The Colloquium!

“When a cold bit of coal is placed in the midst of glowing cinders, and when the fire is fanned, the coal too starts glowing with the fire. The Jnaana Agni or the Fire of Wisdom operates similarly.” (Bhagwan Baba)

Prakhar was a middle aged man who was a regular visitor at the local temple. He would participate in the morning Aarti almost every day. He would take keen interest in the day to day activities of the temple. One day he felt that he was wasting his time in these activities and anyways, he thought, God is everywhere. So he might as well stay at home and worship Him as and when he pleased. So, he stopped going to the temple.

The priest at the temple took note of Prakhar’s absence in the coming days. A week went by and then a fortnight. The priest decided to find out if all was well with this ardent devotee of the Lord. So, after completing his routine for the day, the priest closed the temple and went to Prakhar’s house. It was a chilly night and Prakhar was enjoying a log fire in the backyard. The fire burnt merrily as the cool wind swished across the courtyard. The priest sat near Prakhar, they exchanged a nod of recognition, but neither of them spoke a word. The priest watched as Prakhar seemed to be engrossed in his own thoughts. After a while, the priest got up and picked out a half burnt piece of wood from the bonfire.

He placed the wood a little away from the fire. After a while the orange flame from that piece of wood started dying out. The wind managed to extinguish it by and by. Prakar noticed this, from the corner of his eye, but spoke nothing.

Some more time passed. The priest picked up the half burnt piece of wood and put it back into the crackling fire. It started burning merrily again. The priest quietly went away.

Come morn and Prakhar was present at the morning Aarti, as punctual as he had always been.

A single man is not always able to do things as efficiently as a group is. In this case too, the routine of going to the temple and being a part of the colloquium of people, attending all events etc. play their own part in establishing a connection with God. The Hindus spend a lot of time in decorating their shrines, singing the praises of the Lord, going on pilgrimages and the like. Some people wonder, why so much time is spent in such activities? During the long hours spent in such things, if one is able to connect with the Lord even for a split second, one gets a feel of Divinity that is unexplainable through the medium of the twenty six alphabets.

The chances of experiencing Divinity, increases manifold when one is with a group of people, trying to reach out to God. The prayers of all collectively become a potent force and each one is benefitted so many times over! It is always advisable to be a part of a group of likeminded seekers of God.

Just as a cricketer needs a team to play with, a musician needs a band or a child needs a group of playmates, each one of us needs the tug of a divine peer group to spur us into the flowing stream of Godliness. Each one derives strength and support from all others in the group.