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| Papa Swami Ramdas |
(from "Meetings with Sages and Saints"):
V.Ganeshan: Another day, another long standing devotee of Swami Ramdas visited Anandashram. As usual, I was seated at the feet of Papa. This gentleman asked, “Papa! By your Grace, my sadhana of chanting ‘Ram Nam’ is going on meticulously. Again by your Grace, I have no other material or family problems. Everything is going on smoothly, by your Grace. Yet! Sometimes, while immersed in doing japa, a bout of depression overpowers me, plunging me into dense darkness. No matter what I do, I could not get rid of it. Why should it happen? What is it? What should I do to get over it?”
Swami Ramdas kept quiet for a short while, then gave a broad smile and said, “It is a process of spiritual purgation. Your stored up vasanas are struggling to leave you. You cannot and should not do anything about it except allow it to happen. This is an aspect of the inner struggle that happens in the process of progressing spiritually. During these times, start reading about the life of a saint. But a word of caution, do not, I repeat, do not read his or her teachings. Simply details about his or her life! Reading about saint’s life has the power to totally remove the stagnation caused by stored up vasanas. In fact, every saint lives only for the benefit of yearning sadhakas!”
I felt elated - Swami Ramdas on that day opened an inner door in my own struggle to progress spiritually. It was on that day that I understood the significance of the life led by every saint, that the life of a saint is just as important as his teaching.
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