An article by Hilda Charlton about Yogi Ramsuratkumar

[Guest guest]

There are saints who hide from the crowd's eyes that they may do

their spiritual work on Earth unhindered by the clamor of fame. These

hidden Great Ones help keep the balance of the world. Mystical to

some, foolish to others, insane in the eyes of the worldly ones who

are tied to customs of what is right and wrong, these masters of life

break down the confining walls of customs which bind humanity. They

aThere are saints who hide from the crowd's eyes that they may do

their spiritual work on Earth re the spiritual ones who work

silently, secretly, quietly changing the world, unnoticed by the

masses. They care not for fame or recognition; in fact, they shun it.

They walk softly through life as God's beacons of light and truth for

those whose hearts and eyes are cleared of Earth enough to see.

 

One such saint is Yogi Ramsuratkumar of South India. I have never met

Swami on the physical plane. (During a pilgrimage Hilda made to India

later that year, she and Yogi Ramsuratkumar met in Tiruvannamalai.)

He lives ten thousand miles away, yet we are friends and know each

other. I often feel his presence in my home or at my meetings. We

hear each other as if we were in nearby rooms. He helps many of those

whom I am helping. There is no space or distance when divine love of

humanity is the bond. True are the words " He who humbleth himself

shall be exalted. " (Lk. 14:11) When I receive a letter from him,

referring to himself as " a beggar, " " a sinner, " " a servant, " it only

brings forth laughter from my heart, and all I can think of is would

that the world had more sinners and beggars like Yogi Ramsuratkumar.

I asked Phyllis who attends my meetings to go and see Swami when she

went to India. She returned looking radiant and happy and gave the

following account:

 

" I have often read accounts of people first meeting with their guru,

and I wondered if I would ever experience such a God-person. For me,

India is Yogi Ramsuratkumar — a God-man beyond words and an

experience whose depths I do not comprehend at this point in time. I

went to Tiruvannamalai looking for Swami, but Swami found me. I was

walking down the street and stopped for a moment near steps that

seemed to descend from heaven. Coming toward me was a man not small,

yet when he moved his gracefulness was remarkable. It was as if he

weren't there. He just seemed to flow as though the wind were picking

him up and as though he moved on clouds when he walked. As this man

came toward me, I felt myself beam with untold joy. `Are you looking

for me?' he asked. There he was. A smile came across my face: it was

Swami. We would sit for hours, many times never a word spoken, our

eyes meeting and our souls touching. I felt my heart melt into Swami

and watched as tears poured out of my eyes in ecstasy. There was

nothing to say, nothing to do — just to be with Swami fulfilled

every

fiber of my being. The total communication I was experiencing with

Swami went beyond words. I felt he knew everything about me, and I

knew I was home.

 

" Swami asked me a variety of questions and we spoke about the guru

and initiation. When I asked Swami if he initiated, his reply was,

`This beggar doesn't initiate. He just talks,' and deep inside me I

knew what Swami meant and what initiation really was. Initiation

until Swami had always been some outward display — a touch, etc.

With

Swami, initiation took on a form that knows no words — it was all

internal.

 

" One cannot be in his presence when he is laughing without being

infected by him — it brings you total joy and happiness. There

was a

man visiting him from Madras who was telling Swami how fortunate he

was to have met Swami on his last visit. He said that the next day he

was in a car accident. Well, Swami roared laughing. `What fortune is

this? You come to this beggar and then have a car accident,' he said

laughingly. `But, Swami, by your grace I came out with a minor injury

when I could have been killed,' was the man's reply. Swami then asked

the man which destination he was headed for next and proceeded —

all

the time laughing — to bless his journey.

 

" Another time there was a group of Indians sitting before Swami, and

Swami was telling them of Hilda and how much love she has for `this

beggar' and how she sends him people all the way from America. `This

beggar doesn't know how to act,' he said, shaking his head.

 

" When it came time for me to leave Swami the first time after only

being with him for three days, it was very difficult. I wanted to

stay with him forever — there was no need to go anywhere else.

But

Swami said to go, and so I left. When I arrived in Bangalore to meet

with Sai Baba, I discovered it wasn't possible to meet with him since

he was traveling. My initial reaction was frustration since the bus

ride from Tiruvannamalai was seven hours — then the light shone

through and I found myself laughing and laughing. How lucky I was. I

could go back to be with Swami. As arduous as the seven-hour bus ride

was, it seemed nothing compared with the joys of being with Swami

again.

