The cubs talk about Bhagavan and grace

One of the questions that confused the four cubs was how it was possible that there were so many people who were unhappy, and unable to feel Bhagavan's grace and love.

They had asked this question to Uncle Stripes many time, but Stripes had never been able to answer them.

"Why is everyone not totally in love with Bhagavan?" one would ask.
"How can people forget Bhagavan !" another would say in amazement.

Uncle Stripes asked them to sit down. He said:

Once an engineer came from Bombay.
He asked Bhagavan: Does Bhagavan feel for us and show grace?
Bhagavan answered:
You are neck-deep in water and yet cry for water. It is as good as saying that one neck-deep in water feels thirsty, or a fish in water feels thirsty, or that water feels thirsty.

"Yes! That's it!" the cubs all replied.
"We feel we are neck-deep in Bhagavan's love and protection and grace, but why doesn't everyone else. Why is not everyone happy that Bhagavan is present, and within us always?"

Uncle Stripes thought for a while. He said:

Once Bhagavan told a visitor: When the sun rises, some buds alone blossom, not all. Do you blame the sun for that? Nor can the bud blossom of itself, it requires the sunlight to do it.

Bhagavan also said that the unripe mind does not feel His Grace. But this does not mean God's Grace is absent. That would mean that God is not gracious with some, and thus He would not be God.

Stripes added, "In my knowledge, everyone's time comes, everyone will ripen and be able to see God's love and grace sooner or later." He thought a while and said, "It's not like Mum Lioness or I knew Bhagavan or felt His Grace from the day we were born. All those who feel Bhagavan's love and grace have gone through many years not seeing it, alone, searching and struggling, feeling totally lonely and helpless, till somehow we saw His photograph, or heard His name and were instantly attracted.

I assure you, everyone's time comes. Every bud blossoms some day."

The cubs seemed satisfied for the moment, but Stripes knew they would come back asking the same questions a few days later.

Mum Lioness stepped in. Immediately Tiru cub updated Mum Lioness on what Uncle Stripes had been telling them. Then the cubs insisted that Mum Lioness tell them a story of Bhagavan's grace. Mum Lioness thought and then recalled one.

The story was about Echammal's grandson, named Venkataraman after Bhagavan.
Once when he was 11 years old, a little older than you, Tiru cub, he went for a bath in the temple compound. He did not know how to swim so he carefully went down the steps. However, he slipped and went into the deep part of the tank. He managed to come up several times and call for help but no one noticed. Then he went deep into the water. At that point, he saw a bright light in his head and Sri Bhagavan's face shone in the light. Then he felt someone catch his ankles and pull him out, and at that moment the same flash shone in his head.

Later he found himself lying on the side of the tank. He asked some people how he had come there. One replied to him that a sadhu had been doing pradakshina of the temple, and he came running to the tank, jumped in, pulled the boy out, and then run away as swiftly as he had come.

Later the boy went and prostrated to Bhagavan, and Bhagavan looked at him and asked him how deep the Siva Ganga tank was. The boy had no idea what Bhagavan meant. Much later, when he grew up, did he realize that it was Bhagavan Ramana who saved him.

Little Spotty then asked Mum Lioness the line Echammal once said about Bhagavan. Mum Lioness recited from memory:

"I revere, I adore, I worship this Swami" was all Echammal could say of Bhagavan

The cubs now insisted that Uncle Stripes say something, before they went for lunch.
Uncle Stripes recited:

He is beyond worlds all
Yet, here below, He bestows His grace abundant
On the good and the devout,
And in love works for salvation of all;
Thus is the Holy Guru
Whose praise is beyond speech
Like unto Siva, the Being Pure.