Professional mouners


 (from "Letters From Sri Ramanasramam"):


Doctor Srinivasa Rao said, “What you say about pradakshina, namaskar and the like may be for those who are in atheetha sthithi, but for people like us, is it not necessary to prostrate before the Guru? It is said that the Advaita attitude should not be shown towards the Guru, even if it is shown towards all the three worlds.”


“Yes, it is so. The Advaita attitude does not mean that you should not do namaskar and the like. Only it should not be overdone. Advaita should be in bhava, in the disposition of the mind; it will not do for outside, worldly affairs. You are asked to look at everything with equality (sama drishti) but can we eat the same food that a dog eats? A handful of grain will do for a bird but will that do for us? We eat a certain quantity of food but will that be enough for an elephant? So you should have the attitude of Advaita only in bhava, in the mind, but you should follow the world in other matters. Though there are no pains and pleasures for a Jnani, for the sake of others, he does everything. He is like those who beat their chests, and weep loudly, if ordered to, for an agreed wage. That is all. He is not affected by it,” said Bhagavan.


Someone asked, “What is that about beating chests and weeping for wages?” Bhagavan replied, “In olden times, there used to be such a practice. Supposing some elderly person dies and no one in the house bothers to weep for him, what is to be done? Someone must weep for the person who is dead. That was required by custom. There used to be some professional people whose vocation was to weep for a fee. If called, they used to weep better than the deceased’s kith and kin, methodically, like bhajan and with great variety, by beating their chests and shedding tears, which flowed either by long practice or by squeezing onion juice into their eyes, and they used to finish this programme to schedule. In the same manner, the Jnani conducts himself according to the wishes of others. He keeps time to whatever tune is sung. As he is well-experienced, nothing is new to him. He goes to whoever calls him. He puts on whatever garb he is asked to wear. It is all for the sake of others, as he does not desire anything for himself. His action will be according to the desire of the person who asks. One must therefore find out for oneself sufficiently well what is really good and what is really bad,” said Bhagavan.


Previously whenever Bhagavan asked those devotees who were close to him, “Why is this done?” or “Why is that not done?” I used to regret that I had not the privilege of being questioned so familiarly. I have now been disillusioned. Not only that, I have received an upadesa (communication of an initiatory mantra or formula). Sri Bhagavan’s voice seemed to say, “When I am everywhere in my fullness, how could you do pradakshina to me? Do you think that I am a stone image that you should go round and round me as in a temple?”

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