THE GUARDIAN OF DEVOTION (3)

AN EXPERIENCE ON THE WAY
“WONDER OF WONDERS”

By Tridandi Swami Parivrajakacharya
Sri Srimad Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj

It was a Saturday. I was returning home with a friend of mine by the 5 o’clock evening train. Fatigued after the whole day’s work, the daily passengers like me were also getting into the train in great numbers, their faces beaming with joy at the prospect of getting back home. The train bound for Katwa was terribly crowded.

We, two friends, somehow secured a place in a compartment and just when we sat down with a sigh of relief to give our restless selves a little respite from the monotonously rigid atmosphere of Calcutta, some gentlemen pushed their way through the crowd and boarded our compartment. Although they were all of the same age, one seemed to be over fifty but he could not be considered as an old man by any standard. It was evident from his talk that he, in his old age, did not have the good fortune of having the aptitude of a young mind.

Any way, we noticed that no sooner he had got into the train, the first thing he did was to discover two young sadhus. The expression of his face revealed as if he had discovered a great thing. Thereafter, he managed to get some sitting place by the side of the two sadhus and he cast side look at his companions in such a way as if to say that at least he had found something very amusing. Without any further delay, he started questioning the two boys.

Old man, “I say, my child! Gauranga! How far are you going?”

The two boys would be of eighteen to twenty years of age. By looking at their faces, one could realise that they were very happy. The faces had no marks of worry so far, as such looked very bright and cheerful.

The older one answered in a leisurely manner, “Sir, we are going home.”

Old man, “You are going home, is it? Well, well, that is good. But where is it, my son? Is it in that land of rosary and bag? At least, the proof of that can be seen around your neck.”

The boy again replied, smilingly, “Yes, Sir, in a way, it is so. But, then where are you going?”

Old man, “Myself? I am getting off on your way—that is, at Chandan Nagar.”

The boy immediately answered in a short-time manner, “Then, why on my way only? Why don’t you come along with me? I will make sure you reach home. ‘Back to God and back to Home.’”

I could realise that the boy was not at all a fool, on the contrary, he was quite intelligent and witty. But the old man replied, “But, my son, I will not be Gauranga like you as I have a wife and sons. And then, if all of us become Gauranga like you, then your God’s creation will become completely static.” So saying he laughed.

The boy also laughed, and so did we. But I could see that the boy’s face suddenly turned serious and immediately after that he replied, “Well, well, that is very good seeing your sense of duty, now, at least, I can realise your greatness. Now tell me, who else but people like you will be so vigorously active in helping God’s creation? If you don’t mind, may I ask you till today as the proof of your preserving creation?”

Just then the whistle sounded from far announcing the train’s departure. This time it appeared as if the gentleman was a bit crestfallen. We all laughed at his discomfiture. But the boy did not laugh this time. Just at that time, another gentleman who had drawn our attention by his charming looks, came out with the remark, “Why are you all wasting time? Instead, why not you ask the brahmachari some questions seriously? I feel he is capable of giving proper answers to our queries.”

Our train then gave some jolts and started leaving the station. The atmosphere also gradually started changing. After hearing the gentleman talk in that way, it seemed as if all other passengers were getting sympathetic towards the two brahmacharies. But the old man was rather obstinate. As such, he again questioned (though this time in a slightly sober way).

Old man, ’I say, my child! Is there no happiness in household life?”

Brahmachari, “Sir, how can I say so? I am a life-long celibate. Moreover, I am not much concerned about its ways. You are better placed to answer this question—whether there is happiness or not. I can only guess by looking at you all. Suppose, for example, you have been to the office. There, the superior officer’s high-handedness is not unknown to anyone; you have to travel by this train also. I do not have to tell you how enjoyable it is to be pushed about by fellow passengers, and after reaching home, you have to face your irate wife and listen to her complaints, like there is no rice, no pulses, no oil, no salt, no clothes for the children etc. Then, at least, it will not be improper, to imagine the extent of your happiness and otherwise also, it is better not to give the clue to real happiness. So why ask me at all?”

My friend was silent so far, now he could not contain himself any longer. He asked, “Dear brother! Why don't you tell us about the real thing?”

