Hi Farid! Thank you very much for sharing THE IMMATURE POT with us! I also took a long time to learn this lesson! hehehe
See you Lil On Aug 26, 5:28 pm, "farid khan" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > *The Immature Pot * > > *(The devata we worship, is in essence only the Infinite Lord.)* > > Vithoba found Nam Dev had not yet realized the Supreme Truth and wanted to > teach him. When Jnaneswar and Nam Dev returned from their pilgrimage, Gora > Kumbhar gave a feast to all the saints in his place and among them were > Jnaneswar and Nam Dev. At the feast Jnaneswar, in collusion with Gora, told > Gora publicly: 'You are a potter, daily engaged in making pots and testing > them to see which are properly baked and which are not. These pots before > you (i.e., the saints) are the pots of Brahma. See which of these are sound > and which not.' Thereupon Gora said 'Yes: Swami, I shall do,' and took up > the stick with which he used to tap his pots to test their soundness. > Holding it aloft in his hand he went to each of his guests and tapped each > on the head as he usually did to his pots. Each guest humbly submitted to > such tapping. But when Gora approached Nam Dev, the latter indignantly > called out: 'You potter, what do you mean by coming to tap me with that > stick?' Gora thereupon told Jnaneswar: 'Swami, all the other pots have been > properly baked. This one ( i.e. Nam Dev) alone is not yet properly baked.' > All the assembled guests burst into laughter. > > 'Nam Dev felt greatly humiliated and ran up to Vitthal (the diety which he > worshipped) with whom he was on the most intimate terms, playing with him, > eating with him, sleeping with him, and so on. Nam Dev complained of this > humiliation which had happened to him, the closest friend and companion of > Vitthal. Vitthal (who of course knew all this) pretended to sympathize with > him, asked for all the details of the happenings at Gora's house and after > hearing everything said: 'Why should you not have kept quiet and submitted > to the tapping, as all the others did? That is why all this trouble has > come.' Thereupon Nam Dev cried all the more and said: 'You also want to join > the others and humiliate me. Why should I have submitted like the others? Am > I not your closest friend, your child?' Vitthal said: 'You have not yet > properly understood the truth. And you won't understand if I tell you. But > go to the saint who is in a ruined temple in such and such a forest. He will > be able to give you enlightenment.' > > Nam Dev accordingly went there and found an old, unassuming man sleeping in > a corner of the temple with his feet on a Siva lingam. Nam Dev could hardly > believe this was the man from whom he – the companion of Vitthal – was to > gain enlightenment. However, wa there was none else there, Nam Dev went near > the man and clapped his hands. The old man woke up with a start and seeing > Nam Dev, said: 'Oh – you are Nam Dev whom Vitthal has sent here. Come!' Nam > Dev was dumbfounded 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 to have your feet on a lingam? The old man replied: > 'Oh, are my feet on a lingam? Where is it? Please remove my feet elsewhere.' > Nam Dev removed the feet and put them in various places. Wherever they were > put, there was a Siva lingam. Finally, he took them on his lap and he > himself became a Siva lingam ! Then he realized the truth and the old > gentleman said: Now you can go back". > > After this final enlightenment Nam Dev returned to his house and for some > days did not go to Vitthal at the temple, though it had been his habit not > only to visit Vitthal every day, but to spend most of his time with Vitthal > at the temple. So after a few days, Vitthal went to Nam Dev's house and like > a guileless soul, enquired how it was that Nam Dev had forgotten him and > never visited him. Nam Dev replied: 'No more of your fooling me. I know now. > Where is the place where you are not? To be with you, should I go to the > temple? Do I exist apart from you?' Then Vitthal said: 'So you now > understand the truth. That is why you had to be sent for this final > lesson'". --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "English Learner's Cafe" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/english_learners?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