 

" Before leaving Bangalore, I went to the airlines to change my flight

date from March 9th to March 16th. Back in Tiruvannamalai with Swami,

it became apparent that Swami was with me even when I had left. For

example, Swami knew I was leaving for New York on the 9th. When I met

with Swami the second time, although he seemed surprised to see me

back in Tiruvannamalai, he commented, `Then you are not leaving on

the 9th, you will be leaving on the 16th.' Well, what more did I

need! He knew it all. After that statement, my inner conviction was

satisfied, and when I took leave of Swami for the second time, it was

all okay. I knew, deep inside, we were not really parting — it

only

appeared so.

 

There is meaning in every movement. When he puts a stone in a certain

place or a teacup in a certain way, he has a reason in his seeming

craziness, as he calls himself " this mad fellow. " An example of this

occurred when William was with Swami. He says, " Swami usually sent

out for tea in the evenings. When the devotee brought the teacups and

teapot, Swami would distribute the cups and pour the tea himself. The

cups seemed to be very randomly distributed, that is, without any

particular order. Likewise, the tea was poured in a similar manner.

Once when the teacups were placed before us by Swami and we were

waiting for them to be filled with tea, I unconsciously moved the cup

about an inch closer to myself. Swami stopped instantly and said

sharply, `What, you moved that cup! Don't you think this beggar knows

what he is doing? You have spoiled this beggar's work!' It was the

last time I made that mistake. It also showed me that his every

action had a purpose in the work that he was doing.

 

" On the first day I met Swami, four of us were in a field at the foot

of Arunachala hill. Swami had us sit three across in a row. Suddenly

the mood changed; I saw Swami standing in front of me raising his

right hand up in the air, palm facing me. I felt my eyes getting

heavy, and the next thing I knew, I was in a very deep meditative

state. It was such a deep state that I felt I could stay there

forever. The surroundings were totally blanked out and there was only

a deep, inner space filled with light. I felt the presence of a

powerful light moving slowly around me in a circular motion. Swami

completed the circle and spoke to me. `Come this side, Mr. Will, come

this side. No good tea on that side.' Then he said in a very slow but

firm voice, `Two, nine, zero, eight.' The next thing I remember is

that my eyes were opening and looking at Swami standing in front of

me. `Two, nine, zero, eight' and I was back instantly into the

physical consciousness. Swami looked at the devotees sitting there

and said, `Two, nine, zero, eight seems to be Mr. Will's number!'

Then he roared with laughter.

 

" A student brought back a tape of Swami on which was heard his

laughter. It was total, captivating, and all present were affected.

It brought joy and happiness. I feel this laughter of his breaks up

the sorrows, the heaviness of the thought forms and the karma of

those who sit at his feet.

 

Another disciple, Joan, says her thoughts often float back to the

days she spent with Yogi Ramsuratkumar and with the group under a

tree in a farmer's field by the railway station, or the nights in the

bazaar near the great temple where the group would be tucked away in

some corner, hardly noticed by the throngs of people passing by. She

says: " Those times with Swami awakened within me the thrill of being

on Earth — all the joy he imparted. His divine laughter still

fills

me with ecstasy to this day.

 

" Rarely does Swami call himself anything other than a `beggar,' a

`sinner' or `this mad fellow.' But during some precious moments, far

into the night, when it seemed the very Heavens and Earth stilled to

hear his message, he has said that he is a Master doing the work of

his Father and the Father is pleased with `this beggar's work.' He

said it is not his lot to live protected in an ashram and to be

recognized in the manner we would think proper.

 

" Swami has revealed his vision to the world. He said that in the

next few decades we will not be able to recognize this Earth. This

Earth will be a beautiful and glorious place. He also talked about

the young people who have not taken on the same values as their

parents. They travel over the world, not recognizing national

boundaries or carrying prejudices. He says that these young people

are the first wave in the change of Earth consciousness, already

living the promise of the future when there will be no boundaries, no

passports for travel, when the Earth will be one unified place in

which to live in peace and harmony. Swami has great respect for the

United Nations and sees the urgency for a unified world.

 

" Just as people should act morally and responsibly as laid down in

the codes of all religions, nations have to live in a like manner, "

he says. " They have to realize that their conduct is responsible for

the peace and well-being of the world. " Swami can be wise,

childlike, joyous, stern. Many are his moods. The following fragments

of his teachings confirm this. Once a visitor from America remarked

to Swami that many times Swami has been seen in dreams helping and

instructing people who did not even know of him at the time. They

recognized him in pictures later on. To this, the Master

remarked: " This beggar doesn't know. The Father must be helping them.