Brahmachari, “Years back, the arya-rishies told about this for our benefit. Why do I have to say? The way they, by delving deep into our mind, had known our inner aspirations and had given expressions to the same with their sacred pen, I can give a small example of that. Please listen:

The old age has crept in, happiness has vanished,
Illness has made me sorrowful.
Weak sense organs, body emaciated.
The heart grieves at the want of worldly pleasures.
Devoid of a grain of knowledge,
Deprived of the sentiment of devotion, etc…

This time, the gentleman mentioned earlier addressed the boy directly, “Brahmacharijee, I fell so happy to see you two. Please do not worry about these gentlemen.” Then, pointing towards the old man, he said, “He likes to have a bit of fun, but today he has made a wrong choice. I request you not to mind it. Anyway, kindly give us some instruction in an easy way.”

Brahmachari, “You see, it is a railway compartment. Many types of people have gathered. As such, it is very difficult for an insignificant person like me to say anything—especially to advise.”

Old man, “Yes, yes, let us hear some advice.” Saying this, he heaved a sign of relief.

Brahmachari continued, “Moreover, you see, will you be able to hear even if I say anything? And even if you hear, will you be able to follow it? I cannot accept that even if you understand it, you will be able to put it into practice in your life. Still, your enthusiasm has somewhat encouraged me, so I humbly submit—you better ask me some questions, I will try to answer them as best as I can.”

The gentleman, “At first, please excuse my audacity, and then kindly tell us why you have left home.”

This time, the brahmachari, again with a pleasant face and a sweet smile, said, “Although the question is quite concise and beautiful, but the answer will take sometime as several other questions also are involved in it, so you will have to listen somewhat patiently.”

Everyone, “Let it be so. Please go on.”

Brahmachari, feeling somewhat encouraged, started telling, “See, first of all, we must know ‘Who am I?’ After that, I will answer the queries like ‘mine’, ‘home’, ‘renunciation’ and ‘why’, etc. The very question ‘Who am I?’ immediately reminds us of Srila Sanatan Goswami. Probably all of you have heard his name, more or less.“

The friend, “Yes, we have read about him in a poem. There is a beautiful description of an incident. Sanatan Goswami, in spite of finding a touchstone kept it under a tree like a worthless piece of stone. Later on, when a brahman, being commanded by Lord Shiva, approached him for wealth, he asked him to take it from underneath the tree. But after taking away the precious stone, the man could realise his foolishness, so he came back and fell as goswami’s feet and beseeched him saying, ‘The treasure that has made you so rich that you do not consider a precious stone a jewel at all, I humbly bow down and beg of you to kindly give me a bit of that only,’ and so saying threw away the touchstone in the river water. What a delightful character it is!”

Brahmachari, “The characters of great saints are incomprehensible. Although they themselves are great liberated souls, they show various ways for the welfare of the unliberated ones. Srila Sanatan Goswami was Sriman Mahaprabhu’s very intimate associate. When Sriman Mahaprabhu went to Vrindavan, Srila Sanatan Goswami, for the good of mankind, after discarding even the prestigious position of a chief ministership under Hussain Shah, the pleasures of the materialistic world and all other transient possessions, offered himself at the feet of Mahaprabhu at Kashi. It is he only who asked Sri Chaitanya on our behalf, ‘Who am I? Why do the three miseries make me suffer?’ Mahaprabhu knew Sanatan through and through, so He said, ‘You are intimately acquainted with the divine truth, you have no miseries of any kind. Even then, you have put this question for the enlightenment of human beings. So, I will tell you everything by and by. Please listen.’ So saying, Mahaprabhu said—

jivera svarupa haya krsnera nitya-dasa
krsnera tathastha-sakti bhedabheda prakasa

‘Your constitutional position is that you are a pure living soul,’ the Lord told Sanatan. ‘This material body cannot be identified with your real self; nor is your mind your real identity, nor your intelligence, nor false ego. Your identity is that of an eternal servitor of the Supreme Lord Krishna. Your position is that you are transcendental. The superior energy of Krishna is spiritual in constitution and the inferior external energy is material. Since you are between the material energy and the spiritual energy, your position is marginal. Belonging to the marginal potency simultaneously one with and different from Krishna and because you are only a minute particle of Krishna, you are different from Him.’

“First of all, we must find out ‘Who am I?’ And now, you will have to listen with some patience because the discussion that I am going to start on the preliminary part of a discourse, is completely different.”

