Nama Article - 30th August 2007
Once, some Sadhaks on their way to a prayer meeting passed a busy market place. The market street was very crowded and was, herefore, very noisy.
As they walked one of the Sadhaks said, "The Namakirtan in the prayer meeting has begun!" Amazed to hear this another Sadhak asked him, "How do you say that the bhajan has begun in the prayer meeting? We are yet to reach the place which is still a long way off."
Not to be put off, the first Sadhak held on to his words, "I can hear it. The Namakirtan has begun. Let us hurry up."
The other Sadhak said in an accusing tone, "You are merely bluffing. Certainly your words cannot be true as the place of the prayer meeting is still far off. We are in a noisy market place where one is unable to hear the man beside him. How then can you hear the Namakirtan going on at the prayer meeting? Not only are your words a mere bluff but they also sound funny. How is it that you are able to hear the bhajan whence we who are by your side are unable to hear it?
However, the first Sadhak said, "My words are true. I can hear the sound of the Namakirtan very clearly. The sweet sound of the Namakirtan is flowing into my ears in spite of the crowd and noise in the market place. Can you understand the reason behind it? My whole concentration is in the Namakirtan at the prayer meeting while your minds are not in it. A mother can hear her child's cry clearly even in a noisy crowd as her child occupies her mind wholly! Our mind is totally set in the subject matter of our interest. My interest lay in Namakirtan and I am quite anxious to reach the place before the Namakirtan begins. My earnestness to take part in the Namakirtan right from the start is the reason behind the sound of the Kirtan heard by me. As you all do not possess such earnestness you have not heard the sound of the Kirtan."
However, the others did not accept his explanation. They said to him, "You think very low of us. You feel that we have no interest in Namakirtan. But we are as much interested in Namakirtan as you are. Your claim that you can hear the sound of Namakirtan is sheer bluff."
The first Sadhak challenged, "Well! Shall I prove my words to you all right now? Shall I draw the attention of the entire noisy crowd towards me?"
The rest accepted it though with doubt. "It is an impossible task. But you may try it."
Generally, the world runs behind money and material! The first Sadhak moved over to a place where the sound of jingling of coins could be heard by the crowd and threw down a handful of coins to the ground. At once the attention of the whole crowd in the busy, noisy market place was drawn to it as everyone has desire for money. As the mind is always searching a way for earning money its attention was at once drawn to the sound of the coins. All the other Sadhaks now accepted the argument of the first Sadhak.
This illustrates that one is sure to find progress in the field in which he possesses deep interest.