The Father does some work and gives credit to this sinner. The Father

loves this sinner. Don't know why. "

 

Once a disciple was sitting alone with the Master in the corner of a

bazaar when a man walked up to the group and kindly offered Yogi

Ramsuratkumar a pot of spiced milk. The Master jumped up and shouted

at him and complained that he had interrupted his work. He loudly

ordered the man to go away. Then Swami sat down with the group and

resumed talking, exactly where he had left off. But one devotee was

thinking to himself: How could he be so cruel? He is shameless! The

devotee was speechless. When Swami saw his reaction, he became silent

for a moment and then said, " There are saints who will throw stones

at those people who come near them, but whoever is hit by those

stones is blessed by them. There is as much joy in the fight as there

is in the success. " To be yelled at by a saint, to be pelted with a

stone by a yogi, is to have your karma wiped out. It is pure grace.

One student who comes to me was given grace by Yogi Ramsuratkumar as

follows: One morning as he was awakening and in that half-state

between waking and sleep, he found himself chanting Yogi

Ramsuratkumar's name. He saw himself standing on the shore of a vast

ocean and meeting a disciple who took him to Swami. Yogi

Ramsuratkumar appeared to be very stern and powerful when he

said, " Shakti is the material out of which are made the blocks for

constructing your house, but too much power can be a dangerous

thing. " At that moment a black-like substance was drawn out of the

boy. Swami's demeanor changed to one of boyish laughter and love. He

said, " But the question is, what are you going to put in your house

when it is built? You are going to put love in your house. " Then the

black substance was transformed into a beautiful light radiating from

the Master into the boy's solar plexus. The force of light and love

took him into a state of the Absolute — no breath, no movement.

Slowly the Master brought him back into Earth-awareness with the

lesson of love learned and experienced. Grace.

 

A devotee of Yogi Ramsuratkumar tells his experience: " Swami was

walking in the early days on the road from South India in Kerala

District to Trivandrum. He observed a truck stuck way out on a lonely

road, away from civilization. Swami said to the men who had for hours

been trying to get it to start, `Please start it now.' He took one

step forward and, raising his staff, touched the engine and called to

God, saying, `By the grace of Ram, your engine will start.' The men

were outraged; their tempers flared and they cursed this seeming

beggar until the man sitting in the driver's seat turned the

ignition. The engine started. Everyone was suddenly joyous, and all

were saluting Swami and pouring forth words of appreciation as they

drove away. As Swami was telling this story and talking to me, his

words became inaudible, my breathing became slower and almost

stopped, my mind was reeling, and I lost consciousness of the world.

As I almost fell into Swami's lap, I realized that even though I

couldn't hear his words, they were the source of this great power.

Then, at that moment, he raised his staff in a gesture of power, and

with a few last words, he stopped every atom of my body. I was

engulfed in a scintillating and wonderful energy. This didn't seem to

be the appropriate time to be laughing, but with the spinning in my

solar plexus I couldn't stop. When I was composed enough to ask Swami

what was happening, he interrupted, `You must be very hungry,' and he

sped away to get food. "

 

From the moment I heard of Yogi Ramsuratkumar, I knew in my heart he

was one of the Great Ones who work quietly and silently for the

world. With the power of his thought and action, he creates the world

he wants. He places a teacup, tells devotees just where to sit,

places a stone somewhere, and in so doing sends out into the ethers

the power to unify the world. Some students were walking behind him

in a rice field. He was walking swiftly and suddenly stopped short.

The ones in back bumped into him. He was stern and said after a long

silence, " You have spoiled this beggar's work! "

 

The following quotations from Yogi Ramsuratkumar illuminate his work

on Earth:

 

" In the world there are various spiritual movements working to bring

about great changes — a new world. It is in connection with the

great

world movement, the great spiritual world movement, that this beggar

does his work.

 

" This beggar believes in the vision of his spiritual teacher, Sri

Aurobindo. " He then proceeded to explain that Aurobindo had a dream

and vision of a universal unity and peace on Earth and, furthermore,

of a race of spiritual supermen.

 

" This work must be done. It is all that we can do. But this beggar

will tell you...it won't fail.

 

" It is not for this beggar to talk of these philosophies. He is here

to talk with the people and mingle with them.

 

" This beggar has been assigned a great mission. And this beggar does

his work in every step he walks. He gives advice or help to those few

people who come to him, but as a general rule, his real work goes

unnoticed. Please excuse him for giving some importance to this body! "

 

Yes, the Great Ones who work alone are helping to keep the balance of

this world. Every step they take, every breath they breathe has a

meaning. They are on Earth in hidden places, unseen, unsung by

humanity, but their work goes on. When my thoughts go to Yogi

Ramsuratkumar who dwells in the light of the Red Hill, Arunachala,

Tiruvannamalai, my heart sings: " I love life. I love giving; I love

receiving. I love the sun, the moon, the mud, the hardships. I love

the glory. Yes, I love life, God's life in all its diversities and

forms, but best of all, the Formless One. To the hidden saints of

light, let us humbly bow " .