Major Chadwicks namaskaram

[Guest guest]

Chadwick also took to doing namaskaram (falling prostrate in

salutation) before Sri Bhagavan as other devotees but not before

passing through a period of hesitation. His point was that he was

a Westerner not accustomed to such a form of salutation and

further what Bhagavan wanted after all was an attitute of surrender

in the mind. Vain repetition of a mere formality was not neccesary.

He therefore simply stood before Bhagavan with folded hands.

 

Other devotees were not satisfied and wanted to bring him in line.

Choosing a convenient time they got an explanation from Sri

Bhagavan himself who remarked that every namaskaram at the

feet of the jnani was so many nails driven into the coffin of the

ego which is the trouble with all.

 

This convinced Chadwick. He did the namaskaram all right but at a

place of his own choise in the Hall and not right in front of Sri

Bhagavan, in the full view of others.

 

One day however he had to do it just like others since the Hall was

very crowded. Sri Bhagavan noticing this laughed aloud and pointed

it out to others making a joke about the space occupied by

Chadwick's tall frame while he did the namaskaram.

 

Chadwick was rid of all hesitation or shyness and actually advocated

the practice thereafter.

He says: "Prostration done in sincerity and with real surrender was

undoubtedly accepted in the same spirit. Bhagavan would say:

'They don't know it, but every time they prostrate to me I prostrate

to them in the heart'. Would not anybody be made humble after

hearing this?"

 

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in Manian: Chadwick in: The Mountain Path, 1972, p. 12

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