One was a burly sharp-eyed college kid and other an eccentric old sage. With finely honed intellect, the boy was in the sure footsteps to stride high with the cream of the crop. The old man was revered by a small circle of devotee, regardless, was destined to live an obscured life.
When they met, the youthful asked, “People say that you can see God, is that true?”
“Of course, my boy, I see Him like I see you,” the sage replied.
The boy was startled, either this man was an imposter, or he was someone very special, which one was he?
Curiosity got the better of the young boy, and he began seeing the old man frequently.
He watched him with probing eyes, questioned him with sharp wit, and tested him with intricate schemes.
The more the youth watched the old, the more fascinated he became. Eventually, history took a curious turn, and a lethal combination of charisma and piety took the world by storm.
The young boy was Narendra, known to the world as Vivekananda. The old man was Gadadhar, known to the world as Sree Ramakrishna.
Once a promising disciple asked Sree Ramakrishna, “Master, I am always searching God intensely, but I can never find him. Why is it so?”
The Master took the young boy to a pond and asked him to take a dip. As the boy took a dip, the Master held him down under the water. The boy gasped for air; the Master nevertheless, continued to hold him down. Finally, when the Master let him go the boy jumped out of water, started breathing heavily, and leaped with joy!
The Master asked the disciple, “When you were under water how did you feel?”
The boy said, “I felt very strongly for air.”
The Master said, “When your desire for God becomes as strong as your desire was for air when you were under water, you will find God.”
