HOW TO CONQUER SEX PASSION
Besides Contentment, Renunciation and Surrender many other lessons were taught by Baba to Nana. For example, the conquest of the six internal enemies, the attraction of woman and wealth, anger, covetousness, delusion, pride, and jealousy – was pressed home and Baba even inflicted light punishments or rebuke for the neglect of lessons imparted.
One day as Nana was seated by Baba's side, a young Muslim lady unveiled her face and placed it on Baba's feet and in a few seconds resumed her veil. But her face was one of rare beauty and Nana Sahebwas so much smitten with her beauty that he wished very much to see her face once more. At once Baba slapped him on the thigh and after the lady left the premises asked Nana, if he knew the reason for the slap on the thigh.
THE INNER BEAUTY:
Nana: How can I hide anything from the Omniscience of my Guru? But I do not understand how such low thoughts should sway my mind when I am in your immediate presence.
Baba: You are a man after all, are you not? The body is swayed by desires, which spring up as soon as a sense-object approaches within sight. But are there not many lovely and well coloured temples? Do wego there to admire the exterior or to see and worship the God within? When you are seeing God, does your mind care for the outside beauty? God is to be seen in every object as much as in temples. Seeing ahuman form we have not to busy ourselves with the exterior beauty or ugliness but only to concentrate on the form and nature of God. There is no harm in looking at the exterior. But that must be accompaniedby reverential awe at the power of God to produce such beautiful bodies and by a desire to see how God resides therein and admire His beauty. Nana, if you had thought on these lines, no desire to have a second look at the young lady's face would have crept into you. Bear this in mind.
A REMARKABLE LADY SAINT:
Nana did keep this lesson in mind and he had a good opportunity to manifest his reverence for a very beautiful Muslim lady, named Bannu Mayi. She was aged only about twenty but was in a highly advancedspiritual condition. Leaving her mother at her home in Bhodegaon, she would be roaming stark-naked everywhere and often concealed herself in prickly pear bushes. There were plenty of thorns embedded in her body and she never cared to extract them. She did not care for meals or sleep. Her mother and other villagers believed her to be insane. Only a few believed her to be a Saint. Nana Saheb was one of the few. He knew that it was a hard feat to get her to sit a while and receive his worship. So he went to Baba and wanted his permission and blessings for the success of his enterprise. Baba first pointed out that there was no need to go and see that saint; seeing that Nana was persistent and pure in his intention, blessed him with the assurance that he would succeed in getting the lady's darsan.
AMONG THE THORNS:
Nana Saheb went up to the saint's village and made a vigorous search for her and numerous enquiries about her whereabouts, all to no purpose. Nay, the inquiries were resented by some villagers who could not appreciate such inquiries about that naked lady. Nana was getting hopeless of success. He closed his eyes in prayer to Baba. As soon as he opened his eyes, there in front of him, on the road stood Bannu Mayi. He fell at her feet and tried to extract some thorns. But the impatient saint ran away into some prickly pear bushes where he could not follow her; and she disappeared. Nana Saheb had taken with him a companion who tired to induce him to get back to Ahmednagar. But Nana had planned a large programme of service. He had put up a tent and laced within it all accessories for a warm bath including warm water, scented oil, soap nut powder, a new saree, a bodice, a neck-string with a bit of gold in it, (Mangala Sutra), etc., He relied on Baba's blessings and prayed to Baba again.
STRANGE APPEARANCE:
In an instant, the saint returned and without any invitation entered the tent, had her bath and wore the clothes and the ornament. Nana Saheb fell at her feet and worshipped her. Instantly she got up, flung away all drapery and ornament and disappeared. News spread in the village about this marvellous transformation of Bannu Mayi into a well-clad and bedecked lady; and her mother came up and saw the tent and the articles. She then poured the vials of her wrath on the devoted head of Nana, convinced that he could have no other than low and sordid desires in approaching her daughter, and she disbelieved the statement that the transformation was due to Baba's power. Anyhow, she was placated by being allowed to take away all the articles presented to and discarded by her daughter.
Nana Saheb retired for rest and refreshment to a temple in that village. He bolted the door of the sanctuary room from within and spent his night alone with the image. Early morning he prayed Baba(with closed eyes) that before he left the village in the morning he might be granted one more opportunity to worship the lady saint. As soon as he opened his eyes there sat Bannu Mayi within the bolted sanctuary, into which it was impossible for any ordinary human being to enter. Nana worshipped the saint and she disappeared.
