Maha Yoga - The Sage of Arunachala, #6

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This place was far enough away from Madura for his

present purpose, but not too far for him to reach. So he decided

to leave home secretly and go there, and thereafter do as he

may be guided by Providence. Fortune favoured his enterprise;

his elder brother’s school-fee for the month had not yet been

paid; and the latter gave him five rupees, which he was told to

pay to the school. Out of this he took just three rupees, thinking

that this would suffice for his journey by rail; the remainder

he left with a letter expressing his decision to go away in

quest of his Divine Father, and insisting that no search should

be made for him.

 

He purchased a ticket and got into the train at Madura;

but as soon as he had taken his seat, he fell into the Egoless

State, and was in it nearly all the time. He had hardly any

appetite during the journey and ate next to nothing. He had

made a mistake in planning his journey; but this was

providentially set right; he had to walk a part of the way,

because he had not money enough left. But on the way he

obtained some money by pledging his golden ear-ornaments,

and reached Tiruvannamalai by rail.

 

At once he went to the Presence in the temple and cried

in ecstasy, “Father, I have come just according to Thy

command.” And at once the burning heat in the body

disappeared, and therewith the sense of something being

lacking. Also, there was not any more flow of tears after this

except once, when, much later, he was composing a devotional

hymn for the use of his disciples, which is one of his ‘Five

Hymns to Arunachala.’

 

Going out of the temple he made a complete change in

his externals: but this he did in a mechanical way, without

thinking and making decisions. A barber’s services were

offered; and presently the lad had a complete shave on his

 

head. He reduced his dress to a kaupina — or cod-piece —

and he threw on the steps of a tank the remainder of the cash,

clothes and whatever else he had brought with him from his

last place of halt on the journey. All this was done with the

conviction that the body was not himself and did not deserve

to be treated as of any importance. He even omitted the bath

that invariably follows a shave. But a sudden shower of rain

drenched him on his way back to the temple.

 

For long after this he had no fixed place of abode; he

just sat in any place in which he could remain in the Egoless

State without disturbance from curious or mischievous

people. For long periods he was totally unconscious of the

body and its environment. The people who observed his

ways took it that he was a recluse who had taken a vow of

silence; and so they did not try to make him speak; and he

did nothing to undeceive them; he remained silent. And

this accidental silence continued for many years, so that in

course of time he lost the ability to speak; later, when

disciples came to him and he had to answer their questions,

he had to write his answers; but after a time he recovered

speech, not without some effort.

 

He never lacked food; for the people recognised his

exalted spirituality and were eager to supply his needs, so

that they might gain the merit of serving a holy one. But he

had, in the beginning, some trouble with mischievous boys,

which however did not disturb his inner peace.

 

Soon after coming to Tiruvannamalai, as a result of his

continuous experience of the Egoless State, he realised the

truth of the highest of the ancient Revelation: ‘I and my Father

are one.’ Thus he became a perfect Sage. Now he no longer

needed to enter into himself in order to enjoy the happiness

of the real Self; he had it all the time, whether he was aware

of the world or not. He thus became able to fulfil his mission

 

in the world as a Messenger of God — or rather of the real

Self, there being no God but that Self. It is this state of

uninterrupted experience of the real Self, which is known as

the Natural State (Sahajabhava).

 

.....................taken from MAHA YOGA, by WHO