OCCULT POWERS ARE MORE A HINDRANCE THAN A HELP TO GOD-VISION

ONCE upon a time a sadhu acquired great occult
powers. He was vain about them. But he was a
good man and had some austerities to his credit.
One day the Lord, disguised as a holy man, came
to him and said, "Revered sir, I have heard that you
have great occult powers." The sadhu received the
Lord cordially and offered him a seat. Just then an
elephant passed by. The Lord, in the disguise of
the holy man, said to the sadhu, "Revered sir, can
you kill this elephant if you like?" The sadhu said,
"Yes, it is possible." So saying he took a pinch of
dust, muttered some mantras over it, and threw it
at the elephant. The beast struggled a while in pain
and then dropped dead. The Lord said: "What
power you have! You have killed the elephant!"
The sadhu laughed. Again the Lord spoke: "Now,
can you revive the elephant?" "That too is
possible," replied the sadhu. He threw another
pinch of charmed dust at the beast. The elephant
writhed about a little and came back to life. Then
the Lord said: "Wonderful is your power. But may

I ask you one thing? You have killed the elephant
and you have revived it. But what has that done for
you? Do you feel uplifted by it? Has it enabled you
to realize God?" Saying this, the Lord vanished.
Subtle are the ways of Dharma. One cannot realize
God. if one has even the least trace of desire. A
thread cannot pass through the eye of a needle if it
has the smallest fibre sticking out.