Again on whether I should live in an ashram in Brno and be of service to the homeless, or live alone in a rural hermitage and go into observation.
On 29 August 2024, I was awake all night by the fire drinking tea at my hermitage, Gangotri, in the Mahaprabhudip Ashram in Střílky, and while doing so, a seemingly remarkable inner vision or idea occurred to me, based on which I almost decided to turn the cooperative apartment I will inherit from my mother into a small ashram to house a few selected homeless people with a spiritual perspective. I decided on this path of Universal Charity with almost total certainty. However, my mother is still here in this world, so I will not continue with this project for the time being. Thank you, Someone from the Universe, for this Divine inspiration. However, these homeless people must be able to live without a woman, not do drugs, not drink alcohol, not smoke tobacco and eat only vegetarian food in the ashram. This offer is therefore far from being for everyone, but it is selective. I could teach them yoga and meditation. This ashram would therefore be intended primarily for socially disadvantaged individuals who are, however, able to pay the minimum rent to cover the overhead costs of my ashram. It is only for men, as I have no capacity for women here, unfortunately. I would like to prepare these selected people to meet Swamiji, my Master, but only if they have this spiritual guidance. They would each eat individually. The capacity of the ashram is only 3 persons in two rooms plus the Swami in a separate room. If necessary, it might be possible to accommodate someone on the floor of the meditation room. However, these homeless people need to be completely independent and able to take care of themselves. Perhaps, however, I will not realize this project of service to my fellowmen at all upon the subsequent inner warning also from Someone from the Universe and will live only as a true hermit completely alone. So for now I will see where this path will lead. My mother is still with us so I have plenty of time to think about the problem and meditate on this inner dilemma. I am not committing to anything. This vision is still in the lap of God. But on even deeper reflection, it would be better, in my case, to retire into complete hermitage-based solitude as soon as possible – into observation! I would just take care of myself, which means to have a small village house instead of an urban flat, with capacity for occasional visits from fellow yogis or yoga students. For the most important principle on the Path of Knowledge is to be a completely hidden yogi. When a drowning man catches at a straw on the spiritual journey under the influence of inner distress, he usually quickly goes out to serve someone! But not me. I have always wanted to do things completely alone in this way, and this is what my Higher Master Self advises me to do. I know you would like me to serve the people already, Swamiji, but I prefer to be in observation. Such is the Path of Knowledge, and I have come to see that public service leads away from it. Therefore, on really deepest reflection, I refuse to serve the homeless in my ashram, and I shall be just a completely solitary yogi, as the holy Bhagavad Gita asks of the yogis – sanyasins, unlike the more lay proprietors.
“When you are praised by your spiritual enemies, think where you are going wrong.
They want to see hermits serving the public.”
The Great Lama from the North received an urgent message from the Lama from the South asking for a wise and pious monk to initiate novices into the spiritual life. To everyone’s astonishment, the Great Lama sent five monks instead of one. And to those who wanted to know why, he answered cryptically: “We will be lucky if one of them gets to the Lama.”
The group of monks had been on the road for several days when a messenger came running up to them and said: “A priest died in our village. We need someone to take his place.” The village seemed quite a comfortable place to live and the priest’s salary was quite decent. One of the monks suddenly awakened pastoral desires. “I would not be a Buddhist,” he said, “if I did not stay here to serve these people.” So he said his goodbyes.
A few days later, they happened to spend the night at the palace of a king who took a liking to one of the monks. He said: “Stay here and you may marry my daughter. And when I die, you will succeed to the throne.” The monk was very attracted to kingship and so he said: “How better could I influence the people of this kingdom than as king? I would not be a Buddhist if I did not take this chance to serve religious interests.” And he also said his goodbyes.
The remaining monks continued their journey until they reached a hilly region and came to a solitary dwelling occupied by a beautiful girl. She invited them in and thanked God for sending the monks to her. Her parents had been murdered by bandits from the mountains and the girl was left all alone, with only her fears. The next morning, when it was time to leave, one of the monks said: “I will stay here with the girl. I would not be a Buddhist if I did not practice compassion.”
The remaining two monks went on and reached a Buddhist village. There, to their horror, they discovered that its inhabitants had abandoned their religion and were under the sway of a Hindu theologian. One of the monks said: “I am obligated to these people and to Lord Buddha himself to stay here and convert them back to the faith.”
So only the fifth monk eventually reached the Lama of the South.
Anthony de Mello
© Swami Gyaneshwarpuri
E-mail: yoga@gyaneshwarpuri.cz
Web: www.hermityoga.cz
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SWAMI GYANESHWARPURI POUSTEVNÍK
