How did Hemadpant receive answer to his debate he had with Balasaheb Bhate?

[Guest guest]

" How did Hemadpant receive answer to his debate he had with

Balasaheb Bhate? "

 

The debate between Balasaheb Bhate and Hemadpant was about the

necessity of Guru. Balasaheb Bhate was of the opinion that a

spiritual aspirant must brush aside cleverness; pride or egoism and

surrender to Guru. Hemadpant contended, " Why should we lose our

freedom and submit to others? When we have to do our duty, why a

Guru is necessary? One must try his best and save himself. What can

the Guru do to a man who does nothing but sleeps indolently? " Thus I

pleaded freewill, while Mr. Bhate took up the other side.

 

Next day Hemadpant got answer from Baba in the following incident

 

Kakasaheb went to Baba and asked whether he should leave Shirdi.

Baba Said, " Yes " . Then someone asked - " Baba, where to go? " Baba

said, " High up. " Then the man said, " How is the way? " Baba

said, " There are many ways leading there; there is one way also from

here (Shirdi). The way is difficult. There are tigers and wolves in

the jungles on the way. " I (Kakasaheb) asked - " But Baba, what if we

take a guide with us? " Baba answered, - " Then there is no

difficulty. The guide will take you straight to your destination,

avoiding wolves, tigers and ditches etc. on the way. If there be no

guide, there is the danger of your being lost in the jungles or

falling into ditches. "

 

Mr. Dabholkar was present on this occasion and he thought that this

was the answer Baba gave to the question whether Guru was a

necessity; and he thereupon took the hint that no discussion of the

problem, whether man is free or bound, is of any use in spiritual

matters, but that on the contrary real Paramartha is possible only

as the result of the teachings of the Guru, even great Avatars like

Rama and Krishna, who had to submit themselves to their Gurus,

Vasishtha and Sandipani respectively, for getting self- realization

and that the only virtues necessary for such progress are faith and

patience.