Letters from & Recollections of Sri Ramanasramam

Revolving in my mind the details relating to the function held this morning for the construction of a statue, I went to the Ashram this afternoon before 3 p.m. As Bhagavan had gone out, I was standing in the hall awaiting his return. The silk- cotton mattress that was spread on the couch was slippery because it was new, though it was thick and firmly stitched. As a big pillow was placed on one side for Bhagavan to keep his arms, another behind to lean against and a third one at the feet, the actual seating space got considerably reduced. As I was wondering how Bhagavan would be able to sit there, he came in. Sitting on the mattress and pressing it with his hand, he said, looking at his attendants, “See how this mattress slips from one side to another! People think that it will be comfortable for Bhagavan if there is a costly mattress. It is, however, not possible to sit on this restfully. Why this? It will be much more comfortable if I sit on the stone seat itself. Truly, I do not find even the slightest happiness on these mattresses and pillows, compared with the happiness I had when I was sitting or sleeping on the raised platform which I myself constructed of stone and mud in Virupaksha Cave. As was told in the story about the sadhu, people think that Swami is undergoing great hardship when he lives in a thatched shed and lies on a stone bench, and so they make a fuss. I do not find the slightest happiness on these mattresses and pillows. It will perhaps be better if, like that sadhu in the story, I gather some stones similar to those I had in the Virupaksha Cave, take them to whichever place I go, and spread them on a mattress like this. At that place it was a stone platform. In the Jubilee Hall and even here, it is a stone couch. The only obstacle between me and this couch is this mattress. But one thing. The pillow under the feet, the pillow on the side, and the broad pillow at the back, all the three, are almost as hard as stones. So this is almost like the story of the sadhu. Without bringing stones from elsewhere, my bed of stones is already here.”

A devotee said, “What is that story of the sadhu, which Bhagavan has now mentioned?” whereupon Bhagavan began relating the story as follows:

“A great Mahatma was living as a sadhu under a tree in a forest. He always used to keep with him three stones. While sleeping, he used to keep one of them under the head, another under the waist and the third under the legs and cover himself with a sheet. When it rained, the body used to be on the stones and so the water would flow underneath, and the water that fell on the sheet too, would flow down. So there was no disturbance to his sleep; he used to sleep soundly. When sitting, he used to keep the three stones together like a hearth and sit upon them comfortably. Hence snakes and other reptiles did not trouble him nor did he trouble them, for they used to crawl through the slits under the stones. Somebody used to bring him food and he would eat it. And so, there was nothing for him to worry about.

“A king, who came to that forest for hunting, saw this sadhu and felt, ‘What a pity! How much must he be suffering by having to adjust his body suitably to those stones and sleep thereon. I must take him home and keep him with me at least one or two days and make him feel comfortable.’ So thinking, he went home and sent two of his soldiers with a palanquin and its bearers, with instructions to invite the sadhu respectfully and bring him to his palace. He also said that if they did not succeed in bringing the sadhu, they would be punished. They came and saw the sadhu and told him that the king had ordered them to bring him to the palace and that he should come. When he showed disinclination to go with them, they said that they would be punished if they returned without him. So they begged of him to come, if only to save them from trouble. As he did not want them to get into trouble on his account, he agreed to go with them. What was there for him to pack up? A kaupeenam, a sheet and those three stones. He folded and kept the kaupeenam in that sheet, kept those three stones also in the sheet and tied them together. ‘What is this? This Swami is bringing with him some stones when he is going to a Raja’s palace! Is he mad or what?’ thought those soldiers. Anyway, he got into the palanquin with his bundle and came to the king. The Raja saw that bundle, thought it contained some personal effects, took him into the palace with due respect, feasted him properly, arranged a tape cot with a mattress of silk cotton to sleep upon. The sadhu opened his bundle, took out the three stones, spread them on the bed, covered himself with the sheet and slept as usual.

“The next morning the king came, bowed to him with respect and asked, ‘Swami, is it comfortable for you here?’

“Swami: Yes. What is there wanting here? I am always happy.

“King: That is not it, Swami. You were experiencing hardships in the forest by having to sleep on those stones. Here this bed and this house must be giving you happiness. That is why I am asking.

“Swami: The bed that was there is here also. The bed that is here is there also. So I have the same happiness everywhere. There is nothing wanting at any time, either in regard to my sleep or to my happiness.