to:> RamanaMaharshi> >

<*> Your >

> > >

[Guest guest]

Kunju Swami

This concludes the story of Sri Kunju Swami's early life and how he

came to settle in Tiruvannamalai with Sri Bhagavan.

 

SRI BHAGAVAN was sitting alone. I thought it was a great opportunity

for me to talk to him freely. I told him about my interest in giving

religious discourses, doing japa, and studying Vedanta. I told him

that I had not been getting any peace, but the moment I heard about

him, I was filled with peace. I also told Sri Bhagavan in Malayalam

about how the Swamiji who had taught me Vedanta tried to attain

samadhi (conscious death).

Sri Bhagavan listened to everything with a smile. I asked him what I

should do to get mental peace. Sri Bhagavan replied, "You have read

Kaivalyam. It is clearly stated that if you realize yourself, you

will be freed from the cycle of birth and death and be freed from all

trouble."

When asked how I could find out who I am, he said, "Find out where

thoughts start from." When asked how I should do it, he said, "Turn

inward and merge the mind in the heart." After saying this, he fell

into his natural silence. Sri Bhagavan's gracious looks were on me.

My mental agitation vanished that very moment and I attained a peace

and joy that I had not experienced earlier.

As long as I was in the presence of Sri Bhagavan, I enjoyed a blissful

experience. Thus I spent the first eighteen days. Because of the

gracious presence of Sri Bhagavan, I was able to meditate and attain

peace. Suddenly I felt, as I had got the experience, I could now

meditate at home without any interruption. I also felt that it was

wrong to eat at the Ashrama without doing any service to the Guru. I

expressed my desire to return home to Ramakrishna Swami and he agreed

to my proposal.

After taking leave of Sri Bhagavan, Ramakrishna Swami and I returned

home. We decided to meditate in our homes without talking to others,

and we also decided not to see each other. My parents, who were still

in the dark about my whereabouts, were delighted to see me.

Ramakrishna Swami and I observed silence in our respective homes. My

parents were happy that I had come back and did not mind my strange

ways.

After a few days, I found it difficult to meditate in the same way I

had done before Sri Bhagavan and gradually I became my old restless

self. I no longer had peace. I realized my folly of leaving Sri

Bhagavan. When I was thus utterly depressed one night Ramakrishna

Swami came to my house. What a strange coincidence! His experience

was just like mine. We thought for a long time. What a shame! We

thought we had reached in a few days that stage which people in the

past attained only after great efforts made in the immediate presence

of realized souls. We realized our foolishness and the greatness of

the presence of Sri Bhagavan. We felt it was pointless to remain at

home any longer and decided to leave for Tiruvannamalai on a

particular day. I informed my parents of my decision. They were taken

aback by this. Despite all their

efforts to make me stay at home, they could not change my mind. I told

them that it was good for them as one of their four children would be

following the line of sadhus. I could not leave without telling them,

"I will be in Tiruvannamalai with Sri Bhagavan. You can come and see

me at any time. I will also visit you occasionally." I tried to

console them in several ways.

After a couple of days, Ramakrishna Swami and I left our place and

arrived in Tiruvannamalai. When Sri Bhagavan saw us, he welcomed us

with a smile. We felt happy. When I came the first time, I felt

uncomfortable at eating without doing any service to the Guru.

Through Bhagavan's grace, this time I was able to serve him in a

unique way. Perumal Swami, who used to prepare hot water for Sri

Bhagavan's bath, wash his towel and massage his feet, had to go

somewhere two days after my arrival. He asked me to do what he had

been doing as he considered me a fit person to do service to Sri

Bhagavan. He thought that I would do everything properly as I had

moved with sadhus since my early childhood. If I had come two days

later, I would have lost this golden opportunity. I realized then the

significance of what Sri Bhagavan had said when

I visited him for the first time. He had pointed to me and said to his

mother, who was lamenting over the death of Annamalai Swami, that I

had come in his place. I was deeply touched by the solicitude and

graciousness of Sri Bhagavan who made use of my services.

Once I asked Sri Bhagavan why I lost the experience I had gained

earlier in his presence when I went back home. He said that the

answer to the question is given in eleven verses of Kaivalyam. He

picked up the book and read them out and then explained to me at

great length the purport of these verses. They relate to the doubt

raised by the disciple about the need to continue spiritual practices

even after one has had the supreme experience. The disciple wonders

whether the spiritual experience once gained could be lost. The Guru

says that it would be until he took care to practice sravana, manana,

and nididhyasana, that is, 'hearing' from the Guru the Truth,

'reflecting' over it and 'assimalating' it. The experience would

occur in the presence of the Guru, but it would not last. Doubts

would arise again and again and in order

to clear them the disciple should continue to study, think and

practise. This should be done until the distinction of knower, the

object of knowledge and the act of knowing no longer arise. I decided

to stay always by Bhagavan's side and to practice sravana, manana and

nididhyasana.

I can never forget the wonderful experience of being drawn to Tiruvannamalai by Sri Bhagavan.

 

From

THE MAHARSHI

May/June 1993

 

 

Celebrate 's 10th Birthday! Netrospective: 100 Moments of the Web