Parable of the homa bird

Pointing to Narendra, the Master said: “You all see this boy. He behaves that way here.

A naughty boy seems very gentle when with his father. But he is quite another person when he plays in the chandni. Narendra and people of his type belong to the class of the ever-free. They are never entangled in the world. When they grow a little older they feel the awakening of inner consciousness and go directly toward God. They come to the world only to teach others. They never care for anything of the world. They are never attached to ‘woman and gold’.

The Vedas speak of the homa bird. It lives high up in the sky and there it lays its egg.

As soon as the egg is laid it begins to fall; but it is so high up that it continues to fall for many days. As it falls it hatches, and the chick falls. As the chick falls its eyes open; it grows wings. As soon as its eyes open, it realizes that it is falling and will be dashed to pieces on touching the earth. Then it at once shoots up toward the mother bird high in the sky.”

At this point Narendra left the room.

Kedar, Prankrishna, M., and many others remained.

Master praises Narendra

MASTER: “You see, Narendra excels in singing, playing on instruments, study, and everything. The other day he had a discussion with Kedar and tore his arguments to shreds.

(All laugh.)

(To M.) “Is there any book in English on reasoning?”

M: “Yes, sir, there is. It is called Logic.”

MASTER: “Tell me what it says.”

M. was a little embarrassed. He said: “One part of the book deals with deduction from the general to the particular. For example: All men are mortal. Scholars are men. Therefore scholars are mortal.

Another part deals with the method of reasoning from the particular to the general. For example: This crow is black. That crow is black. The crows we see everywhere are black. Therefore all crows are black. But there may be a fallacy in a conclusion arrived at in this way; for on inquiry one may find a white crow in some country.

There is another illustration: If there is rain, there is, or has been, a cloud. Therefore rain comes from a cloud. Still another example: This man has thirty- two teeth. That man has thirty-two teeth. All the men we see have 32 teeth.

Therefore men have 32 teeth. English logic deals with such inductions and deductions.”

Sri Ramakrishna barely heard these words. While listening he became absent-minded. So the conversation did not proceed far.

When the meeting broke up, the devotees sauntered in the temple garden. M. went in the direction of the Panchavati. It was about five o’clock in the afternoon. After a while he returned to the Master’s room. There, on the small north verandah, he witnessed an amazing sight.

Sri Ramakrishna was standing still, surrounded by a few devotees, and Narendra was singing. M. had never heard anyone except the Master sing so sweetly. When he looked at Sri Ramakrishna he was struck with wonder; for the Master stood motionless, with eyes transfixed. He seemed not even to breathe. A devotee told M. that the Master was in samadhi. M. had never before seen or heard of such a thing. Silent with wonder, he thought: “Is it possible for a man to be so oblivious of the outer world in the consciousness of God? How deep his faith and devotion must be to bring about such a state!”

Narendra was singing:

Meditate, O my mind, on the Lord Hari, The Stainless One, Pure Spirit through and through. How peerless is the Light that in Him shines! How soul-bewitching is His wondrous form! How dear is He to all His devotees!

Ever more beauteous in fresh-blossoming love That shames the splendour of a million moons, Like lightning gleams the glory of His form, Raising erect the hair for very joy. The Master shuddered when this last line was sung. His hair stood on end, and tears of joy streamed down his cheeks. Now and then his lips parted in a smile. Was he seeing the peerless beauty of God, “that shames the splendour of a million moons”? Was this the vision of God, the Essence of Spirit? How much austerity and discipline, how much faith and devotion, must be necessary for such a vision!

The song went on:

Worship His feet in the lotus of your heart; With mind serene and eyes made radiant With heavenly love, behold that matchless sight. Again that bewitching smile. The body motionless as before, the eyes half Shut, as if beholding a strange inner vision.

The song drew to a close. Narendra sang the last lines:

Caught in the spell of His love’s ecstasy, Immerse yourself for evermore, O mind” In Him who is Pure Knowledge and Pure Bliss. The sight of the samadhi, and the divine bliss he had witnessed, left an indelible impression on M.’s mind. He returned home deeply moved. Now and then he could hear within himself the echo of those soul-intoxicating lines: Immerse yourself for evermore, O mind, In Him who is Pure Knowledge and Pure Bliss.

Fourth visit

The next day, too, was a holiday for M. He arrived at Dakshineswar at three o’clock in the afternoon. Sri Ramakrishna was in his room; Narendra, Bhavanath, and a few other devotees were sitting on a mat spread on the floor. They were all young men of nineteen or twenty. Seated on the small couch, Sri Ramakrishna was talking with them and smiling.

No sooner had M. entered the room than the Master laughed aloud and said to the boys, “There! He has come again.” They all joined in the laughter. M. bowed low before him and took a seat. Before this he had saluted the Master with folded hands, like one with an English education. But that day he learnt to fall down at his feet in orthodox Hindu fashion.