ONCE there lived two yogis who were practising
austerities with a view to realize the Lord. One day
Narada, the divine sage, was passing by their
hermitage, when one of them asked him, "Are you
coming from Heaven". Narada replied, "Yes, that
is so." The yogi said, "Do tell me what you saw the
Lord doing in Heaven." Narada replied, "I saw the
Lord playing by making camels and elephants pass
through the eye of a needle." At this the yogi
observed: "There is nothing in it to marvel at.
Nothing is impossible with God!" But the other
man exclaimed: "O nonsense! That is impossible! It
only shows that you have never been to the Lord's
abode."
The first man was a bhakta and had the faith of a
child. Nothing is impossible to the Lord, nor can
anyone know His nature fully. Everything can he
predicted of Him.
Monday, December 31, 2012
HANUMAN SINGH AND THE WRESTLER FROM THE PUNJAB
AT one time two men were engaged to wrestle.
One of them was Hanuman Singh and the other a
Mussulman from the Punjab. The Mussalman was
a strong and stout man. Pie had eaten lustily of
butter and meat for fifteen days before the day of
the wrestling-match, and even on that day. All
thought he would be the victor.
Hanuman Singh, on the other hand, clad in dirty
cloth, had eaten sparingly for some days before the
day of the match and devoted himself to repeating
the holy name of Mahavir21. On the day of the
match he observed a complete fast. All thought he
would surely be defeated.
But it was he who won, while the man who had
feasted for fifteen days lost the fight. (
One of them was Hanuman Singh and the other a
Mussulman from the Punjab. The Mussalman was
a strong and stout man. Pie had eaten lustily of
butter and meat for fifteen days before the day of
the wrestling-match, and even on that day. All
thought he would be the victor.
Hanuman Singh, on the other hand, clad in dirty
cloth, had eaten sparingly for some days before the
day of the match and devoted himself to repeating
the holy name of Mahavir21. On the day of the
match he observed a complete fast. All thought he
would surely be defeated.
But it was he who won, while the man who had
feasted for fifteen days lost the fight. (
THE POWER OF FAITH
You must have heard about the tremendous power
of faith. It is said in the Purana that Rama, who
was God Himself—the embodiment of Absolute
Brahman—had to build a bridge to cross the sea to
Ceylon. But Hanuman, trusting in Rama's name,
cleared the sea in one jump and reached the other
side. He had no need of a bridge
of faith. It is said in the Purana that Rama, who
was God Himself—the embodiment of Absolute
Brahman—had to build a bridge to cross the sea to
Ceylon. But Hanuman, trusting in Rama's name,
cleared the sea in one jump and reached the other
side. He had no need of a bridge
FAITH TREMENDOUS
IF a devotee believes one hundred per cent that his
Chosen Ideal is God, then he attains God and sees
Him.
People of bygone generations had tremendous
faith. What faith Haladhari's20 father had! Once he
was on the way to his daughter's house when he
noticed some beautiful flowers and Bel leaves. He
gathered them for the worship of the family Deity
and walked back five or six miles to his own house.
Once, a theatrical troupe in the village was enacting
the life of Rama. When Kaikeyi asked Rama to go
into exile in the forest, Haladhari's father, who had
been watching the performance, sprang up. He
went to the actor who played Kaikeyi, crying out,
"You wretch!", and was about to burn the actor's
face with a torch.
He was a very pious man. After finishing his
ablutions he would stand in the water and meditate
on the Deity, reciting the invocation: "I meditate
on Thee, of red hue and four faces," while tears
streamed down his cheeks.
Chosen Ideal is God, then he attains God and sees
Him.
People of bygone generations had tremendous
faith. What faith Haladhari's20 father had! Once he
was on the way to his daughter's house when he
noticed some beautiful flowers and Bel leaves. He
gathered them for the worship of the family Deity
and walked back five or six miles to his own house.
Once, a theatrical troupe in the village was enacting
the life of Rama. When Kaikeyi asked Rama to go
into exile in the forest, Haladhari's father, who had
been watching the performance, sprang up. He
went to the actor who played Kaikeyi, crying out,
"You wretch!", and was about to burn the actor's
face with a torch.
