reminiscences

THE OUTWARD APPEARANCE OF A SAINT HAS NO IMPORTANCE

   While Shri Brahmananda Maharaj was at Beldhadi, a scholar learned in the scriptures came to see him. On

noticing the spots of leucoderma on the feet and legs of ShriBrahmanandamaharaj, a misgiving arose in his mind. After a little while Aarati was performed before Rama, in the temple. After it was over, ShriBrahmanandamaharaj on purpose took upon himself to serve Tirtha. Ganeshbhat, the priest, followed him, serving Prasad. When, while serv­ing Tirtha to all, ShriBrahmanandamaharaj came upto the learned pundit he turned to Ganeshbhat and said aloud, "Look, it will not do for the learned pundit to re­ceive Tirtha from my hands. So you serve him Tirtha and Prasad."

TO TREAT LIFE LIKE A PLAY IS KARMAYOGA

A professor of Sanskrit once asked ShriMaharaj, "The Lord says in the Gita: 'To action alone hast thou a right, and never at all to its fruits'. How can one observe this in everyday life?" ShriMaharaj said, "It is a maxim, and one does follow it in everyday life, but one does not real­ize it. Sometimes one plays a game of cards; many a time one does not get good cards for maybe two or three times in a row. In spite of this, one does not throw the cards down and quit. One continues to play with all diligence with whatever cards one gets in each deal. To retain the state of mind which prevails at that time, in all actions in life, is called Karmayoga. This is what the Lord has told in this verse."

TT

* A rendering of Sanskrit : (Gita, 2.47)

One Should appreciate that God sustains One’s Household

A very good disciple of ShriMaharaj remained without any gainful employment after the age of retirement. The amount of pension being meagre, the household expenses were being met from the earnings of his son. ShriMaharaj said to him, "Can you make both ends meet every month? I do not want the answer, 'You are taking care of every­thing.' Tell me what is the real condition? The son said, "The last ten days of the month are difficult." Upon this ShriMaharaj said, "That is a very good thing. At least in those ten days a realization prevails that God provides sustenance for one's household. Such a realization should be considered grace of God." About the total amount of wealth in the world ShriMaharaj used to say, "One fourth of the globe comprises of land, and three - fourths of wa­ter. The total quantity of water remains constant, it does not change. Similarly, when there is an inflow of money on one side, there is an outflow of it on someone else's side. One should definitely presume that prosperity on one's side is adversity somewhere else. This means that accumulation of wealth by one is from another's state of want, or misfortune. Therefore, to enjoy that wealth is not in the interest of any devotee of God."

Because of Money, Corruption usually occurs in the Mind’s Functioning

ShriMaharaj used to employ the word 'Paika', for money, to indicate his contempt for it. Someone asked him, "Why do you use that particular word for money, instead of the commoner word "Paisa?" ShriMaharaj said, 'I use it to show my contempt.' The person again asked him, 'Is it not that God Himself has created money ? Then why do you consider it contemptible?' ShriMaharaj said, "I do not show contempt for money as an object. But because of money the mind's functioning becomes corrupted. Although one's subsistence is derived by the grace of God, money creates an illusion that it is derived from money. Because of temptation for money, one forgets God. This is what I do not like. No matter how much money he ob­tains, the person who retains a constant awareness that it has been obtained by the grace of God should be consid­ered a very fortunate person. Secondly, other undesirable pursuits have limitations imposed by the body; money does not have them. Man never suffers from possessing 'surplus' money."

One’s Wish Ought not to Differ from Rama’s

A young widow had lived in the monastery of ShriMaharaj for some years. She contracted some dis­ease. Medication was given for about one to one - and - a half months, but with no avail. Then she said to ShriMaharaj, "There is no one who will weep for me upon my death. There is nothing to which my heart binds me. Even if you were to give me death right now, I am ready to depart from this world gladly. At least I will be free of this physical agony." ShriMaharaj did not like this talk of hers. He said, "You say that you now wholly belong to Rama. Such a person ought not to talk about departing from this world as long as Rama lets him be; likewise, when He comes to take him away he should not talk about staying on in this world for a minute longer. But man behaves exactly contrary to this."

A WAY TO OBSERVE 'MOUNA' - SPEAK ONLY AS MUCH AS IS NECESSARY

When a woman requested him to suggest an obser­vance for the four monsoon months, ShriMaharaj said, "There are many different kinds of observances practised; such as, to limit diet to only one kind of grain, to eat only one meal a day, to partake of a meal only after uttering the name of a particular deity, and so on. But I will sug­gest an entirely different kind of observance. It may be practised by men as well as by women. Whenever there is an occasion to speak, one should be on guard not to speak in one's own praise and of others' faults. Both these things have become so much a part of ourselves that we do not even realize that we are doing them. We also talk unnec­essarily about other matters. Therefore, when one wishes to say anything at all, one should ask one's own mind whether it is necessary to say it, will it hinder anything if it is not said ? If only this much care is taken, nearly ninety per cent of speech, needless conflicts, and bitter­ness arising therefrom, will be avoided. Everyday trans­actions will thereby become more amicable and pleasant. Even if the remaining ten per cent essential conversation is retained, a person engaged in worldly affairs may be considered to have maintained an adequate amount of silence. If we apply all the time and energy thus saved to the practice ofNama, the vision and thoughts will auto­matically turn inwards, love for Nama will be height­ened, the heart will be cleansed, the mind will start be­coming steady. When steadiness of mind has been accomplished, God is not far. One should, however, not limit this observance to the four monsoon months, it should be practised till death."

Shri Maharaj further said, "Some who practise this ob­servance refrain from speaking, but convey their mind by writing or by gestures, and thereby sometimes do ridicu­lous things." He narrated an example of this. He said, "A magistrate used to observe very strict silence during the course of worship. One day, while the worship was in progress, four policemen brought along a hardened thief whom they had apprehended. The leader of the police party saluted him and said, 'Sir, we have arrested him and brought him here. Now please give orders as to what is to be done next.' The magistrate's commitment to si­lence was rigid; therefore, to give orders through gestures, he picked up the idol of Balkrishna before him, tied his sacred thread to its leg, and holding the idol upside down hit him with the pali*. What he intended to convey was, 'Hang the thief upside down and give him a sound beat­ing.' If he had conveyed the same thing by words, at least the poor Balkrishna would have been spared the beating! In brief, one should use one's judgement even in observ­ing silence."

* Pali :(m£i) the tiny ladle used at the time of worship.

Varshikotsav - A few pictures