Association with the Wise

Sri Annamalai Swami

Jnanis usually come to their last births with a mountain of punyas on account of what they have done in their previous lives. The jnani cannot experience all these punyas himself, but those who come into contact with him can receive them as blessings. The same thing can be said for all the papams that the jnani brings to his final life.

A poor man can suddenly become rich if a millionaire takes a liking to him and gives him a lot of money. Those who come to a jnani and do selfless service to him find themselves becoming spiritual millionaires when they receive the jnani's unused punyas. And those who come to abuse and insult the jnani end up receiving all his unused papams. This is an automatic process. The jnani does not pick and choose the people who are going to be the recipients of these punyas. This transfer happens automatically. Devotees grow spiritually by receiving all these blessings. They reach heights that would be difficult or impossible to reach through their own efforts.

My own life illustrates this. When I was young I stayed alone, doing all kinds of spiritual practice by myself. I doubt that I could have experienced the truth of the Self through my own efforts. Fortunately, grace brought me to Bhagavan, and through Bhagavan's grace I had the opportunity to serve him. My proximity to Bhagavan and the work I did for him made me ready for the truth.

I learned this lesson about the necessity of being in the jnani's presence early on in my time at Ramanasramam. After a few weeks there I found myself disappointed by the attitude of many of the people I found around Bhagavan. They seemed to be more interested in gossiping than in doing meditation. I knew that Bhagavan was a great man, but I didn't feel comfortable living with people whom I thought were not taking the spiritual life very seriously. I decided to leave the ashram and meditate by myself. My attempt to run away was not successful. Bhagavan's grace and power brought me back from Polur, the place I had run away to. As I sat in front of Bhagavan on my first day back, Bhagavan looked at me, and while he was looking I began to hear the words of one of the verses from Ulladu Narpadu Anubandham resonating in my Heart:

"The Supreme state which is praised and which is attained here in this life by clear enquiry, which rises in the Heart when association with a sadhu is gained, is impossible to attain by listening to preachers, by studying  and learning the meaning of the scriptures, by virtuous deeds, or by any other means."

I had never read this work before, so I don't know how these words managed to repeat themselves inside me. No one else heard them except me. The verse praises association with a jnani, saying that association with such a being is far more productive for sadhaks than doing spiritual practice by oneself. After hearing these worlds I got the courage to stay on at Ramanasramam and serve Bhagavan.