The Muslim Fakirs
Mahaprabhuji was sitting in his room one day when two Muslim fakirs came begging. He rebuked them.
"You shouldn't waste your lives like this. If you want to beg, then beg Allah to satisfy the hunger of your hearts and don't bother about your bellies."
"But Swamiji, it is right for yogis, swamis and fakirs to live by begging," the fakirs answered. "It is a venerable tradition and you ought to be doing it too."
Mahaprabhuji smiled and replied that he did beg, but not as they did. He then taught them and his teaching was a beautiful poetic song in traditional Muslim form:
TUM LAKHON FAKIRON HAM FEERE
O you Fakirs, I am a beggar at the threshold of Heaven,
But filled with God's mercy I know no other desire,
I make the journey without a vehicle, without taking a step
And without a bowl I receive nourishment.
There he is the light, indescribable is his play.
There exists no breath, no place, no home.
There is no heaven or hell, neither hope
nor disappointment.
Nothing is visible, no form, no Prana.
Only the knower of the Vedas can experience that.
The swan of my soul flies there without wings through meditation,
I met the Supreme Guru who brought me to that
Divine place,
This is my way of begging.
The fakirs then asked Mahaprabhuji to explain where Allah and the Highest Self could be found. Mahaprabhuji answered that they were one and the same and sang another bhajan to explain.
KHUDA KHUDA KYA KARE KHUDA
Why do you call: Allah! Allah!
He is within you and there you must seek him,
His radiance shines in every creature
Like the reflection of the sun in the water,
Be patient in searching for him
For he is within you.
Meditate and always sing his name in your heart,
Then you may be certain that you will find him,
For he is within you in the subtlest form,
O, my dears, you will find him!
Consider that in this world nothing and no-one is yours to keep,
Realize the unreality of the world and discover that
Eternal Truth, it is within you!
My beloved Guru, the Perfect Master,
Revealed my inner Self to me,
O Fakirs, the Allah and the Self is within you!
Realization was granted to them by Mahaprabhuji's grace and the fakirs, inspired by Divine Truth, bowed down and praised Mahaprabhuji as their Master.
Next Chapter: Lila — the Divine Play
Previous Chapter: Panch Dhuni — The Five Fires
Overview: The Divine grace of Sri Mahaprabhuji
