The Effigies of Salt

Ramakrishna Paramhansa often used to narrate a story. The incident relates to age-old times. On the river-bank, there was a small village. The rainy season had arrived. Due to the torrential rains, the level of water in the river had risen to high levels. Commotion prevailed in the village. The villagers, after consultations, decided to find out as to how far the level of water had reached.

Thus, all the residents of the village reached up to the river. They carried with them tall bamboos. To measure the depth, they inserted a long bamboo in the river waters. However, the bamboo began to oscillate and it failed to reach the bottom of the river. Then they put the tallest of the bamboos. But, the same thing happened, and the bamboo could not touch the river bed. Then the villagers tied the bamboos together and pierced it through the river-water. Even then they failed to decide the level of the water in the river. The river waters were shockingly deep and it staggered their imagination.

The poor villagers began to scratch their heads. A state of utter confusion prevailed all around. Two effigies of salt resided in that village. The news reached them and they too arrived at the river bank. But, they had no measuring tools or bamboos in their hands. They came empty-handed. Their aim was also to find out the depth of the river waters! So, what did they do? Without going into the head and tail of the issue, they simply plunged into the river.

As they descended deeper and deeper, they mingled with the waves of water. By the time they reached the river bed, not a molecule of their existence was left and their dissolution was complete. Their assimilation with the river was total. They too had become measureless! Profound! Infinite!

This story as narrated by Ramakrishna Paramhamsa delivers an invaluable message. In the present times, we too wish to measure the immeasurable God! And, how do we do that? Some hold the bamboo of scriptures, others of that of intelligence and arguments, and yet others of their opinionated statements. With our mental tools, we make different types of calculations to know and understand Him. But, the fact is, that the Supreme Reality can never be reached through small and big tools. To know Him, one needs to become one with Him! One needs to get submerged in Him losing one's individual identity! The revelation by Saint Kabir aptly describes such a state:

Laali mere laal ki, jit dekhoon tit laal

Laali dekhan mai gayi, mai bhi ho gayi laal.

The colour of the Supreme Lord enshrouds the entire cosmos. To witness the intensity of His colour, one needs to colour himself too in His colour.

The realised souls reveal that to become one with God, mere singing and discoursing will not suffice. You need to see Him face to face. You must experience His practical vision in your inner world. And, this can only be accomplished through Brahm Gyan, bestowed upon with the benign grace of a true Spiritual Guru! It has been stated in Shri Guru Granth Sahib Ji regarding the credentials of a Sadguru– 

Satgur purakh vakhaaliaa
mastak dhar kai hath jio

When a Sadguru places his divine hand on the head of the devotee and opens the Third Eye, the devotee beholds the practical vision of that extraordinary, immutable, divine Lord. Thereafter, the mind and the intellect of the devotee dissolve like the effigies of salt. They remain immersed in the divine light of God and continue to delight in immeasurable joy and bliss.

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