SamadruShti RamaNa - (RamaNa: Love for All)

समदृष्टि रमण
(RamaNa - Love for All)

Ramana's love was not limited to humans only. It was extended to animals and plants too. He saw palpitating life even in stones.

** A devotee was picking tender leaves from plants. On enquiry, he said he wants to offer 1008 leaves to God. RamaNa said: "Why not pinch yourself 1008 times? God will be more pleased." What pleasure do you get in causing pain to others even if it is in the name of God?

**Hurting plants hurt RamaNa. Once Ramakrushna was watching the green grass on the lawn. A man came walking on the grass. Ramakrushna felt excruating pain in his chest and cried out aloud asking the man to get away from the grass. Bruises seen on the bodies of jnaanis were bruises from bodies of others, near and far, who suffered.

** Ramana disapproved picking leaves or flowers after sunset. Let the plants enjoy their sleep in peace, he would say.

** Pick only mature fruits. Picking immature fruits hurts trees, he said. And don't thrash down leaves when you pick fruits.

** Lord Shiva tells - I am happy with wild flowers, even colourless and odourless. And don't pluck flowers from plants and creepers. Pick flowers dropped on the ground on their own.

** Snake, snake. Kill it, kill it. Hearing the voices RamaNa rushed out: Don't kill, don't kill, he shouted. By the time he arrived at the site the snake was killed. He did not scold anybody. He said, "These people should be beaten by the sticks they killled the snake with. Only then they will know the pain they had inflicted on the poor snake. We have intruded into their land and usurped their land. We cannot be ungrateful."

** In the olden days, sparrows were allowed to build nests on the rafters of on the roofs of the verandah. (MJS house had many nests on the verandah.) If a chick fell down, we would not touch it because if humans touch the chicks, the parent birds will not accept them back. So we waited for parent birds to come down and pick the nestlings. However, it was seen that chicks touched by RamaNa were readily accepted. Once, an egg fell down and the shell developed cracks. Ramana picked the cracked egg and covered it with a wet cloth. Every day he will inspect it. One day a chick came out. Keeping it with him for few days, feeding it, he placed the chick back in the nest. It was greeted and not pushed out by its parents.

Pigeons, monkeys , mongoose and other birds and animals came close to him and rested on his lap. Who knows who the great souls are come to us in these garbs, RamaNa would day. Once a crow came flying down and fell dead at his feet. A great Siddha, Ramana said. A Samaadhi was made in the Ashram compound for the dead crow.

** He understood their language. They would report to him of any harm done to them by any inmate of the Ashram. He would call up the man concerned and scold him. Animals brought their little newborns to him and appreciated his love as he patted the little ones. He settled quarels between two groups of monkeys.