Suri Nagamma Says Impurities Of The Mind Will Vanish When Living At The Feet Of The Guru Ramana

[Guest guest]

A devotee asked me, “Anger and resentment may not be visible outside but may be latent. Is there any harm in it?” I then remembered an incident that happened in Bhagavan’s presence in 1944-45. A lady devotee from Andhra Pradesh came to the Ashram and stayed for some time. Her devotion was of a peculiar nature. Her conception of Bhagavan was that he was Lord Sri Krishna and she was a Gopika (shepherdess). 

The devotees here however felt that such a concept had no place here as Bhagavan was a brahmachari from birth and a Jivanmukta. But then she would not keep her view to herself but publicised it and even wrote to Bhagavan accordingly. 

Bhagavan was as usual indifferent to such writings. He however gave me those papers to read.He remained untouched by all such trivialities but I could not keep quiet after seeing such atrocious writings. So I quietly rebuked the lady. 

She flared up and began writing all sorts of nasty things about me. On seeing them Bhagavan said laughingly, “Here are the papers from her. All about you only,” and handed over the papers to me. I was completely upset, but what to do? At last one day with tears in my eyes I told Bhagavan, “I cannot read such letters any longer and keep quiet. Let her damn herself. Please do not give me her letters any more.” “All right. I won’t given them,” said Bhagavan and stopped giving me her letters.

Some days later, that lady began tearing her clothes and started running about in the streets shouting, perhaps because of mental imbalance or deliberately. When Bhagavan came to know of it he remarked, “Somebody must take pity on her and do something, otherwise how can she get on?” Taking it as an order, I spoke to a few of the well-to-do Andhra devotees and with their help sent a telegram to her husband

and also arranged a person to look after her until the arrival of her husband. In a few days her husband came and took her away. Sometime later she sent registered notices to four or five of us saying we had out of envy at her attaining siddhi (deliverance) dubbed her as a mad person and that she

would file a suit against us for defamation. She followed it up with a visit to the Ashram with her lawyer. When Bhagavan explained to him all that had happened, the lawyer spoke apologetically to us all and scolded her saying, “What nonsense! Enough. Enough of it,” and left. Realising she could not bluff any more, she also left for her native place in 

Andhra Pradesh.Subsequently, sometime in November 1949, I received a letter from her enquiring about Bhagavan’s health, as she had received alarming reports about his health. She wrote,“I have heard that Bhagavan’s health is not satisfactory. Please let me know how he is now. I had earlier written to you abusive letters. 

I am sorry for what I had done. You are really Bhagavan’s child. Please excuse me and favour me with an immediate reply. I have given below my address.”I informed Bhagavan about the letter. He simply said, “Is it so?” and kept quiet for about three days. During those days the usual graciousness in his look was absent whenever I prostrated before him; instead he used to turn his face away from me. 

It then occurred to me that the cause of his displeasure was perhaps because of the internal impurity of my mind in still harbouring ill-will towards that lady andnot replying to her.I therefore bought a postcard immediately and wrote to her. “There is nothing particular now to worry about Bhagavan’s health.

I will write again in case there is any cause for anxiety.” I posted the card andcame to Bhagavan. When I got up after prostrating before him, he looked at me graciously. I told him that I had just posted a reply to that Andhra lady.

In a pleasant tone, he remarked, “Yes, yes,” and calling Rangaswamy, Satyanandamand other attendants that were there said, “Look. She has written a letter to that Telugu lady. It seems that the lady had stated in her letter to Nagamma, I had abused you some time back but now I have realised my mistake. 

Please excuse me and let me know about Bhagavan’s health.’ Nagamma has just sent her a reply. So that lady has now expressed her regret.” He thereafter turned towards me with a benign and benevolent look. I was extremely happy and pleased. So this is the result of living at the feet of the Guru — all the impurities of the mind get washed away thus.

Narrating this incident I told that lady devotee from Andhra Pradesh that renunciation can never be real if anger and resentment remain in the mind. That lady wondered if such impure thoughts occur even in the presence of Bhagavan

and if he would treat such people with sympathy and tolerance. The saying that Mahatmas are Patitapavanas (saviours of fallen people) has been illustrated in Bhagavan’s presence. Though the lady had behaved senselessly,Bhagavan always had compassion for her, and he made me understand in his inimitable way that I should not harbour any ill will towards her; he kept up a cool attitude towards me until my anger and resentment towards that lady were given up. What are we to say about his great compassion!

