Swamiji, are you realized?
Reproduced from Tapovan Prasad June 1999.
(Source: Radio interview with Pujya Gurudev Swami Chinmayananda during his trip to USA in 1974).
Q. Swamiji, I wanted to ask a question and I am asking it with all reverence. If it is an improper question, perhaps you can explain why it is. But, I wanted to know if you yourself have experienced that state of Pure Consciousness?
Swami Chinmayananda: Now that the question is asked, the question is valid. The answer is utter silence. You may not understand the logic about it. I have to explain it a little at length, I am afraid.
Recently in India, I was travelling in a train. A youngster who had no faith in religion, a die-hard critic of religion, when he saw the Swami in the train didn't like it and lifting up his nose a little, asked me critically, “Swami, why don't you Swamis do some work in this country? When we are trying to rediscover our nation and our socialistic pattern of living, why don't you all work like Christian missionaries are working, the followers of Islam are working? Why don't you Hindu Mahatmas work?”
When such empty discussions start, the Swamis generally keep silent and to encourage that silence, we take the mala in hand so that anybody will understand that he is doing the mala and, therefore, he need not answer the question. Thus, I kept quiet. He started a scathing criticism of the Mahatmas who are not doing political work or social work, are not coming to the field of action; but are only contemplative Masters. After some time, he suddenly remembered that there is one Swami at least who is doing a little bit of work in India – he was told by his friend in Calcutta and he suddenly remembered.
He took a book from his box and showing it to me, he asked "Swamiji, do you know Swami Chinmayananda, who is the author of this book?" This man had never seen me. Now what answer, my friend, will I give him? He is asking me whether I have met Swami Chinmayananda. I kept silent and I smiled as pleasantly as I could, as I smiled to you, when you asked me whether I have had the experience divine. Neither could I tell the fellow passenger in the train that I have seen Swami Chinmayananda nor could I say that I have never seen him. ‘Never seen him’ would have been a black lie. And if I say I have seen him, it would have saved me from that first question. But the next immediate question of his, I will never be able to answer. Because he will certainly ask me, where did you see him and what where the circumstances in which you saw him … It was myself and therefore I could not say that I saw him nor could I say that I have never seen him!
Luckily, when I gave the book back to him, he noted that on the front page was a picture. When he saw the picture, he looked at it and then looked at me and again he looked at it and then got up from there and asked, "Are you Swamiji?" All that I could do was to shake my head in the affirmative.
Similarly, if you ask me if I have seen God or realized the Truth, you are giving me a free hand to bluff you, because if I tell you "Yes, I have realized God," you can't check it up. Nor can you test whether I am realized or nor. So, the best thing is to never go about asking anybody, "Have you realized the Truth?" You move towards it. You move in yourself towards the Reality. To the extent you have moved into that plane of consciousness, you shall recognize who has really realized this Truth around you. Just as a musician alone can understand another musician, it is only one surgeon who can understand the beauty of another. It is not by certificates that we understand. Even if I carry a certificate from my teacher stating – I hereby certify that Swami Chinmayananda is a realized one – that certificate has no value at all. You must recognize that in the quality of my actions, in the beauty of my relationships, in the spirit of my words, in the melody and rhythm that I pour out, the fragrance that I bring about in my contact with others.
How do we know that Ramakrishna Paramahamsa has realized the Truth? How do we say that Vivekananda is a realized one? It is not that one generation has to pass a judgement on them. It is Time that will declare it. Such mighty men, when they come in the world and move about, may not be recognized in their own time. But the world will not willingly let their presence die. It will be felt with or without body. That presence or divinity is not declared by anyone. In fact, Vivekachudamani of Shankaracharya declares it and Kenopanishad confirms – 'One who says that I have realized the Truth has not realized anything. This Truth is unknown to those who know it." It is in a language of contradiction. The Teacher had to explain because it is a subjective, personal, private experience. It is too private, Sir, to declare on the air.
However, in fact, between you and me, I honestly confess – I have not realized. I am on the verge of it. But, I will not realize until you too, my listeners, come with me. I am waiting for company! Alone, I don't want to go!
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