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GREAT HYMN OF OBEISANCE: A CONTEMPLATION
SEARCH OF SELF
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While the child was thinking thus, policeman asked again, "Is your mother fat or slim, fair or dark, tall or short?"
The child never thought that mothers are of six types. He had never seen his mother in these forms. He had only seen the motherhood in his mother, not complexion and not even height. How could he therefore answer as to whether his mother is fair or dark; tall or short; fat or slim?
These are relative situations.
Only in comparison with other person, one can say whether someone is fair or dark, tall or short, fat or slim.
I ask you only, whether I am fair or dark, tall or short, fat or slim?
Whatever I am, I am; neither fair nor dark, neither tall nor short, neither fat nor slim. If an Englishman is asked to stand by my side, I could be called dark in his comparison. If an African is asked to stand, I could be called fair. If a short person is asked to stand by my side, I could be called tall and if a person taller than me is asked to stand, I could be called short as well. Similarly, if a fat person is asked to stand by my side, I could be called slim and if a person slimmer than me is asked to stand there, I could be called fat as well.
I can be fat or slim, fair or dark in comparison with someone else but in the absence of comparison. I am, what I am.
He had never compared his mother with any other woman. Therefore, how could he say how his mother looked like?
On his inability to answer, policemen said he does not even recognise his mother. But, is this true? Is it that the child does not recognise his mother?
To recognise is different from articulating recognition. It is possible that he is unable to articulate his feelings. But it is not true that he does not recognise because if his mother appears before him, he would recognise her instantly.
An insurance agent had insured his mother some years back. Therefore, in his diary everything has been recorded, her height, her weight, sizes of waist and chest.
Therefore, he could tell all this, but he would not be able to recognise her if she appears before him. If asked, he would refer to his diary and bring out an inch-tape and attempt to measure; but all in vain because when he had measured, chest was 36 inches and waist 32 inches, but now chest would have become 32 inches and waist 36 inches.
Similarly, it is different to measure the soul on the basis of study of scriptures and altogether different to recognise it through experience and to establish oneness with it.
Whatever it be, when the child could not reveal anything, policemen made him stand up at a place from where all ladies returning from the fair were passing. For safety of the child, one policeman was kept standing near him and the child was told -
"Watch carefully every woman passing through this place and search your mother."
Form this, one thing is clear that the child will have to search himself his own mother, he is unlikely to receive special co-operation from anyone else; not even of the policeman.
Similarly, every seeker of soul will have to search his own soul himself; nothing is going to happen at the behest of someone else. Soul will not be traceable even if you rely on Guru, 314 HG 3119 Apni madad app karo - help yourself - is the great principle.
Whenever a woman used to pass from there, the policeman used to ask, "Is she your mother?"
Child used to reply, "No." When this was repeated a few times, the policeman got irritated and
said -
"Why you say "no", "no", just see more carefully."
Is it that one has to see carefully to recognise one's own mother, she gets recognised at the first sight, but who can explain this to the policeman?
The child cannot recognise as mother a woman who is not his mother just because of the irritation and scolding of the policeman. If he says so
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