The Color of Milk

Gauracandra · September 10, 2000

The following is a short story given by Srila Gaur Govinda Maharaj in his book "Sadhu-sanga, the Birthplace of Bhakti".

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There is a story. There was a blind man who once wanted to know, "What is the color of the milk?" He asked one of his trusted friends. "Oh my friend. Can you tell me what is the color of the milk?" His friend replied, "Oh, it is plain.Plain? What is plain?" Then his friend said, "It is like a crane.Like a crane? What is that - crane?" He is a blind man.

Then the friend raised the upper-portion of his hand. He bent the topmost portion and held it before the blind man. So the blind man touched it and remained silent for one moment. "Oh now I understand what is the color of the milk! I will never drink milk in my life. It will get stuck in my throat."

This is how he understands the color of the milk. He is a blind man. Those who have not received the mercy of sadhu-guru - that means they have not received the mercy of Krsna - they are blind man. Those who try to understand Krsna by dint of their material knowledge, learning, merit or intelligence, are very puffed-up persons. They are like a sort of blind man. Their understanding of Krsna is like that of the blind man's understanding the color of milk.

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Everything I have read by and about Srila Gaur Govinda Maharaj indicate to me that he was a pure Vaisnava. He returned to Krsna back in 1996. He personally never wrote any books, but rather spent all of his time translating Srila Prabhupada's books into Oriya. But his disciples have published a number of his lectures in book form. One of the things that makes this story so funny to me are the pictures of Srila Gaur Govinda Maharaja as he tells it. Very few people could tell this story and really get away with its humor because it is so simple hearted. And when you see the pictures you get the sense of an almost childlike innocence in telling the story. Everything I have read from him is just simple hearted, with complete humility and love for Krsna.

Haribol.

Gauracandra