Reminiscences

Tatyasaheb Ketkar once narrated a reminiscence. Around 1912, while he was at Gondavale, Shri Maharaj gave him a rupee coin, saying, 'Keep this with you, and give it to me when I ask for it.' As Tatyasaheb's sense of obedience to the guru was absolute, his interpretation was that 'when I ask for it' meant that he should be able to produce it at any given moment. So he used always to keep it on his person. He used to mind it when changing clothes or when dressing after a bath. At night he used often to feel it with his hand lest it might unknowingly get dropped. Later, when ShriMaharaj suddenly once asked for it, Tatyasaheb immediately produced it.

Recounting this reminiscence, Tatyasaheb said, "It was a very minor matter, but as a result I had a constant memory of ShriMaharaj during that period; a continual awareness of him was thereby maintained. Even now any­one can maintain awareness in a similar manner. For example, if one makes it a habit to set aside, say, one per cent of one's income for offering to the guru, then, when­ever one receives such income, every day or every month according to one's profession, awareness of the sadguru will be re-awakened. But, one should not let a feeling arise that one is helping the sadguru in this way, for as he is literally the master of all creation, what can he want from any one? That one should remain aware of him, and that one's fondness for money should steadily decrease, is the true aim. One should not let conceit take root that one has earned the money by one's efforts and smartness; one should nurture a feeling that all this is his beneficence. Also, one should not harbour a fear that there might be a shortfall for meeting one's domestic needs because of this gifting. How can it happen that one will fall short for running one's household when it is a law of nature created by God, 'Sow one grain and reap a thousand' ? However, one should be practical in this matter." After saying this Tatyasaheb said, "Experience has been that faith in and love for the sadguru go on increasing, and fondness for money and the fear of falling short go on decreasing, by chanting of nama."

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Reminiscences

Once a group of persons returned from visiting shrines of some saints. At some places they had met with good facilities, while at others the facilities were the barest minimum. The persons felt some misgivings about the saints at whose shrine they had been inconvenienced. Speaking about it, ShriMaharaj said, "The saintliness of saints is not to be looked for in these externals. It is to­tally wrong to presume that a saint at whose retreat one met with good facilities is better or higher than the saint at whose retreat one was inconvenienced. One should un­derstand that the shrine where the mind becomes tran­quil and quickly turns inwards is hallowed. It is not a saint's task to provide bodily comforts. But even then they look after the comforts of callers as much as is possible. How can they help it if even then there is a little inconve­nience ?"

Reminiscences

"What is the difference between the path of knowl­edge of God, followed by ShriShankaracharya, and the saints' path of love for God, or devotion ?" While answer­ing this question ShriMaharaj said, "Both ways lead to the same God. Which way to follow depends upon a sadhaka's preparation and disposition, A sharp memory is required, and the intellect needs to be subtle, for per­sons to follow this way. But the way of devotion is a way of love. Not every one has a subtle intellect, but everyone is capable of love. Worship can be practised when one switches one's love from worldly affairs to God. In love there is tenderness. Intellect is relatively stern, unbending. God can be attained speedily by the use of intellect; longer time is required by the practice of worship. But ordinary persons find the way of love convenient. Love for God is generated readily by namasmarana

 end-

Reminiscences

God has endowed man with certain faculties which are
truly useful; forgetfulness is one such boon by which life
loses much of its sting, its sorrows and unpleasantnesses. Man, however, practises this boon on God Himself by for- getting Him; he uses his boon of intellect to argue, and tries to prove that God is a myth, does not exist at all. "Is this not outdoing Bhasmasura?" Shreemaharaj asked.

(Bhasmaasura: a Demon who sought to use a boon on the granter himself)

Reminiscences

After advising, "It is necessary for a sadhaka leading domestic life to be very careful," ShriMaharaj continued, "In public a sadhaka takes care of practices for attain­ment of God. That is not very difficult. All people are used to conducting themselves with some degree of re­straint when amongst strangers. But a sadhaka's lust and ire boil and spill over at home, particularly in dealing with his wife. Therefore, he whose wife calls him a saintly person, must be a genuinely saintly person."

Reminiscences

ShriMaharaj had gone to Mysore. The group accompa­nying him had one day returned after seeing ore in a gold mine. ShriMaharaj asked, "What did you see ?" Someone said, "We saw ore in a gold mine. There are pieces of stone containing a small speck of gold; only that speck of gold is extracted and the rest of the stone is thrown away." Upon this ShriMaharaj said, "I too do likewise. I accept only the small speck of love for God that is present in the heart of a man coming to me. The rest of him is nothing but trash."

Reminiscences

Once a devotee asked, "Maharaj, when we come to Gondavale we feel great enthusiasm for namasmarana for the first week or so. Gradually the intensity dimin­ishes. Why is this ?" ShriMaharaj said, "Nowadays boys and girls from all sections of society go to schools and colleges. A fisherman's handsome daughter was studying in a college. She married a rich, perfumer's son studying in her class. After the marriage she went to live with her husband's family. There being a perfumery right at home, for the first week or so she felt good because of the fra­grance. But later she began to lose appetite and ate poorly. She thinned. Her father-in-law noticed this and he asked her what the matter was. She told him, 'For the first few days I very much liked the strongly fragrant atmosphere. But later it became overpowering to me. From my child­hood, I am used to the smell of fishes and I now yearn for it. It is because I cannot get that smell here that I cannot eat well.' On hearing this her father-in-law said to her, "Look here, do you not now belong to our family ? Now you will have to rid your mind of the memory of the smell of fishes. You have now to spend your life here in this house." ShriMaharaj further said, "Your condition is simi

lar to that of the fisherman's daughter. You are reminded of worldly pleasures by your earlier conditioning, and thereby the ardour for sadhana gradually diminishes. You should now .tell your mind that now that you belong to Rama, it must now find happiness in the service and memory of Rama. It will not do to be reminded of worldly pleasures."

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