25 - Nurturing The Sprouts

It so happened one day. Bhaishri was working in the orchard. Daughter Vaalba entered the orchard.

Vaalba requested, ‘Father, I also want to work.’ Vaalba was very young. What possibly could she do? Bhaishri said thoughtfully, ‘Vaalba, birds are spoiling the grains. You chase them away.’ Vaalba was chanting the name of God and was chasing the birds away.

Bhaishri called her, ‘Dear, Come here.’ Vaalba replied, ‘Father, birds would eat the grains.’ Bhaishri assured, ‘Now, they will not! Please, come here.’ Vaalba went to him and sat down. She kept an eye on the grains. Birds were not able to go near the grains.

Vaalba was astonished. Now she was convinced and concentrated at Bhaishri. Bhaishri requested, ‘Dear, if you could prepare Ponk, we could have it.’ Vaalba asked, ‘Father, how could I light a fire here?’ Bhaishri offered, ‘Let me light the fire.’

Bhaishri went and collected dry sticks and lighted the fire. Vaalba prepared Ponk. Bhaishri closed his eyes and offered the Ponk to Maharaj. Vaalba inquired, ‘Father, why are you sitting with closed eyes? Please, have Ponk.’ Bhaishri explained, ‘You have prepared the dish so lovingly. I was offering it to Maharaj. Now this is not Ponk.’

Vaalba was confused, ‘But, this is Ponk.’ Bhaishri explained, ‘No, now this is pious offering of Akshardham. I offered this Ponk to Maharaj. Maharaj accepted it. Now this is Prasad.’

Vaalba and Bhaishri had little Ponk and kept aside some for the others. Bhaishri asked, ‘Dear, Do you know, how to meditate?’ Vaalba replied, ‘I keep on gazing at God. I do not know much.’ Bhaishri tried to teach, ‘Dear, we should take an idol of God which is appealing to our eyes.’

Vaalba interrupted, ‘Father, I like the idol of God very much which I worship everyday.’ Bhaishri continued, ‘We must get up early and install the idol on a nice mat.’

Vaalba was curious, ‘Father, I do this everyday. Is this called meditation?’ Bhaishri said patiently, ‘Dear, You should not interrupt in between. First listen carefully whatever I teach.’

Vaalba apologized, ‘Yes Father, now I will not interrupt. If I do not understand something. I will ask you in the end.’ Bhaishri continued, ‘We should install the idol on a mat and should gaze at it for a few minutes. Then we must close our eyes and try to visualize it in our heart. All right?’ Vaalba replied, ‘All right, Father. Now I will try to do it.’

Bhaishri adviced, ‘Dear, if you try to practice meditation now, you will definitely achieve meditative state and Maharaj would be pleased.’

Vaalba promised, ‘Father, daily I will get up early and meditate.’ Bhaishri concluded, ‘We must not forget the idol of God while performing other activities. We should endeavour to remember it all the time. If we make an effort right from our childhood, Maharaj would be pleased soon.

Difficult words:
To nurture - To promote or encourage the development
Pious - Religious
Curious - Eager to learn
Endeavour - To try hard

Points to ponder:
- We should offer everything to God before eating it. When we go out we must visualize Maharaj in our heart and offer him food and then have food.
- Bhaishri firmly believed that the children should be taught devotion towards Maharaj right from their childhood so that they do not go astray.
- Bhaishri teaches us that while elders are talking, we must listen to it attentively and if we do not understand something we must ask in the end.
- Here Bhaishri also teaches how to meditate.

Exercise

Answer the following questions:
1. What was Vaalba doing in the fields? What did Bhaishri ask her to do?
2. What did Bhaishri call Ponk as?
3. How did Bhaishri teach to meditate?

Fill in the blanks:
1. Bapa, even I want to __________.
2. She was ___________ the name of God and ___________ the birds.
3. Vaalba, please prepare ___________, so that we could __________ it.
4. This is not ____________. This is Prasad of _________.
5. We must keep the ___________ on the mat and gaze at it.
6. We should endeavour to remember the idol of God _________.