See what exists

Reading Vedantic scriptures, making eloquent discourses on those subjects, boasting in front of his Guru about a particular speech he made in a particular congregation etc., were some of the habits of that retired Professor. The Guru used to praise him always. But not today. All of a sudden, the Guru posed a question.

Guru: What do you usually tell? What you have seen or what you think you have seen?
Professor: Gurudev! I am not a person who says whatever comes to the mind. I always tell what I have seen.
Guru: Seen where? In the books or in real life?
Professor: I read in books; and experience in real life.
The Guru took some water from his Kamandalu (pot) and with his wet fingers, drew a zero on the ground.
Guru: Are you seeing this or experiencing this?
Professor: This is a zero. There is nothing to experience here. I am simply seeing it.
The Guru took a piece of chalk and drew another zero on the ground.
Guru: What are you seeing here?
Professor: This is also zero.
Guru: This is also zero! That is also zero!! Is there no difference between them?
Professor: This is water, this is chalk.
Guru: Where then is the zero?
Professor: Zero is a symbol. Because I am an educated person, that symbol is there in my mind. With its help, I am able to know that this is zero.
Guru: Zero is in your brain. What I am asking is, ‘what are you seeing here?’
The professor lowered his eyes and thought for a long time. Finally, he said slowly –
"Gurudev! I am not seeing what is here. What is here, is reminding me of something. I am forgetting what is in front of me because I am drowned in its thought. Because I am forgetting, I think that I saw outside what I had inside my mind. Based on what I have heard, I am narrating about the inside thing. From now onwards, I will learn to see it."

From that day onwards, the Professor became silent.

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