07 03 lesson-04
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This document discusses the importance of having faith in Krishna's words from the Bhagavad Gita. It shares a story of Narada Muni asking Krishna when a brahmin and cobbler would achieve salvation. Krishna said the cobbler would come to him after death, while the brahmin would take many births, as the brahmin lacked faith in Krishna's words, while the cobbler had simple faith. It stresses that even scholars lack benefit without faith, while ordinary people gain benefit through faith. It concludes by emphasizing the need to have faith in God's words and follow instructions for prayers to have meaning.
07 03 lesson-04
- 1. STANDARD VII CHAPTER 03 WHOM TO WORK FOR Do your own duty nicely and bother not about results Lesson-04 BUT WHY SHOULD I BELIEVE IN KRISHNA’S WORDS? Because this is spoken by Krishna, who is God Himself, whatever He says is the essence of all wisdom and therefore is eternallytrue without exception. There are many thinkers who write comments on the Bhagavad-Gita but have no faith in Krishna. Their thinking is useless because it is not loyal to Krishna. On the otherhand, an ordinary man who has simple faith in words of Krishna receives all the benefits from reading Gita. There is a very illustrative story regarding this principle. Faithdetermines one’s advancementin bhakti Narada Muni was once asked by a brahmana, "Oh, are you going to meet the Lord? Will you please ask Him when I'm going to get my salvation?" "All right," Narada agreed. "I shall ask Him." As Narada proceeded,he met a cobblerwho was sitting under a tree mending shoes, and
- 2. the cobblersimilarly asked Narada, "Oh, are you going to see God? Will you please inquire of Him when my salvation will come?" When Narada went to the Vaikuntha planets, he fulfilled their request and asked Lord Narayana about the salvation of the brahmana and the cobbler. Lord Narayana replied, "After leaving this body, the cobblershall come here to Me." "What about the brahmana?" Narada asked. "He will have to remain there for a number of births. I do not know when he is coming." Narada Muni was astonished, and he finally said, "I cannot understand the mystery of this." "That you will see," Lord Narayana said. "When they ask you what I am doing in My abode, tell them that I am threading the eye of a needlewith an elephant." When Narada Muni returned to earth and approachedthe brahmana, the brahmana said, "Oh, you have seen the Lord? What was he doing?" "He was threadingan elephantthrough the eye of a needle,"Narada answered. "I don't believe such nonsense,"the brahmana replied. Narada could immediately understandthat the man had no faith and that he was simply a reader of books. Narada then left and went on to the cobbler,who asked him, "Oh, you have seen the Lord? Tell me, what was he doing?" "He was threadingan elephant through the eye of a needle," Narada replied. The cobblerbegan to weep. "Oh, my Lord is so wonderful, He con do anything." "Do you really believe that the Lord can push an elephant through the eye of a needle?"Narada asked. "Why not?" the
- 3. cobblersaid. "Of course I believe it." "How is that?" Narada asked. "You can see that I am sitting under this banyan tree." the cobbleranswered, "and you can see that so many fruits are falling daily, and in each seed there is a banyan tree like this one. If within a small seed there can be a big tree like this, is it difficult to accept that the Lord is pushing an elephant through the eye of a needle?" MORAL: "Even though one may have studiedall the spiritualtexts, and even though one is well versed in all the revealed scriptures, if one is not a devoteeof the SupremeLord, he must be consideredthe lowest of mankind." (GarudaPurana). There is anotherstory narrating importance of faith in God’s words. Leave the rope There was a man falling from mountain while he was trekking. It was extremely cold and all foggy and he could not see anything – where he is or how high he is hanging. Then he prayed to God for protection.He just heard God’s voice: Leave the rope. He did not have faith so he did not do it. Next day, the peoplesaw him dead due to hunger and cold. He had managed to tie the rope to his waist but they saw him hanging just a few inches above the ground.
- 4. MORAL: So the lesson is that many peoplepray sentimentallyto God but they shouldalso have faith in God’s words and sincerelyfollowGod’s instructions. Then there is meaningto his prayers.