Source: Letters from Sri Ramanasramam VOLUMES I, II & Letters from and Recollections of Sri Ramanasramam By SURI NAGAMMA Translated by D. S. SASTRI

-- Om Namo Bhagavate Sri Ramanaya

Prasanth JalasutramLove And Love Alone

[Guest guest]

I am grateful to Sri Prasanth for recounting this beautiful episode which

contains one of the most valuable teachings. I would like to share my thoughts

on this.

The lady devotee's actions in the past took place in front of Sri Bhagavan and

Surinagamma and others. They did not leave any residual impressions on Sri

Bhagavan but surely left residual impressions on Nagamma, due to the tendencies

in her. They left dislike and resentment to that lady devotee( let us call her

D). There was no space (acceptance, kindness) in Nagamma's consciousness for

that lady. But, Sri Bhagavan was very compassionate to D.

 

In such cases we would look at a person through the colored glass of our

impressions. Our behavior towards the person would be dictated by those

impressions, an image we have in our mind of that person. That person is reduced

to an image in our mind, and we would interact with that image only and not with

the person any more, even if that person is in our presence. What we do not

recognize is that when the lodged impressions come to the fore, it is our body -

mind that experiences the reactions and emotions, and our poor body is the

victim of the reactions resulting in acidity, blood pressure etc.

 

When Surinagamma received the letter from D enquiring about the health of Sri

Bhagavan, the old impressions came to the fore. despite the apology from D,

there was perhaps unpleasentness, negetive reactions and consequent emotions in

Nagamma. Surinagamma's mind made her believe that she was fittingly responding

to D by not replying her letter and trying to ignore it. She continued to hold

the impressions.

 

This is the way impressions interfere in our daily life. Even when a person is

in front of us he is reduced to a lifeless image in our mind, and we react not

to the person in front but to the impressions of that person that are there in

our mind. We also experience the consequent reactions and emotions

 

This reminds us of the great 2nd verse in Upadesa Saram, " Kriti Mahodhadau

Patana Karanam " .

 

Sri Bhagavan gave the most gracious and important teaching that the only way the

old tendencies and impressions can be eradicated leaving the consciousness pure,

free from impressions and vasanas, so as to not to interfere in our future

actions, is to notice and accept their presence in us. How to do it? By

accepting the person whole heartedly who represents them, whose memory or

presence has brought those impressions and vasanas to the fore, caused reactions

and emotions in us, but for whom they would have remained lodged in us and

forgotten. Whole hearted acceptance is forgiveness.That is also surrender. That

is, in forgiving that person, we are acknowledging the covered up tendencies and

impressions in us and freeing ourselves from them. So in reality, we are

forgiving ourselves. Should we not be grateful to a person who gives us an

opportunity to know what is there covered up in us by bring it out and

enable us to remove it? Is he not Grace personified?

 

Sri Bhagavan by disaproval to Nagamma's action of not replying D, bestowed His

Grace on her, so that she learns acceptance and forgiveness. In learning them,

she freed herself from her old impressions and Vasanas. Note that Surinagamma

volunteered to inform D about the health of Sri Bhagavan if it gets anxious in

future. Her acceptance of D and forgiveness are complete. Sri Bhagavan's

gracious look at Nagamma and his recounting Nagamma giving reply to D in

presence other devotees are the confirmation of Nagamma getting free of her

vasanas by His grace and letting other devotees know the importance of

forgiving.

 

The verse ` Viswam darpana drisyamana nagari tulyam nijantargatam', in Sri

Dakshina Murthy Stotram, speaks of this great truth. Put in simple language it

means: the world as we perceive is the mirror image of our own deep psyche.

 

Many years ago, one of the devotees read out this episode in Sri Ramana Kendram,

Hyderabad. When I heard it, I felt deeply grateful to that devotee, Suri Nagamma

and Sri Bhagavan. I feel the same now.

 

love,

Yours in Bhagavan,

Ramamohan

 

 

, Prasanth Jalasutram <jvrsprasanth

wrote:

>

> A devotee asked me, " Anger and resentment may not be visible outside but

> may be latent. Is there any harm in it? " I then remembered an incident that

> happened in Bhagavan's presence in 1944-45.

>

> A lady devotee from Andhra Pradesh came to the Ashram and stayed for some

> time. Her devotion was of a peculiar nature. Her conception of Bhagavan was

> that he was Lord Sri Krishna and she was a Gopika (shepherdess).

>

> The devotees here however felt that such a concept had no place here as

> Bhagavan was a brahmachari from birth and a Jivanmukta. But then she would

> not keep her view to herself but publicised it and even wrote to Bhagavan

> accordingly.

