Page 285 - Kailaspati: Paramhans Hansdevji Avadhoot

said that someone was doing cooking, some other was at the service of the Guru while some one was taking care of the cattle. There was only one job left to be done—the duty of turning cow-dung into cakes. he was then engaged to do that job and began learning grammar, literature, Nyaya, ‘sarvadarshan’ including Mimansa. Finally, when his Guru taught him Vedanta, which is the essence of all religious scriptures, he learnt that Jiva and Brahma are indivisible and ‘Tatvamasi’ is the summum bonum (the highest good) of everything. he then said, “My goodness! i have learnt this from my Guru long back. if i had firm faith in the advice of my Guru, i might not have done such a menial job as turning the cow-dung to make it into a cake.”
having told this tale, sadhu Baba looked at the old Pundit of the ashrama and said, “i am not a Pundit. You know the scriptures better than me.” On hearing these words of Baba, the Panditji humbly said, “There is no doubt that the sages are much more expe- rienced about the path of realizing the Brahma than the Pundits”. On having completed the tale, he narrated another tale about how a Pundit was blessed by a sage. Before he told the tale, he agreed with the Pundit on the said point. The tale was about a sage and a scholar on scriptures. a man came to them and enquired about how to realize God. in reply the sage said, “if you want to have the simple answer, then come to me. and if you would like to know about the way then see that Pundit.” he then added if, one desirous of learning horse-riding, begins to read books on that subject, he will learn that one has to sit on a horse straight, one has to hold the horse tight by both of his knees, one has to keep a watch on the ears of the horse, one has to hold the rein in a certain way etc. But the point is, even if he has read books on horse-riding, there is every possibility of his falling from the horse for a simple reason. But one who has been riding on a horse for a long time needs no book on horse-riding. Besides, there is no possibility of his fall from the horse. That is because he is used to doing that. No work can be perfectly performed if it is not properly practised. similarly, one can hardly realize Brahma by reading books on that subject unless he meditates and follows it uninterruptedly and reverently.
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