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« on: October 13, 2012, 09:26:55 PM »
Jai Sai Master!
I encounter this story by Bhagavan Ramana maharshi and thought of sharing with you all.
I think masterji mentioned in brief about this story some where.
here it is.................
Bhagavan then related the following story:
?Vithoba found Nam Dev had not yet realised the Supreme
Truth and wanted to teach him. When Jnaneswar and Nam Dev
returned from their pilgrimage, Gora Kumbhar gave a feast to
all the saints in his place and among them were Jnaneswar and
Nam Dev. At the feast, Jnaneswar in collusion with Gora, told
Gora publicly, ?You are a potter, daily engaged in making pots
and testing them to see which are properly baked and which
are not. These pots before you (i.e., the saints) are the pots of
Brahma. See which of these are sound and which not.?
Thereupon Gora said, ?Yes Swami, I shall do so?, and took up
the stick with which he used to tap his pots to test their
soundness; and holding it aloft in his hand he went to each of
his guests and tapped each on the head as he usually did to his
pots. Each guest humbly submitted to such tapping. But when
Gora approached Nam Dev, the latter indignantly called out:
?You potter, what do you mean by coming to tap me with that
stick?? Gora thereupon told Jnaneswar, ?Swami, all the other
pots have been properly baked. This one, (i.e., Nam Dev) alone
is not yet properly baked.? All the assembled guests burst into
laughter. Nam Dev felt greatly humiliated and ran up to Vitthal
with whom he was on the most intimate terms, playing with
him, eating with him, sleeping with him, and so on. Nam Dev
complained of this humiliation which had happened to him,
the closest friend and companion of Vitthal. Vitthal (who of
course knew all this) pretended to sympathise with him, asked
for all the details of the happenings at Gora?s house and after
hearing everything said, ?Why should you not have kept quiet
and submitted to the tapping, as all the others did? That is why
all this trouble has come.? Thereupon Nam Dev cried all the
more and said, ?You also want to join the others and humiliate
me. Why should I have submitted like the others? Am I not
your closest friend, your child?? Vitthal said, ?You have not yet
properly understood the truth. And you won?t understand if I
tell you. But go to the saint who is in a ruined temple in such
and such a forest. He will be able to give you enlightenment.?
Nam Dev accordingly went there and found an old, unassuming
man sleeping in a corner of the temple with his feet on a Siva
lingam. Nam Dev could hardly believe this was the man from
whom he ? the companion of Vitthal ? was to gain
enlightenment. However, as there was none else there, Nam
Dev went near the man and clapped his hands. The old man
woke up with a start and, seeing Nam Dev, said, ?Oh, you are
Nam Dev whom Vitthal has sent here. Come!? Nam Dev was
dumb-founded and began to think, ?This must be a great man.?
Still he thought it was revolting that any man, however great,
should be resting his feet on a lingam. He asked the old man,
?You seem to be a great personage. But is it proper for you to
have your feet on a lingam?? The old man replied, ?Oh, are
my feet on a lingam? Where is it? Please remove my feet
elsewhere.? Nam Dev removed the feet and put them in various
places. Wherever they were put, there was a Siva lingam.
Finally, he took them on his lap and he himself became a Siva
lingam. Then he realised the truth and the old gentleman said,
?Now you can go back?.? Bhagavan added, ?It is to be noted
that only when he surrendered himself, and touched the feet
of his guru, enlightenment came. After this final enlightenment
Nam Dev returned to his house and for some days did not go
to Vitthal at the temple, though it had been his habit not only
to visit Vitthal every day, but to spend most of his time with
Vitthal at the temple. So after a few days, Vitthal went to Nam
Dev?s house and like a guileless soul enquired how it was that
Nam Dev has forgotten him and never visited him. Nam Dev
replied, ?No more of your fooling me. I know now. Where is
the place where you are not! To be with you, should I go to
the temple? Do I exist apart from you?? Then Vitthal said, ?So
you now understand the truth. That is why you had to be sent
for this final lesson?.?
Jai Sai Master!
btw.....what happend after this story.....i mean after his realisation did Nam dev used to fulfill his daily routine as usual like before.....going to temple talking to Vitthal? curious to know. Any one please share.....
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