>

> Bhagavan was as usual indifferent to such writings. He however gave me those

> papers to read.He remained untouched by all such trivialities but I could

> not keep quiet after seeing such atrocious writings. So I quietly rebuked

> the lady.

>

> She flared up and began writing all sorts of nasty things about me. On

> seeing them Bhagavan said laughingly, " Here are the papers from her. All

> about you only, " and handed over the papers to me.

>

> I was completely upset, but what to do? At last one day with tears in my

> eyes I told Bhagavan, " I cannot read such letters any longer and keep quiet.

> Let her damn herself. Please do not give me her letters any more. " " All

> right. I won't given them, " said Bhagavan and stopped giving me her letters.

>

> Some days later, that lady began tearing her clothes and started running

> about in the streets shouting, perhaps because of mental imbalance or

> deliberately.

>

> When Bhagavan came to know of it he remarked, " Somebody must take pity on

> her and do something, otherwise how can she get on? " Taking it as an order,

> I spoke to a few of the well-to-do Andhra devotees and with their help sent

> a telegram to her husband

> and also arranged a person to look after her until the arrival of her

> husband. In a few days her husband came and took her away.

>

> Sometime later she sent registered notices to four or five of us saying we

> had out of envy at her attaining siddhi (deliverance) dubbed her as a mad

> person and that she

> would file a suit against us for defamation. She followed it up with a visit

> to the Ashram with her lawyer.

>

> When Bhagavan explained to him all that had happened, the lawyer spoke

> apologetically to us all and scolded her saying, " What nonsense! Enough.

> Enough of it, " and left. Realising she could not bluff any more, she also

> left for her native place in

> Andhra Pradesh.

>

> Subsequently, sometime in November 1949, I received a letter from her

> enquiring about Bhagavan's health, as she had received alarming reports

> about his health.

>

> She wrote, " I have heard that Bhagavan's health is not satisfactory. Please

> let me know how he is now. I had earlier written to you abusive letters.

>

> I am sorry for what I had done. You are really Bhagavan's child. Please

> excuse me and favour me with an immediate reply. I have given below my

> address. "

>

> I informed Bhagavan about the letter. He simply said, " Is it so? " and kept

> quiet for about three days. During those days the usual graciousness in his

> look was absent whenever I prostrated before him; instead he used to turn

> his face away from me.

>

> It then occurred to me that the cause of his displeasure was perhaps because

> of the internal impurity of my mind in still harbouring ill-will towards

> that lady and

> not replying to her.

>

> I therefore bought a postcard immediately and wrote to her. " There is

> nothing particular now to worry about Bhagavan's health.

>

> I will write again in case there is any cause for anxiety. " I posted the

> card and

> came to Bhagavan. When I got up after prostrating before him, he looked at

> me graciously. I told him that I had just posted a reply to that Andhra

> lady.

>

> In a pleasant tone, he remarked, " Yes, yes, " and calling Rangaswamy,

> Satyanandam

> and other attendants that were there said, " Look. She has written a letter

> to that Telugu lady. It seems that the lady had stated in her letter to

> Nagamma, I had abused you some time back but now I have realised my

> mistake.

>

> Please excuse me and let me know about Bhagavan's health.' Nagamma has just

> sent her a reply. So that lady has now expressed her regret. " He thereafter

> turned towards me with a benign and benevolent look.

>

> I was extremely happy and pleased. So this is the result of living at the

> feet of the Guru — all the impurities of the mind get washed away thus.

>

> Narrating this incident I told that lady devotee from Andhra Pradesh that

> renunciation can never be real if anger and resentment remain in the mind.

>

> That lady wondered if such impure thoughts occur even in the presence of

> Bhagavan

> and if he would treat such people with sympathy and tolerance.

>

> The saying that Mahatmas are Patitapavanas (saviours of fallen people) has

> been illustrated in Bhagavan's presence.

>

> Though the lady had behaved senselessly,Bhagavan always had compassion for

> her, and he made me understand in his inimitable way that I should not

> harbour any ill will towards her; he kept up a cool attitude towards me

> until my anger and resentment towards that lady were given up. What are we

> to say about his great compassion!

>

> Source: Letters from Sri Ramanasramam VOLUMES I, II & Letters from and

> Recollections of Sri Ramanasramam By SURI NAGAMMA Translated by D. S. SASTRI

>

> --

> Om Namo Bhagavate Sri Ramanaya

> Prasanth Jalasutram

>

> Love And Love Alone

>

[Guest guest]

typo - CLEAR was intended not lear--- On Wed, 11/11/09, Alan Jacobs <alanadamsjacobs wrote:

Alan Jacobs <alanadamsjacobsRe: Re: Suri Nagamma Says Impurities Of The Mind Will Vanish When Living At The Feet Of The Guru Ramana Date: Wednesday, 11 November, 2009, 9:00

 

 

 

 

 

Dear Sri Ramamoham,

 

Thank you for your lear and insightful comment on this episode which is much appreciated.

