|
Chapter
XXXII
In
Quest of Guru and God - Fasting Disapproved.
In
this Chapter Hemadpant describes two things:- (1) How Baba
met His Guru in the woods, and through him God; and (2)
How Baba made one Mrs. Ghokhale, who had made up her mind
to fast for three days, eat Puran-Polis.
Preliminary
In
the beginning, Hemadpant describes the samsara (visible
world) by the allegory of Ashvattha (Banyan) tree which
has, in the phraseology of the Geeta, roots above and
branches below. Its branches are spread downwards and
upwards and are nourished by the gunas (qualities), and
its sprouts are the objects of the senses. Its roots,
leading to actions, are extended downwards to this world
of men. Its form cannot be known in this world, nor its
end, its beginning nor its support. Cutting this Ashvattha
tree of strong roots with the sharp weapon of
non-attachment, one should seek the path beyond, treading
which there is no return.
For
traversing this path, the help of a good guide (Guru) is
absolutely necessary. However learned a man may be, or
however deep his study of Vedas and Vedangas (sacred
literature) may be, he cannot go to his destination
safely. If the guide be there to help him and show him the
right way, he would avoid the pitfalls and the wild beasts
on the journey, and everything will be smooth-sailing.
Baba's
experience in this matter, the story which He gave out
Himself, is really wonderful, which, when attended to,
will give you faith, devotion and salvation.
The
Quest
Once
four of us were studying religious scriptures and other
books and, being thus enlightened, we began to discuss the
nature of the Brahman. One of us said that we should raise
the self by the Self and not depend on others. To this the
second replied that he who controls his mind is blessed;
we should be free from thoughts and ideas and there is
nothing in the world without us. The third said that the
world (phenomenon) is always changing, the formless is
eternal; so we should discriminate between the Unreal and
the Real. And the fourth (Baba Himself) urged that bookish
knowledge is worthless and added, "Let us do our
prescribed duty and surrender our body, mind and five
pranas (life) to the Guru's feet. Guru is God, all
pervading. To get this conviction, strong unbounded faith
is necessary."
Discussing
in this wise, we four learned men began to ramble through
the woods in the quest of God. The three wanted to make
the quest with their free and unaided intellect. On the
way a Vanjari (a man who trades in certain things, such as
grain etc. by carrying them on bullock) met us and asked
us, "It is hot now, where and how far are you
going?". "To search the woods", we replied.
He enquired, "On what quest are you bound?" We
gave him an ambiguous and evasive reply. Seeing us
rambling aimlessly, he was moved and said, "Without
knowing the woods fully, you should not wander at random.
If you want to walk through forests and jungles, you
should take a guide with you. Why do you exert youselves
unnecessarily at this sultry noon-time? You may not give
out to me your secret quest; still you can sit down, eat
bread, drink water, take rest and then go. Be always
patient at heart." Though he spoke so tenderly, we
discarded his request and marched on. We thought that we
were self-contained men and needed nobody's help. The
woods were vast and trackless, the trees therein grew so
close and tall, that the sun's rays could not penetrate
through them; so we lost our way and wandered here and
there for a long time. Ultimately through sheer good luck,
we came back to the place from were we started. The
Vanjari met us again and said, "Relying on your own
cleverness you missed your way; a guide is always
necessary to show us the right way in small or great
matters; and no quest can be successfully carried out on
an empty stomach. Unless God wills it, no one meets us on
the way. Do not discard offers of food; served dish should
not be thrust away. Offers of bread and food should be
regarded as auspicious signs of success." Saying this
he again offered us food and asked us to be calm and
patient. Again we did not like this good hospitality and
discarded his offer and went away. Without doing any quest
and without taking any food, the three began to move out.
