LITERATURE-LIGHT AND DELIGHT
48. SIGNIFICANCE OF SAGES AND SAINTS
Why do we value and revere Saints and Sages?
Religion is after all about God. Many religious people hold that Saints and Sages were but human, with a normal, perishable human body and that it is wrong to worship them. They say that the photos or pictures of Saints should not be placed alongside those of Gods and Goddesses.
However, we find Sages,Saints and Holy men and women are honoured all over the world, though the forms vary. Christians , especially Catholics, are fond of Saints, and merrily create more and more! They even assign specific tasks to different saints: one to bestow health, one to restore lost things, etc. A special nine day worship called Novena is observed in respect of saints.Muslims say there is no God but Allah, and do not keep pictures of any saint, but they do honour the graves (Durgah) of holy men,which they visit and whose pictures many people keep.Thus the grave itself becomes an image for them, though they condemn graven images!
For Hindus, worship of sacred things comes naturally- be it a holy mountain, river, tree, even a book. They regard the Guru as God, and worship both. It is easy to say it is absurd to equate human beings with God and offer worship. But how many have seen God? We know God only through godly persons. Of course there are any number of pretenders. But then are all scientists really like Einstein? Are there no cheats and charlatans among doctors, lawyers- in fact in every profession or trade?
In the olden days, the reputation of a holy person spread only by word of mouth, and it was a slow process. It is given to few to recognise genuine spirituality or holiness- like it is given to few to test the diamond. Others have to take their word. In this there can be mistakes, as well as mischief.Now, with media hypes, managed publicity and all, no one is sure of anything, anymore.
One test of genuine saintliness is the transformation brought about in the lives of followers. But most people approach a saint not for spiritual upliftment, but some temporal reason. They estimate the saint's worth or status accordingly. Popular opinion is swayed by so called 'miracles'. Obviously, saints belong to various levels.
Many saints were not recognised during their lifetime.They were known only in local areas and limited circles. Sri Ramakrishna is well known today, but in his own lifetime, he was not known outside Calcutta, and outside the small band of devotees. He did not have a place of his own, but lived in the Dakshineswar temple, till about 11 months prior to his death, when he had to be taken to Calcutta to facilitate treatment for his cancer.At one stage, he desired to come back to the temple, but the descendants of the founder refused to take him back, even though the founder and her son in law had been his staunchest devotees,and had suffered or tolerated all his freaky or unconventional ways, convinced of his divinity. Sri Ramakrishna died in an obscure corner, cared for by a small band of poor devotees and two or three householders who met the expenses of his treatment. Unfortunately , he was not given a proper Samadhi as fitting a Saint, but cremated! Two groups of devotees fought over his ashes, and some subterfuge was involved before the major portion was finally taken over by those who ultimately installed it in the Belur Math!
There were debates among some religious peole about the nature of Sri Ramakrishna, even during his sadhana days, observing his intense devotion, and one assembly of such learned religious men came to the conclusion that he was an avatar. Towards the end of his life, he is reported to have said to Vivekananda: 'the one who came as Rama and Krishna has now come as Ramakrishna, but not in your Vedantic sense'. Some how, Vivekananda himself did not give publicity to this, but The Gospel records Ramakrishna's other statements on this subject. But there were orthodox circles who did not accept him as an avatar, or even as a genuine saint. And there are such people even today!
Ramakrishna became well known only after the publication of 'The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna', but this came many years after his passing, especially in English. Indeed, Vivekananda had become well-known in the educated circles of India after his triumph at Chicago in 1893! But he did not promote the cult of Ramakrishna in America, though for some valid reasons: he wanted to promote Vedanta as the universal religion! But in India, he established the Math and thus founded the cult of Ramakrishna! But what we know about Sri Ramakrishna is primarily due to the writings of Mahendranath Gupta who was cremated next to the spot of Sri Ramakrishna's cremation! In death, as in life, he is next to his master! One gets the feeling that he has not been given due recognition or honour in the official circles, because he was not a monk, though it was Sri Ramakrishna who asked him to remain a householder. For me, personally, Mahendranath Gupta ranks above all monks- yes, even above Vivekananda and Brahmananda- for, it is he who made Sri Ramakrishna known to us! Many people may talk of Vedanta or God, but it takes an M to write about Sri Ramakrishna. Take away The Gospel, and see what remains of Sri Ramakrishna literature! The Gospel is the true memorial to Sri Ramakrishna! Nay, Sri Ramakrishna LIVES in its pages.
This is quite in accordance with Sri Ramakrishna's own attitude. 'Bhagavatam, Bhakta, Bhagavan '- he used to say. Sri Ramakrishna's visions had confirmed to him that Sri Krishna is indeed in the Bhagavata, and his Bhakta cannot be distinguished from him! Our own Avvaiyar had said that God resides in the heart of the devotee and it is the devotee who is greater than every thing else in the world! What is great in a monk talking about God? He is only supposed to do that! But it is great for a householder to remember and glorify God, in the midst of all his worldly cares. Sri Ramakrishna used to say that one who thought of God while living in the world is like one fighting from within a fort! On 22 October 1885, he said:
Blessed indeed is the householder who performs his duties in the world cherishing love at the same time for the Lotus Feet of God....You may ask,'Is there any difference between the realizations of two jnanis, one a householder and the other a monk?' The reply is that both are alike.
