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Source: The Hindu (http://www.the-hindu.com)

 

Devotees can realise God's presence

 

CHENNAI, MAY 14. ``If you have really experienced the presence of

Divinity within, why then are you trying to escape by saying that

words are not adequate nor capable of explaining about that

blissful state'' was a question posed by a person to a saintly

man, who however remained reticent. The former thought that in so

asking he would embarrass the Yogi. At that time, a farmer came

there with a bunch of roses and offered it at the feet of the

saint. ``What is so great about this as all flowers have to grow

somewhere'' said the Yogi disinterestedly. The gardener did not

know what to reply when the other person (who had put a question

about Divinity earlier) intervened to state ``The farmer is very

happy because these roses have blossomed from the plants of his

own garden''. The Yogi asked ``Can you explain how much is his

happiness''. The reply was that the farmer was not able to

describe his joy as he was not educated.

 

At this point a senior lawyer prostrating before the Swami

informed him that he was returning from the capital where he had

gone to argue about a legal clause and about its correct

interpretation. ``Was not the law properly drafted'', the Yogi

asked as if he was innocent. The lawyer replied that it was

correctly done but arguments cropped up time and again. The Yogi

wanted to know where was the fault. The advocate said it was

impossible to lay down the provisions unambiguously. The

fundamental reason was the inadequacy of the power of the

language, which is man-made. It is nobody's fault. Languages

always lagged behind when it comes to expressing opinions,

feelings and experiences, added the lawyer. Devotion to God and

the latter's response cannot be put in terms of words.

 

In a lecture, Sri Ganapathi Sachchidananda Swami gave another

illustration about the manner in which a devotee should realise

about God's presence. A disciple, tired of doing all kinds of

work in the Ashram, requested his spiritual master to give him

some easy job. ``There is something in your house which does not

create ripples when it falls on water, which does not burn if it

falls on fire. Search for it'', the Guru told him. The disciple

returned to the Guru submitting that he could not find any object

that matched his description. ``I never mentioned about any

object. All I said was that there is something in your house''.

After sometime, the student saw a sudden light ``within'' as he

was now looking inwards. He could see the light both when he

closed his eyes and when he opened them.

 

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