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Ramana Maharshi stories
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Headship of a MuttA devotee told Bhagavan about his ill-health, treatment by doctors and services rendered to him by his servants. Bhagavan did not immediately reply to him, but in the evening, when the devotees all gathered, he began massaging his own legs with oil. Looking at the questioner with a smile, he said, “We are our own doctors and our own servants.” The questioner then said, “What are we to do if
we do not have strength like Bhagavan to attend to our own
work?” The questioner could not say anything and so kept silent with his head bent. Just then the post arrived. After looking through the letters, Bhagavan narrated the following story. Once a certain sanyasi was anxious to be the head of a
Mutt. He had to have disciples, you see and he tried his level
best to secure some. Anyone who came, soon found out the
limited knowledge of the person and so went away. No one
stayed on. What could he do? What could he
do? It was almost evening. He was tired. At last he found a house with no
one in front. The door was open. Greatly
relieved, he placed the bundle in one corner of the house and
then sat in the verandah. When the lady searched this side and that, she saw the bundle in one corner. Thereupon she and her husband welcomed him and gave him food, etc. Rather late in the night, they asked, “How is it, sir your disciple has not come yet?” He said, “Perhaps that useless fellow
has eaten something in the bazaar and is wandering about. You
please go to bed. If he comes, I will open the door for him.” He then said loudly, “Why! What have you been doing so long? Take care – if you do it again, I shall beat you black and blue. Be careful henceforth.” Changing his tone thereafter, he said in a plaintive
voice, “Swami, Swami, please excuse me. I shall not do it again.” So saying, he massaged his own legs and
then said, “Enough. It is rather late. Go to bed.” So saying he
went to sleep. There was a hole in the wall of the room where the couple
were staying and through it they saw the whole farce. In the morning he bundled up his belongings, put the bundle in a corner, and went to a tank nearby for bathing, etc. The couple took the bundle and hid it somewhere. The sannyasi returned and searched the whole room but the bundle was not found anywhere. So he asked the lady of the house, “Where is my bundle?” The couple then replied, “Sir, your disciple came here and took away the bundle saying you wanted him to bring it to you. It is the same person who massaged your legs last night. He must be round the corner. Please see, Swami.” What could he do then? He kept his mouth shut and started going home. This is what happens if a disciple serves you. Just like me, we are our own servants. So saying, Bhagavan pretended to massage his legs with his hands and his fists. |
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