Kondya Sutar was a devotee of Baba who loved Baba in his own special way.
One day Baba asked Kondya to go to the Khalwadi (the place where the harvest
is threshed) and put out the fire there. He said that the central stack of
the harvest had caught fire. Frightened, Kondya rushed to the Khalwadi and
made anxious enquiries but found no signs of fire. Returning, he complained
to Baba saying that he had been put to unnecessary trouble and that his feet
were scorched through walking in the hot sun. Baba replied," Listen. My
words are never untrue. Look behind you and see the smoke for yourself. The
harvest stacks lie close together in a heap but the central stack is on
fire." It was a summer afternoon and a sprightly wind was blowing. Trees
were breaking and roofs were flying. "Fire! Fire!" shouted the people of
Shirdi as they rushed to Baba and begged him to save the harvest and thus
save the people and the cattle of the village from hunger and death. Moved
by their appeal. Baba got up at once and went to the "Khalwadi." He poured
water around the central stack which was on fire. He then said to the
villagers. "Only this stack will burn. This one is the share of Agni. Do not
try to extinguish the fire. No harm will come to the other stacks." Baba's
words came true. By saving the rest of the stacks, Baba demonstrated his
power over Agni. All the five elements are in fact under the control of holy
men like Baba. In the evening people came for Baba's darshan, Nanasaheb
among them, Baba said to Nana, "O Nana, look at these greedy people. Today
the harvest of the Bhagchand (the owner of the central stack) burned down to
ashes, and here he is moaning his loss. Gain and loss, birth and death are
all under the control of God. These foolish people do not realize this. They
dance with joy when they gain and start crying when they lose. The joy as
well as the sorrow comes of a feeling of ownership but it is meaningless to
claim ownership. The burnt-down stack did not belong to the Marwadi. It
consisted of hay which came into existence from seeds borne by the earth.
The cloud watered them and the sun kneaded them into shape with his own
hands. Thus, the earth, the cloud and the sun are the real owners of the
stack. All things in this world are produced in this manner. We certainly
are not their owners. Nana, ask the Marwadi why he is weeping over the loss
of something which was never his and worrying me in the bargain. What the
Lord gives with one hand, he takes away with the other. In our ignorance we
think we are the owners of things and this sense of ownership is the root
cause of our joy and sorrow. Shethji, go home now in peace. You will make
good your loss in some other business."
Everybody was pleased to listen to this discourse. Nanasaheb his face
radiant with joy and peace, bowed down and said to Baba: "O Lord! You are
like the moon while we devotees are like the chakor birds. You are the ocean
of knowledge. Kindly remove our ignorance. Tell me who is God. Where
does he live? What should one do to meet him? If this world is unreal
why should one get involved in it? Please explain these things to me."
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