Sri
Ramakrishna tells the following story of the wood-cutter to emphasize that with continuous effort God-realization
is possible in course of time.
"Once upon a time a wood-cutter went into a forest
to chop wood. There suddenly he met a brahmachari. The holy man said to him,
'My good man, go forward.' On returning home the wood-cutter asked himself,
'Why did the brahmachari tell me to go forward?' Some time passed. One day he
remembered the brahmachari's words. He said to himself, 'Today I shall go
deeper into the forest.' Going deep into the forest, he discovered innumerable
sandal-wood trees. He was very happy and returned with cart-loads of
sandal-wood. He sold them in the market and became very rich.”
"A
few days later he again remembered the words of the holy man to go forward. He
went deeper into the forest and discovered a silver-mine near a river. This was
even beyond his dreams. He dug out silver from the mine and sold it in the
market. He got so much money that he didn't even know how much he had.”
"A
few more days passed. One day he thought: 'The brahmachari didn't ask me to
stop at the silver-mine; he told me to go forward.' This time he went to the
other side of the river and found a gold-mine. Then he exclaimed: 'Ah, just
see! This is why he asked me to go forward.'”
"Again,
a few days afterwards, he went still deeper into the forest and found heaps of
diamonds and other precious gems. He took these also and became as rich as the
god of wealth himself.”
"Therefore I say that,
whatever you may do, you will find better and better things if only you go
forward. You may feel a little ecstasy as the result of japa, but don't
conclude from this that you have achieved everything in spiritual life. Work is
by no means the goal of life. Go forward, and then you will be able to perform
unselfish work. But again I say that it is most difficult to perform unselfish
work. Therefore with love and longing in your heart pray to God: 'O God, grant
me devotion at Thy Lotus Feet and reduce my worldly duties. Please grant me the
boon that the few duties I must do may be done in a detached spirit.' If you go
still farther you will realize God. You will see Him. In time you will converse
with Him."
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