A Seer Sees It…Differently

The two sishya’s (disciples) were arguing over some matter.

The voices and the tempers were raising, not realizing the seer was close by.

The seer hoped they would quickly reach a closure.

But it was not to be. It went on for a while.

The seer decided to intervene. He walked up to them and requested them to sort things out amicably without sullying the decorum of the Mutt (institution).

A visitor around at that time observed all that happened.

Politely approaching the seer he asked him why he did not order the errant sjshya’s sternly to behave themselves. After all they were followers of the Mutt. Why make a polite request?

‘You must have read stories about our Rishi’s,’ the seer said to the visitor. ‘And, how predators (tigers) and preys (deer) drank water from the same pond side by side in the ashram’s of our venerable Rishi’s.’

The visitor waited for the seer to continue.

‘It all happened because of the tapas (practice of severe austerities, penances) of the Rishi’s. And here I’m, you’ve with your eyes seen what is mine (thapo-balam, strength of my tapas). Why blame them?’

‘So much more to do,’ muttered the seer, almost inaudibly, as he walked away in sadness.

 

End  

 

 

 

Source: Based on a real incident in the life of revered acharya Incjimedu Azhagiyasingar, the 42^nd pontiff of Ahobila Mutt (1879-1953). Narrated by venerable Shri Anantha Padmanabhachariar.

 

 

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The Guru Has A Question

The Sishya (disciple) thought aloud: ‘The world is being torn apart by geography, race, gender, culture, religion, language, economic disparity, etc. etc. Strangely these forces unite people at one level and pit them against one another on a larger canvas. Of these religion intended to uplift the mankind seems to be most perniciously divisive.’

‘You’re right,’ concurred the Guru. ‘Religion – every one of them – claims god of its own. And the gods seem to be fighting a proxy war for supremacy through their overzealous faithful on this earth!’

‘That’s an awful thing to say about the gods…er…I mean about the god.’

‘You know what I think? It could well be that the gods already have a truce up there and for fun kept it from them down here.’

‘Watch what you say – you may get hauled up for profanity.’

I’ve just this to ask of the believers:  If you’re the children of a god, omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent, and just and loving, what about them? I mean the others, the multitude, whom you fiercely despise, coerce or even coax. A defective production batch off your god’s factory, to be mended?’

End