Nagesh Sonde
ASMI
By: Nagesh D. Sonde
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I remember having read a story.
Once there lived a man, learned in scriptures and perfect
in philosophies. He had an inquiring Mind and was always
concerned with the world around him, his Individual existence
as well as the Primeval Existence. He was neither awed by
mysticism of the Seers nor the intellect of the commentators,
neither silenced by ancient scriptures, howsoever hoary and
hallowed nor by Time which heaped one thought over others.
He considered himself to be an intellectual and, therefore, liked
rationalizing his emotions. There was always a constant
conflict between his emotions, his intellect and the Mind. Peace
eluded him, his emotions, intellect and the Mind being in
riddles. Often times, his Intellect would desert him and his
Mind would bask him in luminosity with Peace and Clarity for
which he had no explanation. Words would fail to voice what
was experienced by the Mind and his intellect could hardly
justify what Mind experienced. Yet he was ever eager to
intellectualize ad rationalize every problem that rose up in life.
In the same neighborhood, there lived an old woman who
was illiterate and could neither read nor write. She had neither
read any scriptures nor understands the mysteries hidden in
them. She was neither conscious of her Individual Self nor of
the Universal Self. She could neither understand the
complexities of samsaara or of the Way of Deliverance. She
believed that some Supreme Power controlled her life, who, she
was her God, living far above in heavens. Overwhelmed by this
knowledge, she worshipped God and
prayed for His Grace. She had neither any goals in life nor any
purposes to fulfill. She had, however, and unconcealed desire to
punish three persons. The first one was the old hag, Shabari,
who made the Lord eat the fruits, which she had first tasted
with her unclean mouth. The second one was the destitute
Sudama, who had the audacity to offer dry, parched, pounded
rice to the Lord, causing his delicate slender throat to bleed.
The third one was Arjuna, the arrogant one, who claimed to be
a great warrior and yet sat, during the great battle, safely
behind the Lord to be shielded by the deadly arrows of the
beastly Kauravas. Except these three, she had no other
enemies. When she lifted her face up to the heavens, she saw
her Lord, showering Grace on her, which would shine in her
heart with peace and satisfaction.
A stranger, who observed these two, was perplexed. He did
not know who was content and happier, whether the man of
wisdom or the woman of simple faith. Because every body knew
the intellectual but none were even aware of her existence.
When he asked her, she could not even understand his query.
The intellectual replied after deliberation. that he would be
content to search for and experience than be satisfied with
having faith in God. He was always independent in his
thoughts and always refused to be awed by mysticism of the
Seers or silenced by ancient scriptures. He was impressed by
the devotion of the old woman, yet he would not follow her
example. He would rather be receptive and intellectual, seeking
the Prime Existence than be devoted without inquiry and be
doomed.
The stranger was not surprised with the words of the
Intellectual who would rather search for the mysterious
existence of the Prime Existence he could understand and
experience than be satisfied with the unknown and unknowable
Existence, which he could neither understand nor experience.
He chose to perceive Primeval Existence in its face, if possible,
and experience Truth in its essence, drawing out the Prime
Existence from obscurity to clarity. In his opinion, it is better
to be an intellectual and receptive, ready to err than be silenced
by scriptures, howsoever hoary or ancient they might be, to
remain dumb, foolish and satisfied.
