The most touching sight was the number of tiny children, up to about seven years of age, who climb the mountain, all on their own, to come and sit near the Maharshi, even though He may not speak a word or hardly look at them for days together. They do not play, but just sit quietly there in perfect contentment
It is impossible to describe what it is like to be in the presence of a Master. I did not know he was a Master, but to sit in his presence, though he hardly said a word, and does not know English, was to feel oneself thrilling through and through — to feel new impressions touching one mentally. It was an extraordinary experience.
When a man is lost in God, he becomes a mere tool in the hand of God, and is one with God, having become a part and parcel of God; he gets that peace and happiness (unaffected by joys and sorrows) which can only be enjoyed but never described. May we aim at this state of mind’s rest and peace in heart which the holy ones are ever after!
“You must distinguish between the ‘I’, pure in itself, and the ‘I’- thought. The latter, being merely a thought, sees subject and object, sleeps, wakes up, eats and thinks, dies and is reborn. But the pure ‘I’ is the pure Being, eternal existence, free from ignorance and thought-illusion. If you stay as the ‘I’, your being alone, without thought, the I-thought will disappear and the delusion will vanish forever. In a cinema-show you can see pictures only in a very dim light or in darkness. But when all lights are switched on, all pictures disappear. So also in the flood-light of the Supreme Atman all objects disappear.”
Visitor: I have read all the Western philosophers from Descartes to Bertrand Russell – they are all useless. But our Rishis differ among themselves. Shankara says, “Go on repeating ‘I am Brahman’ and you become Brahman.” Madhvacharya says that the Soul is ever separated from Brahman. You say “Enquire ‘who am I’ and you will arrive.” Many other teachers gave many other solutions. Is this not puzzling? Which of you is right? Swami, which way am I to go?
Bhagavan: (with a gentle wave of the hand) Go the way you came.