Almighty’s World

A small bird learnt human language. One day it asked its mother,
“Mother, I heard a teacher in a high school teaching to his students that air is in space. Do you know how distant it is?”
“O! Silly one! We are in fact living in air!”
The young bird was not convinced. It flew to Naimisharanya (name of a forest). A Rishi was teaching his disciple. Strangely, the young bird did not feel any fear. The bird flew and gently sat on the sage’s Kamandalu (water container) and listened to the conversation.
Disciple: Revered Gurudeva! They say that the Almighty dwells in the upper worlds. How far is it from us?
Guru: It is as far as the Prana is from you.
Disciple: I am living in my Prana air.
Guru: Have you seen air?
Disciple: I am able to understand and appreciate its presence. This air itself manifests as Prana in me. If the Almighty’s world is as near as this, why then am I not able to see it?
Guru: Ask this young bird as to where Vayu is.
Bird: I am now convinced that I am living in Vayu (air). But what is the relation between this and the Almighty’s World?
Guru: Why were you not aware till now that you are living in air?
Bird: I had never thought about it till now.
Guru: Has this disciple ever wondered as to who Almighty is? Keep it aside. Were you able to see Vayu (air) as soon as you started thinking about it?
Bird: As soon as I listened to your preaching, I closed my nose for a while. The movement of air in me stopped. The Prana was about to leave me. By this, I understood that air itself is the Prana in me and that I am living in air.
Guru: Now you realize that if the air moves, your Prana stays. Why should air move at all? Who moves it? From where is he controlling its movements??
Disciple: Gurudeva! Movement is the function of Chaitanya (consciousness). Pure consciousness itself is Bhagavanta (Almighty). The same Almighty resides in air and causes movements in it in the form of wind waves. He resides in light and causes light waves. He dwells in water and causes water waves. He resides in the atoms of earth and causes atomic waves. He dwells in the intellect and causes thought waves. Wherever there is movement, it is indeed the world of the Almighty. Not being able to appreciate this truth makes a person blind.

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