Sri M lived for 46 years after the demise of Sri Ramakrishna, all this time was only spent in teaching and propagating the new Bhagavata, The Gospel.
Shirdi Sai Baba is another Saint who became famous after his death. In his lifetime, he was known only in limited circles. But his name and fame spread fast and far after his samadhi, both due to word of mouth and some publications. The core of both is the phenomenon of miracles, reported even today! This is one case where a movement is growing, without any central command or hierarchical structure or order of succession! There is not a town where a temple for him is not found! Questions are raised as to whether he was a Hindu or Muslim. Orthodox circles say that he was a sufi, meat eater and lived like a muslim in a mosque. But orthodox Hindus were attached to him in his days and served him.Baba ensured that they remained orthodox! He had first come to the temple of a local Deity at Shirdi but the priest refused to let him stay there, because of his dress. He therefore went to the mosque which was disused and dilapidated then! It was later repaired by Hindus . Baba called it Dwarakamai - ie mother Dwaraka! He had lamps burning there and a dhuni, from which he gave out ashes as his prasad! He planted a Tulsi Van in the Courtyard! Devotees conducted puja and Arti in his own time!
Sri Sai Sat Charita is the standard work on his life and teachings, originally written in Marathi, now translated into many languages. It was written by Govind Dabholkar, who was a govt servant and retired as a magistrate in Bombay. He had known Baba from 1910, and taken Baba's permission to write the work. Baba had called him 'Hemadpant', after a medieval poet of that name in the court of some local Yadava king! The book came out in 1922, four years after Baba's samadhi. It was written in Marathi verse, like other Marathi religious works and instantly attained the status of a 'pothi' - scripture meant for reverential study, parayana!
No one is sure of the origin or early life of Baba. A tree is known by the fruit. We have to see what Baba taught. His way is Guru-Marga, ie there can be no enlightenment without the Guru, and Guru should be honoured as God. He honoured all Gurus, often directing people to their own family Gurus and family deities and Gods, asking them to maintain family traditions. He said that those who had been connected with him in the past births ( as far back as 72 births) would come to him. His main message was for people to worship God in accordance with their own tradition! He did not preach the Quran, or convert anyone. Once when a Hindu who had converted to Islam came before him, Baba slapped him on the face, asking him whether he was not ashamed of changing his father! He gave the definite assurance to his devotees that if they trusted him, he would deliver them! It can be seen from Hemadpant's book that Baba taught nothing but Vedanta.There is nothing un-Hindu in it.
Miracle is the other name of Sai! B.V Narasimha Swami, who was in the Ramanasramam for some time and the first to write the biography of Ramana,later gravitated towards Sai Baba after some misadventures on the way. He gathered lot of information about the experience of devotees of sai and brought out several volumes. Since he wrote in English, this had wider circulation and greatly spread the knowledge of Sai, especially in the south. Indians are prone to eulogise their gurus, and they write as they feel and speak, not from a critical literary base. Modern readers would view their works as hyperbole,and consider them unreliable. Hemadpant and Narasimha Swamy were both educated- the former was a magistrate, the latter a leading lawyer, legislator,etc before he gave up public life.They practised spiritual disciplines and did not seek fortune or fame.However, Swami does not seem to have been sound in judging so called holy people.He wrote about Sai Baba in the 50s and 60s, but before that he had written on bogus gurus, because of which his writings call for critical examination. Ultimately our experience is our guide. He is our Guru who grants us peace! Our temperaments, vasanas, samskaras, karma, etc being different, all of us may not take to the same Guru. But it does not matter. Guru is really One, his forms vary! That we like one is no reason we should decry another.
Some Hindu religious figures have lately started denigrating Sai Baba, on the ground that he was a meat-eating Muslim. This will only boomerang on them, for Sai Baba phenomenon is very spontaneous and entirely based on people's experience. So long as they continue to experience his blessings, the movement will only keep growing. Baba did use words used by Muslims, like Malik, Fakir,etc. But we also use many Persian/Urdu words like Zilla, Taluk, kacheri, sarkar, etc. Does it make us Muslims? We use the word 'God' freely- which is meaningless and un-Indian, and un-Hindu. Does it make us Christians? In North India, people freely use the word Allah, mawla etc, like in Hindi film songs: eg. Allah jaane kya hoga! This was written by a Hindu (Shailendra). Likewise, many people use the word Ram, without meaning Rama! Silly fanatics can fight over anything!
On the other hand, there are some who feel that orthodox Hindu elements have appropriated an unorthodox Sage into their fold! What is strange in this? Hindus have absorbed even the Greeks! Sai Baba was served by Hindus in the Hindu way in his own lifetime and Baba did not object or stop it. Why should these people worry about it now? After all, India is the land of the Hindus. Many devotees had witnessed their Gurus or ishtadevata in Baba!
