TAKE ONE STEP…

This is the story of one Ramachandran, a native of the State of Kerala in the south west part of India. Way back in 1972, Ramachandran, then barely out of his teens, joined the State Police Service. As a constable, he was expected to assist in the maintenance of law and order but guess how that enemy inside, namely anger, made him act? One day during a quarrel with a neighbour, Ramachandran became so angry that he killed the man.

Arrest followed and then came the trial. Ramachandran realised soon after killing the neighbour that he done a most terrible thing. He was full of remorse but it was too late as far as the dead man was concerned. Ramachandran felt deeply for his action and as a result refused any defence during the trial. Instead he admitted his guilt and awaited the verdict.

In those days the death penalty was common – unlike now, when it is awarded only in the rarest of rare cases. So inevitably Ramachandran was sentenced to death, a sentence that was confirmed by the higher courts as required by law. Ramachandran did not at all feel sorry that his life was due to be terminated; on the contrary he felt that he was getting what he deserved.

But then, destiny has its own way of steering events. The process of higher courts confirming the sentence etc., took its own time and in the meanwhile, back in the prison, Ramachandran came across some books by Bhagavan Baba and also books on Him. He read them all and his life took a sharp turn. He now began to do Puja regularly in the temple within the prison premises and also started helping others as much as he could. The prison authorities were surprised, happy and also moved with pity. Thus it was that they filed a mercy petition on his behalf; normally these petitions are filed by the prisoner or his relatives. But in this case, the Law itself rose in appeal on Ramachandran’s behalf. The petition was received favourably, and the death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment.

Years rolled by and by due process of Law, one fine day Ramachandran found himself to be a free man. News about him spread and a young lady came forward to actually marry him! And do you know how Ramachandran spends a good deal of his time now? On loving all and serving all; exactly as Swami wants us to do. Ramachandran’s wife cooks food which he then packs and delivers to the inmates of the mental hospital in Kollam where the Ramachandrans now live.

Most of us are accustomed to typecast individuals by saying: So and so is evil, so and so is a cheat, so and so is a good man, and so on. But in actual fact, there is both good as well as evil within each one of us. It is up to us to progressively eliminate evil through Sadhana as Swami has advised us to. If we do, then our lives would indeed be redeemed as it happened for Ramachandran who everyone thought would swing from the gallows. Man may propose but it is ultimately God who disposes; but then we must make it possible for Him to do so, and thus it is that the ball is really in our court! Take one step and I shall take ten towards you, God said. But the first step should be ours.

SGH TEAM.