Go away from your own self to go nearer to Him.

Go away from your own self   to go nearer   to Him. 

Original  lecture  in  Tamil by

Tenkachi   ko  Swaminathan

Written  in his own words by

P.R.Ramachander

(Wikipedia says  “Thenkachi Ko. Swaminathan (1946-2009) was a popular orator, an author of various Tamil books, Deputy Director of "All India Radio" a-k-a AIR, radio channel, a host of the daily programme Indru oru Thagaval on All India Radio (AIR). A down-to-earth human being, genius in Life Improvement, Positive Attitude and Story narrator.” I  have leant a lot by hearing him as well   reading him. This is my humble   contribution  in face book   to rekindle the memory   of a   great man.)

One day   a seeker    wanted   to see God,

He enquired   about whereabouts   of God,

And    was walking   with confidence   to the temple .

And on the    way    he was   stopped   by a  holy man.

Holy man asked   the seeker   where   he was  going  ,

And the  seeker   replied  , “To the   temple   to worship    God”,

And the holy man asked  , “Have    you   seen him ealier,

And the seeker   replied, “No, I have  not seen him earlier.”

Hoily man further  asked ,”You     do not   even know   who he is?

And so the  worship that  you intend    to do may  possibly  only a drama,

And when you go to the   temple, you would   see  many like you ,

Asking  the unknown God  fulfilment of many   desires  and tell   him all  Their complaints.”

The Seeker   said, “I do not   want any thing   from him  nor have I complaints,

I want   only to show   my love to  him.”  And then the  holy man asked ,

“If he   is a stranger  to you   , how can you show    your love to him.”

Then the seeker   asked, “Please guide  me how  I can meet him.”

The holy man said, “You can never   ever meet him but only learn to feel him.,

And this  can be done  by meditation “  and the seeker    asked,

“What is   the   connection   of that  unknown god  and this meditation?”

The holy man said , “nothing whatsoever”   and the seeker   was greatly surprised.

The holy man continued “Meditation  comes     deep from your mind,

And it would create a deep silence in you   and in that state  of silence,

You would start knowing  about God   and this will lead  you to worship.

And that   is perhaps    the only   way  to start   worshiping him.”

At that time a   westerner  passed   that way   and approached   the holy man,

And requested, ”I want peace” and the holy man smiled and told , Leave out  first two words,

And you will get “peace” . for when you   leave  “I”  , you  lose your   ego,

And when you  Lose “wants”, only  “ peace”    would remain with you.

The westerner  knew that   he had    got the   right   answer and went back,

And they both saw   a  satisfied  rich    devotee   returning    from the temple,

And the holy man asked “Did you have a good darsan  of God “ and he replied,

“I paid fifty rupees  and I  could go very   near   to the  God in the sanctum.”

The holy man smiled  “ how far   were    you   from God consecrated  there?”

And  devotee said “Just  ten feet  “   the holy man asked  “Was not the priest,

Nearer  to Him than you?”   and this jolted    the rich devotee   who could pay fifty rupees.

 And he went back    very much disappointed,  as  he had not  got the best darsan.

The seeker  took leave  of the  holy man and    was seen going back to his home,

And the holy man asked  him , “ You were going to temple   to see   the God.” 

And he said  “I understood that  I should know the God first by going away   from myself.”

And the holy man told  “Spirituality   is not going nearer  to god  , but going  far away   from your  own self.”