Life of Sri Ramana Maharshi also demonstrates how orthodox elements have appropriated him. Once he landed in Arunachala as a lad of 17, his life did not follow any orthodox scriptural injunction. He just sat absorbed. When people started coming to him with their own load of learning, books, practices etc, he just sat there , letting others do what they would. He did ask people to read sacred literature, but these were either of the pure non-denominational advaita type, or the works of devotional saint-poets.On the day he landed, he went to the temple- to report, not worship! And he did not visit the temple again in 54 years! If there was anything, Bhagavan was attached to Arunachala Hill, and his way of worship was to roam on its precincts, and go round it, or to simply gaze on it! His intimacy with the Hill was such that he did not wear any foot-wear, and did not go away from it even for a day! And when he died, His Jyoti merged in Arunachala-very visibly!
He sang of Arunachala as Siva, but this was not the sectarian Deity, but the Supreme. Apart from this, none of his other original works bears any reference to Hindu scriptures. He did not quote the Veda, Upanishad, Gita or seek their authority! His main and only teaching, to enquire into "Who Am I" is not from the old scriptures at all! It is an entirely new formulation, bypassing the whole tradition, as also his method of achieving it.The people who flocked to him were from middle-class traditional families; while speaking to them, he talked in terms familiar to them.Those who were familiar with our Vedantic literature raised questions from that perspective and he answered them accordingly. When Christian scholars approached him, he talked to them on the basis of the Bible, not Hindu scriptures; even then, he eschewed all theology and dogma. His only teaching is to focus on the essence of Being as experienced by the individual, and this requires no religion, theology, doctrine, etc.
However, sitting in a far corner of the South and surrounded by traditional religious people, he could not escape being painted in their colour. His Asramam was set up by followers from orthodox background, and run by them. He did not interfere, for it was for them, by them; as for himself, he needed nothing. In course of time, the question of a permanent arrangement ,to maintain the Asramam as a spiritual centre, especially after his lifetime, rose. Some of the prominent devotees discussed among themselves and approached him with a draft. He did not interfere or guide the discussions. The only suggestion given by him was that the trustee should be traditional, as an outsider might not take proper interest. He signed it but only by a dash!. When later the devotees felt that it needed some changes, and approached him , he declined to make any change.
Before Mother's samadhi shrine was built, there was no organised worship in the Asramam. Bhagavan's Jayanti was celebrated. He simply sat in the Hall, and every one sat there. They simply meditated or mostly kept silent. Some discussions did take place, as reported in the talks and elsewhere. But it was mostly silent contemplation. In the Skandasramam, there had been daily parayana of the Tamil works of Bhagavan. After the Asramam shifted to the foot hills and started expanding, Veda parayana started. Exact details are not available. The Vedic pundits used to come from town for this purpose. At one stage, Kanchi Sankara Mutt objected to that, on the ground that the Asramam was situated in or near a burial ground and it was not proper for Vedas to be recited there! Bhagavan had not asked for Veda Parayanam, nor did he stop it when it started- since the Asramam was for the devotees, by the devotees and he had nothing to do with it! It had always been his attitude in everything. When the Pundits approached him with the objection of the Mutt, he simply told them that it was for them to decide, since they had started the parayana! Gradually, the Asramam started its own Veda Patashala! In the whole Ramana literature, we cannot see a single reference to Veda. But when asked, Bhagavan used to say that litening to Veda recital aided meditation and he himself used to sit unmoved during the recital. However, he did not interfere with orthodoxy in scriptural matters. For instance,he said any one could listen to the recital, but only qualified Brahmins should recite!
Some devotees with an emotional nature saw in Bhagavan their own ishta devata- be it Rama, Krishna, Subrahmanya, Dakshinamuti,etc and they spread word that he was this or that avatar! Bhagavan simply said that Avatars were a partial manifestation of God , whereas the Jnani was God himself. This echoes the Gita, 7.18: Jnani tu aatmaiva me matam= I regard the Jnani as Myself.
Bhagavan did not take any initiative for raising the Mother's shrine. He used to come and simply sit there, which was only a thatched shed. It was Niranjanananda Swami, his younger brother in purvashrama, who managed the Asramam affairs as Sarvadhikari who took the initiative. Bhagavan gave his advice when consulted on technical points, but he made it very clear that donations should not be sought in his name. But he did take interest in the installation ceremonies. It was just a year before his passing- probably he knew that he was passing and that devotees needed a place of remembrance.
Somethings happened which were not to his liking, but he was too weak physically to do much. One was that they built a stone hall in front of the Mother's shrine, with a stone seat, with the intention that he should sit there, instead of in the Old Hall. Bhagavan did not like it, as he felt that the very size and style of the structure would deter simple, village folks from approaching Him. Bhagavan had always been simple and unostentatious, and of easy approach to every one. He refused to occupy it for some time.
Another thing they did was to arrange for a sculpture of Bhagavan- even when he was alive! Many people felt it was a bad move, but no one had authority over the Sarvadhikari. It so happened that soon, Bhagavan became so ill that he was not able to climb the stairs and reach the new hall. And now, it is his stone statue which sits on the stone seat!
Bhagavan took clear interest in two things. One was the construction of the old dining hall. Bhagavan's father had been of a generous disposition and feeding guests had been his interest. It was said that one portion of their old house in Tiruchuzhi was full of guests feeding. And regular cooking had started in the asramam with the arrival of the Mother. The Mother attained Moksha and has thus become Universal Mother, and the feeding she started still goes on! Bhagavan ensured that the hall was nicely built, even though the Sarvadhikari had his own ideas. The other thing was the Goshala. Bhagavan had a favourite cow Lakshmi, which was the first to enter the Goshala. And Bhagavan granted liberation to this cow too! Bhagavan himself stated it categorically in a poem he composed in its memory after its Samadhi, saying it had attained "VIMUKTI"!, noting the day titi, nakshatra, etc!. He had not composed such a poem even for his mother.