He was a very pious man. After finishing his
ablutions he would stand in the water and meditate
on the Deity, reciting the invocation: "I meditate
on Thee, of red hue and four faces," while tears
streamed down his cheeks.
FAITH UNBOUNDED
ONE day, Sri Krishna, while going in a chariot
along with Arjuna, looked up to the sky and said,
"Behold! What a nice flight of pigeons there!"
Arjuna at once turned his eyes in that direction and
exclaimed, "Really, friend, very beautiful pigeons
indeed!" But the very next moment Sri Krishna
looked again and said, "No, friend, they are not
pigeons, it seems." Arjuna, too, saw again and said,
"True, they are not pigeons."
Now try to understand the meaning of this. A great
adherent to truth that Arjuna was, he did not
possibly assent to whatever Sri Krishna said, simply
for flattering him. But he had such an unflinching
faith in Sri Krishna that he perceived at once
actually whatever Sri Krishna said.
along with Arjuna, looked up to the sky and said,
"Behold! What a nice flight of pigeons there!"
Arjuna at once turned his eyes in that direction and
exclaimed, "Really, friend, very beautiful pigeons
indeed!" But the very next moment Sri Krishna
looked again and said, "No, friend, they are not
pigeons, it seems." Arjuna, too, saw again and said,
"True, they are not pigeons."
Now try to understand the meaning of this. A great
adherent to truth that Arjuna was, he did not
possibly assent to whatever Sri Krishna said, simply
for flattering him. But he had such an unflinching
faith in Sri Krishna that he perceived at once
actually whatever Sri Krishna said.
FAITH ABSOLUTE
ONCE, a young sannyasin went to a house to beg
his meal. He had embraced the monastic life from
his very boyhood and so had not much knowledge
of the world, A young lady came out from the
house to give him alms.
Seeing her breasts, the young sannyasin questioned
her if she was suffering from boils on her chest. To
that her mother replied: "No, my son, she hasn't
got any boil. A child will soon be born to her, and
so God has provided her with two breasts to
suckle the child. The child will suck milk from
those breasts after it is born." No sooner did the
young sannyasin hear this than he exclaimed: "No
more will I beg my meals.
He, who has created me, will feed me too."
his meal. He had embraced the monastic life from
his very boyhood and so had not much knowledge
of the world, A young lady came out from the
house to give him alms.
Seeing her breasts, the young sannyasin questioned
her if she was suffering from boils on her chest. To
that her mother replied: "No, my son, she hasn't
got any boil. A child will soon be born to her, and
so God has provided her with two breasts to
suckle the child. The child will suck milk from
those breasts after it is born." No sooner did the
young sannyasin hear this than he exclaimed: "No
more will I beg my meals.
He, who has created me, will feed me too."
A TRUE DEVOTEE'S FAITH
OMCT, while going to Kamarpukur, I was
overtaken by a storm. I was in the middle of a big
meadow. The place was haunted by robbers. I
began to repeat the names of all the deities: Rama,
Krishna and Bhagavati. I also repeated the name of
Hanuman. I chanted the names of them all.
What does that mean? Let me tell you. While the
servant is counting out the money to purchase
supplies, he says, "These pennies for potatoes,
these for egg plants, these for fish." He counts the
money separately, but after the list is completed, he
puts the coins together.
Is there anything impossible for faith? And a true
devotee has faith in everything: the formless
Reality, God with form, Rama, Krishna and the
Divine Mother.
overtaken by a storm. I was in the middle of a big
meadow. The place was haunted by robbers. I
began to repeat the names of all the deities: Rama,
Krishna and Bhagavati. I also repeated the name of
Hanuman. I chanted the names of them all.
What does that mean? Let me tell you. While the
servant is counting out the money to purchase
supplies, he says, "These pennies for potatoes,
these for egg plants, these for fish." He counts the
money separately, but after the list is completed, he
puts the coins together.
Is there anything impossible for faith? And a true
devotee has faith in everything: the formless
Reality, God with form, Rama, Krishna and the
Divine Mother.
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