Contact with a Saint

Swami Ramdas of Kasargode, a realized soul, relates this tale of a mongoose and a serpent, which are natural enemies. When they encounter each other, it is a fight to the finish in the long drawn out battle between the two. The serpent in desperation, sometimes bites the mongoose severely. Due to the poison injected into it, the mongoose feels that it is almost dying. In order to save itself from death, the mongoose runs to the hillside and eats a particular herb which is an antidote to snake poison. After obtaining the needed relief, it returns back to the fight, with increased vigor.

Every time the mongoose gets bitten, it gives up the combat, eats the mountain herb to return and continue the fight. At last the serpent, through utter exhaustion, unable to offer any further resistance, succumbs to the fury of the mongoose. Thereafter, naturally, the mongoose has no need to go to the hill side for the antidote. Ramdas compares the plight of the mongoose to the mind of a person who, when bitten hard by deep attachments to worldly things, becomes utterly miserable. To obtain some relief and peace from this condition, be goes to a saint and by association with him, gets free from attachments and becomes happy and peaceful.
In other words, this is as a result of 'satsang' or 'keeping good company' when the peaceful vibrations emanating from a real saint bring harmony to the individual.

Thus freed from the painful effects of worldly life, man goes back into the world and continues to live there. Again in the course of life, he is drawn into worldly pleasures, becomes miserable and rushes to the saint. Getting himself relieved of the poison of worldly attachments he returns back.

By repeated contact with the saints, he ultimately overcomes attachment to transitory objects, and stays in the world, free and blissful. So the society of saints, or 'Sajjana Sangatya' is an absolute necessity for an earnest spiritual aspirant, to realize the state of inner freedom, joy and peace.

If one is diligent and even at the start, stands on his own feet, he may find the guru or the saint within himself, since the guru of all gurus, the ultimate or paramaguru is found within each man.

In that case he will discover that he is both the teacher and the taught, as Krishnamurti would put it. He is then in contact with the guru inside, and becomes one with him. What more does he need?

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