Sunday, March 25, 2007

About Tenali Ramakrishna


Dear Children,


Laughter brings a sense of lightness and freshness and infuses a new spirit. All people laugh; but only a few can make others laugh. And only a specially gifted man can make a careworn with the burden of administration, laugh!

Laughter mirrors a man's nature. What does a man laugh at, whom does he make fun of and why-these can show how mature his mind is.

Humor which shows the foolish pride of others and tries to correct others is good humor which comes from a mind free from poison is good humor.

Ramakrishna was born in a village called Garlapadu in Andhra State during the early part of the sixteenth century.

His father Ramaiah died when Ramakrishna was very young. The boy was deprived of his father's love. His mother Lakshmamma returned to her native place Tenali to live with her brother. Ramakrishna grew up in his uncle's town and so came to be known as Tenali Ramakrishna.

Ramakrishna's mother was very anxious to educate her son. Those were days when the Vaishnavas were powerful. There were many Vaishnava teachers in the place; they refused to teach Ramakrishna because he was a Shaiva.

Ramakrishna was not at all grieved by this. He became carefree. From morning till night he was in the company of naughty boys; he was quite happy eating the mango, apple and tamarind he stole from gardens.

Ramakrishna's mother was miserable because her son was utterly illiterate. She did odd jobs in many houses and fed- herself and her boy.

Ramakrishna went to a many pundits and begged them humbly: "Please accept me as your disciple. I will repay you by rendering service." But he was called names and thrown out of ashrams and schools.

He thought: ‘What a selfish lot! What is the use of their scholarship when they refuse to impart education? No more will I beg any one for my education. I shall get enough education for everyday affairs.'

The boy, who was yearning for a teacher, became a great scholar and was honored in a king's court. How? READ at
http://www.freeindia.org/biographies/greatpoets/tenali/page5.htm


With Love, Amma-Naana