Saint Papa Ramdas was a great Saint from Kanhiangad, India. He wandered from place to place and His fame spread throughout the country. People went to Him for His advice and blessings wherever He went.

     Once Papa Ramdas happened to set up His dwellings in a cave near a town. As people became aware of His presence, they started visiting Him and spending time with Him in satsang. The childlike simplicity and deep devotion with which Papa Ramdas lovingly narrated the stories of Lord Rama moved people. Seeing Him living without any possessions in a bare cave, they started bringing whatever they thought would bring Him comfort. Soon a cot, a bed, vessels and many other articles got collected in the cave. The devotees used to stay with Papa Ramdas during daytime but they left for their homes when darkness descended, and thus Papa Ramdas remained alone all night.

     Soon thereafter a thief came to know about all the valuables kept in the cave by the lonely Saint. One night, after all the devotees left and Papa Ramdas sat alone lost in deep meditation, the thief made His way to His dwelling and ordered Him to collect all His possessions and tie them up in a bed sheet. To the puzzlement of the thief, the Saint showed no sign of distress. Sunk in divine Bliss, Papa Ramdas started packing and affectionately handed the bundle to the thief. Taking the cot under one arm and the bundle on one shoulder, the thief walked off and the Saint resumed His meditation.

     When the devotees came the next morning they were shocked to find the Saint sitting happily in a bare cave, stripped of all possessions. "Papaji," they asked "Where have all the things gone that were here yesterday?" Papa Ramdas laughed: "Ram took them away." The devotees were intrigued: "Which Ram, Papaji?" "Which Ram? There is only one Ram. Ram gave them and Ram took them away." The Saint laughed heartily.

     It was only then, that they realized the greatness of the Saint before them. They saw how peaceful He was and that He had no attachment towards anything. He was full of happiness even after losing all His material possessions.

Positive changes at ‘Abhinav Vidya Mandir’, a school in Borivali, India, after including the Sanatan’s programs in the school’s activities

    The ‘Abhinav Institute’ first came in contact with the Sanatan organization in July 2000. The Abhinav institute organized a lecture on ‘Morals and Values’ for its students’ and parents on behalf of The Sanatan. Later, various activities were held by The Sanatan organization at the institute, for example, Lectures, chanting sessions, satsangs, self-defense workshops, workshops for parents about interacting with their children. The school further offered The Sanatan organization their venue free of charge for the Sanatan’s activities.

     In this and the next few Issues we will see various experiences shared by staff, parents, students and seekers with regards to the changes in the school after coming in contact with The Sanatan organization.

School receiving more awards after including the Sanatan’s programs in school activities

    After coming in contact with the Sanatan, students in the school have not only started getting good grades but it is also seen that the school is performing better at different interschool competitions. For the past 2 years the school has received the special trophy for getting the most number of awards among the 53 competing schools in that district. This year at the ‘folk-dance festival’ the students presented a dance, which was accompanied by the collective chanting of Goddess Sri Durgadevi. The school not only won the second place among the 53 competing schools but also won the second prize in a tough competition at the regional level.