Part 2- The Recollections of Ramana Maharshi Devotee N. Balaram Reddy

[Guest guest]

It was near the end of May in 1938 when I returned to Ramanasramam from

North India. When my bus was approaching the ashram on the Chengam Road I

asked the driver to stop and let me off near Palakothu, just west of the

ashram. S. S. Cohen occupied a small cottage there and during my previous

stay in Tiruvannamalai he often requested me to come and live with him in

Palakothu. I decided to take him up on the offer. Leaving my luggage in his

room, I walked over to the ashram, entered the Old Hall, prostrated before

the Maharshi and sat down until 11:00 a.m., which was the dinner time. I

then returned to Cohen's cottage to eat. I didn't realize at the time that

devotees just arriving after a long absence were usually requested to take

their first meal with Bhagavan, even though, as in my case, they may be

living outside the ashram. When Bhagavan came to Palakothu on his walk after

lunch, his attendant stopped and told me that Bhagavan, not seeing me in the

dining hall, had inquired as to my whereabouts. The attendant stayed and

talked to us as Bhagavan continued on alone. I was very touched by the

Maharshi's solicitude. I met him as he was returning from his walk and told

him about my North Indian trip. I began narrating my visit to Krishnaprem

and told Bhagavan how keen he was to hear all about him and Ramanasramam. It

was then the month of May, the hottest time of the year.

 

I explained to Bhagavan how delightfully pleasant and cool the climate of

Almora was, especially compared to the present weather in

Tiruvannamalai. Bhagavan

said, " The real coolness is within. If we have that coolness it will be cool

wherever we go. Similarly, if you want to protect your feet from the rough

ground, you don't try to cover the earth with a piece of leather. You simply

put leather shoes on your own feet and the job is done. "

 

In this same year, 1939, I occupied another hut near Cohen's in Palakothu.

This hut consisted of two small rooms, about six feet by eight feet each. I

stayed in one of these and Swami Prajnanananda, a westerner, was using the

other. One night before I returned from the ashram, someone broke the lock

on the door and made off with my suitcase and some other things. The next

day I searched in the nearby woods and found the suitcase, which contained

mostly books. The books were scattered around near the suitcase. I collected

them and returned to my room. A short time later there was another robbery.

Someone pounded a hole in the mud wall near the window frame. At this exact

place I kept some money in a jar. Somebody must have seen me taking money

from there and got the idea of stealing it. The next day when Bhagavan came

to Palakothu on his walk I told him about the theft. He looked over the

scene and explained to others how some of these local people keep an eye

open for such opportunities, and how they must have seen me take money from

that jar and decided to pound a hole in the wall to get at it. He then told

me that I should not keep anything in this place that would be desired by

others. I therefore shifted my belongings to town and gradually moved back

there myself.

 

Bhagavan's brother had to endure considerable criticism while managing the

ashram. Even so, there is little doubt that Bhagavan used him as his

instrument. When Niranjanananda Swami felt an inner prompting from Bhagavan,

he confidently acted on it. The following may be an example of one such

occasion.

 

It is widely known that Paul Brunton's book, A Search in Secret India, did

much to make known to the world that the Maharshi, a unique sage of this

century, was living inTiruvannamalai. Brunton was a professional writer and

in those days wherever he would go he would often be seen taking notes on

bits of paper. While in the Old Hall listening to questions put to Bhagavan

and his replies, he would be eagerly taking notes. After the success of A

Search in Secret India, he began writing many other books in which he would

sometimes adopt the Maharshi's teachings without giving due acknowledgment.

When the ashram authorities realized this they decided to stop him from

taking notes in the hall.

 

One day in 1939, Brunton was sitting next to me taking notes as usual when

Niranjanananda Swami boldly walked into the hall, stood next to Bhagavan and

told Munagala Venkataramiah to tell Brunton in English that he is no longer

permitted to take notes while sitting before Bhagavan. Brunton was told

accordingly. Brunton looked at Venkataramiah and said, 'Is this also

Bhagavan's view ?' Venkataramiah did not reply to this question and Bhagavan

who was quietly sitting there didn't say a word either. A few tense moments

passed. Then Brunton stood up and left the hall. That was the last time he

took notes in the hall, and that was also when Brunton began distancing

himself from the ashram.

 

It was very unusual to see the Sarvadhikari appear so bold and authoritative

before the Maharshi. He must have felt that this exploitation should stop

and was confident that Bhagavan was behind him.

 

 

Sources

 

1) http://www.arunachala.org/newsletters/1995/?pg=jul-aug

2) http://www.arunachala.org/newsletters/1995/?pg=nov-dec

 

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