Letter 132

(132) RESIDENTS IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES
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12th July, 1947
Arvind Bose, a longstanding Bengali devotee, had one son and one daughter. The son, a stalwart young man, suddenly passed away before he completed his eighteenth year. Bose was very much grieved and to get relief he used to ask Bhagavan questions now and then. Today also, he asked some questions. Even in that question, his grief was evident. Bhagavan, as usual, asked him to enquire into the Self and find out. He was not satisfied. Bhagavan then said, “All right. I will tell you a story from Vichara Sagaram. Listen.” So saying, he began telling us the following story: “Two youngsters by name Rama and Krishna, told their respective parents that they would go to foreign countries to prosecute further studies and then earn a lot of money. After some time, one of them died suddenly. The other studied well, earned a lot and was living happily. Some time later the one that was alive requested a merchant who was going to his native place to tell his father that he was wealthy and happy and that the other who had come with him had passed away. Instead of passing on the information correctly, the merchant told the father of the person that was alive that his son was dead and the father of the person that was dead, that his son had earned a lot of money and was living happily.

The parents of the person that was actually dead, were happy in the thought that their son would come back after some time while the parents of the person whose son was alive but was reported to be dead, were in great grief. In fact, neither of them saw their son but they were experiencing happiness or grief according to the reports received. That is all. It is only when they go to that country they will know the truth.

We too are similarly situated. We believe all sorts of things that the mind tells us and get deluded into thinking that what exists does not exist and that what does not exist, exists.

If we do not believe the mind but enter the heart and see the son that is inside, there is no need to see the children outside.” About a year back, a Rani from Bombay Presidency came here. She was a good lady and a mother of several children. Her husband was staying in foreign countries.

However courageous she might be, would she not feel his absence? We all thought she came here hoping to get peace of mind by Bhagavan’s darshan. Accordingly, you know what happened? Having heard that Muruganar had written several songs and verses in Tamil about Bhagavan, she requested Bhagavan through a friend, to get some of the good ones translated into English.

Though Bhagavan said in an indifferent manner, “What do I know? Better ask Muruganar himself,” by the time I went there at 2-30 p.m. he was turning over the pages of the book, leaving book-marks here and there and showing them to Sundaresa Iyer. I sat down, surprised at that kindness. Looking at me, Bhagavan said, “That Rani requested me to select some songs from Muruganar’s book and get them translated into English. In his book Sannidhi Murai there is a portion called ‘Bringasandesam’. I put some marks in that portion. The bhava is that of a nayika (heroine) and of a nayaka (hero). The mind is nayika. Ramana is nayaka.

The bee (the unwavering buddhi) is the maid. The gist of the songs marked is: the heroine says to her maid, ‘My Ramana has disappeared. Search and bring him’. The maid says, ‘Oh, mistress! When your Ramana is in your own self, where can I search for him? If at any time, the food given is hot, you say, ‘Oh! my Ramana, my lord, is in my heart; will he not get burnt with this heat? Now where do you want me to search? When your Lord is within yourself, where can I search for him? Give up this delusion. Join the Lord that is within yourself and be peaceful’. This is the gist of those songs.

I marked them as they may be of use to her. Poor lady! There is no knowing where her husband is. The mind is troubled.

So, we shall have to tell her to adapt her mental attitude.

I felt that these verses would be appropriate.” Meanwhile, the Rani came, Lokamma was made to sing those songs and Sundaresa Iyer to give the meaning in English. She was satisfied. We thought that Bhagavan, by this opportunity, taught us that one should not grieve over people residing in foreign countries but should turn the mind inward so that the atma swarupa (the Lord in the self) will be close to us at all times.