Post by Anand Vasudevan on Jan 2, 2014 17:59:36 GMT 5.5
SURRENDER – By V. Ganesan (Excerpt from DIRECT PATH – VOLUME XV ISSUE 1 : September – October, 2013)
In the mid-sixties, a few devotees expressed to me [as I was the Managing Editor of the Ashram journal THE MOUNTAIN PATH for which Arthur Osborne was the Editor ] their displeasure to our invariably publishing photographs of Sri Bhagavan in every issue, in addition to a frontispiece of His comely Form. Their stand was : “Maharshi’s teaching denies giving recognition to the body. When dehatma buddhi [ "I-am-the-body-idea" ]
is the obstacle to Self-Realization, why deify Maharshi’s body, almost to the point of idol worship, by printing His picture with every article ?”
I conveyed this vehement criticism to Mr.Osborne. He smiled and said : ” The bondage under which man squirms is due to his inextricable attachment to ‘names’ and ‘forms’, beginning with his own. Release from this bondage of ‘name’ and ‘form’ can be achieved only through the wise application of the ‘nama‘ and ‘rupa‘ of the Sat-Guru. The Sat-Guru‘s “Name” and “Form” are NOT the same as ours. Moreover, in some corner of the world, a yearning soul, a suffering sadhaka is pining, waiting perhaps to get redemption by having “darshan” of the picture of Sri Bhagavan.
“Never commit the mistake of treating the Sat-Guru as merely a normal human being. Refer to Supplement to Ulladu Narpadu , v. 39 : ‘Never use the sense of non-duality towards the Guru’. All our efforts, expenditure, labor, distribution – everything connected with the journal — will be fully justified if such a suffering soul is helped, redeemed !”
I had to wait till 1991 to get a “direct experience” of what my respected mentor Mr.Osborne explained to me in 1964 ! By then, both Mrs. & Mr. Osborne – two former Editors – had passed away and I was entrusted with the responsibility of editorship of the journal. I had started touring in the West, giving talks on Sri Bhagavan’s Teaching, under the specific and strong “instructions” of YOGI RAMSURATKUMAR. That was the second year of my such tours. Only to places where I was invited, I used to go.
Please read the following “thrilling experience” of mine :
” In Arizona, the beautiful township of Jerome is situated on a hill. Though I was staying in Cottonwood with dear friend (the late) John Lowenstein, the talks – spread over four days – were arranged at “Shanti“, a spacious hall in Jerome. The talks was well attended.
On the second and third days, I noticed a very young girl seated next to the entrance who was in tears throughout. She left as soon as the talks were over. On the fourth day, I insisted on introducing myself personally to everyone, and so requested them all to stay. I shook hands with each one, asking his or her name. Finally, I reached this tearful girl. I said, “Young lady ! I have been observing you all these days. You are in tears throughout. If you don’t mind, will you please tell me why you were crying ?”
She said with joy, “I don’t know why these tears are rolling down my cheeks. I know nothing about philosophy, much less spirituality. On the first day of your talk (I didn’t know about it, at all), my mother wanted me to get groceries from the Health Food Store, before I went to my school. I obeyed. As I was paying for the purchases, at the cash counter my eyes fell on the picture (it was Sri Bhagavan’s) with the xeroxed notice announcing your talk. I could not take my eyes away from it, even though it was not very well printed. I suddenly noticed that my eyes were welling up with tears. There was joy surging within. Tears came non-stop.
When I got home, still in tears, I told my mother about it. She also went to the Store and read the notice. My mother said, “He seems to be a Hindu saint. Instead of questioning these tears, why don’t you go to the talks yourself ?” So, from the second talk onwards, I am here. I understood every word you spoke about the Maharshi. It is joy, nothing but joy!”
I mentally prostrated to this blessed girl. She was profusely blessed by Sri Bhagavan – through His “Form “!
[Courtesy Sri V. Ganesan, Tiruvannamalai, India]
ramanakendradelhi.wordpress.com
In the mid-sixties, a few devotees expressed to me [as I was the Managing Editor of the Ashram journal THE MOUNTAIN PATH for which Arthur Osborne was the Editor ] their displeasure to our invariably publishing photographs of Sri Bhagavan in every issue, in addition to a frontispiece of His comely Form. Their stand was : “Maharshi’s teaching denies giving recognition to the body. When dehatma buddhi [ "I-am-the-body-idea" ]
is the obstacle to Self-Realization, why deify Maharshi’s body, almost to the point of idol worship, by printing His picture with every article ?”
I conveyed this vehement criticism to Mr.Osborne. He smiled and said : ” The bondage under which man squirms is due to his inextricable attachment to ‘names’ and ‘forms’, beginning with his own. Release from this bondage of ‘name’ and ‘form’ can be achieved only through the wise application of the ‘nama‘ and ‘rupa‘ of the Sat-Guru. The Sat-Guru‘s “Name” and “Form” are NOT the same as ours. Moreover, in some corner of the world, a yearning soul, a suffering sadhaka is pining, waiting perhaps to get redemption by having “darshan” of the picture of Sri Bhagavan.
“Never commit the mistake of treating the Sat-Guru as merely a normal human being. Refer to Supplement to Ulladu Narpadu , v. 39 : ‘Never use the sense of non-duality towards the Guru’. All our efforts, expenditure, labor, distribution – everything connected with the journal — will be fully justified if such a suffering soul is helped, redeemed !”
I had to wait till 1991 to get a “direct experience” of what my respected mentor Mr.Osborne explained to me in 1964 ! By then, both Mrs. & Mr. Osborne – two former Editors – had passed away and I was entrusted with the responsibility of editorship of the journal. I had started touring in the West, giving talks on Sri Bhagavan’s Teaching, under the specific and strong “instructions” of YOGI RAMSURATKUMAR. That was the second year of my such tours. Only to places where I was invited, I used to go.
Please read the following “thrilling experience” of mine :
” In Arizona, the beautiful township of Jerome is situated on a hill. Though I was staying in Cottonwood with dear friend (the late) John Lowenstein, the talks – spread over four days – were arranged at “Shanti“, a spacious hall in Jerome. The talks was well attended.
On the second and third days, I noticed a very young girl seated next to the entrance who was in tears throughout. She left as soon as the talks were over. On the fourth day, I insisted on introducing myself personally to everyone, and so requested them all to stay. I shook hands with each one, asking his or her name. Finally, I reached this tearful girl. I said, “Young lady ! I have been observing you all these days. You are in tears throughout. If you don’t mind, will you please tell me why you were crying ?”
She said with joy, “I don’t know why these tears are rolling down my cheeks. I know nothing about philosophy, much less spirituality. On the first day of your talk (I didn’t know about it, at all), my mother wanted me to get groceries from the Health Food Store, before I went to my school. I obeyed. As I was paying for the purchases, at the cash counter my eyes fell on the picture (it was Sri Bhagavan’s) with the xeroxed notice announcing your talk. I could not take my eyes away from it, even though it was not very well printed. I suddenly noticed that my eyes were welling up with tears. There was joy surging within. Tears came non-stop.
When I got home, still in tears, I told my mother about it. She also went to the Store and read the notice. My mother said, “He seems to be a Hindu saint. Instead of questioning these tears, why don’t you go to the talks yourself ?” So, from the second talk onwards, I am here. I understood every word you spoke about the Maharshi. It is joy, nothing but joy!”
I mentally prostrated to this blessed girl. She was profusely blessed by Sri Bhagavan – through His “Form “!
[Courtesy Sri V. Ganesan, Tiruvannamalai, India]
ramanakendradelhi.wordpress.com