The only other thing Bhagavan was firm about was his darshan. He was firm that any should be free to come and see him. He was fond of going round the hill, and it used to take many hours, even days! But over the years, people started coming in great numbers, from long distances and he did not want them to go disappointed without seeing him. So, he stopped going round the hill! Such was his insistence on Darshan that even on the last day, when he was lying down in very serious condition, he asked the windows to be kept open for people to file past and have his Darshan. Thus to his last day in Arunachala, he lived only for the devotees.
Miracles are invariably associated with Saints and Sages. Ramana was not known for working any miracles. But miracles were still reported. He simply said that it was all attributable to Automatic Divine Activity and in no instance claimed credit.
Miracle or not, some extraordinary events have been recorded. It is well known that monkeys do not accept in their tribe the ones which fall from trees. Once a small monkey fell down from the tree and became lame and was abandoned by the troop.Bhagavan nursed it and restored it to health, though it continued to be lame. It was known as 'nondi paiyan- the lame fellow' in Bhagavan's circle. Later on, it grew strong and was not only taken back into the tribe, but it became its king!
After all, men are related to monkeys, if we believe scientists! Dr. Rajendra Prasad was sent by Mahatma Gandhi to spend a week in the Asramam in the 30s. He came with Jamnalal Bajaj and others.He spent the time quietly, without speaking even a word with Bhagavan. When they were departing, Bajaj asked Bhagavan if there was any message for Gandhi. Bhagavan said that when hearts were in communion, there was no need for words. Rajaji also visited. He asked that though he was a Vaishnava, he felt attracted towards Advaita, so what he should do. Bhagavan said that we each have our own samskaras and karma. Dr. Radhakrishnan would come with his family and sit quietly, without speaking anything. People would remark how the famous professor who gave lectures in Oxford did not open his mouth there. Bhagavan simply said that they were learned people and did not have doubts. It may or may not be a miracle- but all three of them became the First Citizens of India: Rajaji, the first Indian Governor General, Dr.Prasad, the First President, Dr Radhakrishnan, the first vice-president for two terms, and then the Second President! Omandur Ramaswami Reddiar, who was a state politician and devotee, became the Chief Minister of Madras!
Miracles are invariably associated with Saints and Sages. Ramana was not known for working any miracles. But miracles were still reported. He simply said that it was all attributable to Automatic Divine Activity and in no instance claimed credit.
Miracle or not, some extraordinary events have been recorded. It is well known that monkeys do not accept in their tribe the ones which fall from trees. Once a small monkey fell down from the tree and became lame and was abandoned by the troop.Bhagavan nursed it and restored it to health, though it continued to be lame. It was known as 'nondi paiyan- the lame fellow' in Bhagavan's circle. Later on, it grew strong and was not only taken back into the tribe, but it became its king!
After all, men are related to monkeys, if we believe scientists! Dr. Rajendra Prasad was sent by Mahatma Gandhi to spend a week in the Asramam in the 30s. He came with Jamnalal Bajaj and others.He spent the time quietly, without speaking even a word with Bhagavan. When they were departing, Bajaj asked Bhagavan if there was any message for Gandhi. Bhagavan said that when hearts were in communion, there was no need for words. Rajaji also visited. He asked that though he was a Vaishnava, he felt attracted towards Advaita, so what he should do. Bhagavan said that we each have our own samskaras and karma. Dr. Radhakrishnan would come with his family and sit quietly, without speaking anything. People would remark how the famous professor who gave lectures in Oxford did not open his mouth there. Bhagavan simply said that they were learned people and did not have doubts. It may or may not be a miracle- but all three of them became the First Citizens of India: Rajaji, the first Indian Governor General, Dr.Prasad, the First President, Dr Radhakrishnan, the first vice-president for two terms, and then the Second President! Omandur Ramaswami Reddiar, who was a state politician and devotee, became the Chief Minister of Madras!
So, people who ask what is so special about Saints and Sages and why we should honour them, should soak themselves in a little authentic lore and experience the benefit of the presence of a genuine Saint. This is the greatness of 'Sannidhi'- the Presence.
Note:
1. Sri Ramakrishna had different Gurus for different Sadhanas. He was instructed in Tantric Sadhana by Bhairavi Brahmani. He had Tota Puri as Guru for Advaitic Sadhana. Puri had insisted on Ramakrishna becoming Sanyasi for this, and Ramakrishna did become one! But he did not wear the saffron robe of the Sanyasi, and returned to his former mode after the sadhana was over. He always used to consider himself a householder, though completely renounced. Mathuranath Biswas, the son in law of the founder of the temple, who was a staunch devotee and considered Sri Ramakrishna his father, had ordered that a pension of Rs. 11 should be paid to him for his life. Out of this, he met his food and other expenses. Out of this, he saved some and made gold bangles for Holy Mother, on the pattern of what Sita was wearing , as he had seen in a vision. When after his death Holy Mother was about to remove them, he ordered her not to remove them!
