Spiritual Stories

Author(s): Raman Maharshi
Publisher: Ramanasramam Tiruvannamalai

Page 27

19
L’AND You
An earnest devotee asked Sri Bhagavan about the method to realize the Self. As usual, Sri Bhagavan told him to find out who is the I’ in his question. After a few more questions in this strain the devotee asked, “Instead of enquiring 'Who am I?', can I put the question to myself Who are you?' since then, my mind may be fixed on you whom I consider to be God in the form of Guru.”
Sri Bhagavan replied, “Whatever form your enquiry may take, you must finally come to the one I, the Self. All these distinctions made between l' and 'you', master and disciple, are merely a sign of one's ignorance. That T’Supreme alone is. To think otherwise is to delude oneself.” Thereupon Sri Bhagavan told the following story.
A PURANIC STORY of Sage Ribhu and his disciple Nidagha, is particularly instructive.
Although Ribhu taught his disciple the Supreme Truth of the One Brahman without a second, Nidagha, in spite of his erudition and understanding, did not get sufficient conviction to adopt and follow the path of jnana, but settled down in his native town to lead a life devoted to the observance of ceremonial religion.
But the sage loved his disciple as deeply as the latter venerated his Master. In spite of his age, Ribhu would himself go to his disciple in the town, just to see how far the latter had outgrown his ritualism. At times the sage went in disguise, so that he might observe how Nidagha would act when he did not know that he was being observed by his master.
On one such occasion Ribhu, who had put on the disguise of a rustic, found Nidagha intently watching a royal procession.