Story

[Guest guest]

A very very narrow bridge was improvised connecting two high

mountaintops. The bridge was like a narrow wooden plank slung across

the two mountaintops and had neither railings nor even ropes for

protection. From the bridge, looking below, long way down, ran the

treacherous rapids of a mighty river meandering through giant

boulders.

 

One day, a mountain goat came along and wanted to go across the

bridge to the other side of the mountain. The goat started walking

over the narrow bridge. Mountain goats are sure-footed animals and

are fearless mountain climbers.

 

At about the same time, another goat started crossing the bridge from

the other end. The two goats came face to face in the middle of the

bridge. The bridge being very narrow, the two goats could not go past

one another. And there was no way the goats could make about turns.

There was absolutely no possibility that the goats could turn back.

 

The second goat spoke arrogantly to the first goat: "You are

obstructing my path. Get out of my way, you silly goat! I am in a

hurry to go to the other side."

 

The first goat replied: "I was first to step on to the bridge and

therefore I have the right to cross the bridge first."

 

The second goat retorted angrily: "I am the strongest goat around. I

have never lost a fight with other goats. Look at my great big horns

and think again. Either you quickly get out of my way or else…!"

 

The two goats started fighting. Their horns locked and it was indeed,

a strange sight to behold. High up above on a narrow bridge two goats

could not come to terms with each other. They threw caution overboard

and as a result there ensued a battle between two fools. Both goats

lost their balance and fell to their certain deaths.

 

After one week, by a strange co-incidence, two other goats started

crossing the bridge from the opposite ends. One goat from this end of

the bridge and the other goat from the other end. And the two goats

met in the middle of the bridge.

 

The first goat spoke most politely: "I beg your pardon sir! It was

too late when I realised that you were also crossing the bridge from

the other end. Anyway, I am much younger than you are. I have been

taught by my parents and by my teachers that I must respect my elders

and that we should be gentle and kind to all creatures.

 

Furthermore, I remember the advice that when confronted with any

problem, first offer a prayer to the Lord and seek His guidance.

Problems and solutions always go together. Think of a bath-towel. If

one end of the towel is where problems like to reside then the other

end of the towel is where solutions reside. Both ends go together

wherever the towel goes. Problems and solutions are inseparable. One

has to merely search for the solution. I must first think about a

clever solution."

 

The second goat said: "And what might that (solution) be?"

 

The first goat said: "Let me sit on this bridge with my head turned

to one side so that you can slowly and carefully step over my back

and cross over. I will then get up and be on my way."

 

Thus the two goats crossed the bridge safely.

[Guest guest]

Jaya Sri Radhey!

Namaste. Thanks for the beautiful story.

This has reminded me another similar story.

 

Namadeva

 

Namadeva is a saint who is said to have lived around the 13th century

in Maharashtra. God used to appear before him daily in person, to

accept his offerings . However he suddenly stopped doing so.

Namadeva was perturbed at this and was told by someone to meet

Vishobakesha in Amvadya. He reached Amvadya and was guided by the

villagers to a Shiva temple on the outskirts of the village, where

Vishobakesha resided.

 

Namadeva entered the temple and was shocked to see an old man

sleeping in the sanctum with his feet resting on the Linga. Namadeva

was aghast. In anger he rushed to the old man, waking him rudely and

ordering him to take his feet off the Lord.

But Vishobakesha remained unperturbed.

 

"I am an old and fragile man", he said, "please lift my feet and put

them where the Lord is not."

 

Namadeva took the old man's feet and hastily moved them away from the

Linga. But when he wanted to put them down on the ground, lo, a

second Linga sprang up from under the earth as a footrest for the

saint.

Namadeva tried moving those feet to different places and every time

another Linga sprang up from the ground to meet them. In the end the

entire room was filled with Lingas. He suddenly realized that there

is no place where there is no God.

 

He felt humbled and said,

 

"O Guru, forgive me for my ignorance. My head filled with arrogance

is the only place where there is no God" and placed the legs on his

own head.

 

The sage smiled and said: "You have realised what you came to learn.

Go back to Pandarpur."

 

Namadeva returned, a different person. He perceived the vibrant

presence of the Lord in everything. After reaching Pandarpur, he did

not visit the temple, but stayed at home.

 

Four days went by, when not seeing Namadeva at the temple, Lord

Panduranga Himself walked to his devotees house and knocked on his

door.

 

"Namadeva, my dear" He called "Please open the door. Where have you

been so long ? I'm missing you!"

 

Namadeva did not open the door. From inside he called back to

Panduranga:

 

"My dear Lord, I have looked through your game. You won't fool me

again. You made me believe the temple was the only place to meet you.

But now I know that all is You and there is nothing but Yourself!"

 

Panduranga laughed and returned to the temple, blessing Namadeva.

 

--------------

 

In His Shikshastaka prayer- 3, Sri Gauranga Mahaprabhu gives the

cardinal VIRTUES of a TRUE VAISHNAVA thus:

 

"Humbler than the grass,

more tolerant than the tree,

GIVING UP ALL EGOTISM and

PAYING RESPECTS to ALL,

a man SHOULD SING OF LORD HARI."

 

This is the IDEAL which STILL RULES all the Vaishnava lovers of God

and which they still TRY TO MAINTAIN even through UNFAVORABLE

CIRCUMSTANCES.

 

Jaya Sri Radhey!