The pension stopped immediately on his death. Holy Mother had to go to her parents house for support; they were so poor, she had to subsist on rice and salt. Such is genuine Sainthood.
Also, we should note the condition laid down by Tota Puri for Advaitic Sadhana: complete renunciation, formal sanyas. Today, people talk glibly of Advaita and read the literature as they read fiction! No wonder, we have any number of fake gurus and pseudo Vedanta!
2. The question of whether Sai Baba had a guru, whether he was Hindu or Sufi should be examined in the light of the conditions prevailing in the area at that time. It was then under Muslim influence, and the common people approached any one known as holy. There are instances of Hindus having had Sufi gurus. However, most sufis are suspect and they also seek conversion, though by subtle means. It is known that Sai Baba's ears were pierced like those of a Hindu, and it is said that he was not circumcised. He allowed Ram Navami to be celebrated in the masjid., in which he participated. He asked people to read Eknati Bhagavat and Ramayan.He consistently refused to answer questions about his religion. Once, he was examined as a witness by a magistrate in connection with a court case ( thank God, administration had respect for religious people, and he was examined by a commission). In reply, Baba did not say what his name was; he merely said that he was called Sai Baba. He said his guru was Venkusa, that his religion was Kabir and his community Parvardigar! Before his demise, he had asked some Brahmin devotees to read Ram Vijay in his presence!
3. Ramana's state was also subjected to scrutiny by mischievous elements. As the Asramam acquired properties, some one became jealous and filed case claiming control. Bhagavan was examined by commission. The lawyer put all sorts of questions, with clearly malevalent intentions, and total lack of objectivity. The main question was how he could hold property when he was a Sanyasi. Bhagavan had never taken sanyas! He clarified that he was an Atiasrami who was beyond the pale of the 4 asramas and that there was no restrictions on him at all- on the basis of scriptures. It was clear that people came there because of him and made presents , though it was known that he never touched money. He never asked any one to come , or stay or go! He never asked any one for anything. Once he needed a notebook kept in the shelf, but the attendant could not find it. Bhagavan kept quiet. Days later, K.K.Nambiar brought a note book of the same type, saying Bhagavan asked for it in a dream! Once, Rajagopala Iyer brought two bottles of ink, saying he had a dream, when Asramam had no stock! How to explain these things? The fact is , the Asramam was created by devotees for their convenience, but it had to have his name! All that they did was for their convenience, as Bhagavan did not need any thing. But things were done in the name of Bhagavan! Such is the pain of Sainthood. Such things require real understanding. The lawyer went on asking questions in a hurting manner, and Bhagavan answered patiently. Later, the laywer and his entire family turned insane or mentally unstable! One may interpret it any way.
It is said that even if we deny God and abuse Him, we should never offend or abuse holy people. genuine Saints. There is another instance. Mudaliar Paatti was an old devotee who used to supply Bhagavan food when he was on the hill, in the early days around 1910. This she continued to do till her end, in 1949. She was buried in a building called Gounder compound. Years later, some one bought the building and decided to demolish the Paatti's samadhi in order to reconstruct. It seems tragedy stuck his family immediately. Rationalists may give any explanation. For us devotees, it is clear that we cannot offend holy persons or their memory. Holiness does not necessarily come with gerua cloth. There are any number of fakes in this field, as in any other. The presence of a fake note is no reason to condemn all notes!
4. We must note that none of these Saints has an anointed apostle. It may come as a surprise in the case of Sri Ramakrishna, when many people regard Vivekananda as his apostle. The matter is not so simple. Sri Ramakrishna did want some of his young devotee boys to embrace Sanyas and he did give them ochre robes. He also told them to look upon Vivekananda (then Naren) as their leader, as he told Naren to keep them together. But they took formal Sanyas much later. Ramakrishna also said that Naren would teach- his very bones would do it! There is a vision which is symbolically interpreted as giving sanction for Vivekananda's foeign mission which had the blessings of Holy Mother, which he had sought. Yet with all this I have reservations in accepting him as Sri Ramakrishna's apostle. Sri Ramakrishna considered Brahmananda as his spiritual son, and it seems to me that he truly represented the spirit of Sri Ramakrishna! Vivekananda was too much of a Vedantin, which Ramakrishna was not! Nor do I think the RK Math and Mission wholly represents the ideal of Sri Ramakrishna. It in fact owes its origin to Holy Mother's prayers for a place for the boys to stay, as the young band of earnest monks faced lot of problems initially. I respect all the figures, but considering some one as apostle is different.
A genuine Master is always unique. He cannot be replicated or truly represented by any one, though imitations are possible. People may also claim that some one is some one else reborn! Such a claim is the basis of the office of the Dalai Lama and is subject to hard verification by competent people. But really, no one is exactly reborn as the same old personality! It is a compulsion when one runs an organisation, but we may respect genuine saints from out side! Apostolic succession is different from disciplic succession.
In the case of Sai Baba and Ramana Maharshi, there is no question of an apostle at all!
