Frank H. Humphreys - #4

November 5, 2005

FRANK VISITS THE MAHARSHI

Yesterday I got a day's leave and went on with the Munshito meet Sastriar (the Master of whom I have been writing). Sastriar and the Munshi are both chelas [disciples] of the Maharshi. We heard Sastriar lecture for an hour and a half inTamil to a huge crowd, and he appeared refreshed by his efforts. At 2 p.m., he pointed to the cave where the Maharshi lives, and we set off up the mountain to see Him. When we reached the cave we sat before Him at His feet and said nothing. We sat thus a long while, and I felt lifted out of myself. Then Sastriar told me to look the Maharshi in the eyes, and not to turn my gaze. For half an hour I looked Him in the eyes which never changed their expression of deep contemplation. I began to realize somewhat that the body is the Temple of the Holy Ghost - I could only feel His body was not the man, it was the instrument of God, merely a sitting motionless corpse from which God was

radiating terrifically. My own sensations were indescribable. Sastriar then said I might speak. I asked for enlightenment - teaching and He spoke and we listened. In a few sentences o fbroken English, and in Telugu, He conveyed worlds of meaning and taught me direct, which He seldom does, and made me His chela - not of course such a one as the Sastriar, His own very special chela but as one of the many that great Masters have.

The most touching sight was the number of tiny children, up to about seven years of age, who climb the mountain, all on their own, to come and sit near the Maharshi, even though He may not speak a word or hardly look at them for days together. They do not play, but just sit quietly there in perfect contentment. He is a man beyond description in His expression of dignity, gentleness, self-control, and calm strength of conviction.

FRANK'S SECOND VISIT TO THE MAHARSHI

I went by motor and climbed up to the cave. He smiled when He saw me but was not the least surprised. Before He had sat down, He had asked me a question private to myself, of which He knew, showing that He recognised me. Everyone who comes to Him is open as a book, and a single glance suffices to reveal its contents.

'You have not yet had any food and are hungry.'

I admitted that it was so. He immediately called to a chela to bring me food - rice, ghee, fruit, etc., eaten with the fingers, as natives do not use spoons. Though I have practised eating this way I lack dexterity. So He gave me a coconut spoon to eat with, smiling and talking between whiles. You can imagine nothing more beautiful than His smile. I had coconut milk to drink, white like cow's milk and delicious, to which He had himself added sugar. When I had finished I was still hungry, and He knew it and ordered more. He knew everything, and when others pressed me to eat fruit when I had had enough He stopped them at once.

I had to apologise for my way of drinking. He only said,''Never mind'. Natives are particular about this. They never sip nor touch the vessel with their lips, but pour the liquid straight in, thus many can drink from the same cup without fear of infection. Whilst I was eating He was relating my past history to the others, and accurately too. Yet He had seen me but once before, and many hundreds in between. He simply turned on clairvoyance as we would refer to an encyclopaedia. I sat for about three hours listening to His teaching. [He had been shown a book, printed from a manuscript given to me by Mrs R. W.D. Nankivell, to get His opinion about it. He praised it highly, and quoted from it.] I heard that on one occasion, when a chela asked Him a question, He picked up the book, pointed to a passage in it, and said, 'There is your answer'. Later on I was thirsty, for it had been a hot ride, but I would not have shown it

for worlds. Yet He knew, and told a chela to make me some lemonade. At last I had to go, so bowed as we do, and went outside the cave to put on my boots. He came outside too, and said I might come to see Him again.

....to be continued

from

GLIMPSES OF THE LIFE AND TEACHINGS OF BHAGAVAN SRI RAMANA MAHARSHI

As described by FRANK H. HUMPHREYS