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
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