5. In the Indian tradition, Guru is regarded as God in human form. It is God who takes a human form to guide the sincere devotee.This is common to all sects, whatever be the deity, theology, philosophy. No Hindu sect believes or says that one can attain liberation or enlightenment without a Guru. Guruleka eduvanti gunigi deliyagabodu, says Sri Tyagarajaswami. Even in the case of Saints who apparently had no outward Guru in this lifetime, the Guru was considered inner, or having taught them in a previous birth! Sai Baba, Ramana Maharshi,Sri Ramakrishna had all confirmed that persons associated with them in previous lives did indeed come to them in this lifetime for fulfilment or advancement. It is said that a true Guru would never give up a sincere disciple till the goal is reached: the usual analogy given is that of a prey in the mouth of a tiger, or sugarcane in the mouth of an elephant!
The extreme form of this belief in Guru is that even if the Guru is bad or bogus, faith in the Guru will yield good results. This may look appallingly idiotic; but just compare it with the so called 'Placebo' effect in modern medicine. How does the placebo work? Because of the medicine, or the general faith in 'medicine' and the doctor?
Reverence for the Guru is deeply ingrained in the Indian blood and psyche. No westerner or his modern Indian imitator can really understand this phenomenon, where then is the question of appreciation?
In the modern day, because of the reach of media, power of organisation and marketing gimmicks, organised looters and exploiters operate as Gurus with all attractive packages and allurements. Orthodox Guruvad is about Enlightenment and Freedom; modern Gurus promise a paradise on earth, and instant Nirvana! Their Ashrams resemble resorts, and are designed to give you a goody-goody feeling! Only, you should be well heeled, and have a deep pocket! Outwardly, they will have some temple, or social service, or education as the base. It cannot be denied that many of them are endowed with charisma and magnetism. Orthodox gurus stress tradition; modern ones harp on their own personality!One has to be careful in approaching modern gurus!
One indication of a real Guru is that no real Guru created an institution in his name; they were all started by others in their name, often after their lifetime. Organised Sangha is a Buddist phenomenon, and it has become the model for everyone, subsequently, including Christians. The Ramakrishna Math is founded on the pattern of the Catholic Church! Vivekananda, for all his Indianness, was fond of Western organisation, and he made no secret of it!
Seeing the frauds that take place in the name of Gurus, and the difficulty in finding a genuine one, it seems best to pray to God, like Arunagirinatha did, to become our Guru: "Guruvai varuvai arulvai Guhaney!" = O Lord Guha, come as my Guru and bless me!
6. We should never make the mistake of condeming all Gurus, or the institution, wholesale. So many frauds and mistreatments take place in the modern corporate hospitals, but do we condemn the whole system? Flight and train accidents do take place, but do we stop travelling thereafter? Many frauds and charlatans and cheats, rascals and scoundrels come well dressed; but do we stop dressing decently because of that? Do we stop using a knife, because some one used it to cut some one's throat or pocket?
We ordinary mortals continue to receive small signs of grace in day to day life. That is how faith is sustained; not because we sit in some saintly presence and all of us become big leaders or acquire fabulous wealth! A true Guru teaches that it is our duty to pray, and it is for God to fulfil; where our wishes are not granted, it is only for our good and we will then have our mind strengthened, character improved. All genuine Indian Gurus have stressed that our present life is due to past karma,prarabda, and it can only disappear by experiencing its fruits. No one said that he would remove the past karma. The belief is that the genuine Guru indeed assumes the karma of his disciples and He suffers for them. That is why saints like Sri Ramakrishna and Ramana suffered. Even Sai Baba, noted for his miracles, refused to interfere in some cases and would say: "What can I do? The 'Fakir' ( his word for God) says no". Which means even his miracles are subject to the will of God! The orthodox opinion is that prayer leads to mitigation of the severity.- what came to the head will go away with the headgear!
I will close this with a personal note. We visited the Ramakrishna Ashram in Bangalore on 14 September 2010, as it is a day dear to me: it is the first day on my job 45 years earlier! I found a new book on Swami Brahmananda and bought it. On our way back, Mrs. went for some shopping, and I came to the appointed place to wait for her, before we caught an auto to come home.It would take some 20 minutes for her to join me; so as I stood there, I started perusing the book,turning the pages and reading at random and looking at the photos. As I was thus engaged, an auto came and stopped near me and the driver asked whether I was not returning to my place- he mentioned it and said he would take me. He enquired 'where is ajji', meaning my wife. I said she was away and would take about 20 minutes to come. He said he would wait. He waited, and after she joined we sat in the auto. As we started, he did not put the meter on and I reminded him. He told me that there was no need as he knew the distance and the fare- and he mentioned the exact amount! Then he told me that some time ago, he had brought us from our place to the Ashram and so he remembered! If you know Bangalore- how big it is, how many thousands of autos ply there,( there were more than 1 lakh autos then; now there are over 1,60,000) how difficult it is to get one late in the evening or night, how most autos would not come long distances at that time, especially outside the areas of their regular beat, how they would argue for extra amounts, how they would refuse to wait, even if you were prepared to pay- the incident about this auto seems nothing short of miracle!
Note:
1. Sri Ramakrishna had different Gurus for different Sadhanas. He was instructed in Tantric Sadhana by Bhairavi Brahmani. He had Tota Puri as Guru for Advaitic Sadhana. Puri had insisted on Ramakrishna becoming Sanyasi for this, and Ramakrishna did become one! But he did not wear the saffron robe of the Sanyasi, and returned to his former mode after the sadhana was over. He always used to consider himself a householder, though completely renounced. Mathuranath Biswas, the son in law of the founder of the temple, who was a staunch devotee and considered Sri Ramakrishna his father, had ordered that a pension of Rs. 11 should be paid to him for his life. Out of this, he met his food and other expenses. Out of this, he saved some and made gold bangles for Holy Mother, on the pattern of what Sita was wearing , as he had seen in a vision. When after his death Holy Mother was about to remove them, he ordered her not to remove them!
