A MAN must have some kind of faith before he
undertakes a work. Further, he feels joy when he
thinks of it. Only then does he set about
performing the work. Suppose a jar of gold coins is
hidden under-ground. First of all a man must have
faith that the jar of gold coins is there. He feels joy
at the thought of the jar. Then he begins to dig. As
he removes the earth he hears a metallic sound.
That increases his joy. Next he sees a corner of the
jar. That gives him more joy. Thus his joy is ever
on the increase.
Standing on the porch of the Kali temple, I have
watched the ascetics preparing their smoke of
hemp.
I have seen their face beaming with joy in
anticipation of the smoke.
Monday, December 31, 2012
THE SIMPLE SECRET
GOD can be realised through child-like faith
and guilelessness.
A certain person, on coming across a sadhu,
humbly begged him for instruction. The sadhu's
advice was, "Love God with all your heart and
soul." The enquirer replied, "I have never seen
God, nor do I know anything about Him; how is it
possible that I should love Him?" The holy man
enquired whom the other loved most. The answer
was, "I have nobody to care for.
I have a sheep and that is the only creature I love."
The sadhu said: "Then tend the creature and love it
with all your heart and soul, and always remember
that the Lord abides in it." Having given this advice
the sadhu left the place. The enquirer now began
to tend the sheep with loving care, fully believing
that the Lord abode in the creature. After a long
time the sadhu, during his return journey, sought
out the person he had advised and enquired how
he was getting on. The latter saluted the sadhu and
said, "Master, I am all right, thanks to your kind
instructions. Much good has come to me by
following the line of thought prescribed by you.and guilelessness.
A certain person, on coming across a sadhu,
humbly begged him for instruction. The sadhu's
advice was, "Love God with all your heart and
soul." The enquirer replied, "I have never seen
God, nor do I know anything about Him; how is it
possible that I should love Him?" The holy man
enquired whom the other loved most. The answer
was, "I have nobody to care for.
I have a sheep and that is the only creature I love."
The sadhu said: "Then tend the creature and love it
with all your heart and soul, and always remember
that the Lord abides in it." Having given this advice
the sadhu left the place. The enquirer now began
to tend the sheep with loving care, fully believing
that the Lord abode in the creature. After a long
time the sadhu, during his return journey, sought
out the person he had advised and enquired how
he was getting on. The latter saluted the sadhu and
said, "Master, I am all right, thanks to your kind
instructions. Much good has come to me by
Time and again I see a beautiful figure with four
hands within my sheep and I find supreme bliss in
that."
A DISCIPLE AND HER POT OF CURDS
ONCE there was an annaprasana19 ceremony in a
Guru's house. His disciples volunteered, according
to their powers, to supply the different articles of
food. He had one disciple, a very poor widow, who
owned a cow. She milked it and brought the Guru
a jar of milk. He had thought she would take
charge of all the milk and curd for the festival.
Angry at her poor offering, he threw the milk away
and said to her, "Go and drown yourself.', The
widow accepted this as his command and went to
the river to drown herself. But God was pleased
with her guileless faith and, appearing before her,
said: "Take this pot of curd. You will never be able
to empty it. The more curd you pour out, the more
will come from the pot. This will satisfy your
teacher." The Guru was speechless with
amazement when the pot was given to him. After
hearing from the widow the story of the pot, he
went to the river, saying to her, "I shall drown
myeslf if you cannot show God to me." GodGuru's house. His disciples volunteered, according
to their powers, to supply the different articles of
food. He had one disciple, a very poor widow, who
owned a cow. She milked it and brought the Guru
a jar of milk. He had thought she would take
charge of all the milk and curd for the festival.
Angry at her poor offering, he threw the milk away
and said to her, "Go and drown yourself.', The
widow accepted this as his command and went to
the river to drown herself. But God was pleased
with her guileless faith and, appearing before her,
said: "Take this pot of curd. You will never be able
to empty it. The more curd you pour out, the more
will come from the pot. This will satisfy your
teacher." The Guru was speechless with
amazement when the pot was given to him. After
hearing from the widow the story of the pot, he
went to the river, saying to her, "I shall drown
appeared then and there, but the Guru could not
see Him. Addressing God, the widow said, "If my
teacher gives up his body because Thou doth not
reveal Thyself to Him, then I too shall die." So
God appeared to the Guru—but only once.
A BOY ACTUALLY FED GOD
A BRAHMANA used to worship his family Deity
with food offerings. One day he had to go away on
business. As he was about to leave the house, he
said to his son: "Give the offering to the Deity
today. See that God is fed." The boy offered food
in the shrine, but the image remained silent on the
altar. It would neither eat nor talk. The boy waited
a long time, but still the image did not move. But
the boy firmly believed that God would come
down from His throne, sit on the floor, and
partake of his food. Again and again he prayed to
the Deity, saying: "O Lord, come down and eat the
food. It is already very late. I cannot sit here any
longer." But the image did not utter a word. The
boy burst into tears and cried: "O Lord, my father
asked me to feed you. Why won't you come down?
Why won't you eat from my hands?" The boy
wept for some time with a longing soul. At last the
Deity, smiling, came down from the altar and sat
before the meal and ate it. After feeding the Deity,
the boy came out of the shrine room. His relatives
said: "The worship is over. Now bring away the
offering." "Yes," said the boy, "the worship is over.