Besides Contentment, Renunciation and Surrender many other lessons were taught by Baba to Nana. For example, the conquest of the six internal enemies, the attraction of woman and wealth, anger, covetousness, delusion, pride, and jealousy – was pressed home and Baba even inflicted light punishments or rebuke for the neglect of lessons imparted.
One day as Nana was seated by Baba's side, a young Muslim lady unveiled her face and placed it on Baba's feet and in a few seconds resumed her veil. But her face was one of rare beauty and Nana Sahebwas so much smitten with her beauty that he wished very much to see her face once more. At once Baba slapped him on the thigh and after the lady left the premises asked Nana, if he knew the reason for the slap on the thigh.
THE INNER BEAUTY:
Nana: How can I hide anything from the Omniscience of my Guru? But I do not understand how such low thoughts should sway my mind when I am in your immediate presence.
Baba: You are a man after all, are you not? The body is swayed by desires, which spring up as soon as a sense-object approaches within sight. But are there not many lovely and well coloured temples? Do wego there to admire the exterior or to see and worship the God within? When you are seeing God, does your mind care for the outside beauty? God is to be seen in every object as much as in temples. Seeing ahuman form we have not to busy ourselves with the exterior beauty or ugliness but only to concentrate on the form and nature of God. There is no harm in looking at the exterior. But that must be accompaniedby reverential awe at the power of God to produce such beautiful bodies and by a desire to see how God resides therein and admire His beauty. Nana, if you had thought on these lines, no desire to have a second look at the young lady's face would have crept into you. Bear this in mind.
A REMARKABLE LADY SAINT:
Nana did keep this lesson in mind and he had a good opportunity to manifest his reverence for a very beautiful Muslim lady, named Bannu Mayi. She was aged only about twenty but was in a highly advancedspiritual condition. Leaving her mother at her home in Bhodegaon, she would be roaming stark-naked everywhere and often concealed herself in prickly pear bushes. There were plenty of thorns embedded in her body and she never cared to extract them. She did not care for meals or sleep. Her mother and other villagers believed her to be insane. Only a few believed her to be a Saint. Nana Saheb was one of the few. He knew that it was a hard feat to get her to sit a while and receive his worship. So he went to Baba and wanted his permission and blessings for the success of his enterprise. Baba first pointed out that there was no need to go and see that saint; seeing that Nana was persistent and pure in his intention, blessed him with the assurance that he would succeed in getting the lady's darsan.
AMONG THE THORNS:
Nana Saheb went up to the saint's village and made a vigorous search for her and numerous enquiries about her whereabouts, all to no purpose. Nay, the inquiries were resented by some villagers who could not appreciate such inquiries about that naked lady. Nana was getting hopeless of success. He closed his eyes in prayer to Baba. As soon as he opened his eyes, there in front of him, on the road stood Bannu Mayi. He fell at her feet and tried to extract some thorns. But the impatient saint ran away into some prickly pear bushes where he could not follow her; and she disappeared. Nana Saheb had taken with him a companion who tired to induce him to get back to Ahmednagar. But Nana had planned a large programme of service. He had put up a tent and laced within it all accessories for a warm bath including warm water, scented oil, soap nut powder, a new saree, a bodice, a neck-string with a bit of gold in it, (Mangala Sutra), etc., He relied on Baba's blessings and prayed to Baba again.
STRANGE APPEARANCE:
In an instant, the saint returned and without any invitation entered the tent, had her bath and wore the clothes and the ornament. Nana Saheb fell at her feet and worshipped her. Instantly she got up, flung away all drapery and ornament and disappeared. News spread in the village about this marvellous transformation of Bannu Mayi into a well-clad and bedecked lady; and her mother came up and saw the tent and the articles. She then poured the vials of her wrath on the devoted head of Nana, convinced that he could have no other than low and sordid desires in approaching her daughter, and she disbelieved the statement that the transformation was due to Baba's power. Anyhow, she was placated by being allowed to take away all the articles presented to and discarded by her daughter.
Nana Saheb retired for rest and refreshment to a temple in that village. He bolted the door of the sanctuary room from within and spent his night alone with the image. Early morning he prayed Baba(with closed eyes) that before he left the village in the morning he might be granted one more opportunity to worship the lady saint. As soon as he opened his eyes there sat Bannu Mayi within the bolted sanctuary, into which it was impossible for any ordinary human being to enter. Nana worshipped the saint and she disappeared.
(Author: HH Pujyasri B V Narasimaha Swamiji)
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