The gentleman said with great modesty, “See, we are not much conversant with sastras. Moreover, I think there is no one amidst us who is able to realise the mysteries of the sastras; as such, you will have to make us understand, as far as possible, with the help of reasoning.”

Brahmachari, “Alright, I will try, but please remember, it is not possible to ascertain the true nature of that object or that of my own self with the help of wordy reasons, arguments, knowledge, intelligence or scholarship. But, for the sake of varied observations, I will take help, as far as possible, from the reasons put forward by the great men.”

Suddenly another gentleman broke his silence, So far he had been a listener, but now he assumed the role of a speaker and said, “Whether you say with reasonings or with the assistance from sastras, as long as there is a subject, there will be doubt and where there is doubt there must be query. So, without determination of the question and settlement, is it proper to hear what any Ram or Shyam says?”

Brahmachari (smiling a little), “Certainly not. Hearing you talk, I feel you are very fond of logic. Anyway, I only am asking you: are reasons and arguments capable of ascertaining the true state of one’s self or the real nature of God? And where can we find this?

“The sense objects of this material world may be governed by the argumentative theories, have you not heard that the self cannot be perceived by any other power except that of its own power of perception? What is the use of applying microscope to the cars? Can we see a picture through a microscope? Then, how can, through an instrument made of arguments, one have the knowledge or the realisation of an object that is beyond the power of speech and mind? According to the conception I have after studying the sastras, there is no possibility of ascertaining the true nature of self by argumentation. All the sastras, such as Vedas, say the same thing—‘Nayatma pravachanena labhya na medhaya va bahuna srutena’, ‘Tarka-pratisthanat’, etc.

“There are plenty of statements like these. As such, I do not ask you to listen to what any Ram or Shyam says, but to pay heed to the statements of the omniscient great souls or the teachings of Vedas.”

I could see that the gentleman was disheartened and was trying to say something but the first gentlemen hastily said, “Brahmacharjee, we have got very little time. We have got only one more station to go. So, please try to finish what you have to say, because if two learned men come across each other, their arguments will never cease.”

Brahmachari, “Good, now listen to what I am saying. Firstly, we will have to find out which is the real ‘I’, whether it is the body or the mind or something else. In this connection, a sloka from Gitopanisada will help us to understand it:

indriyani parany ahur, indriyebhyah param manah
manasas tu para buddhir, buddher yah paratas tu sah

“It is said that the senses are superior to the body, the mind is superior to the senses, intellect is superior to the mind, and the one who is superior to even the intellect is the atma.

“The sense organs in this body are preeminent. But when analysed, it is found that they are nothing but slaves of the mind because if one is unmindful, even if a drum is beaten near his ears, he is unlikely to hear it, is it not so? There again, even a mad man has got a mind, but because of his deranged brain his mind is not under his control. Everything about him is out of element—inconsistent. At this it can be concluded that intelligence is superior to all, there again, intelligence without a support, or a prop or a light cannot manifest itself or be active, that is the atma—full of consciousness, self-luminous, truth shining by its own light.

“Moreover, you see, the body may be self contained but in the absence of only one thing it becomes immobile. Today, we are fondling a boy because of his beauty, qualities and general intelligence and we cannot bear his absence even for a moment, but if he dies tomorrow what do we do? His beautiful body, which was so very dear to us, an object of my great attachment, instead of keeping it at home, we carry it straight to the cremation ground—to remove even the last trace of him. We do that although the heart may break in grief—why? We know very well that the one who used to dwell in that body all these days, who used to play and laugh with them, used to feign annoyance and sulk at times, today he is no more. He has left the body which was the abode of the senses, and now it will rot. Then we can understand very well that the body is not the real person, the body is his house, his residence and that which used to dwell in the house has left it and that is known as atma, that carries with it distant memories of its entire past. In the absence of atma, the earth, water, fire, air, ether, knowledge and desire become inanimate objects only….” [To be continued]

CONTENTS

Editorial
Declaration of the Spiritual Succession
(1) Complete Dedication
(2) Pure Devotion
(3) The Only Enjoyer
(4) The Wave of Love
(5) The Krishna Conception of Divinity
(6) Personal Knowledge
(7) Service to Guru
(8) Marching on to Glory
(9) An Experience on the Way
(10) Advent of Golden Moon
(11) Holy Talks of the Supreme Lord

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