Letter 59

(59) YATHECHHA (AS ONE DESIRES)
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13th August, 1946
During the early days of my arrival at the Ashram, there was a Vaisya boy living here. His hair was matted without being attended to. He used to get food from charitable house holders, and sleep in the Arunachala Temple at night. His mother came to the Ashram and pressed him to return home, and so he ran away to Pandharpur. He was her only son.

They had plenty of property. The boy was a sort of wandering beggar, a bairagi, who would say that he did not want anything. When that mother related her woeful story to Bhagavan and sought his help, Bhagavan tried to prevail upon the boy, once or twice, to listen to the mother’s words.

He did not listen, but instead, he ran away.

He came again during last month. He was keeping away from others, sitting in a corner of the hall. You may call it sadhana or whatever you like. Except that his hair was no longer matted there was no other change in his routine or appearance. Bhagavan was observing him continuously. The boy did not speak. After fifteen days, Rajagopala Iyer, who had retired from his job and come back to his library work in the Ashram, happened to come to the hall and noticing the Vaisya boy, said to Bhagavan, “This boy appears to have returned from Pandharpur. His mother left her address, didn’t she, requesting us to write to her in case he came back?” Bhagavan said, “Yes, he has come back. That was about fifteen days ago. I have been observing him. He does not speak. So, how then could I ask him ‘What is Pandharpur like? Where is the prasadam, etc.?’ We have to conduct ourselves according to the workings of the minds of others.

We are in duty bound to adjust ourselves thus.” People of intelligence examine their own minds. There is no knowing about the minds of others. Bhagavan says that he has to adjust himself according to the desires and intentions of others! See what a great precept that is!