Is there a person called “God”?

Is there   a person called  “God”?

By

P.R.Ramachander

(The original story   was told in Tamil  by  Thirumuruga  Krupananda  Varriar . I have  modified it slightly   and condensed it. Many thanks to that  messenger  of God)

An elderly devotee   with closed eyes   was meditating  ,

Sitting    in the shade  of Banyan tree in a  village,

A young   student  happened   to come  there,

And asked him , “Why are   you sitting and sleeping?”

The devotee  opened his eyes   and told   that  he was ,

Meditating  on God  and student  laughed loudly and told,

“I am a post graduate  and I feel that  what you do is  foolish,

AS there  is no such thing called God as  I have not seen it”

He told further , “ I want to know   whether  you g have seen God.

Or have t you any time  heard   that  God speak to you, or,

Have you  at any time  , touched that  thing  which you call god.”

And the devotee   told him , “No , is the answer  to all your questions”

Then the devotee   asked the student  “You are   carrying  a  bottle,

In your hand  , what s it? “ and the student replied “It is honey?”

The devotee   asked, “do you know   whether  honey is sweet or bitter,”

And the stuent replied”You must be a great fool, all the  world knows   it is sweet.”

Then the devotee   asked  the student”  what is the colour  of sweetness?”

He replied “ Sweetness   cannot be seen but   only can be felt when you drink honey”

Then that devotee told , “ Similaly God cannot be seen but   you can know him by experience.”

Anf then the devotee   quoted   a  verse  of poem  by a great  devotee  called THirumoolar.

Is the sweetness inside honey  black or red?

Oh fools    who search    for god in the sky,

Just like    sweetness  is hidden in side the honey,

God is   hiding     within your body ,please understand.”

The student  wanted   to somehow escapt   from the devotee,

And said that he was hungry and will return  after taking food.

The devotee asked , “you said  you are intelligent   and educated,

Have you seen this hunger at any time, Jave you heard  or touched it.?’

The student said , Answer is “No” for everything”  and the devotee said,

“I like you feel that   there is nothing  called Hunger, you are  telling a lie.”

He continued “Just like  God  you cannot see hunger but  you  can feel it.”

The student   felt that in the words  of the devotee  there  was some truth.

He said  , “Yes, I agree   with you  but  I would like to  know  whether I can see god?”

Then devotee asked “Are  you able to see  your body?  And he replied”Yes . i am able to,

To see it with my eyes”  and the devotee asked  “Have you seen your   entire   body?”

He said “definitely” and the devotee asked”Are   you able to see   your back side?”

The student sheepishly said , “No”  and the devotee asked  “Are you able to see ,

Your front side   completly”  and the student   with great  irritation told  “Yes”,

The devotee asked,”Are you able to see your face?” and  he said “No”,

Devotee  did not leave it at that “ Suppose  you want to see  your body, what should you do?”

The student said, “Stand in between two   full length   mirrors   and ten I will be able to see”.

“Similarly” said the devotee , you need   to have two mirrors to see   that God also “

The student said , he would buy   them immediately , if he is told   where to get them,

And the devotee  said,”They are  grace of God and grace of teacher and  without  ,

Grace of teacher   you cannot feel or see  grace of God   which is everywhere.”