#letter 152

Arunachala:  mokey concentrated look.

24th October, 1947

One-Pointedness

... Sometimes these great monkey-warriors knock the fruit out of the hands of newcomers, while on their way to Bhagavan, and at times even snatch away the fruit which people keep by their side after having had it given back to them as prasadam* by Bhagavan’s attendants. 

Noticing these things Bhagavan would say, 

“They take their share of the fruit, why be angry with them? There is the concentrated look, the ‘lakshya drishti’. Somehow they find out where the fruit is kept and in the twinkling of an eye, all of them come and take away their share. Their attention is always on the fruit.

That is why, in Vedantic parlance, the monkey’s look is given as an illustration of the concentrated look, ‘lakshya drishti’. The moment the Guru makes a sign with his eye, the disciple should understand; otherwise the disciple cannot achieve his aim.”

(* It is customary in India, on offering fruit or flowers to the deity or a holy man, for a portion of the offering to be returned to the devotee.)