Sadhus Reminiscences of Raman Maharshi

Author(s): Arunachal Sadhu
Publisher: Ramanasramam Tiruvannamalai

Page 73

A Sadhu's Reminiscences of Ramana Maharshi 67 the Self. The ultimate Truth is so simple, it is nothing more than being in one's own natural original state. However, it is a great wonder that to teach such a simple truth a number of religions should be necessary and that so many disputes should go on between them as to which is the God-ordained teaching. What a pity! Just be one's Self, that's all.
I remarked that people did not want simplicity. “Exactly,” replied Bhagavan, “they want something elaborate and mysterious, that is why so many religions have come into existence. For example the Christian will not be satisfied unless he is taught that God is somewhere hidden away in Heaven and cannot be reached without the help of the Church. Christ alone really knew Him and it is Christ alone who can guide us to Him. But if they are told the simple truth, “The Kingdom of God is within you,' they are not satisfied and read some complicated and far-fetched meaning into it. It is only those who are mature that can understand the matter in its naked simplicity.”
During the war a little man came to stay at the Ashram. He was half Indian and half Japanese, though he looked almost wholly Indian. He had a book of talks of Krishnamurti’s in which he was very much interested and about which he asked many questions of Bhagavan. Bhagavan was very gracious and patient with him. It almost seemed to me afterwards as if Bhagavan had been sympathising with him, having foreseen his fate. For one day at the local school, where he was posing as a