Listen
from within
When
the Guru was giving a discourse, one of his disciples, a professor
was sitting on the banks of a river. An inmate of the Ashrama went
there and started talking to him.
Disciple:
What is this Professor ! Guruji is giving a wonderful discourse there
and you are sitting alone here!!
Professor:
There is no coherence in Guruji’s talk. He says one thing now
and another thing later. It gives a feeling that He doesn’t know
what he is talking about.
Disciple:
Never mind. Tell me sir, what are you doing sitting here?
Professor:
I am tuning myself to the nature.
Disciple:
What is ‘tuning’?
Professor:
There ! listen to the splashing waves; listen to the chirping of birds;
see that silver line on that cloud; look at the fragrance of these
flowers. Don’t you feel peaceful at heart?
Disciple:
Sir, you said that you were tuning yourself. When you say that, it
means that you are merging with something. In what are you merging?
Is it the sound of the splashing waves? Or is it the noise of the
chirping birds? Or are you lost in the beautiful silver lining of
the clouds? Or are you completely immersed in the wonderful fragrance
of the flowers?
Professor:
None of them! But in all of them!!
Disciple:
Now, you sir, you are talking incoherently. Aren’t you?
Professor:
Yes. That’s how one has to talk in such circumstances. There
is no other way to describe such phenomena.
Disciple:
Is there no way? Or is it just that you don’t know?
Professor:
I know. Sound, smell, and colour – each one has its own wavelength.
The combination of all of these will have a different wavelength altogether.
It manifests with the co-ordination of the wavelengths of the different
aspects.
Disciple:
Where does it manifest? Within or without?
Professor:
It manifests at both places. Therefore while narrating it, one is
forced to talk in a manner that might appear inconsistent and incoherent.
Disciple:
Very well Professor! If you have to talk in such a manner just to
explain transitory events such as this one, think as to how one will
need to talk to explain those phenomena that have eternal manifestation!
Can there be a simpler way of explaining things?
Professor:
Indeed what you say is true. But somehow I am not able to tune myself
with what Guruji says.
Disciple:
Have you ever thought what the splashing waves mean? Have you ever
tried to think what the chirping of the birds mean? You are just listening.
You are forgetting everything. You are saying ‘Ah I am tuning
myself to this’.
Professor:
Do you mean to say that I am unable to tune myself with Guruji because
I am questioning Him? Alright. I accept what you say. But why on earth
should He talk like that? Why should he talk in a way that gives scope
to questions?
Disciple:
So that some wavelength is generated! Listen to His words just as
you would listen to the splashing waves or the chirping of birds.
Listen with love. Listen with dedication. Gradually your listening
will stop and then you will know that you are tuned in.
When
that happens, you will listen from within.