Independence Day for All

[Guest guest]

Om Namo Bhagavathe Sri Ramanaaya

Did you hear about what the monkeys did last Independence Day? A few days

before, on the 11th or the 12th, while Bhagavan was seated in the Jubilee Hall,

an army of monkeys came clamouring for fruit. Krishnaswami, the attendant, tried

to drive them away by shouting, whereupon Bhagavan said, "Remember the 15th of

August is an Independence Day for them as well. You just give them a feast on

that day instead of driving them away."

On the 14th, while some of the Ashramites were busy making arrangements for the

hoisting of the flag, the army of monkeys came again and again. One of the

servants tried to drive them away, and seeing this, Bhagavan said with a laugh,

"Do not drive them away please. They too have attained independence, have they

not? You must give them Bengal gram lentils and parched rice and feast them. Is

it proper to drive them away?"

"But tomorrow is Independence Day, Bhagavan" said the servant. "Not today."

"So that's it, is it? But when you are making preparations for the celebrations,

should they not make their own arrangements? That is why they are busy, don't

you see?"

You know what happens with the monkeys on other occasions? One of the attendants

will be sitting with a basket to receive the fruit offered to Bhagavan by

devotees. Off and on the attendant sits with closed eyes being drowsy or gets

absorbed in listening to the radio. Waiting for a suitable opportunity, some of

the bolder monkeys come and snatch away the fruit. When the people in the hall

try to scare them away, Bhagavan would say:

"When these attendants are immersed in deep meditation (dhyaana samaadhi), the

monkeys come and see to the work of the attendants. Someone has to look after

the work! The attendants put the fruit into the basket —the monkeys put the

fruit into their stomachs; that is all the difference. While people forget

themselves while enjoying the nectar of music, the monkeys busy themselves in

enjoying the sweet juice of the fruit. That's good, isn't it!"

If the monkeys come while no attendants are there, Bhagavan says, as soon as one

of them returns to duty: "See! Not one of you was here, and so the monkeys have

been looking after your work. They are actually helping you, so you can take

some rest. When I was on the hill, they were my constant companions. You now

drive them away; but in those days, theirs was the Empire."

Letters from Sri Ramanasramam

by Suri Nagamma

ALL-NEW Messenger - all new features - even more fun!