The pension stopped immediately on his death. Holy Mother had to go to her parents house for support; they were so poor, she had to subsist on rice and salt. Such is genuine Sainthood.
Also, we should note the condition laid down by Tota Puri for Advaitic Sadhana: complete renunciation, formal sanyas. Today, people talk glibly of Advaita and read the literature as they read fiction! No wonder, we have any number of fake gurus and pseudo Vedanta!
2. The question of whether Sai Baba had a guru, whether he was Hindu or Sufi should be examined in the light of the conditions prevailing in the area at that time. It was then under Muslim influence, and the common people approached any one known as holy. There are instances of Hindus having had Sufi gurus. However, most sufis are suspect and they also seek conversion, though by subtle means. It is known that Sai Baba's ears were pierced like those of a Hindu, and it is said that he was not circumcised. He allowed Ram Navami to be celebrated in the masjid., in which he participated. He asked people to read Eknati Bhagavat and Ramayan.He consistently refused to answer questions about his religion. Once, he was examined as a witness by a magistrate in connection with a court case ( thank God, administration had respect for religious people, and he was examined by a commission). In reply, Baba did not say what his name was; he merely said that he was called Sai Baba. He said his guru was Venkusa, that his religion was Kabir and his community Parvardigar! Before his demise, he had asked some Brahmin devotees to read Ram Vijay in his presence!
3. Ramana's state was also subjected to scrutiny by mischievous elements. As the Asramam acquired properties, some one became jealous and filed case claiming control. Bhagavan was examined by commission. The lawyer put all sorts of questions, with clearly malevalent intentions, and total lack of objectivity. The main question was how he could hold property when he was a Sanyasi. Bhagavan had never taken sanyas! He clarified that he was an Atiasrami who was beyond the pale of the 4 asramas and that there was no restrictions on him at all- on the basis of scriptures. It was clear that people came there because of him and made presents , though it was known that he never touched money. He never asked any one to come , or stay or go! He never asked any one for anything. Once he needed a notebook kept in the shelf, but the attendant could not find it. Bhagavan kept quiet. Days later, K.K.Nambiar brought a note book of the same type, saying Bhagavan asked for it in a dream! Once, Rajagopala Iyer brought two bottles of ink, saying he had a dream, when Asramam had no stock! How to explain these things? The fact is , the Asramam was created by devotees for their convenience, but it had to have his name! All that they did was for their convenience, as Bhagavan did not need any thing. But things were done in the name of Bhagavan! Such is the pain of Sainthood. Such things require real understanding. The lawyer went on asking questions in a hurting manner, and Bhagavan answered patiently. Later, the laywer and his entire family turned insane or mentally unstable! One may interpret it any way.
It is said that even if we deny God and abuse Him, we should never offend or abuse holy people. genuine Saints. There is another instance. Mudaliar Paatti was an old devotee who used to supply Bhagavan food when he was on the hill, in the early days around 1910. This she continued to do till her end, in 1949. She was buried in a building called Gounder compound. Years later, some one bought the building and decided to demolish the Paatti's samadhi in order to reconstruct. It seems tragedy stuck his family immediately. Rationalists may give any explanation. For us devotees, it is clear that we cannot offend holy persons or their memory. Holiness does not necessarily come with gerua cloth. There are any number of fakes in this field, as in any other. The presence of a fake note is no reason to condemn all notes!
4. We must note that none of these Saints has an anointed apostle. It may come as a surprise in the case of Sri Ramakrishna, when many people regard Vivekananda as his apostle. The matter is not so simple. Sri Ramakrishna did want some of his young devotee boys to embrace Sanyas and he did give them ochre robes. He also told them to look upon Vivekananda (then Naren) as their leader, as he told Naren to keep them together. But they took formal Sanyas much later. Ramakrishna also said that Naren would teach- his very bones would do it! There is a vision which is symbolically interpreted as giving sanction for Vivekananda's foeign mission which had the blessings of Holy Mother, which he had sought. Yet with all this I have reservations in accepting him as Sri Ramakrishna's apostle. Sri Ramakrishna considered Brahmananda as his spiritual son, and it seems to me that he truly represented the spirit of Sri Ramakrishna! Vivekananda was too much of a Vedantin, which Ramakrishna was not! Nor do I think the RK Math and Mission wholly represents the ideal of Sri Ramakrishna. It in fact owes its origin to Holy Mother's prayers for a place for the boys to stay, as the young band of earnest monks faced lot of problems initially. I respect all the figures, but considering some one as apostle is different.
A genuine Master is always unique. He cannot be replicated or truly represented by any one, though imitations are possible. People may also claim that some one is some one else reborn! Such a claim is the basis of the office of the Dalai Lama and is subject to hard verification by competent people. But really, no one is exactly reborn as the same old personality! It is a compulsion when one runs an organisation, but we may respect genuine saints from out side! Apostolic succession is different from disciplic succession.
