The First and last lesson

A few decades from now, the people in the next generations may find it difficult to believe that someone like Kanchi Paramacharya Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswati lived in human form. Blessed are those who had his dharshan and listened to him. One who seeks God, needs to know no more than his teachings that came out as the “voice of God”. There is nothing more one needs to do, than to follow his life itself as exemplary way to realize God. The Paramacharya known as Jagadguru, did not use a car to travel, a cot to sleep, or a fan to get breeze. When the whole material world was at his feet, he preferred to go on foot from village to village and had the barest minimum for living. He practiced austerity and penance that brought happiness to all living beings. He himself was the personification of the teachings of Vedas, Bhagavad Gita and Bhagavatam. It would be impossible to describe all his glories in words. Humility is the first lesson we should learn from him in order to destroy ego, the root cause of misery and ignorance. Such a great saint was so humble and simple himself. He blamed none but himself when things went wrong. As a perfect saint, he was like a child in his simple expressions with profound meaning.

Once the parents of a young man met the Paramacharya and made a complaint. They said that their son was always involved in social service after listening to Paramacharya’s speech on the subject. He spends all his time in collecting rice for the poor and feeding the cows. The young man was so much involved in such activities that he did not attend to his work and did not care about his parents. His mother had to attend to his daily needs, even washing his clothes. Further the young man was getting irritated when doing anything other than social service. Hearing this complaint, the Paramacharya spoke elaborately on the subject with humility taking the blame on himself as follows:

·        I am not going to escape from this complaint by saying that the media did not publish everything as I stated.

·        Whenever I take up a subject, I probably stress the point too much. I say this not as an excuse but to accept my mistake.

·       Whenever I have advised social service for getting a pure mind as a stepping stone for spiritual path, I should have been cautious. I should have taken care of the other side and put a qualifying clause for social service.

·         I take the complaint of the parents as a stricture, rather as an advice to me, even though they were very polite to me when making the complaint.

Normally, as human beings, we try to find a scapegoat to even hide our own mistakes. Only a great saint like Paramacharya takes the blame on himself even though the media and the young man did not properly understand him. Being humble and not blaming others is the first lesson we should learn to destroy ego, the internal obstacle.

The Paramacharya further explains about social service in his own words:

·        If someone does not do his service to his own parents but serves the world, that is hypocrisy. If he gets irritated when somebody points out his shortcomings, he does not have any benefit out of this social service.

·        First, one should carry out his own personal duties himself without entrusting it to others. Our scriptures say that one should wash his own clothes. Rajagopalachary washed his own clothes when he was a Prime minister of Madras Presidency (In those days there was a Prime minister for Madras Presidency). Great Acharyas, Bhagavatas and religious leaders such as Muhammad have never failed to attend to their personal duties.

·        No one should think that the world continues to function because of his social work. God who created the world looks after it.

·         By helping others, we help ourselves in the form of getting a refined mind for spiritual growth.

·        The qualities of service should be humility and love.

·         All those who go to social service should take an oath that they first look after their personal work themselves and then do social service.

On another occasion, a clever journalist put an embarrassing question to Paramacharya. He asked ”Have you ever felt bad being the religious head and Pontiff of the math?”

Hearing this, the staff and the devotees around felt uncomfortable. They were all looking at the Paramacharya anxiously. But the Paramacharya was spontaneous in his reply. He did not hesitate for a moment and said with his usual childlike expression, “Yes, sometimes, when great pundits and acharyas come to meet me and I cannot prostrate them due to my position.” Who else could have thought of such a reply? Tears roll down your cheek when you hear such a statement from a noble soul. Can there be a better illustration of humility than this?

A great saint is humble himself. He sees only Atma everywhere. His greatness is seen by the whole world like sun light. Atma shines by itself. Humility is the first lesson to be learnt. When ego is destroyed, what remains is Atma. That is the last lesson.

-Arasu Ramanujam