SHADOW OF GOD

In an earlier post, we learned from Osho in his "Book of Secrets" that life has two banks to it, both opposites and contradicting each other and that, "They appear to be contradictory, but they are co-operative." Life as we know is "a rhythm between opposites: male and female, positive and negative, day and night, birth and death. Life cannot exist without this rhythm between the opposites." But he says "The appearance is false. For those who have come to surpass this duality, "Life contains all. Tantra is neither for this nor for that – Tantra is for all. Tantra has no standpoint of its own really. All standpoints that are possible are contained in it. It is big. It can contradict itself because it contains all. It is not partial, it is the whole. Hence it is holy." An enlightened man sees it as such. 

A friend wrote,

There is no duality. Duality is but an illusion. There is no day nor night, no sunrise or sunset, no darkness nor light, no cold nor hot. If the objectives don't exist, how can subjectives of right and wrong, sin and virtue, known and unknown exist. Darkness and cold cannot be measured. All that takes place is the Will of Lord Shiva, which He executes by His Will and Grace. It is only the ego which thinks it is right or wrong, accurate or not.

To one who has dropped the veil, the opposites both seem co-operative, supportive of each other. Hence he is not disillusioned or disturbed. He does not complain, argue, or debate over it. Knowing that it is holy neither does he touch it, mend it nor manipulate it. To one who is enlightened, he does not play god. 

We saw in the last post that Saint Manickavasagar's humble prayer and asking is the greatest prayer. 

You know what I want,

You give me all I want,

You who are not reachable to Brahma and Hari,

Have come to embrace me,

However your grace shall be,

I shall accept it,

If there is a gift,

That too I shall leave it to you.

வேண்டத் தக்கது அறிவோய் நீ,

வேண்ட முழுவதும் தருவோய் நீ,

வேண்டும் அயன், மால்க்கு அரியோய் நீ,

வேண்டி என்னைப் பணிகொண்டாய்!

வேண்டி நீ யாது அருள் செய்தாய்,

யானும் அதுவே வேண்டின் அல்லால்,

வேண்டும் பரிசு ஒன்று உண்டு என்னில்,

அதுவும் உன் தன் விருப்பு அன்றே!

See the full song குழைத்தப பத்து - ஆத்தும நிவேதனம் at https://ta.wikisource.org/wiki

The friend shared this wonderful story that was forwarded to him some time back and I had posted it earlier at https://agathiyarvanam.blogspot.com/2020/06/going-beyond-accepting-offers.html. But as it is so good and as it tallies with Saint Manickavasagar's prayer it is posted in full again. It is a story told from Basanth Rahul's "Choose Peace", a compilation of 20 similar inspiring stories. This story was originally told by Osho in his "Yoga the Alpha and Omega Vol-9". (https://www.spiritual-short-stories.com/the-holy-shadow-story-by-osho/) 

In elaborating one of Patanjali's sutra "Tad Vairagyatapitosh Bikshaye Kaivalyam", 

By being non attached to even these powers,

The seed of bondage is destroyed.

Then follows Kaivalya, Liberation. 

Osho explains,

"There should be an avoidance of any attachment or pride to invitations from the Superphysical Entities in Charge of various planes because this would bring the possibility of the revival of Evil. It is very satisfying, gratifying, to have spiritual powers, and it gives you such a subtle joy of the ego, so pure, that you cannot feel any sting in it. You are trying to find out the whole; and the whole is possible only when all sorts of egoistic trips are dropped and sacrificed. When you are not, God is"

Osho goes on to relate the story. God had asked a Sufi saint what he wanted through his angels. 

Let me tell you one very famous Sufi story, “The Holy Shadow.” 

There once lived a saint so good that the angels came from heaven to see how a man could be so godly. This saint went about his daily life diffusing virtue as the stars diffuse light and the flowers scent, without being aware of it. His day could be summed up by two words — he gave, he forgave — yet these words never passed his lips. They were expressed in his ready smile, his kindness, forbearance, and charity.

The angels said to God, “Lord, grant him the gift of miracles.”

God replied, “Ask what it is that he wishes.”

They said to the saint, “Would you like the touch of your hands to heal the sick?”

“No,” answered the saint. “I would rather God do that.”

“Would you like to convert guilty souls and bring back wandering hearts to the right path?”

“No, that is the angels’ mission. It is not for me to convert.”

“Would you like to become a model of patience, attracting men by the luster of your virtues, and thus glorifying God?”

