Letter 134

(134) JNANADRISHTI (SUPERNATURAL VISION)
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20th July, 1947
Bhagavan used to write slokas, padyas and prose on small bits of paper, whenever he felt like it or whenever anyone requested him to write. Quite a number of them have been lost but whatever were available we gathered and kept them carefully. I wanted to stitch a small book of white paper and paste them all in. I mentioned this to Bhagavan now and then but he always said, “Why bother?” Yesterday afternoon, I was bent upon pasting them and so when I requested him, he said, “Why? If all of them are in one place, someone or other will take it away finding that it contains all Swami’s writings. We can’t say anything. Swami is the common property of all. It is better to leave them separate.” I then understood the real reason why Bhagavan was unwilling and so gave up my attempt.

In the meantime, a fussy young man who had recently come, asked, “Swami, it seems a Jnani has jnanadrishti (supernatural vision) besides bahyadrishti (external vision). Will you please do me the favour of giving me that jnanadrishti? Or will you tell me where there is a person who could give it to me?” Bhagavan replied, “That jnanadrishti must be acquired by one’s own effort and is not something that anybody can give.” That devotee said, “It is said that the Guru himself can give it if he so pleases.” Bhagavan replied, “The Guru can only say ‘if you follow this path, you will gain jnanadrishti’. But who follows it? A Guru who is a Jnani is only a guide but the walking (i.e. the sadhana) must be done by the sishyas themselves.” The young man felt disappointed and went away.

A little later, a devotee’s child of about five or six years of age, residing in Ramana Nagar, brought two raw fruits from their garden and gave them to Bhagavan. She used to bring sweets and fruits now and then and give them to Bhagavan. On all such occasions, Bhagavan used to say, “Why all this?” But he ate them all the same. Yesterday, he gave them back without eating and said, “Take this fruit home, cut it into small bits and give them to all the others saying, ‘This is to Bhagavan, this is to Bhagavan’ and you also eat some. Bhagavan is within everybody. Why do you bring them everyday? I told you not to. Give them to everybody there. Bhagavan is within everybody. Please go.” That girl went away disappointed. Looking at me, Bhagavan said, “Children take great pleasure in such things.

If they say they will give Swami something they know they will also get something out of it. When I was on the hill, little boys and girls used to come to me whenever they had a holiday. They used to ask their parents for money and bring with them packets of sweets, biscuits and the like.

I used to sit along with them and get my share.” “So you used to enjoy the feast like Bala Gopala,” I said. “If they say they will take something for Swami, they know they will get something for themselves. It is all right if that is done once in a way. But why every day? If all of them eat, isn’t it equivalent to my eating?” said Bhagavan. I was happy and pleased at Bhagavan so clearly illustrating to us how he is in everybody.

You know what happened a week or ten days ago! In the morning at breakfast, someone served more oranges to Bhagavan than to the others. Seeing that, Bhagavan completely stopped taking oranges. Four or five days back, when devotees appealed to him to resume taking oranges, Bhagavan said, “Is it not enough if you all eat?” The devotees said, “Isn’t it painful for us to eat when Bhagavan doesn’t? That is why we are appealing to you to excuse us.” Bhagavan said, “What is there to excuse? I don’t like them so much.” When they said, “They are good for Bhagavan’s health,” he replied, saying, “Look, there are about a hundred people taking breakfast. I am eating through so many mouths. Isn’t that enough? Should it be through this mouth only?” That is jnanadrishti. Who can give it to others?