RECOLLECTIONS

---

K.R.K. Murthy

WITH A VIEW to record Sri Bhagavan's voice and
preserve the same for posterity, someone raised a
discussion on the sound recording machines in the presence of
Bhagavan. Sri Bhagavan agreed with what they said, regarding
this wonderful machine. Seeing that Sri Bhagavan was very
favourably disposed towards the same, they wanted to pursue
the matter further and fix up a date for recording Sri Bhagavan's
voice. At that moment Sri Bhagavan replied, "My real voice is
silence; how can you record that?" In this connection he narrated
the story of the saint Thandavaraya, who by his dynamic silence
stilled the minds of several people, for three full days.

Once when someone was expressing that all sensations
near his hip were not being felt for some time, Sri Bhagavan
quickly remarked, "How nice will it be if the whole body
becomes like that? We will be unaware of the body."

One attendant of Bhagavan was reading to Bhagavan in
the night. The attendant heard snoring sounds and stopped
reading thinking that Bhagavan was asleep. Immediately
Bhagavan questioned him as to why he stopped. Again the
attendant continued and similar snoring sounds proceeding
from Bhagavan made him stop again. But Sri Bhagavan was
quite alert and asked him to continue. Is it not a job to find out
when Bhagavan is inattentive?

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Once Sri Bhagavan said, "If you remain quiet you do the
greatest service. One who is abiding in Atma nishtai is always
doing greater service (sishrusha) to the guru, than one who does
some service physically." Guru is one who shows the way to
Atma nishtai (abidance in the Self ) and the disciple is one who
follows.

"If one wants to commit suicide, even a small implement
or knife is sufficient. For murdering others, bigger ones are
required. Similarly for oneself, one or two words are sufficient
but to convince others, books after books have to be written."

"This Ashram is a place where people can stay and improve
and not remark or criticise. In the beginning people come here
with the best of intentions to secure the grace of the swami.

After a time, they begin to comment, `This is not right, that is
not right', and engage themselves in some kind of activity and
run after power and position and, as it were, forget for what
they have come here."

"Always it is safer to use cheap and ordinary items as no
one then cares to cast a greedy eye upon them."

"One who does the work without the feeling of doer-ship
escapes misery and unhappiness; work then becomes more a
pleasure and not exacting."

-- Sri Bhagavan
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