ANECDOTES

1. From the Life of Buddha.     See below              
2. From the Lives of  Vaisnava Saints [Alwars]. See below

3. From the Life of Sri Sankaracharya. See below
4. Sri Ramana Maharishi: 'I am Universal'. See below
5. Divine Companions of Sri Sarada Devi. See below

=====================================================

MOTHER SRI SARADADEVI

5. DIVINE COMPANIONS OF SRI SARADA DEVI: 

When Sri Sarada Devi was thirteen years old, she went to her mother-in-law’s house at Kamarpukur. She stayed there for some time. At that time some interesting incident happened.

She was afraid of going alone for a bath in nearby pond called Haldarpukur. When she was coming out of the side door of the house, she was thinking within herself: “How can I go alone to the pond for a bath being the young daughter-in-law of the house?” Just as she was thinking so, eight girls of her age came there. She also started walking on the street. She saw that they were escorting her, four in the front and four at the back to the pond. When she bathed, they also took bath. In the same way they brought her back to the house. During that period, as long as she lived there, this happened everyday. At that time Mother did not understand who they were. But it is clear that they were none other than the eternal companions of Divine Mother.

Source: “The Compassionate Mother Sri Sarada Devi”
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

4. SRI RAMANA MAHARISHI: ' I AM UNIVERSAL’:

RAMANA MAHARISHI

One day Ramana Maharishi was reading 'Tara Vilasam' in the Ramayana written in Malayalam. While reading and explaining the whole story his eyes became full of tears and his voice became tremulous. It looked as if the whole drama was being enacted in his presence. Noticing this Nagamma, a close devotee of Ramana Maharishi said, “Bhagavan appears to have got transformed into Tara herself”. Pulling himself together he said with a smile, “What to do? I identify myself with whosoever is before me. I have no separate identity. I am universal.” 


[Source: My life at Sri Ramanashramam.]

______________________________________________________________

1. From the life of Buddha:

The effotless way to settle a disturbed Mind:

Once Buddha was walking towards a town with his followers. On the way they saw a lake and stopped there. Buddha told one of his disciples to bring some water to drink from the lake.

The disciple went near the lake. He saw some animals that they had just crossed the water of the lake and made its water muddy.
 

So he came back and told Buddha that the water in the lake was very muddy and it was not fit to drink. After about half an hour, again Buddha asked the same disciple to go and bring some water from the lake.

The disciple went back to the lake. He found the water was still muddy. He returned and informed Buddha about it. Some time passed and again Buddha asked the disciple to go back for bringing water.

 

The disciple reached the lake and found the water was clear and pure. The mud had settled down and the water above it looked fit to drink. So he collected water in a pot and brought it to Buddha.

Buddha looked at the water, and then looked up at the disciple and said, “See what you did to make the water clean. You let it be and the mud settled down on its own, and you got clear water. Your mind is also like that! When it is disturbed, just let it be. Give it a little time. It will settle down on its own. You don’t have to put in any effort to calm it down.

Source: Internet

                          *                 *                *                 *

2.From the lives of three Vaisnava Saints [Alwars]

THE FOURTH PERSON:

Vaisnava Saints called Alwars are well known for their pious, dedicated service for the Lord and  highest realisation. Poigai Alwar, Bhoodath Alwar and Pei Alwar are collectively called as "Mudhal Alwars" [First Alwars] were contemporaries. They lived in 7th century A.C. In their lives an interesting incident happened:

One day during a storm these three Alwars took shelter in a small hut. There was not enough space for all of them to stand. Soon they began to feel the presence of a fourth person in their midst but invisible to them. This they knew was none other than the Lord Himself. Such was their great devotion to Lord Narayana.

                        *                *                 *                  *



SRI SANKARACHARYA

3. A LESSON LEARNT BY 
     SRI SANKARACHARYA:

Though Sankaracharya was a Brahmajnani he didn't have absolute faith that everything in the world is Brahman. By the grace of Lord Viswanath he learned the lesson. 

One day as he was coming out of the Ganges after his bath, he saw an untouchable, a butcher, carrying a load of meat.  Inadvertently the butcher touched his body. Sri Sankara shouted angrily, 'Hey there! How dare you touch me?' 'Revered sir,' said the butcher, 'I have not touched you, nor have you touched me.  The Pure Self cannot be the body nor the five elements nor the twenty-four cosmic principles.' Then Sri Sankara came to his senses. 

SOURCE:  The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna

*               *                  *                        *