From Swami Ramdas

[Guest guest]

When He makes you pass through many a painful ordeal of life,

it is only to awaken you to the ultimate Reality.

Kunti Devi, mother of the Pandavas, prayed for pain and trouble,

so that she may ever remember the Lord. Behind all this turmoil - acute pangs of

misery, anxiety and suffering -

there is a spotless state of absolute peace. That is your goal.

- Swami Ramdas

 

The following is a beautiful story.

 

The Mountain Path

Vol. 2 - JANUARY 1965 - No. 1

 

How I Came to The Maharshi - V

By Swami Ramdas

 

In his early autobiography, In Quest of God, (published by Anandashram,

Kanhangad) Swami Ramdas (for an article on whom see our issue of January

1964) describes how he attained the Divine Vision through the Grace of the

Maharshi. Years later he told this story to Dilip Kumar Roy who reproduced

it in his latest book, The Flute Calls Still (published by Indira Niloy,

Hari Krishna Mandir, Poona, and reviewed in our issue of October 1964).

Since some parts of the story are more detailed in one account and some in

the other, we have here combined them. We are grateful to both ashrams for

permission to quote from their

publications.

 

 

" Papa, " I said, " would you mind telling us about your final Realization

which they call 'Vishvarupa Darshan'? "

 

 

He readily acquiesced and gave a long description of his burning aspiration

and yearning which had led him to Arunachala Hill, hallowed by the tapas of

the peerless saint Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi. I can give here only the gist

of his long narration ....

 

 

One day the kind Sadhuram took Ramdas for the darshan of a famous saint of

the place named Sri Ramana Maharshi. His Ashram was at the foot of

Arunachala. It was a thatched shed. Both the visitors entered the ashram

and, meeting the saint, fell prostrate at his holy feet. It was really a

blessed place where that great man lived. He was young but there was on his

face a calmness and in his large eyes a passionless look of tenderness which

cast a spell of peace and joy on all those who came to him. Ramdas was

informed

that the saint knew English, so he addressed him thus: " Maharaj,

here stands before thee a humble slave. Have pity on him. His only prayer to

thee is to give him thy blessing. "

 

 

The Maharshi turned his beautiful eyes towards Ramdas and looked intently

for a few minutes into his eyes as though he was pouring into Ramdas his

blessing through those orbs, then shook his head to say he had blessed. A

thrill of inexpressible joy coursed through the frame of Ramdas, his whole

body quivering, like a leaf in the breeze ....

 

 

Now at the prompting of Ram, Ramdas desired to remain in solitude for some

time ... The sadhuram was ever ready to fulfil his wishes. Losing no time,

he took Ramdas up the mountain behind the great temple. Climbing high up he

showed him many caves. Of these, one small cave was selected for Ramdas,

which he occupied next day. In this cave he lived for nearly a month in deep

meditation of

Ram. This was the first time he was taken by Ram into solitude

for his bhajan. Now he felt most blissful sensations since he could hold

undisturbed communion with Ram. He was actually rolling in a sea of

indescribable happiness. To fix the mind on that fountain of bliss, Ram,

means, to experience pure joy ... He went on taking the Name in an ecstasy

of longing when, lo, suddenly his Lord Rama ... appeared before him and

danced and danced ...

 

 

" Did you see him with closed eyes or open? " I interjected,

 

 

" With open eyes, as Ramdas is seeing you, " Papa answered. " But it was not

this momentary vision that Ramdas's heart craved. For he knew that a vision

like this, was unlikely to last and so, when the Lord would vanish, Ramdas

would revert to his darkness. Therefore he prayed for the great darshan, the

Vision of visions, which comes to stay for ever so there is no more parting,

namely the Vishvarupa

Darshan, longing to see Rama always in everything;

that is nothing less would satisfy Ramdas. "

 

 

Papa paused and then resumed with a beatific smile: " And it came one morning

apocalyptically - when, lo, the entire landscape changed: All was Rama,

nothing but Rama - wherever Ramdas looked! Everything was ensouled by Rama -

vivid, marvellous, rapturous - the trees, the shrubs, the ants, the cows,

the cats, the dogs - even inanimate things pulsated with the marvellous

presence of the one Rama. And Ramdas danced in joy, like a boy who, when

given a lovely present, can't help breaking out into a dance. And so it was

with Ramdas: he danced with joy and rushed at a tree in front, which he

embraced because it was not a tree but Rama Himself! A man was passing by,

Ramdas ran towards him and embraced him, calling out: 'Rama, O Rama!' The

man got scared and bolted. But Ramdas gave him chase and dragged him back to

his

cave. The man noted that Ramdas had not a tooth in his head and so felt

a little reassured: at least the loony would not be able to bite him! " He

laughed out and we swelled the chorus.

 

 

" And then? " I asked, after the laughter had subsided.

 

 

" The bliss and joy came to be permanent, like a torrent rushing downhill

till it finds a placid level of limpid purling stream. This experience is

called sahaja samadhi, in which you can never be cut off from the

consciousness of being at one with the One who has become all, in which you

feel you are one with all because you have perceived that all is He, the

One-without-a-second. "

 

 

Finally we end with a comment made by Swami Ramdas - In 'Vision', the

monthly journal published by Anandashram, about forty years later.

 

 

Ramdas went to Ramana Maharshi in a state of complete obliviousness of the

world. He felt thrills of ecstasy in his presence. The

Maharshi made the

awakening permanent in Ramdas.

 

 

Some people told Ramdas: " You went to Maharshi and you got illumination.

Give us illumination like that. " Ramdas said, You must come to Ramdas in the

same spirit and in the same state as he went to Maharshi. Then you will also

get it. Where was his heart? How intense was his longing? What was the world

to him at that time ? If you come in that state it is all right. "