Dear All,
We read in an earlier post on the six major concepts that vedanta covers which are Jiva (Individual), Jagat (Creation), Isvara (Creator), Bandha (Bondage), Moksha (Liberation) and Sadhana (Path).
Now, the Guru has taken over and instead of directly giving the Maha Vakyas or transcendental truth like the Acharyas used to pour in the upanishadic era, here is the Master who is trying to explain the grand truth, step by step, in an easier way for the student of this modern Era.
Let us read the following article / writing of Swami Tejomayananda and when we reach the end, we will pick up the essence and proceed to explain further on the second concept - Creation with respect to Maya.
Scene 1
In an extremely wondrous garden,
roses of different hues are swaying in ecstasy. The light of the early dawn has
speckled them with its dewdrops which shine as pearls lending an additional
grace to the beauty of the garden Just then, a group of young girls giggled and
gaggled their way there.
One of the girls cried out in
sheer delight, “Aha! Just look at all these beautiful flowers that have
blossomed here. I’d love to put one of them in my hair”. And she ran to fetch
it but one of her friends cautioned her about the gardener but who cared?
She touched a flower and was about
to pluck it when, suddenly, a voice boomed loudly, “Who is it? STOP! THIEF!”
The girl’s hands shook and
shuddered. No flower came her way, rather, an over – protective thorn, pricked
her finger. But the gardener devilishly gleamed and curled his huge moustache,
content with the fact that he had at least caught someone today. His attention
was ever fixed on the flowers waiting for an opportunity for someone to touch
even a single one of them so that he could let out his roar. The beauty of the
flowers never really bothered him.
Scene 2
After some time, a Krishna bhakta
came along chanting, “Shri Krishna Govind Hare Murare, Shri Krishna
Govind……………”.
“Ah! What beautiful flowers!” he
remarked, “O Krishna, You have Yourself created these flowers so that they may
be offered in worship unto You. I will make a garland of these lovely roses and
decorate them around Your neck, O Krishna”.
Singing Krishna, Krishna, the
Krishna bhakta ventured closer to pluck, and once again the voice boomed, “Who
is it ? STOP! THIEF!”
The elderly gardener was a stern
disciplinarian of sorts. No sooner did anyone touch the flowers than he would
bellow out loud, suddenly appear out of nowhere and swoop down on his prey. Otherwise,
he was simply invisible to the naked eye.
As soon as the booming bellow
descended on his ears the devotee lost all sense of devotion and landed on the
other side of the road cowering from sheer fright.
Pleased with the wondrous effect
that his voice had, the elderly gardener went back to his hidden lair waiting
for his next prey. God also seemed to be pretty pleased with him. Soon, a young
cajoling couple chanced to come there.
Scene 3
Love is blind, or blinds one. So
they say, and here is ample proof.
So lost were the couple in each
other’s love that they were not aware of others around them. Slowly but surely,
both reached the predestined spot. Now, let’s listen to their sweet nothings.
“Oh! This garden is so cute!” said
the girl.
“Ah yes, just like you, my love”,
said the boy.
“What? Like me? What a comparison!!!
I am not so long and large, am I? And there is no green grass growing all over
my body…………….What are you talking about? Had I known earlier that you were so
devoid of poetry, I’d…….. Anyway, let that be. Say, have you seen these pretty
roses? You must get them for me. You had promised that, if need be, you would
pluck flowers from Heaven just for me. Remember? Let the Heavens be as they
are. But, for the moment, get these flowers for me”.
Hearing these words, the lover boy’s
heartbeats beat even faster. He realized what a big mistake he had committed.
The devilish visage of the
gardener and his fierce moustache flashed in front of his eyes. From his fallen
face one could easily infer that he had encountered the gardener earlier too.
But, on the surface, he laughed and said, “You yourself are my most precious
rose. Why do you need this flower then?”
“Nothing doing. I just want that
rose.”
“Okay, I’ll get it”. Left with no
choice the youth threw furtive glances hither and thither and reached the
vantage point and …………….. then, …………………..
The moment the blind lovers had
even the faintest suspicion of the presence of a third entity other than their
twin – blessed one, they walked away from the scene of disaster and didn’t stop
till they reached home.
Continued....
Hari Aum Tatsat.