“No,” replied the saint. “If men should be attracted to me, they would become estranged from God.” 

“What is it that you desire, then?” asked the angels.

“What can I wish for?” asked the saint smiling. “That God gives me his grace; with that would I not have everything?”

The angels said, “You must ask for a miracle, or one will be forced upon you.”

“Very well,” said the saint. “That I may do a great deal of good without ever knowing it.”

The angels were perplexed. They took counsel and resolved upon the following plan: every time the saint’s shadow fell behind him or to either side, so that he could not see it, it would have the power to cure disease, soothe pain, and comfort sorrow. When the saint walked along, his shadow, thrown on the ground on either side or behind him, made arid paths green, caused withered plants to bloom, gave clear water to dried-up brooks, fresh color to pale children, and joy to unhappy men and women.

The saint simply went about his daily life diffusing virtue as the stars diffuse light and the flowers scent, without being aware of it. The people, respecting his humility, followed him silently, never speaking to him about his miracles. Soon they even forgot his name, and called him “The Holy Shadow.”

This is the ultimate: one has to become the holy shadow, just a shadow of God. This is the greatest revolution that can happen to a human being: the transfer of the center. You are no longer your own center; God becomes your center. You live like his shadow. You are not powerful, because you don’t have any center to be powerful. You are not virtuous; you don’t have any center to be virtuous. You are not even religious; you don’t have any center to be religious. You are simply not, a tremendous emptiness, with no barriers and blocks, so the divine can flow through you unhindered, uninterpreted, untouched — so the divine can flow through you as he is, not as you would like him to be. He does not pass through your center — there is none. The center is lost.

This is the meaning of this sutra: that finally, you have to sacrifice your center so you cannot think in terms of the ego again, you cannot utter “I,” to annihilate yourself utterly, to erase yourself utterly. Nothing belongs to you; on the contrary, you belong to God. You become a holy shadow.

It is told that the angels came from heaven to see how the saint could be so godly in the above story. The following story, can in turn be related to the above since it asks us to bring ourself to do things that capture the attention of God and have God come to us rather than we search for him. This story too was shared by the friend and was posted earlier at https://agathiyarvanam.blogspot.com/2020/06/make-him-come-to-you.html. Since this story can be related to the saint in the "Holy Shadow" I post it in full again.

புதிதாக தன்னிடம் வந்து சேர்ந்த சீடனிடம் குரு கேட்டார், “ஆன்மிகத்தின் நோக்கம் என்ன என்று சொல்ல முடியுமா?”

புதிய சீடன், “இறைவனை அறிவது தான், அடைவது தான் ஆன்மிகத்தின் நோக்கம்...”

“அப்படியா?”

“என்ன அப்படியா என்று கேட்கிறீர்கள்... அப்படித்தானே இருக்க முடியும்?”

“சரி. இத்தனை நாள் ஆன்மிகத்தில் சாதகம் செய்து வருகிறாயே இறைவனை அறிந்தாயோ?”

“இல்லை. ஆனால் முயன்று கொண்டிருக்கிறேன்.”

“நல்லது... உண்மையிலேயே இறைவனை அறிந்து கொண்டுவிட முடியும் என்று நம்புகிறாயா?”

சீடன் சற்றே யோசித்துவிட்டுச் சொன்னான்.

“நம்புகிறேன்... இருப்பினும், கொஞ்சம் சந்தேகமாகவே இருக்கிறது.”

“எதனால் இந்த சந்தேகம் வருகிறது?”

“பலர் பலவிதமாக இறைவனைப் பற்றிச் சொல்கிறார்கள். மிகவும் ஆராய்ந்து பார்த்தால் தெளிவை விடக் குழப்பமே மிஞ்சுகிறது.”

“நல்லது... எப்போது நீ உள்ளது உள்ளபடி சொன்னாயோ அதுவே நல்லது. சீடனே, இப்போது நான் வேறு விதமாகக் கேட்கிறேன். நீ ஆண்டவனைத் தெரிந்துகொள்ள, அடைய விரும்புகிறாயா...?”

“ஆமாம் குருவே.”

“உன் விருப்பத்தின் காரணமாகத்தான் நீ ஆன்மிகப் பயிற்சியில் ஈடுபட்டிருக்கிறாய். அப்படித்தானே?”

“ஆமாம் குருவே.”

“அன்புள்ள சீடனே! நீ இறைவனைத் அடைய, ஓர் எளிமையான மாற்று வழியைச் சொல்லித் தருகிறேன்...”

