Story Board

Power of Absolute Belief and Unconditional Confidence

This story was told by respected Sri Acharya Bijoy Krishna Goswami—

Once, in a European Country, there was a drought for a very long time.  Everywhere people started to pray to God for rain. During those days, there was an advertisement published in a local newspaper of a city – inviting it’s dwellers to attain a prayer for rain. On scheduled day, before evening, all dwellers of the city started gathering in the Church. Then a small boy arrived there with an umbrella in his hand. Watching that umbrella, already gathered persons said the boy – “ hay, you are really a  foolish one. Why you brought the umbrella now?”  The boy replied “Today we will pray for rain. God will give us the rain, then, what will happen to us if we don’t have umbrella? Then, all of us will be wet if we have to return home in the rain”.  Listening to the boy, everyone get astonished and started laughing.

After the completion of the prayer, really the rain started. Then the boy said “ if you have really belief in god, then you could not have left your umbrella  back at your home. Now see, you all stay here back, I am going.”

– –  after stating this story Swamiji said “ pray to God like a baby crying for mother. God is compassionate. He has shown his compassion even to a sinful person like me, then He will not dishearten anyone. If you pray to Him from your heart, He will certainly come to you. I am telling this not by listening it, even not from my imagination. I am saying this from my own experience. God will definitely come to you if you pray respectfully and with honesty. Please pray once in the way I am saying, definitely He will shower His blessing on you”.

==========

Vairagya

This story we heard from TC when a few of us – newly initiated disciples – were trying to praise him for his advancement state of Kriya.

The event occurred about ten years ago when Swami Sadhanananda Giri Maharaj was touring some sacred places in Himalaya with a few of his disciples. The place was Uttarkashi – a comparatively bigger town in UP from where different routes to different pilgrimages diverge.

In most of the places in Himalaya people are vegetarian. Only in places like Uttarkashi there are some non-veg restaurant. One of the disciples ( TC )traveling with Swamiji was non-veg & the rest were vegetarian. Swamiji does not prescribe immediate stoppage of non-veg foods for those habituated with such kind of foods before the initiation, but asks to reduce them gradually. By the practice of Kriya the disciple soon realizes which food is suitable for his living & performance of Kriya. He then himself switches over to vegetarian or least consumption of non-veg foods.

The disciples had managed to procure totally vegetarian meal for Swamiji – He does not even take onion or garlic which are considered in some parts of India as veg items. At the time of lunch TC taking non – neg items items decided to sit at a different table – away from Swamiji’s & those of the vegetarians. He thought that perhaps the smell of meat & eggs would cause some trouble to Swamiji who has never taken such things in His life.

Swamiji came to the dinner table & immediately asked who had decided to sit aloof.

The other disciples present there replied to Swamiji that it was TC who made separate arrangements for him & others.  He immediately replied loudly, so that everyone can hear – “He is yet to attain a trace of ‘Vairagya’.”

TC was very upset. Swamiji had really ‘puntured’ his reputation of being an advanced disciple in the eyes of others present there.

Swamiji next narrated the matter.  Some one who has attained ‘Vairagya’ it maters nothing if some one is taking a veg or non-veg meal by his side. His mind is placed into the coveted placid state & remains concentrated into the inner hymn of ‘Omkar’. It matters nothing to him whether someone speaks good about him or bad. Only he & his Guru know his achievements & any kind of words of glory cannot touch him. He has crossed such insignificant material aspirations for which common people long for. When the mind is in such a state that minor incidences happening by his side act on his mind & distracts it towards such matters, he should be confident that he is yet to achieve the placid state of true ‘Vairagya’ – however great people may talk or preach about him or his advanced state of sadhana.

Here TC had underestimated Swamiji’s state on mind. His mind is not moved by such minor incidences.

Concluding the story TC smiled to us. We soon realized how insignificant are those attempts to distract one’s mind – placed at the lotus feet of His Guru, from where no one can allure it to a better place.

Our attempts were also futile in case with TC.

We are all very much eager to hear such praise & compliments from others. This a great driving force in the mortal world. When the Yogi can understand every moment how trivial this matter of public admiration is – he will cross one great hurdle in his path.

==========

Here is one gospel of Sadguru Swami Nigamananda Saraswati :

It was the story of an active cat.

For myriads of lives (i.e. for several births and rebirths) he was habituated in killing mouse so much that in the present birth also whenever he would see any mouse anywhere, he could not resist the temptation of killing the same, be there any hunger and appetite or not.

A hermit, for reasons better known by him, developed mercy on the cat. He caught hold of the cat and tied it with a rope. He also caught hold of a mouse and kept it tied with a rope near the cat, keeping just a safe distance. He used to feed both of the creatures everyday. Initially, the attention of the cat did never move away from the mouse. He tried to pounce over it from several directions. But the rope would prevent him from catching the prey. The mouse would also remain awe stricken all the while. But, after some days conspicuous change was observed in the behavior and attitude of the cat. He did no longer rivet his attention fixed to the mouse and sometimes if his attention would fall on the mouse, the killer instinct did not haunt him anymore. The hermit, satisfied at the change in habit and attitude of the cat, emancipated both of them. Afterwards both the animals were free from violence and enmity to one another. Both were happy in truest sense of the term.

Now, Swamiji says – “you are the cat. The world is the mouse. Guruji is the hermit. Gurukarma i.e., kriya or mantra is the rope by which Guruji ties up a cat for his sublimation.”

==========

Initiation Is Purification

One day Troilanga Swami said to the young seeker Bijoy Krishna Goswami, “Look here, I shall have to initiate you.”

Bijoy Krishna said, “I don’t want to be initiated by you. You are so un-divine. What you did in the Kali temple was so shocking to me.”

Troilanga Swami said, “No, I have received an inner command from above. You have to be initiated by me. It is absolutely necessary for everyone to be initiated. If there is no initiation, then there can be no purification. You need purification in your life, and if you do not have this purification, there will be no God-realisation for you. I have got the command from within. Otherwise, I would be the last person to ask to initiate anybody.”

When Bijoy Krishna heard these words, he fell at the Swami’s feet and got initiation. It helped him considerably in his purification and expedited his spiritual journey. Eventually, Bijoy Krishna Goswami also became a very great spiritual Master.

Commentary:

Initiation is of paramount importance. The Master can initiate the seeker either outwardly or inwardly. But the traditional outer way, as part of a religious rite, is far less effective than the silence-initiation. In the silence-initiation, the Master offers a portion of his life-breath to the seeker for his ignorance-illumination and his delight-realisation. Initiation is purification. No purification, no perfection. No perfection, no satisfaction either on earth or in Heaven.