So obstinate were they. I was hungry and thirsty and I was
moved with the Vanjari's extraordinary love; we thought
ourselves very learned but were quite strangers to pity
and kindness. The Vanjari was a quite illiterate and
unqualified fellow and belonged to a low caste. Still he
had love in his heart and asked us to eat the bread. In
this way he who loves others disinterestedly is really
enlightened and I thought acceptance of his hospitality
was the best beginning of getting knowledge. So very
respectfully I accepted the loaf of bread offered, ate it
and drank water.
Then to!
The Guru at once came and stood before us, "What was
the dispute about?" He asked and I told him
everything that had happened. Then he said, "Would
you like to come with me? I will show you what you want;
but he alone, who believes in what I say, will be
successful." The others did not agree to what he said
and left him; but I bowed to him reverently and accepted
his dictum. Then he took me to a well, tied my feet with a
rope and hung me - head downwards and feet up - from a
tree near the well. I was suspended three feet above the
water, which I could not reach with My hands, nor which
could go into my mouth. Suspending me in this manner he
went away, no one knew where. After 10 or 12 ghatakas (4
or 5 hours) he returned and taking me out quickly asked me
how I fared. "In Bliss supreme, I was. How can a fool
like me describe the joy I experienced?" I replied.
On hearing my answer the Guru was much pleased with me,
drew me near him and stroking my body with his hand kept
me with him. He took care of me as tenderly as a
mother-bird does of her young ones. He put me into his
school; how beautiful it was! There I forgot my parents,
all my attachment was snapped and I was liberated easily.
I thought that I should embrace his neck and remain
staring at him always. If his image were not fixed in my
pupils, I would like better to be blind. Such was the
school! No one, who entered it once, could return
empty-handed. My Guru became my all-in-all, my home and
property, mother and father, everything. All my senses
left their places and concentrated themselves in my eyes,
and my sight was centred on him. Thus was my Guru, the
sole object of my meditation and I was conscious of none
else. While meditating on him my mind and intellect were
stunned and I had thus to keep quiet and bow to him in
silence.
There are
other schools where you see an altogether different
spectacle. The disciples go there to seek knowledge and
spend their money, time and labour; but ultimately they
have to repent. The Guru there boasts of his secret
knowledge and his straight-forwardness. He makes a show of
his sacredness and holiness, but he is not tender at
heart. He speaks a lot and sings his own glory; but his
own words do not touch the disciples' hearts and they are
not convinced. So far as Self-realization is concerned, he
has none. How can such schools be of any use to the
disciples and how can they be benefited? The master (Guru)
mentioned above was of different type. By his grace,
realization flashed upon me of itself, without effort or
study. I had not to seek anything, but everything became
clear to me as broad day-light. The Guru alone knows how
the topsy-turvy Suspension, 'with head down and feet up'
can give happiness!
Among the
four, one was a Karmatha (Ritualistic) who only knew how
to observe, and abstain from, certain rites; the second
was a Jnani, who was puffed up with pride of knowledge and
the third was a Bhakta who surrendered himself completely
to God, believing that he was the sole Doer. When they
were discussing and arguing, the question of God turned
up, and they, depending on their unaided knowledge, went
in search of Him. Sai, who was Discrimination and
Dispassion incarnate, was one of the four. Being Himself
Brahman Incarnate, some may ask, "Why did He mix with
them and act foolishly?" He did this for attaining
the good of the public, and setting them an example to
follow. Though an incarnation Himself, He respected a low
Vanjari, by accpeting his food with the firm belief that
"Food is Brahman" and showed how those who
rejected Vanjari's hospitable offer suffered and how it
was impossible to get Jnana without a Guru. The Shruti (Taittiriya
Upanishad) exhorts us to honour and worship mother, father
and preceptor, and to study (learn and teach) the sacred
scriptures. These are the means of purifying our minds and
unless this purification is effected, self-realization is
not possible. Neither the senses, nor the mind and
intellect reach the Self. Modes of proof, such as
Perception and Inference will not help us in the matter.
