the story of I and YOU ---

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A Puranic story of Sage Ribhu and his disciple Nidagha, is

particularly instructive. Although Ribhu taught his disciple the

supreme Truth of the One Brahman without a second, Nidagha, in spite

of his erudition and understanding, did not get sufficient conviction

to adopt and follow the path of Jnana (Wisdom), but settled down in

his native town to lead a life devoted to the observance of

ceremonial religion. But the Sage loved his disciple as deeply as the

latter venerated his Master. In spite of his age, Ribhu would himself

go to his disciple in the town, just to see how far the latter had

outgrown, his ritualism. At times the Sage went in disguise, so that

he might observe how Nidagha would act when he, did not know that he

was being observed by his Master.

 

On one such occasion Ribhu, who had put on the disguise of a village

rustic, found Nidagha intently watching a royal procession.

Unrecognized by the town-dweller Nidagha, the village rustic enquired

what the bustle was all about, and was told that the king was going

in procession.

 

"Oh! it is the king. He goes in procession! But where is he?" asked

the rustic. "There, on the elephant," said Nidagha. "You say the king

is on the elephant. Yes, I see the two," said the rustic, "but which

is the king and which is the elephant?What!" exclaimed

Nidagha. "You see the two, but do not know that the man above is the

king and the animal below is the elephant? What is the use of talking

to a man like you?Pray, be not impatient with an ignorant man like

me," begged the rustic. "But 'you said 'above' and 'below' -- what do

they mean?"

 

Nidagha could stand it no more. "You see the king and the elephant,

the one above and the other below. Yet ' you want to know what is

meant by 'above' and 'below''' burst out Nidagha. "If things seen and

words spoken can convey so little to you, action alone can teach you.

Bend forward, and ' you will know it all ' too well". The rustic did

as he was told. Nidagha got on his shoulders and said: "Know it now.

I am above as the king, you are below as the elephant. Is that clear

enough?No, not yet," was the rustic's quiet reply. "You say you

are above like the king, and I am below like the elephant.

The 'king', the 'elephant', 'above' and 'below' -- so far it is

clear. But pray, tell me what you mean by 'I' and 'you'?"

 

When Nidagha was thus confronted all of a sudden with. the mighty

problem of defining a 'you' apart from an 'I', light dawned on his

mind. At once he jumped down and fell at his Master's feet

saying: "Who else but . my venerable Master, .Ribhu, could have thus

drawn my mind from the superficialities of physical existence to the

true Being of the Self? Oh! benign Master, I crave thy blessings".

 

 

ENJOY , DEAR ONES!