278 IN THE VISION OF GOD
Ramdas looked straight at him, and the sadhu cowered
beneath the gaze. Then Raindas said:
"Haharaj, please listen. Ramdas is an humble servant
and an innocent child of God, and he came here by His will
alone. It is again He who prompted him to fast during
these days. Ramdas never expected you to feed him. Prom
the very first you thought of driving Ramdas away. You
tried to frighten him, but Ramdas could not be frightened.
You spoke harshly to him, but Ramdas coul-d not be scared.
You denounced him, and yet Ramdas remained good-
humoured and calm. This is on one side. On the other, you
were extremely kind to him. You compelled him to drink
milk on the first day. You granted him the happy privilege
of staying for a night in your cave. You regaled him
with sweet drinks and tobacco, and gave him fire even
at dead of night. Your appearance shows, because of this
fast, you have been feeling anxious about Ramdas. Ramdas
knows that this is all Ram's play. Kindness and harshness
are the same to him. He does not know what yoga or
atmaghata means. He is a simple believer in the all-power-
ful Name of God. It is that Name that has brought Ramdas
face to face with Him."
Here the sadhu broke in:
"That you do not know yoga, I cannot now believe. I
admit I made a mistake. I ought to have known better by
the colour of your cloth. I have a perfect dread of sannyasis.
Fasting is no good for you any longer* It brings you down
to tamoguna; otherwise you would not have talked as you
have done.11
Ramdas replied: "Ramdas does not know how any guna
works in him. He does everything by Ram's will. Even
now he is talking by His will alone. Ramdas has neither
hatred nor love for anybody. Whereas he had been tutored
by Rain that selfishness is the root of all ignorance in this
world; it is the cause of all misery and pain. By surrender-
ing to the Lord of the universe, the supreme Master of onj?