She turned around, and saw that the three cubs had fallen asleep, so jaded were they from the construction work. Perhaps she would search for it the next morning.
But when she arose in the morning and was having a cup of tea, Flora came in. She was breathless and looking over her shoulder. "Mum Lioness", she said, "Fiona, my sister has just informed me that Swami Blissananda's people have stolen 'Have Love for all creatures' from this cave. Its with them!"
Before Mum could react she turned and ran off. Mum was distraught, the cubs would be very unhappy to hear this. They would not be able to focus on the hopsible. She went over to Stripes' cave and shook him awake.
Stripes assured her that he and Spotty would handle the matter, and not to worry. Although a few extra helpings of idli and Ramana Munch would definitely expedite matters.
First of all Spotty tracked down Flora. He implored her to talk with Fiona and ask Fiona to smuggle the book out while everyone was asleep. Flora said that would be very risky. And she did not want to endanger her sister. However, she finally agreed to have a word with Fiona but made no promises.
On the way back, Spotty spotted Uncle Hobbler and explained the matter to him. Uncle Hobbler went into a deep meditation on hearing about the book, and Spotty had to just leave him there and come back.
"Bhagavan, I know that whatever happens is your will, but still ... the book ...", Spotty thought.
Unknown to the Lionses, the devotees in the mansion were deeply affected by the book. Quite a few of them. A few were even adversely affected! Like Blissananda's principal acharya, Ahankara. And his wife Chakrananda (Chakra for short). Chakra and Kundalini were two staunch devotees from Europe , who were supposed to be enlightened. And when they put their hands on others it was said that they transferred Blissananda's holy blessings.
Blissananada was deeply upset that the young swami on the hill had such influence on animals. Everyone on the hill said the young swami could communicate with them, and they loved him dearly. On the other hand, it was noticed that animals around Blissananda were always fighting bitterly, often biting each other and hurting each other grievously. So now he had ordered his devotees to bring out books with detailed stories about how kind he was to animals, and animal related miracles. At the same time he was considering bringing out a book with the same name, "Have Love For All Creatures". People would buy it by mistake, instead of that little cub's cheeky book. Cheeky cubs they were, all four of them.
These little cubs and their Mother, and the young swami on the hill are no match for my tantric powers, he thought. I have surpassed my teachers. Such fools they were, not to use their powers for personal gain. Did they not know, silly fools, that there is no God.
But I shall use these powers for attaining the greatest glory. He recalled the day he mastered the power to control minds by superimposing thoughts and images in other peoples' minds. He regularly used this power to give others what they thought were spiritual experiences. The very first time, he gave someone the "experience" of an out-of-body experience. His other recent favorites included giving people the vision that he was cleaning them up from inside, they imagined that their chakras were cleaned up. He could dull their minds making them think they had experienced the "no mind", that they had lost the "I". He gave some of them visions of Gods and Goddesses.
Another brilliant ploy was to give a few "experiences" and then stop. The poor devotee hungry for more experiences would be willing to donate more and more. How stupid people were.
But the young swami on the hill, he had declared that miracles were a hurdle to realizing the Self, that visions were mental projections. This is damaging to my (Blissananda's) business, so I must , in all my darshans, tell my followers that he is not realized. They must not read his books. And they must not read Arunacub's books. If they do, then my business is done for!
No one must know that All is the Self, that God is all there is. This basic truth must be hidden from mankind, Swami Blissananda thought. The new truth will be that I am above all, that everyone else is made of some inferior consciousness.
With these thoughts he feel asleep. He had awful nightmares. In one, he saw that the lion cubs were attacking his mansion. They were seated on dragons which were flying around, scaring all his devotees. In another, they were being attacked by monkeys. And then suddenly it turned out that four of the monkeys were actually the lion cubs. He had another dream that Flora was standing outside with Balanandaswami and Jagaswami and they were all laughing loudly at him. He woke up in a cold sweat.
At the caves, Stripes had been very upset in the evening. The extra plate of Idlis had gone unattended. Everyday he would ask Spotty to bring the book over so he could see the page on which his own name had been mentioned: Meditator Tiger. He would point it out to Spotty: see there, that darling Arunacub has mentioned me in his book! Everyday Stripes would check that his name was still there, Spotty suspected.
Flora said the book is with that Blissananda swami.
Yes, you told me that earlier, said Stripes. Maybe that's what Bhagavan wants.
And why would Bhagavan want that, asked Spotty incredulously.
Spotty dearest!, said Stripes softly, don't you so often say that you wish everyone knew the truth about Bhagavan, that everyone could feel His love, His grace, His eternal presence?
I do!
Is it not you who says that everything is Bhagavan's will?
Well, yes. So?
Maybe Bhagavan wants all those people at the mansion to read Arunacub's book.
So that they all know about one Meditator Tiger?, said Spotty with a wink.
Haha! So that Bhagavan's words of love and kindness can reach them.
Yes, you have a point there, acknowledged Spotty.
Such a strange world, mused Stripes. The Self pretends not to know itself. It seeks itself, it fights itself.
Spotty asked, Does the Self play this whole game? And why?
I really do not know, Spotty. I only know the words of Bhagavan Ramana. That all is the Self. And I truly believe that all is Ramana. But I have not "realized" it, so to speak. But even this knowledge, or belief has left me totally happy and at peace. There is almost no struggle left. The little struggle that arises now and then, wears out in a few moments, it seems so silly.
Like the dying embers of a fire, asked Spotty.
I wish that were true. But I don't even know that. The only thing that I do know, is that Ramana Bhagavan is everything, and that words like God or jnani or sage or even avatar, all these words fall short of him somehow. Even though that goes against what he says. He has never claimed to be anything. But i do know that there is nothing above Him.
And do you know the most beautiful thing, that no one even knows? asked Stripes.
That Bhagavan Ramana loves all creatures like a mother would love her only child. Only much much more. Each and every one of us is deeply loved and treasured and protected by Him. If you knew this, you could never ever be unhappy. Or worried. You would never look back at the past with regret or sadness. You would never worry about the future.
I laugh when I think how I spent most of my life regretful or worried. Even after coming into this "spiritual" search, I would still worry night and day whether I would be realized ever. When you do not totally believe in Bhagavan, only then can you worry. The biggest miracle, the biggest gift or grace is total belief in Bhagavan Ramana.
Stripes fell silent then. Spotty waited a minute and then spoke. I would like to make a book for the cubs. "All is Ramana, the Self", I would like to call it. And what you said just now, I would like you to put it down in that book. We will put photos of Bhagavan and Arunachala, and the cubs, and Mum Lioness, and Sri Muruganar, and Annamalai Swami, and Andavane. And Lakshmi. And Palaniswami. And Bhagavan's father and mother.
I would do it myself, continued Spotty, but I am only six-months old, and I can't read or write!
