A Little Story from Bhagavan

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A Little Story from Bhagavan

 

There was a pundit who led a disciplined life, and always stuck to a

prearranged timetable. He woke up from sleep in the early hours of

the morning, recited Pranava (Om) and later, after ablutions, drank a

cup of milk exactly at 7 a.m. every day. This meant, a lot also

depended on how punctual his milk maid was.

 

But sometimes the milkmaid would arrive late, for she lived on the

other side of a river. The river flowed between where she lived and

the pundit¢s hut. She had to catch a ferry to cross over the river

with the milk. The ferryboat would sometimes either start a little

early or a little late. So, on those days by the time she reached the

Pundit's house it used to be very late.

 

One day, the Pundit admonished her. He said, " You are disrupting my

disciplined life. Don't you know that I must have my cup of milk at 7

a.m. everyday? Why do you depend on that boat to take you across?

Just repeat the name of Rama. The river will part and you will be

able to walk across. Rama will see that you do not get drowned. "

 

The maid being very simple and unsophisticated had faith in the words

of the Pundit. Next day, the maid repeated the name of Rama and just

walked across the river!

 

The Pundit questioned her: " So, how did you manage to come on time

today? " The milkmaid replied, " Sir, I repeated the name of Rama as

you had instructed yesterday, and I could just walk across. "

The Pundit was now flabbergasted; he did not believe her account. He

just drank the milk and said, " Let's now go to the bank of the river.

Let me see you walk across the river. "

 

The maid stepped into the river repeating the name of Rama, and she

could just walk across! The maid requested the Pundit to follow her.

But the Pundit knew that he would not be able to do it, because he

did not have faith in what he himself had said. In spite of his

scholarship, he did not have faith in the power of the Name.

 

Dear readers, this is a story narrated by Bhagavan Baba in a divine

discourse delivered on April 25th 1998. Swami has always emphasized

that the Lord of the Universe always responds to those with faith in

Him. One need not have any worldly education and degrees to qualify

in His school; it is enough if we have complete Faith in Him. For

faith, as we know, can do much more than just move mountains; with

faith in God we can develop tremendous confidence and witness the

blossoming of talents placed within us by the Lord Himself!

 

Ram Chugani

Kobe, Japan