- Babaji’s teaching were often gentle and explanatory but sometimes when we failed to understand the first time then his teaching sometimes became short and pithy and as such really struck home. An example of these two ways of teaching can be seen in the following story.
I was sitting in the cave with Babaji one day and I started to complain about one of the other female devotees that lived at the ashram. The lady was not supported by her husband and she sometimes felt the lack of material possessions that she would have liked to have. Under these circumstances she would ask fellow devotees for the things that she felt she needed. Instead of feeling compassion for her plight, I took it into my head to complain about her to Babaji.
Babaji explained to me kindly that she has taken refuge in Babaji and as such should not be criticised. She could have resorted to bad actions to get the things that she wanted. She could have stolen them or approached unworthy people to fulfil her needs but instead of that she has come to Babaji and so was worthy of respect. Babaji quoted Gitaji chapter 7 verse 18 to help me to understand. The verses tell us that four kinds of people come to Bhagwan, those who are suffering, those who desire worldly things, those who are looking for knowledge and those who are men of knowledge. Bhagwan Sri Krishna says that these are all noble people as they have taken refuge in Bhagwan. Babaji pointed out to me that as this was Bhagwan’s opinion on the matter that was the understanding that I should also cultivate.
However in my foolishness, later on, I again took up the subject with Babaji and once again started to complain to him about the same devotee. I said, “Babaji, she is asking people for things all the time, she has not come here for spirituality but only for worldly things.” “Oh“, replied Babaji, “And does she get the things that she has come here for?” “Yes, I replied quickly,” People are always giving her things“. Babaji replied with a gentle but piercing question that went straight to the core of my being, never to be forgotten, “And have you got what you came here for?”
Nani Mai
Reflection by Kanshi Ram
We generally do not try to understand other people’s problems, compulsions, etc. why they conduct themselves in a particular way and as such tend to be intolerant of their behaviour. The event that Naniji has recounted here shows her moral courage as she has described here her own weakness in order to drive home the message the event so clearly conveys. Her main purpose is to tell us how skilfully and lovingly Babaji taught erring persons whenever he came across such aberrations. This incident shows the necessity of cultivating the habit of reflection and introspection to become familiar with our own psychological weaknesses and try to be free from them if we want to follow the spiritual path.
In this context I am reminded of the yoga-sutra 1.33 which says that we should cultivate friendliness towards those who are happy, compassion towards who are in distress, joy towards those who are meritorious and detachment towards those who are evil-minded so that we may succeed in steadying our mind. The second point in the sutra that we should be compassionate towards those persons who are in pain is relevant to this episode. If we remember this we would be able to understand other people’s problem in a sympathetic manner.