The Attendant Rangaswamy

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The Attendant Rangaswamy ...

 

 

 

 

 

The Attendant Rangaswamy

 

 

 

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(selections)

 

I would daily attend to the work given to me and when free would sit in

meditation. That was my only routine. One day I asked Bhagavan, "Swami, what is

the way to salvation?"

 

"The way you came," was his simple reply.

 

The moment I heard him say this my mind froze. He then asked me to read a

verse from Upadesa Saram.

 

Later I was given the job of making garlands for the temple deities.

Around the same time they were constructing a platform in the Ashrama. All of us

were carrying stones. Sri Bhagavan too carried them with us. My finger got

crushed under a stone, and until the finger healed, Bhagavan made the garlands

on my behalf.

 

Later I was made an attendant to Bhagavan. Me and Madhavaswami were his

attendants. One time both of us were given damaged copies of Ramana Vijayam for

reading. My copy did not contain all the pages. Bhagavan asked me to hand copy

those pages, but I could not find the time to do it. One day he asked me, "Have

you copied those pages?"

 

"I am not finding time," I said.

 

"What are you doing now?" he asked.

 

"I am going to Pallakottu to wash your loin cloth."

 

"All right. You do my work and I will do your work." Saying this he copied

all the pages for me.

 

Those days when any offering was made it was distributed then and there.

Ants, squirrels, cats, dogs, cows, children and adults were fed. There was no

concept of storing for the morrow.

 

One day, Bhagavan, while cooking in the kitchen, asked me to put some oil

in a ladle. Some of the oil spilled out onto the floor. He massaged all that oil

on my body and said, "Go have your bath."

 

Another day the district collector came from Vellore to see Bhagavan. The

little squirrels were close by in their nest. A cat swallowed their mother. The

responsibility of looking after them now fell on Bhagavan. He said, "These

children do not know that it is to their advantage if they confine themselves to

their nest. All the problems are outside, but they cannot resist the temptation

of going out. Similarly, if the mind settles down in the Heart without straying

out, there is no problem. But it cannot help going out."

 

"What is the method of restraining it?" I asked.

 

"Just the same as I am doing here: Whenever the squirrels come out, I put

them back. The more we put them back they stay put. Then we can relax."

 

My parents began to search for me since I did not return the day after

Kartikai Deepam. After a year had passed, they finally found me at Sri

Ramanasramam. They came and wept before Bhagavan.

 

"If he goes with you, then take him. Why cry before me?" said Bhagavan.

But I refused to go.

 

"We did a lot of penance to beget him. The same Lord who gave him to us

took him back again for his service," they said, and then left the place.

 

After a few years I had an urge to go to Kashi. When I mentioned this to

Bhagavan, he said, "'Ka-shi' -- if you forget those two letters, this itself is

Kashi."

 

"I am unable to forget, Swami" I said.

 

"All right, fulfil your desire," said Bhagavan.

 

But Chinnaswami refused to allow me to go, but I still went. Devotees

contributed funds for my expenses. I returned after three months, but

Chinnaswami refused to admit me into the Ashrama.

 

"He is like that," Bhagavan said to Chinnaswami. Then he admitted me.

 

One evening Bhagavan was coming down the hill. I was walking behind him. A

janitor offered his salutations to Bhagavan. Bhagavan said, "If you do your work

with care, that itself is salutations." When Bhagavan went into the hall all the

people stood up and some prostrated. When all of them settled down, Bhagavan

asked me to relate what had happened on the hill and what he told that janitor.

 

Bhagavan then said, "These sittings, standings and salutations are not

real marks of respect. Doing one's job with the utmost care is the real

salutation."

 

Shantamma was a cook in the Ashrama. She derived satisfaction only when

she served Bhagavan with her own hands. She used to serve Bhagavan before

serving everyone else. Bhagavan was patient with her for a long time. Finally he

said, "Swamy does not reside just in this body. He is present in every one of

the devotees. This Swamy will be happy if he is served only after everybody else

is served."

 

One evening me and Bhagavan were going up the hill. Mr. Chadwick was

rocking on a chair in his verandah when he called out to me by clapping his

hands. Bhagavan inquired as to what the matter was about. I briefly explained.

In reply he said, "This is how the Westerners increase their needs. How

comfortable it will be if we spread a mat and squat on it."

 

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taken from : http://www.ramana-maharshi.org/publish/newslet2.htm