Digest Number 256 - KRISHNA LEELA by JAY

[Guest guest]

Dear JAY,

I am quite helpless to let you know that how much I enjoyed your short

narration of the " Leela in the Leela " in the temple performance. The running

of the boy Krishna to pick up the stick to beat him should be so cute to see

by yourself in that theatrical performance! By just reading a few lines on

that drama, I marvelled at the utter guilelessness of the children. The

whole night, I was in a joyful mood contemplating on this apparently simple

and childish act.

Please allow me now to drag your attention to a significant conversation

that took place a hundred years ago between two of the eminent direct

disciples of Sri Ramakrishna. Here, Swami Turiyananda, a great Vedantin, who

came to the West to spread the message of Vedanta narrates how his

illiterate brother monk Swami Adbhutananda corrected his views on " Lord's

Leela " .

Swami Adbhutananda was the only direct disciple of Sri Ramakrishna who

was absolutely illeterate in the normal meaning. Swami Vivekananda says he

is the miracle of Sri Ramakrishna as Sri Ramakrishna made a great spiritual

giant out of the illiterate boy-disciple Latu and transformed him to Swami

Adbhutananda by his mere touch and Grace.

The following is Swami Turiyananda's narration about his encounter with

Swami Adbhutananda..

Another day in course of conversation on spiritual things I remarked,

" The Lord is free from faults such as partiality, cruelty, and the like. "

Latu Maharaj did not say anything then, but after the gentleman to whom I

was talking had gone, he said: " What a statement you made! You mean that the

Lord is like a little child and you, like a mother, have to go to His

defense? " I tried to vindicate myself and said: " If He did whatever came to

His mind He would be a capricious despot. Is He like the Czar of Russia? He

is kind and benevolent. "

Latu Maharaj blinked and said: " It is very good of you to save your Lord

from criticism! BUT WON`T YOU ADMIT THAT EVEN THE DESPOTIC CZARS ARE GUIDED

BY HIM? "

What a wonderful light he threw on the issue! His words remained with me

as if they had been chiseled permanantly in stone.

Let us meditate on this conversation together with " the pick up the

stick " episode in your temple in England.

Love,

Prakash