Letters from Sri Ramanasramam, by Suri Nagamma

“It means the discarding of all desires. Therefore should
we devote ourselves exclusively to the contemplation of God,
and accept food, water, etc. only if they are available by God’s
grace, without asking for them? Or does it mean that we
should make a little effort? Bhagavan! Please explain the
secret of this saranagathi.”
Bhagavan saw that letter leisurely and told the people
near him: “Look! ‘Ananya saranagathi’ means to be without
any attachment of thoughts, no doubt, but does it mean to
discard thoughts even of food and water, etc., which are
essential for the sustenance of the physical body? He asks,
‘should I eat only if I get anything by God’s direction, and
without my asking for it? Or should I make a little effort?’
All right! Let us take it that what we have to eat comes of its
own accord. But even then, who is to eat? Suppose somebody
puts it in our mouth, should we not swallow it, at least? Is
that not an effort? He asked, ‘If I become sick, should I take
medicine or should I keep quiet leaving my health and
sickness in the hands of God?’ ‘Kshudvyadeh aaharam’, it is
said. There are two meanings to this. One is, since kshuth,
i.e. hunger, is also like sickness, so for the sickness called
hunger, the medicine called food must be given; the other
is: like medicine for vyadhi (sickness), food for kshuth (hunger)
must be given. In the book Sadhana Panchaka written by
Sankara, it is stated, kshudvyadhischa chikitsyatam pratidinam
bhikshoushadham bhudyatam’. It means, for treatment of the
disease called hunger, eat food received as alms. But then,
one must at least go out for bhiksha. If all people close their
eyes and sit still saying if the food comes, we eat, how is the
world to get on? Hence one must take things as they come
in accordance with one’s traditions and must be free from
the feeling that one is doing them oneself. The feeling that I
am doing it is bondage. It is therefore necessary to consider
and find out the method whereby such a feeling can be
overcome, instead of doubting as to whether medicine should
be administered if one is sick or whether food should be
taken if one is hungry; such doubts will continue to come up
and will never end. Even such doubts as, ‘May I groan if
there is pain? May I inhale air after exhaling?’ also occur.

Call it Ishwara or call it karma — some Karta will carry on
everything in this world according to the development of
the mind of each individual. If the responsibility is thrown
on him (the Karta), things will go on of their own accord.

“We walk on this ground. While doing so, do we consider
at every step whether we should raise one leg after the other
or stop at some stage? Isn’t the walking done automatically?
The same is the case with inhaling and exhaling; no special
effort is made to inhale or exhale. The same is the case with
this life also. Can we give up anything if we want to or do
anything as we please? Quite a number of things are done
automatically without our being conscious of it. Complete
surrender to God means giving up all thoughts and
concentrating the mind on Him. If we can concentrate on
Him, other thoughts disappear. If mano-vak-kaya karmas, i.e.,
the actions of the mind, speech and body are merged with
God, all the burdens of our life will be on Him. Lord Krishna
told Arjuna in the Gita:
AnNyaiíNtyNtae ma< ye jna> pyuRpaste,
te;a< inTyaiÉyu ́ana< yaeg]em< vhaMyhm!. (IX:22)
To those men who worship Me alone, thinking of no other,
to those ever harmonious, I bring full security and attend
to their needs.

“Arjuna had to do the fighting. So Krishna said, ‘Place
all the burden on Me, do your duty; you are merely an
instrument. I will see to everything. Nothing will bother you.’
But then, before one surrenders to God, one should know
who it is that surrenders. Unless all thoughts are given up
there can’t be surrender. When there are no thoughts at all,
what remains is only the Self. So surrender will only be to
one’s Self. If surrender is in terms of bhakti, the burden should
be thrown on God, and if it is in terms of karma, karma should
be performed until one knows one’s own Self. The result is
the same in either case. Surrender means to enquire and know
about one’s own Self and then remain in the Self. What is
there apart from the Self?”
That young man said, “What is the path by which it can
be known?” Bhagavan replied: “In the Gita several paths are
indicated. You are asked to do dhyana. If you are not able to
do it, then bhakti or yoga or nishkama karma. Many more have
been indicated. And one of the paths must be followed. One’s
own self is always there. Things happen automatically in
accordance with the samskaras (the fruits of the actions of
previous births).

“The feeling that the doer is ‘I’ is itself bondage. If the
feeling is got rid of by vichara, these questions do not arise.

Saranagathi is not the mere act of sitting with closed eyes. If
all sit like that, how are they to get on in this world?” While
Bhagavan was speaking the bell of the dining hall rang.

“There goes the bell; should we not go?” So saying with a
smile, Bhagavan got up.