 

All very best wishes and warm regards,

 

Yours in Bhagavan,

 

Alan--- On Wed, 11/11/09, Ramamohan <srmnanduri (AT) gmail (DOT) com> wrote:

Ramamohan <srmnanduri (AT) gmail (DOT) com> Re: Suri Nagamma Says Impurities Of The Mind Will Vanish When Living At The Feet Of The Guru RamanaWednesday, 11 November, 2009, 5:24

I am grateful to Sri Prasanth for recounting this beautiful episode which contains one of the most valuable teachings. I would like to share my thoughts on this.The lady devotee's actions in the past took place in front of Sri Bhagavan and Surinagamma and others. They did not leave any residual impressions on Sri Bhagavan but surely left residual impressions on Nagamma, due to the tendencies in her. They left dislike and resentment to that lady devotee( let us call her D). There was no space (acceptance, kindness) in Nagamma's consciousness for that lady. But, Sri Bhagavan was very compassionate to D.In such cases we would look at a person through the colored glass of our impressions. Our behavior towards the person would be dictated by those impressions, an image we have in our mind of that person. That person is reduced to an image in our mind, and we would interact with that image only and not with the person any more, even if that

person is in our presence. What we do not recognize is that when the lodged impressions come to the fore, it is our body - mind that experiences the reactions and emotions, and our poor body is the victim of the reactions resulting in acidity, blood pressure etc.When Surinagamma received the letter from D enquiring about the health of Sri Bhagavan, the old impressions came to the fore. despite the apology from D, there was perhaps unpleasentness, negetive reactions and consequent emotions in Nagamma. Surinagamma' s mind made her believe that she was fittingly responding to D by not replying her letter and trying to ignore it. She continued to hold the impressions. This is the way impressions interfere in our daily life. Even when a person is in front of us he is reduced to a lifeless image in our mind, and we react not to the person in front but to the impressions of that person that are there in our mind. We also experience the

consequent reactions and emotionsThis reminds us of the great 2nd verse in Upadesa Saram, "Kriti Mahodhadau Patana Karanam".Sri Bhagavan gave the most gracious and important teaching that the only way the old tendencies and impressions can be eradicated leaving the consciousness pure, free from impressions and vasanas, so as to not to interfere in our future actions, is to notice and accept their presence in us. How to do it? By accepting the person whole heartedly who represents them, whose memory or presence has brought those impressions and vasanas to the fore, caused reactions and emotions in us, but for whom they would have remained lodged in us and forgotten. Whole hearted acceptance is forgiveness. That is also surrender. That is, in forgiving that person, we are acknowledging the covered up tendencies and impressions in us and freeing ourselves from them. So in reality, we are forgiving ourselves. Should we not be grateful to a

person who gives us an opportunity to know what is there covered up in us by bring it out and enable us to remove it? Is he not Grace personified? Sri Bhagavan by disaproval to Nagamma's action of not replying D, bestowed His Grace on her, so that she learns acceptance and forgiveness. In learning them, she freed herself from her old impressions and Vasanas. Note that Surinagamma volunteered to inform D about the health of Sri Bhagavan if it gets anxious in future. Her acceptance of D and forgiveness are complete. Sri Bhagavan's gracious look at Nagamma and his recounting Nagamma giving reply to D in presence other devotees are the confirmation of Nagamma getting free of her vasanas by His grace and letting other devotees know the importance of forgiving.The verse ` Viswam darpana drisyamana nagari tulyam nijantargatam' , in Sri Dakshina Murthy Stotram, speaks of this great truth. Put in simple language it means: the world as we perceive

is the mirror image of our own deep psyche.Many years ago, one of the devotees read out this episode in Sri Ramana Kendram, Hyderabad. When I heard it, I felt deeply grateful to that devotee, Suri Nagamma and Sri Bhagavan. I feel the same now.love,Yours in Bhagavan, Ramamohan, Prasanth Jalasutram <jvrsprasanth@ ...> wrote:>> A devotee asked me, "Anger and resentment may not be visible outside but> may be latent. Is there any harm in it?" I then remembered an incident that> happened in Bhagavan's presence in 1944-45.> > A lady devotee from Andhra Pradesh came to the Ashram and stayed for some> time. Her devotion was of a peculiar nature. Her conception of Bhagavan was> that he was Lord Sri Krishna and she

