RE: Clarify - a story

[Guest guest]

>

> S Sangaranarayanan [sangarsai]

> A competent Guru is more important in getting realised. He

> must be one who

> has treaded the path and had the experience also. Because

> only a person who

 

You mentioned that one should not hesitate to get rid of the guru if he is

not competent! Actually, one approaches and accepts a person as guru only

after validating the facts (to some extent) about that person. In my

opinion, doubting after that will never yield any results. The highest

knowledge is advised, as per Adishankara, to the person who has fulfilled

fourfold qualities (sAdhana catuSThaya) - Sraddha is told as very important

among them "guru vEdAnta vAkyAdishu viSvAsaH sradha".. Believing in guru's

words is sraddha.

 

In my opinion a person who doubts the power of his own guru/mentor can

neither become successful on this earth nor on heaven. (nAyaM lOkOsti

naparaH kutOnyaH?)

 

A question again: How do we know whether the guru is competent or not? How

could we judge somebody higher than us? Isn't there some thing missing

here....

 

=======

Let me tell you a story of an old couple who attained Lord Narayana with the

help of a thief disguised as a guru!:

 

Once upon a time an old couple called Rangayya and Rangamma were living in a

small village. Rangayya is a very hard worker and earned a lot of money.

Though he got 4 children, all have abandoned them migrating to different

parts of the country. They have become too old to take care of themselves.

One day, Rangayya was wandering in fields looking at the river and thinking

of his youth, pondering on how good he used to be at work! While he was

deeply immersed in his thinking a monk, who was passing by, looked at

Rangayya with compassion and said "Rangayya, this is time for you to realize

the ultimate goal of your life. You have become too old, yet you keep

thinking of worldly things. Your children have abandoned you, yet you think

of their welfare! Haven't you yet realized the mundanity of existence!...

Try to seek the Help of Lord Narayana, he can give you liberation."

 

The moment he heard these words, Rangayya became a different man. He

prostrated the monk who uttered these words and went straight home. He

explained his wife that he wants to renounce the world at once and seek the

help of Lord Narayana so that he could attain liberation. His wife Rangamma

felt very happy and replied to him "I came with you where ever you go, now

that you are going for liberation, I shall follow you there too.."

 

So they both decided and left the home. After walking half a day in the

jungle, they both got a doubt. They know that Lord Narayana can give them

liberation, but they do not know how to reach Lord Narayana! So they

started searching for somebody who could help them in reaching Lord

Narayana.

 

Mean while a thief, after successfully stealing money from a King's palace,

is on the run. He was wearing the dress of a monk (a sanyasi) so that

nobody could suspect him! While he was hurriedly walking in the forest in

order to escape from the King's soldiers, he come accorss these old couple

Rangayya and Rangamma...

 

The old couple feel very happy to see a monk (who is in deed a thief!) and

with great reverence they clutch his feet. The thief couldn't move because

the couple have clutched his feet! Getting surprised, he desperately tries

to get rid of them. But Rangayya pleads "Dear Swamy! We know that Lord

Narayana can help us in reaching liberation, but we do not know where to

look for him, please help us..." The thief, in sheer desperation to get rid

of them advises thus:

 

"It is very difficult to search for Narayana. The best way is to make him

search for you! Do one thing, close your eyes and stand still until you see

Lord Narayana, keep chanting his name --- Narayana, Narayana, Narayana...

Remember that you not move from this place unless you see Lord Narayanana"

advising thus the thief goes away on his way...

 

Ragayya and Rangamma feel very happy to know about the way to reach Lord

Narayana. They keep stand still and chant the name of Lord Narayana.

Couple of days have passed by, due to old age their feeble limbs could not

take the stress of hunger and thirst!... They were about to faint but their

determination was so great that the heat of their desperation has touched

the great compassionate mother Goddess Lakshmi. She feels sorry that the

old innocent couple were gravely cheated by the Thief/Monk!

 

She wakes up the ever sleeping Lord Narayana out of his wonderful dreams and

asks him to do something for these couple. Lord Narayana was so pleased to

see the determination of the old couple. So he goes down and personifies in

front of them. He says "Oh Rangayya, Oh Rangamma I am very pleased to see

your determination, please open your eyes, I am Lord Narayana, How I may

help you, what do you want from me!"

 

The couple feel quite happy to know that their *guru's* advise has worked!

In deed, Lord Narayana came and personified in front of them... Rangayya

gets another doubt, after slightly opening eyes and looking at Narayana.. He

immediately closes his eyes again. Narayana gets bewildered and asks what

happened! Rangayya replies "Oh Swamy I believe that you are Narayana, but

my guru did not tell me how you look. How am I sure that you are Narayana?"

 

Lord Narayana understands... So In order to please them, he takes the shape

of the thief (disguised as Monk) and approaches the couple again. The

couple feel quite happy to see their guru again. Then Rangayya complains to

him saying that somebody with four hands, a shanka and chakra has approached

them claiming that he is Lord Narayana. Then Lord Narayana who is disguised

as a Monk, who is in reality a thief, advises them saying that he is really

Lord Narayana. The couple feel sorry for turning away Lord Narayana. They

are lucky, Narayana comes again to them in his original form and grants them

liberation.

 

 

MORAL: A guru may be in the shape of a thief, yet, trust his words, your own

trust will do wonders to you. Don't bother to judge him, who are we to

judge anybody in this world! After all, we can't judge our own actions some

times! Have faith in the ultimate goal, reach it. Have faith in upanishadic

words "The self will reveal itself to he who is deserved"... Alone to the

alone --- all alone... Om tat sat...