ANONYMITY - BEING AN ASCETIC

ANONYMITY

BEING AN ASCETIC

Some people impress - by their simplicity.

There is this man, aged around 40, who lives in a small hut like structure. He wears only a half dhoti (a towel); and has one more, as replacement or alternative. That is all the clothes he has.

On all sides of his hut like structure - for 2-3 KMs, there are no houses or human habitations. He is ALONE but not lonely at heart.

His company – 5-6 stray Dogs and 5-6 (or more) stray snakes, which are freely roaming around. What else live there, as food for these, we don’t know.

Many seem to come to him for advice and solace, including vedic scholars, IT professionals, doctors, CAs...with various wants, needs, doubts, health problems and spiritual guidance needs. Probably word of mouth is spreading the speciality in him. He doesn’t even look at you but seems to know you even without looking at you.

He seems to have traveled  throughout India, bare footed. Probably, he does that even now. 

What he does he do to know? He meditates. He doesn't talk scholarly. But, he presents himself as a simple sanyasi.

 

Whatever visitors give, he feeds that to these company of his...meaning, the stray dogs. Any rice etc given by visitors, he will ask them to sprinkle here and there on the earth around - so that birds and ants can eat. 

 

He doesn’t take anything. What he eats and where, we don’t know. Probably in a Mutt nearby (10 KMs away).
 

There is a well nearby. He has a small rope and bucket to dip in the well and take bath.

He doesn’t talk much to any visitors. He knows Sanskrit well. Sends any rare SMS in Sanskrit. Who recharges his small cell phone, we don’t know. Difficult to say how he solves or resolves the problems posed to him. But, people go back impressed – and satisfied.

There are no belongings in his hut. Feels No needs. Lives simply; contented; happy

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He seems to do nothing for a living. But, seems to know many things and many skills. Does he plan for tomorrow? Not even for next moment, it seems.

Does he meditate? Yes. He must be meditating. Probably, life itself is a meditation for him. I have not seen him yet. But, this is what I have heard of him-from those who have visited him a few times. 

Leading the life of an ascetic is not simple. Not simple – for complex people like us.  If we can do a fraction of what he does, we would have done something amazing in our lives.

The richest 100 in India can’t equal people like him in Joy. Can we make our lives also a little simpler; tension-free and joyful ? 

I have heard – Attachment brings misery. Non-attachment brings Joy.

Sarve Janaah Sukhinobhavanthu

-     Vijayamohan