Do I exist apart from you

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Day by Day with Bhagavan________7-12-45The September 1937 number of Vision contains an articleon the Philosophy of the Divine Name according to Nam Dev.Bhagavan frequently refers to it with approval. Today alsoDr. Srinivasa Rao brought it and Bhagavan explained it tohim. Bhagavan remarked, "All this must have been uttered byNam Dev after he attained complete realisation, after touchingthe feet of Vishopakesar to whom Vithoba sent him forenlightenment." Bhagavan then related the following story:"Vithoba found Nam Dev had not yet realised the SupremeTruth and wanted to teach him. When Jnaneswar and Nam Devreturned from their pilgrimage, Gora Kumbhar gave a feast toall the saints in his place and among them were Jnaneswar andNam Dev. At the feast, Jnaneswar in collusion with Gora, toldGora publicly, `You are a potter, daily engaged in making potsand testing them to see which are properly baked and whichare not. These pots before you (i.e., the saints) are the pots ofBrahma. See which of these are sound and which not.'Thereupon Gora said, `Yes Swami, I shall do so', and took upthe stick with which he used to tap his pots to test theirsoundness; and holding it aloft in his hand he went to each ofhis guests and tapped each on the head as he usually did to hispots. Each guest humbly submitted to such tapping. But whenGora approached Nam Dev, the latter indignantly called out:`You potter, what do you mean by coming to tap me with thatstick?' Gora thereupon told Jnaneswar, `Swami, all the otherpots have been properly baked. This one, (i.e., Nam Dev) aloneis not yet properly baked.' All the assembled guests burst intolaughter. Nam Dev felt greatly humiliated and ran up to Vitthalwith whom he was on the most intimate terms, playing withhim, eating with him, sleeping with him, and so on. Nam Devcomplained of this humiliation which had happened to him,the closest friend and companion of Vitthal. Vitthal (who ofcourse knew all this) pretended to sympathise with him, askedfor all the details of the happenings at Gora's house and afterhearing everything said, `Why should you not have kept quietand submitted to the tapping, as all the others did? That is whyall this trouble has come.' Thereupon Nam Dev cried all themore and said, `You also want to join the others and humiliateme. Why should I have submitted like the others? Am I notyour closest friend, your child?' Vitthal said, `You have not yetproperly understood the truth. And you won't understand if Itell you. But go to the saint who is in a ruined temple in suchand such a forest. He will be able to give you enlightenment.'Nam Dev accordingly went there and found an old, unassumingman sleeping in a corner of the temple with his feet on a Sivalingam. Nam Dev could hardly believe this was the man fromwhom he — the companion of Vitthal — was to gainenlightenment. However, as there was none else there, NamDev went near the man and clapped his hands. The old manwoke up with a start and, seeing Nam Dev, said, `Oh, you areNam Dev whom Vitthal has sent here. Come!' Nam Dev wasdumb-founded and began to think, `This must be a great man.'Still he thought it was revolting that any man, however great,should be resting his feet on a lingam. He asked the old man,`You seem to be a great personage. But is it proper for you tohave your feet on a lingam?' The old man replied, `Oh, aremy feet on a lingam? Where is it? Please remove my feetelsewhere.' Nam Dev removed the feet and put them in variousplaces. Wherever they were put, there was a Siva lingam.Finally, he took them on his lap and he himself became a Sivalingam. Then he realised the truth and the old gentleman said,`Now you can go back'." Bhagavan added, "It is to be notedthat only when he surrendered himself, and touched the feetof his guru, enlightenment came. After this final enlightenmentNam Dev returned to his house and for some days did not goto Vitthal at the temple, though it had been his habit not onlyto visit Vitthal every day, but to spend most of his time withVitthal at the temple. So after a few days, Vitthal went to NamDev's house and like a guileless soul enquired how it was thatNam Dev has forgotten him and never visited him. Nam Devreplied, `No more of your fooling me. I know now. Where isthe place where you are not! To be with you, should I go tothe temple? Do I exist apart from you?' Then Vitthal said, `Soyou now understand the truth. That is why you had to be sentfor this final lesson'."(to be concluded)