It is the grace of the Guru that counts. The objects of
our life such as Dharma, Artha and Kama are attainable
with our effort, but the fourth object, Moksha
(liberation) can only he had with the help of the Guru.
In the
Darbar of Shri Sai, many personalities appear and play
their part; astrologers come and give out their
predicitions; princes, noblemen, ordinary and poor men,
Sannyasis, Yogis songsters and others come for darshan.
Even a mahar comes and, making a Johar (his salutation),
says this Sai is the Mai-Baap (True parents), Who will do
away with our rounds of births and deaths. So many others
such as Jugglers, Gondhalis, the blind and the lame,
Nath-panthis, dancers and other players come and are given
suitable reception. Biding his own time, the Vanjari also
appeared, and played the part assigned to him. Let us now
revert to the other story.
Fasting
and Mrs. Gokhale
Baba
never fasted Himself, nor did He allow others to do so.
The mind of the faster is never at ease, then how could he
attain his Paramartha (goal of life)? God is not attained
on an empty stomach; first the soul has to be appeased. If
there is no moisture of food in the stomach and nutrition,
with what eyes should we see God, with what tongue should
we describe His greatness and with what ears should we
hear the same? In short, when all our organs get their
proper nutrition and are sound, we can practise devotion
and other sadhanas to attain God. Therefore, neither
fasting nor overeating is good. Moderation in diet is
really wholesome both to the body and mind.
One Mrs.
Gokhale came to Shirdi with an introductory letter from
Mrs. Kashibai Kanitkar (a devotee of Baba) to Dada Kelkar.
She came to Baba with a determination to sit at Baba's
Feet observing a three days fast. The day previous, Baba
said to Dada Kelkar, that He would not allow his children
to starve during the Shimga, i.e., Holi holidays, and that
if they had to starve, why was He there? Next day when the
woman went with Dada Kelkar and sat at Baba's Feet, Baba
at once said to her, "Where is the necessity of
fasting? Go to Dadabhat's house, prepare the dish of Puran
POlis (wheat rotis with gram-flour and jaggery), feed his
children and yourself too." Shimga holidays were on.
Mrs. Kelkar was then in her menses and there was nobody to
cook in Dadabhat's house. So Baba's advice was very
timely. Then Mrs. Gokhale had to go to Dadabhat's house
and prepare the dish as directed. She cooked that day, fed
others and herself. What a good story and how beautiful
its import!
Baba's
Sircar
Baba
gave a story of his boyhood as follows:- "When I was
a youngester, I was in search of bread and went to
Beedgaum. There I got embroidery work. I worked hard,
sparing no pains. The employer was very much pleased with
Me. Three other boys worked before Me. The first got Rs.
50/- the second Rs. 100/- and the third Rs. 150/-. And I
was given twice the whole of this amount, viz. Rs. 600/-.
After seeing my cleverness, the employer loved me, praised
me and honoured me with a full dress, a turban for the
head and a shell a for the body, etc. I kept this dress
intact withoutusing it. I thought that what a man might
give does not last long and it is always imperfect. But
what My Sircar (God) gives, lasts to the end of time. No
other gift from any man can be compared to His. My Sircar
says "Take, take," but everybody comes to me and
says 'Give, give.' Nobody attends carefully to the meaning
of what I say. My Sircar's treasury (spiritual wealth) is
full, it is overflowing. I say, "Dig out and take
away this wealth in cartloads, the blessed son of a true
mother should fill himself with this wealth. The skill of
my Fakir, the Leela of my Bhagwan, the aptitude of my
Sircar is quite unique. What about Me? Body (earth) will
mix with earth, breath with air. This time won't come
again. I go somewhere, sit somewhere; the hard Maya
troubles Me much, still I feel always anxiety for My men.
He who does anything (spiritual endeavour) will reap its
fruit and he who remembers these words of Mine will get
invaluable happiness."
Bow
to Shri Sai - Peace be to all
|
