Bhakta Leela Amrut by Das Ganu Maharaj

[Guest guest]

Kondya Sutar was a devotee of Baba who loved Baba in his own special way.

One day Baba asked Kondya to go to the Khalwadi (the place where the harvest

is threshed) and put out the fire there. He said that the central stack of

the harvest had caught fire. Frightened, Kondya rushed to the Khalwadi and

made anxious enquiries but found no signs of fire. Returning, he complained

to Baba saying that he had been put to unnecessary trouble and that his feet

were scorched through walking in the hot sun. Baba replied," Listen. My

words are never untrue. Look behind you and see the smoke for yourself. The

harvest stacks lie close together in a heap but the central stack is on

fire." It was a summer afternoon and a sprightly wind was blowing. Trees

were breaking and roofs were flying. "Fire! Fire!" shouted the people of

Shirdi as they rushed to Baba and begged him to save the harvest and thus

save the people and the cattle of the village from hunger and death. Moved

by their appeal. Baba got up at once and went to the ”Khalwadi." He poured

water around the central stack which was on fire. He then said to the

villagers. "Only this stack will burn. This one is the share of Agni. Do not

try to extinguish the fire. No harm will come to the other stacks." Baba's

words came true. By saving the rest of the stacks, Baba demonstrated his

power over Agni. All the five elements are in fact under the control of holy

men like Baba. In the evening people came for Baba's darshan, Nanasaheb

among them, Baba said to Nana, "O Nana, look at these greedy people. Today

the harvest of the Bhagchand (the owner of the central stack) burned down to

ashes, and here he is moaning his loss. Gain and loss, birth and death are

all under the control of God. These foolish people do not realize this. They

dance with joy when they gain and start crying when they lose. The joy as

well as the sorrow comes of a feeling of ownership but it is meaningless to

claim ownership. The burnt-down stack did not belong to the Marwadi. It

consisted of hay which came into existence from seeds borne by the earth.

The cloud watered them and the sun kneaded them into shape with his own

hands. Thus, the earth, the cloud and the sun are the real owners of the

stack. All things in this world are produced in this manner. We certainly

are not their owners. Nana, ask the Marwadi why he is weeping over the loss

of something which was never his and worrying me in the bargain. What the

Lord gives with one hand, he takes away with the other. In our ignorance we

think we are the owners of things and this sense of ownership is the root

cause of our joy and sorrow. Shethji, go home now in peace. You will make

good your loss in some other business."

 

Everybody was pleased to listen to this discourse. Nanasaheb his face

radiant with joy and peace, bowed down and said to Baba: "O Lord! You are

like the moon while we devotees are like the chakor birds. You are the ocean

of knowledge. Kindly remove our ignorance. Tell me who is God. Where does he

live? What should one do to meet him? If this world is unreal why should one

get involved in it? Please explain these things to me." Baba said, "I shall

explain everything to you some other time."

 

(to be contd...)

 

Source http://www.saileelas.org/books/4chap.htm