Fond memories of bliss – Part 10

Once Sri Swamiji had been with a couple of young devotees to a town called Thiruvalam near Ranipet, which is about 2 hours’ drive from Chennai. In this town there lived a great liberated soul, who was known as “Thiruvalam Swamigal” till very recently and his Samadhi is located there. Sri Swamiji was returning with these two youngsters after visiting the Samadhi and they reached the bus-stop.

Sri Swamiji was narrating the life-history of Thiruvalam Swamigal to those youngsters who very listening in rapt attention.

“You know, Thiruvalam Swamigal was the very personification of humility. He used to put himself through some rigorous practices in order to win over the sense of ego, pride, likes and dislikes. He used to feed beggars and lepers and eat the food that dropped from their mouths. Such was the intensity of their practices. In fact you can find similar instances in the life the great Ramakrishna Paramahamsa. He used to put himself through exercises like cleansing human excreta and filth. Such was the state of these great mahatmas”

One of the boys replied “ Oh! I cannot even imagine such a situation! Is it even possible? Is it even tolerable?”

Sri Swamiji shot back “Why do you think it is not possible? They are in such a high state and their drive to get rid of the sense of ego is so great that it makes them do such things!” Even as He was saying this, Sri Swamiji bought a pack of biscuits and fed a few stray dogs that were wandering around and without waiting for a second, ate the leftovers of those dogs as naturally as ever. The whole process seemed so spontaneous. Needless to say, the two boys were speechless!