But God has eaten everything." "How is that?",with food offerings. One day he had to go away on
business. As he was about to leave the house, he
said to his son: "Give the offering to the Deity
today. See that God is fed." The boy offered food
in the shrine, but the image remained silent on the
altar. It would neither eat nor talk. The boy waited
a long time, but still the image did not move. But
the boy firmly believed that God would come
down from His throne, sit on the floor, and
partake of his food. Again and again he prayed to
the Deity, saying: "O Lord, come down and eat the
food. It is already very late. I cannot sit here any
longer." But the image did not utter a word. The
boy burst into tears and cried: "O Lord, my father
asked me to feed you. Why won't you come down?
Why won't you eat from my hands?" The boy
wept for some time with a longing soul. At last the
Deity, smiling, came down from the altar and sat
before the meal and ate it. After feeding the Deity,
the boy came out of the shrine room. His relatives
said: "The worship is over. Now bring away the
offering." "Yes," said the boy, "the worship is over.
asked the relatives. The boy replied innocently,
"Why, God has eaten the food."
They entered the shrine and were speechless with
wonder to see that the Deity had really eaten every
bit of the offering.
THIS FAITH OF A CHILD
A BOY named Jatila used to walk to school
through the woods, and the journey frightened
him. One day he told his mother of his fear. She
replied: “Why should you be afraid? Call
Madhusudana.” “Mother", asked the boy, "Who is
Madhusudana?" The mother said, "He is your
Elder Brother." One day after this, when the boy
again felt afraid in the woods, he cried out, "0
Brother Madhusudana!" But there was no
response. He began to weep aloud: "Where are
You, Brother Madhusudana? Come to me. I am
afraid." Then God could no longer stay away. He
appeared before the boy and said: "Here I am.
Why are you frightened?" And so saying He took
the boy out of the woods and showed him the way
to school. When He took leave of the boy, God
said: "I will come whenever you call me. Do not
be afraid."One must have this faith of a child, this yearning.
through the woods, and the journey frightened
him. One day he told his mother of his fear. She
replied: “Why should you be afraid? Call
Madhusudana.” “Mother", asked the boy, "Who is
Madhusudana?" The mother said, "He is your
Elder Brother." One day after this, when the boy
again felt afraid in the woods, he cried out, "0
Brother Madhusudana!" But there was no
response. He began to weep aloud: "Where are
You, Brother Madhusudana? Come to me. I am
afraid." Then God could no longer stay away. He
appeared before the boy and said: "Here I am.
Why are you frightened?" And so saying He took
the boy out of the woods and showed him the way
to school. When He took leave of the boy, God
said: "I will come whenever you call me. Do not
be afraid."One must have this faith of a child, this yearning.
THE ONLY WAY
WHY shouldn't one be able to lead a spiritual life
in the world? But it is extremely difficult.
Once I passed over the bridge at Baghbazar. How
many chains it is tied with! Nothing will happen if
one chain is broken, for there are so many others
to keep it in place. Just so there are many ties on a
worldly man. There is no way for him to get rid of
them except through the grace of God.
in the world? But it is extremely difficult.
Once I passed over the bridge at Baghbazar. How
many chains it is tied with! Nothing will happen if
one chain is broken, for there are so many others
to keep it in place. Just so there are many ties on a
worldly man. There is no way for him to get rid of
them except through the grace of God.
THE INEVITABLES
EVFRYONE must reap the result of his past
Karma. One must admit the influence of
tendencies inherited from the past births and the
result of the Prarabdha karma. And one must
remember that pleasure and pain are the
characteristics of the embodied state. In Kavi
Kankan's Chandi it is written that Kaluvir was sent
to prison and a heavy stone placed on his chest.
Yet Kalu was born as the result of a boon from the
Divine Mother of the Universe. Thus pleasure and
pain are inevitable when one accepts a body.
Again, take the case of Srimanta, who was a great
devotee. Though his mother, Khullana, was very
much devoted to the Divine Mother, there was no
end to his troubles. He was almost beheaded.
There is also the instance of the wood-cutter who
was a great lover of the Divine Mother. She
appeared before him and showed him much grace
and love; but he had to continue his profession of
wood-culling, and earn his livelihood by that
arduous work. Again, while Devaki, Krishna's
Mother, was in the prison she had a vision of God
Himself endowed with four hands, holding mace,
discus, conch-shell and lotus. But with all that sheKarma. One must admit the influence of
tendencies inherited from the past births and the
result of the Prarabdha karma. And one must
remember that pleasure and pain are the
characteristics of the embodied state. In Kavi
Kankan's Chandi it is written that Kaluvir was sent
to prison and a heavy stone placed on his chest.
Yet Kalu was born as the result of a boon from the
Divine Mother of the Universe. Thus pleasure and
pain are inevitable when one accepts a body.
Again, take the case of Srimanta, who was a great
devotee. Though his mother, Khullana, was very
much devoted to the Divine Mother, there was no
end to his troubles. He was almost beheaded.
There is also the instance of the wood-cutter who
was a great lover of the Divine Mother. She
appeared before him and showed him much grace
and love; but he had to continue his profession of
wood-culling, and earn his livelihood by that
arduous work. Again, while Devaki, Krishna's
Mother, was in the prison she had a vision of God
Himself endowed with four hands, holding mace,
could not get out of the prison.
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