Learning at the Feet of the Master!
Once upon a time, a farmer’s cow fell sick due to some stomach problem. His friends advised him to consult a doctor who used to prescribe natural remedies.
The doctor advised the farmer to give the following preparation to the cow in the morning, empty stomach: 8 tablespoons of butter and 2 table spoons of ground black pepper. When the farmer reached home and was about to prepare the formula, he mused to himself thusly, ‘why should I give butter to the cow. After all, the butter comes from milk and the milk is already inside the cow.’ So, he just gave the cow two tablespoons of ground black pepper! And as you would have guessed by now, the poor cow became more sick, with blisters all over her tongue!
Terrified, the farmer ran back to the doctor. The doctor asked him how he administered the medicine. The farmer said that he made a slight modification in doctor’s prescription. He said that he gave the 2 tablespoons of black pepper to the cow and did not give the butter to the cow since the butter was present in the milk that was inside the cow already.
The doctor explained, “Although it is true that the butter is already present in the milk that is inside the cow. However, cow is not able to make use of it. It has to be extracted from the milk using a special process (churning the milk) and then given back to the cow in the form of butter. Only then cow is able to benefit from it.”
Even so, although the self-knowledge is within us all and may even be available in the form of books; one needs a competent teacher who can extract the essence from the books and administer it in the right dosage.
Great teachers/ teachings act as a mirror to show us who we are. One cannot see one’s face directly.
Swami Google-ānanda also will not help. 🙂
It is only with the utmost Divine Grace one comes across such teachers.
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