a story about bhakti and jnana. PS

[Guest guest]

Hello again Vicki,

 

My previous response to your post must have left you scratching your head!

<lol>

I realized i had not read the post in entirety ( missed that Vithoba was

referred to as God) and ~ misread some of the lines that i did read. It

stimulated many stories to come to remembrance...a Sufi story, the

metaphorical significance of the South pole of the Master ('lotus feet')

connected to the North pole of the disciple ( head in bow to Master) etc.,

then i had to go to work, so...

 

-

"vicki" <viorica

>

snip>

> There was a saint named Namdev who offered some food to his God ,

> Vithoba. The legend is that actually Vithoba ate it. Consequently , Namdev

acquired a certain fame as a true bhakta whose offering of food had actually

been accepted by God.

 

snip

When he came to Namdev and tapped his head , he said , "This one is unripe.

This one is not properly baked." Namdev was very angry . He went to

Vithoba the next day and said , "This is bad. This is unfair ! Gora Khumbar

has said that I am not ripe. What of my bhakti you accepted ?"

>

> Then Vithoba told Namdev ,

snip>

There is nothing I can do."

>

> But finally Vithoba said , "I'll tell you what to do. Go to a particular

Shiva temple. There you will find a man who lives there . Go to him and see

what happens."

>

> Namdev went into this temple and found the man lying there , totally

absorbed in his own state , with his feet on the Shivalingam.

> Namdev was horrified . "What are you doing ?" he explained. "You have

placed your feet on the sacred Shivalingam. " The man replied , "Have I? I

wasn't aware.

> I am so sick and debilitated , I don't even have the strength to lift my

feet. Would you please lift them and place them where there is no

Shivalingam ?"

> So Namdev lifted his feet and wherever he put the man's feet , a

Shivalingam appeared under them. In frustration Namdev finally placed them

on his own head , whereupon he suddenly experienced total understanding.

>

> So that was the lesson and the message which Vithoba wanted him to have.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 

Namdev was worshipping an external God (Vithoba). Bhakta is total surrendur

to God, which apparently Namdev did not have. The Jnani (wisdom) recognizing

Namdev to be unripe, stimulates the vestiges of Namdev's ego, which turns

him back railing to his God, Vithoba,( and the significance of the external

God telling him there is nothing he can do) (perhaps Vithoba here also

represents the inner guru) in turn directs him to the man in the temple

(Namdev's outer guru). Perhaps the picking up of his feet represents service

to the guru. (stories of those in service to the guru; liberated just

through that) The man lying in the temple was the embodiment of love

(bhakta) and

wisdom (jnana)( In union with the beloved) and whose contact led Namdev to

the (union of bhakta and jnana) the realization of Omnipresence; the

Self ~ within/without ~ everywhere ~ The Thou art That.

 

Love,

~jessica

 

ps i enjoy your contributions Vicki