Crossing The Ocean

Anecdotes

oi-Staff

By Staff

Wednesday, July 8, 2009, 14:28

Scriptures and books are to be treated only as pointers of truth. They are representations of the truth, but the very truth extends even beyond them.

Once a few men were sailing in a boat in the Ganges. A learned Pandit was one among them who displayed his accomplishment of having studied the Vedas, Vedanta and other philosophical books with an air of pride. He enquired the passenger next to him if he was exposed to such spiritual studies, in a vain manner.

The passenger meekly said that he had not studied the scriptures. Suddenly a storm arose and the boat was tossed about in its impact. The passenger enquired the Pandit if he could swim. The Pandit replied that he could not. The passenger said, "Sir, I may not know the various scriptures, but I know how to swim!"

Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa says that there is nothing a man gains by vainly dwelling on the scriptures if he does not realize the truth of reality or God. Instead one should dwell on God or the reality in order to cross the ocean of Samsara.