The Story of Venk Tasan

[Guest guest]

Venk Tasan is a man i met at the cafe adjacent to Ramana Ashram in

Tiruvannamali. He would ride up on a bike with hand pedals, as his legs were

suffering and in need of a surgery which he could not afford. I am not sure

exacly what happened to his legs, but he can not walk very well at all. Venk

Tasan appears to be in his twenties and weighs I am guessing 90 pounds. Upon

meeting me he asked for my email and i gave it to him. In exchange he gave me

his email and his bank account number.

 

Venk Tasan was a little bit annoying as it was hard to understand his words and

he would repeat himself many times, as well as sit very close and touch my arm,

not paying attention to 'personal space'. I watched the rising sense of

annoyance from a deeper space of appreciation of Venk Tasan's actual beauty and

purity.

 

One day he was up the stairs from the cafe in the bank and i happened to the

bank at the same time. He was sruggling to come down the stairs, so i assisted

him and actually lifted him up to put him on the bicycle. He was like a little

kid. As I was aiding him thus, the president of Ramana Ashram was comming out

the gate of the Ashram and happened to look up and see me and Venk Tasan and

smiled. (Those who have seen the president, can recall he has quite a potent

smile)

 

I felt a surge of pride in that moment, that I was seen doing a good deed for a

'cripple'; and then from within, deep in the heart, where we all receive the

clearest teachings from 'God' 'Guru' or 'Self': Ramana said: " you are the

cripple for being selfconscious of your true desire to love and serve all... get

rid of this and all will be Grace " ... this was not said in words that were heard

by me... this was felt.

 

I gave Venk Tasan a small amount of money a couple times during my short stay in

Tiruvannamalai, and mentioned I could maybe help him more down the road. The

many beggars in Tiru can be distracting and seem even greedy, but Venk Tasan was

not a beggar, just a young man in need of a surgery, and he was now a friend.

 

Upon returning to America, Venk Tasan sent me an email asking for money. I had

never experienced what it was like to be asked for money in this particular way.

It felt as if Ramana Himself or God Himself was asking me for money. I had no

sense of judgement that a true person would not ask for money or that there was

any selfishness in his asking.

 

Ramana solidified this when he flashed in my mind a picture of himself at the

age of 21 which looked similar to Venk Tasan, especially the eyes. And Ramana

said, I am Venk Tasan. The deeper teaching is Ramana is everyone, meaning all

are God; so when we are touched by Grace, we see only God, and in fact God is

the Seer.

 

I went to my bank here in California and wanted to send 20 us dollars, and was

told it would cost 20$ to send 20$. This was unacceptable to me. I would not pay

the bank this much money. I ended up sending it online thru western union and

this cost me 10$ to send 20$, so he recieved 955 rupees, as I believe they took

out a conversion fee also. 955 rupees can go a long way in India. But I do not

have a lot of money to send as I am currently living on unemployment money and

awaiting money from the GI bill.

 

After receiving the money, Venk Tasan informed me that i now have a new member

in my family; Venk Tasan. I do not know what the surgery is that he needs, but

will find out.

 

I feel compelled to help Venk Tasan.