was a Gopika (shepherdess) .> > The devotees here however felt that such a concept had no place here as> Bhagavan was a brahmachari from birth and a Jivanmukta. But then she would> not keep her view to herself but publicised it and even wrote to Bhagavan> accordingly.> > Bhagavan was as usual indifferent to such writings. He however gave me those> papers to read.He remained untouched by all such trivialities but I could> not keep quiet after seeing such atrocious writings. So I quietly rebuked> the lady.> > She flared up and began writing all sorts of nasty things about me. On> seeing them Bhagavan said laughingly, "Here are the papers from her. All> about you only," and handed over the papers to me.> > I was completely upset, but what to do? At last one day with tears in my> eyes I told Bhagavan, "I cannot read such letters any longer

and keep quiet.> Let her damn herself. Please do not give me her letters any more.All> right. I won't given them," said Bhagavan and stopped giving me her letters.> > Some days later, that lady began tearing her clothes and started running> about in the streets shouting, perhaps because of mental imbalance or> deliberately.> > When Bhagavan came to know of it he remarked, "Somebody must take pity on> her and do something, otherwise how can she get on?" Taking it as an order,> I spoke to a few of the well-to-do Andhra devotees and with their help sent> a telegram to her husband> and also arranged a person to look after her until the arrival of her> husband. In a few days her husband came and took her away.> > Sometime later she sent registered notices to four or five of us saying we> had out of envy at her attaining siddhi (deliverance)

dubbed her as a mad> person and that she> would file a suit against us for defamation. She followed it up with a visit> to the Ashram with her lawyer.> > When Bhagavan explained to him all that had happened, the lawyer spoke> apologetically to us all and scolded her saying, "What nonsense! Enough.> Enough of it," and left. Realising she could not bluff any more, she also> left for her native place in> Andhra Pradesh.> > Subsequently, sometime in November 1949, I received a letter from her> enquiring about Bhagavan's health, as she had received alarming reports> about his health.> > She wrote,"I have heard that Bhagavan's health is not satisfactory. Please> let me know how he is now. I had earlier written to you abusive letters.> > I am sorry for what I had done. You are really Bhagavan's child. Please> excuse me and favour

me with an immediate reply. I have given below my> address."> > I informed Bhagavan about the letter. He simply said, "Is it so?" and kept> quiet for about three days. During those days the usual graciousness in his> look was absent whenever I prostrated before him; instead he used to turn> his face away from me.> > It then occurred to me that the cause of his displeasure was perhaps because> of the internal impurity of my mind in still harbouring ill-will towards> that lady and> not replying to her.> > I therefore bought a postcard immediately and wrote to her. "There is> nothing particular now to worry about Bhagavan's health.> > I will write again in case there is any cause for anxiety." I posted the> card and> came to Bhagavan. When I got up after prostrating before him, he looked at> me graciously. I told him that I

had just posted a reply to that Andhra> lady.> > In a pleasant tone, he remarked, "Yes, yes," and calling Rangaswamy,> Satyanandam> and other attendants that were there said, "Look. She has written a letter> to that Telugu lady. It seems that the lady had stated in her letter to> Nagamma, I had abused you some time back but now I have realised my> mistake.> > Please excuse me and let me know about Bhagavan's health.' Nagamma has just> sent her a reply. So that lady has now expressed her regret." He thereafter> turned towards me with a benign and benevolent look.> > I was extremely happy and pleased. So this is the result of living at the> feet of the Guru — all the impurities of the mind get washed away thus.> > Narrating this incident I told that lady devotee from Andhra Pradesh that> renunciation can never be real if anger

and resentment remain in the mind.> > That lady wondered if such impure thoughts occur even in the presence of> Bhagavan> and if he would treat such people with sympathy and tolerance.> > The saying that Mahatmas are Patitapavanas (saviours of fallen people) has> been illustrated in Bhagavan's presence.> > Though the lady had behaved senselessly, Bhagavan always had compassion for> her, and he made me understand in his inimitable way that I should not> harbour any ill will towards her; he kept up a cool attitude towards me> until my anger and resentment towards that lady were given up. What are we> to say about his great compassion!> > Source: Letters from Sri Ramanasramam VOLUMES I, II & Letters from and> Recollections of Sri Ramanasramam By SURI NAGAMMA Translated by D. S. SASTRI> > -- > Om Namo Bhagavate Sri

Ramanaya> Prasanth Jalasutram> > Love And Love Alone>