“மிகவும் சந்தோஷம் குருவே. இந்த வழிக்காகத்தான் நான் காத்துக்கொண்டிருக்கிறேன்.”

“ஆனால் இந்த வழியில் நீ இறைவனை அடைய முடியாது. ஆனால் இறைவன் உன்னை வந்து அடைவான்.”

“இது குழப்பமாக இருக்கிறதே.”

“ஒரு குழப்பமும் இல்லை... ஒரு அரசன் இருக்கிறான். பல்லாயிரக் கணக்கானவர்களுக்கு அவன் ராஜா. அவன் அருகே நெருங்குவதோ பேசுவதோ அறிவதோ எளிமையான விஷயம் அல்ல. முடியவும் முடியாது.”

“ஆம்.”

“ஆனால் ராஜாவை சந்திக்க வேண்டும் என்கிற பிரஜை, ஓர் அருமையான காரியத்தைச் செய்கிறான்...அவன் தேசத்தில் உள்ள மக்கள் எல்லோருக்கும் பயன்படும்படியாக உழைக்கிறான். பல அறச் செயல்களைச் செய்கிறான். இந்தச் செய்தி ராஜாவுக்குப் போகிறது. உடனே ராஜா பிரதிநிதிகளை அனுப்பி தன் அரசவைக்கு அவனை வரவழைக்கிறார். அல்லது அவரே நேரில் அவனைப் பார்க்க வருகிறார். அவனோடு உரையாடுகிறார். பாராட்டுகிறார். பரிசுகள் தருகிறார். இது நடக்கும் இல்லையா?”

“நடக்கும் குருவே.”

“இப்போது ராஜாதான் இறைவன். நீதான் அவன். நீ என்ன முயற்சி செய்தாலும் ராஜாவைப் நெருங்குவது கஷ்டம். ஆனால் உன் செயல்கள் பலருக்கும் பயனுடையதாக இருந்தால் அந்த ராஜாவே உன்னைப் பார்க்க வருவார். எனவே, இறைவனைப் பார்க்கும் முயற்சியைக் கைவிடு. இறைவன் உன்னைத் தேடி வரும் தகுதியான செயல்களில் ஈடுபடு... இறைவனே உன்னை வந்து அடைவான்... சரிதானே...?”

“மிகவும் சரிதான் குருவே...”

“நல்லது சீடனே, இனி ஆன்மிகம் உனக்குப் கை கூடும். போய் வா...”

சீடன் தெளிவடைந்து குருவிற்கு நன்றி தெரிவித்தான்...

I have given a translation below. 

A guru asked a new student, "What is the aim of Spirituality?"

Student: "To know God."

Guru: "Is that so!"

Student: "Isn't that so?"

Guru: "Okay. Has all the years of sadhana brought you to know God?"

Student: "No. But I am trying."

Guru: "Good.. Do you really believe that you can get to know God?"

The student thought for a moment and replied, "I believe!... But I have my doubts too."

Guru: "Why do you doubt yourself?"

Student: "People talk of different Gods. When we go into it we come out more confused!"

Guru: "Good..I like that you speak the truth. Now I shall phrase it differently. Do you want to know God and reach him too?"

Student: "Yes"

Guru: "You have taken up certain practices on your own initiative, right?"

Student: "Yes"

Guru: "I shall teach you an alternative way to reach God."

Student: "Thank you. I was waiting for this."

Guru: "But in this way, you cannot reach God. On the contrary, God shall come to you."

Student: "This is confusing."

Guru: "No confusion at all. Let us say there is a king. He is king to many thousands of subjects. It is not easy to have an audience with him, speak to him, or to know him. It might even be impossible."

Student: "Yes"

Guru: "But a subject who wanted to meet the king did a wonderful thing. He does service and does things that brought benefit to the fellow-subjects. This news reached the king. The king might ask to see this subject of his or go to him. He would praise him. He might gift his subject too. This could happen, right?" 

Student: "It could."

Guru: "Now let us assume the king is God. You are the subject. By whatever means you attempt to get an audience it might be difficult. But when your efforts are towards the good of his subjects, God takes notice. He comes to visit you. Hence let go of your attempt to see God. Bring yourself to do things that capture the attention of God. God will come to you. Right?"

Student: "Absolutely right."

Guru: "Good. You shall be spiritually born. Go now."

The student leaves his Guru now fully enlightened.