In the case of Sai Baba and Ramana Maharshi, there is no question of an apostle at all!
5. In the Indian tradition, Guru is regarded as God in human form. It is God who takes a human form to guide the sincere devotee.This is common to all sects, whatever be the deity, theology, philosophy. No Hindu sect believes or says that one can attain liberation or enlightenment without a Guru. Guruleka eduvanti gunigi deliyagabodu, says Sri Tyagarajaswami. Even in the case of Saints who apparently had no outward Guru in this lifetime, the Guru was considered inner, or having taught them in a previous birth! Sai Baba, Ramana Maharshi,Sri Ramakrishna had all confirmed that persons associated with them in previous lives did indeed come to them in this lifetime for fulfilment or advancement. It is said that a true Guru would never give up a sincere disciple till the goal is reached: the usual analogy given is that of a prey in the mouth of a tiger, or sugarcane in the mouth of an elephant!
The extreme form of this belief in Guru is that even if the Guru is bad or bogus, faith in the Guru will yield good results. This may look appallingly idiotic; but just compare it with the so called 'Placebo' effect in modern medicine. How does the placebo work? Because of the medicine, or the general faith in 'medicine' and the doctor?
Reverence for the Guru is deeply ingrained in the Indian blood and psyche. No westerner or his modern Indian imitator can really understand this phenomenon, where then is the question of appreciation?
In the modern day, because of the reach of media, power of organisation and marketing gimmicks, organised looters and exploiters operate as Gurus with all attractive packages and allurements. Orthodox Guruvad is about Enlightenment and Freedom; modern Gurus promise a paradise on earth, and instant Nirvana! Their Ashrams resemble resorts, and are designed to give you a goody-goody feeling! Only, you should be well heeled, and have a deep pocket! Outwardly, they will have some temple, or social service, or education as the base. It cannot be denied that many of them are endowed with charisma and magnetism. Orthodox gurus stress tradition; modern ones harp on their own personality!One has to be careful in approaching modern gurus!
One indication of a real Guru is that no real Guru created an institution in his name; they were all started by others in their name, often after their lifetime. Organised Sangha is a Buddist phenomenon, and it has become the model for everyone, subsequently, including Christians. The Ramakrishna Math is founded on the pattern of the Catholic Church! Vivekananda, for all his Indianness, was fond of Western organisation, and he made no secret of it!
Seeing the frauds that take place in the name of Gurus, and the difficulty in finding a genuine one, it seems best to pray to God, like Arunagirinatha did, to become our Guru: "Guruvai varuvai arulvai Guhaney!" = O Lord Guha, come as my Guru and bless me!
6. We should never make the mistake of condeming all Gurus, or the institution, wholesale. So many frauds and mistreatments take place in the modern corporate hospitals, but do we condemn the whole system? Flight and train accidents do take place, but do we stop travelling thereafter? Many frauds and charlatans and cheats, rascals and scoundrels come well dressed; but do we stop dressing decently because of that? Do we stop using a knife, because some one used it to cut some one's throat or pocket?
We ordinary mortals continue to receive small signs of grace in day to day life. That is how faith is sustained; not because we sit in some saintly presence and all of us become big leaders or acquire fabulous wealth! A true Guru teaches that it is our duty to pray, and it is for God to fulfil; where our wishes are not granted, it is only for our good and we will then have our mind strengthened, character improved. All genuine Indian Gurus have stressed that our present life is due to past karma,prarabda, and it can only disappear by experiencing its fruits. No one said that he would remove the past karma. The belief is that the genuine Guru indeed assumes the karma of his disciples and He suffers for them. That is why saints like Sri Ramakrishna and Ramana suffered. Even Sai Baba, noted for his miracles, refused to interfere in some cases and would say: "What can I do? The 'Fakir' ( his word for God) says no". Which means even his miracles are subject to the will of God! The orthodox opinion is that prayer leads to mitigation of the severity.- what came to the head will go away with the headgear!
I will close this with a personal note. We visited the Ramakrishna Ashram in Bangalore on 14 September 2010, as it is a day dear to me: it is the first day on my job 45 years earlier! I found a new book on Swami Brahmananda and bought it. On our way back, Mrs. went for some shopping, and I came to the appointed place to wait for her, before we caught an auto to come home.It would take some 20 minutes for her to join me; so as I stood there, I started perusing the book,turning the pages and reading at random and looking at the photos. As I was thus engaged, an auto came and stopped near me and the driver asked whether I was not returning to my place- he mentioned it and said he would take me. He enquired 'where is ajji', meaning my wife. I said she was away and would take about 20 minutes to come. He said he would wait. He waited, and after she joined we sat in the auto. As we started, he did not put the meter on and I reminded him. He told me that there was no need as he knew the distance and the fare- and he mentioned the exact amount! Then he told me that some time ago, he had brought us from our place to the Ashram and so he remembered! If you know Bangalore- how big it is, how many thousands of autos ply there,( there were more than 1 lakh autos then; now there are over 1,60,000) how difficult it is to get one late in the evening or night, how most autos would not come long distances at that time, especially outside the areas of their regular beat, how they would argue for extra amounts, how they would refuse to wait, even if you were prepared to pay- the incident about this auto seems nothing short of miracle!
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