It was early in the morning. In the Gurukul, Guru ji was teaching his disciples about “Soul”.
Explaining about the soul, Guru Ji explained a verse from Bhagavad Gita:
No weapon can pierce the soul, no fire can burn it, no water can melt it and no wind can dry it. This soul can never be destroyed, it is indestructible.
Hearing this, one of the disciples got curious and said, “But Guru ji, how is this possible? If the soul exists, if it is indestructible, then how does it reside in this perishable body and why is it not visible to us? Is there really a soul?”
Guru Ji smiled and said son, “Today you take a bowl of milk from the kitchen and put it safely in your room. Tomorrow come here with the bowl at same time.”
Disciple did same and next day appeared with the bowl.
Guru Ji asked, “Is milk still drinkable?”
Disciple said, “No, Guru ji, it is spoiled. But what does it have to do with my question?”
The Guru interrupted the disciple and said, “Today, you go to the kitchen and take a bowl of yogurt to your room and tomorrow bring it with you here at same time.”
The next day, disciple came with bowl of yogurt.
Guru Ji asked, “Is yogurt still good for consumption?”
Disciple replied, “Yes, it is still fine.”
“Well Ok. tomorrow you bring it here again.”, Guru ji ordered.
Next day, when the Guru asked the disciple about the yogurt, he told him that the yogurt had become sour and is bad for consumption.
Guru ji put the bowl aside and said, “It’s okay, today you take a bowl of ghee from the kitchen and bring it back when it spoils.”
As the days passed, the ghee did not spoil and the disciple appeared before the Guru empty-handed every day.
Then one day disciple could not help but ask, “Guru ji, I asked you many days ago that – If the soul exists and it is indestructible, then how does it reside in this perishable body and Why doesn’t she show us? Is there really a soul?
But instead of answering it, you confused me with milk, yogurt and ghee.”
This time Guru ji became serious and said, “I was doing all this to answer your question: Look, milk, yogurt and ghee are all part of milk but milk spoils in a day, curd in two or three days but pure ghee never spoils.
Similarly is the soul, though in this perishable body, is such that it can never be destroyed.”
“Okay Guru ji, suppose the soul is indestructible but we can see the ghee but not the soul?”,said disciple.
Guru replied, “To see Ghee, first you have to add little yogurt starter to the milk and turn it into yogurt, then churn the yogurt and turn it into butter, then somewhere when the butter is melted for hours at the right temperature, it becomes ghee.
Similarly, Every human being can have the Vision of the Soul or Self-realization but for that first this Milk-like body has to be Purified by the Bhajan,
Then this Body is churned in the Service of the Poor and Suffering by the Churning of Karma.
Then it has to be Heated in the fire of Sadhana and Penance for years only then is Self-realization possible.”
Disciple had understood the Guru’s words well, today his curiosity had subsided, he touched the Guru’s feet and went on the path of self-realization.
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