Obstacles to progress

              Rabbia was a Sufi saint who had once been a slave. One day when she was standing near the sea, Hassan, another Sufi saint also came there. Hassan threw his prayer-mat on the ocean and sat on it. He called Rabbia “Rabbia, why don’t you also come here? This place is good for meditation.” Rabbia in turn threw her prayer-mat in the air several feet above the ground and sat on it. She then called on Hassan to come and sit there in the air. Hassan was subdued. Rabbia told him – “What you did, a fish can do. What I did a bird can do? There is no meaning in acquiring and demonstrating such mystic powers (Siddhis). These are all obstacles to our Spiritural Progress

Assesement of Spiritual Progress

                     
                  Madhu Sudan Saraswati was a great Sanskrit scholar of yore well versed in the Scriptures. He had written a famous commentary on Bhagavad Gita. In his youth he was leading a life of ease and comfort. One day, a visiting monk (Sannyasi) initiated him in Krishna mantra and persuaded

him that if he were to do continuous chanting (Japa) of the Mantra (some sacred syllables) for 16 hours a day for three years he would have God-realisation and could see Lord Krishna face to face. Madhu Sudanji began going to a dilapidated Krishna’s temple nearby, where nobody used to come and was regularly doing his japa daily, returning home only at night. But even after four years there was no sign of any God-experience or vision of God. He got disgusted and felt that the monk had duped him. He abandoned his quest and came back home disappointed.
That day evening he went for a walk upto the bazaar (shopping area). On the way his slippers (sandals) gave way. He took them to a cobbler who was sitting nearby under a tree and asked him to mend them. The cobbler, however, was taking his own time. He took out some tobacco from a pouch, cleaned them and crushed them. Madhu Sudanji felt annoyed and rebuked him for not attending to the job entrusted to him.

The cobbler retorted – “Sir, you are always in a hurry and have no patience. That is why you fail in your attempts. See, you did Krishna japa for four years and have now abandoned it in haste.” Madhu Sudanji was astonished as he had been doing Krishna japa secretly and even his own family members never knew about it. In reply to his enquiry, the cobbler said, “Sir, I have mastered an occult mantra of a ghost (Bhoota mantra) which comes to me invisibly and tells in my ear some juicy information or other details about the personal life of the customers who come to me. This makes me popular and draws more customers to me.”

Madhu Sudanji requested the cobbler to initiate him in the Bhoota Mantra and asked him how much time it would take to get mastery (Siddhi) in it. The cobbler pleaded with him saying that having done japa of such great Mantras like Krishna’s he should not come down to practising mantras of such low beings as ghosts even though the latter would take only 5 to 6 months to master.

Madhu Sudanji being adamant got his way and started doing the japa of the Bhoota Mantra. Nine months passed and no ghost came to him. He was enraged that even a cobbler had dared to dupe him. He went to the bazaar again with a stout stick in his hands. The cobbler gauged the situation and stood up with his hands folded over his head. He said, “Sir, please beat me as much as you like but not before you hear me. In three months’ time the ghost started to come to you but it could not approach
you anywhere within a mile as it found a sky-high fence of divine flame all around you as a result of the Krishna Mantra you had chanted for four years. I am an illiterate but kindly heed my advice. If only you are to continue your Krishna Japa for some more time you are sure to realise your goal.” Accordingly, Madhu Sudanji continued his Japa for another two years or so and was rewarded with the vision of Lord Krishna.

SPIRITUAL PROGRESS WHICH IS SUBTLE CAN NEVER BE ASSESSED OR KNOWN. ONE HAS TO GO AHEAD ON THIS PATH WITH FULL FAITH THAT EVERY SECOND OF HIS SADHANA IS TAKING HIM NEARER TO THE GOAL.