Know Yourself
"Did you hear about the newly come saint near the temple... ?"
Aravind gave a ' NO ' to sreejith's question with a 'not really interested' expression.
"Heard that the crowd visiting him is increasing day by day.. visitors from distant districts too !"
Sreejith's information was countered by aravind in a dominating tone...
" We got a lot of idiots around here... running behind such fraudulant personalities even in these sophisticated times "
" That's true... but its our responsibility to expose before the public that the guy is a fake ! "
Aravind agreed to sreejith and both set to visit the saint.
Seated under the pipal tree near the temple, was a middlle aged person in white dhothi(indain traditional men's garment) and a white shawl covering his chest. His long hair and beard added to the usual 'saint like appearance'
The saint was surrounded by an enormous crowd. Each of them approached the saint maintaining a queue.
Some were offering gifts, some approached for solutions to their problem and like wise.
Aravind and sreejith determined to meet the saint, followed the queue maintained.
After a long wait in the queue... it was finally aravind's turn.
"I am aravind, cheif of the atheist society in here "
Saint replied with a smiling face "I am glad that you have come all the way down here to meet me. Son, please stand beside me for a couple of minutes, if you don't mind "
Aravind and sreejith stood beside the saint, waiting.. and the saint started listening to the next one in the queue.
Time was passing by and aravind and his friend stood waiting.
A person approached the saint for a solution to his problem
"Sir, i am an accountant in a private company in town, now another person has come to replace me. Company seems to choose the best one out of us based on an interview.My family will be on roads, if i loose this job. Please help me "
Saint smilingly asked the person to wait with the people beside him. Aravind and the other two were wondering why the saint was making them wait.
It was hours since all the three has been waiting beside the saint. And the saint was still listening to the people in the queue one by one, without any concern for those waiting.
Aravind whispered to sreejith "This is embarrasing, i want to shout at him, but its the crowd gathered that defends me"
Soon the saint turned to the person who was waiting with aravind and his friend..
"Yes son, so you are afraid of loosing your job ! Tell me why you waited so long here..."
"Because you asked me to..." the person replied in a polite manner.
"No, you would'nt wait for me... it was your trust which assured you that i would give the best solution to your problem, that made you wait "
the person realized that the saint was right "Yes sir, you are right... "
"Come in front of me son... "
and the saint continued "There is no shortcut to success, it all lies within you. Like the trust you had in me while waiting here... Trust in yourself and you shall succeed !"
The person left the place with a smiling face... for he had started showing the signs of believing in himself.
Aravind said to himself "This saint is an intellectual person... not like the others"
Next, the saint turned to aravind and apologized for making them wait for so long.
Aravind started telling him straightaway what he came for
"I don't believe in God, i mean we, we feel pitty for the people around us who believe in something that doesn't exist and rely on it for their good fortune and solutions to problems. We are totally against that perception. We go by things based upon sound reasoning, rationality and evidence"
After listening to him with a calm attitude,the saint throwed a question at him with the same old smile.
"Son, do you remember your childhood?"
Aravind felt embarrased, for the saint replied to him as though he didn't even listen to what aravind said
Confused, aravind replied "Yes ofcourse... why?"
"And do you remeber your mother breast feeding you?"
"What..??? what sort of question is that? " aravind was confused and unknowingly raised his voice.
"Answer me son..." the saint was still polite and smiling
"Hmm... no i don't remember that"
"I see.... ok tell me your father's name" the saint continued
"I am not here to give you my family details... lets come to the point" aravind was firm with his voice this time.
"Please bear with me son, i won't take much of your time... answer me" the saint kept his question chain alive
"Mr. devadas..he is my father. why?" aravind was curious about the questions
"How do you know that he is your father?" questions over questions were thrown by the saint
"You are crossing your limits Mr. !!! Mind you !"
With no change in the expressions or smile saint grabbed aravind's palm and made him sit
"Son, you don't remember the times when your mother breastfed you. But that doesn't deny the fact that she really breastfed you when you were small.
You existed even before your remembrance came into play. Would you deny the fact? Nothing can reason you for that, no evidence shall be provided.
You believe that Mr.devadas is your real father. Ofcourse today, we have DNA tests to prove the same.Thanks to science. But did you opt for a DNA test to make yourself believe that the person claiming to be your father is the real one? No.... you trust that he is your real father without any evidence or any sound reasoning.
And what is that you mentioned as GOD? why do you take the burden of proving/disproving the existence of something that people claim to be 'their God' ?
When you can believe the existence of yourself where even your remembrance cannot reach, When you can believe in the creator of you even without witnessing the creation... Why do you insist to believe things based upon sound reasoning, rationality and evidence ONLY ?
You are trying to convince your consciousness with reasoning and evidences alone.
According to the great soul swami vivekananda : "Consciousness is only the surface of the mental ocean, and within its depths are stored up all our experiences. Try and struggle, they would come up and you would be conscious even of your past life."
Son, reasoning and evidence can only satisfy our eyes,ears,and intellect. There are innumerous things that are still unknown to us.
Satisfy your intellect and consciousness.... but in the course do not forget to Know Yourself ! "
With a radiant smile the saint turned to the next person in the queue... aravind and sreejith sat there gazing at the shining face of the saint... for they were experiencing some thing that happened to them never before.