True independence

US celebrates their independence day on 4^th of July. Indians celebrate their independence day on 15^th August. Similarly most of the countries in the world celebrate freedom in one form or other. The celebration of freedom signifies the deep inherent desire of every human being which doesn’t want to be controlled by any restrictions. Many of the fortunate societies have attained freedom from dictatorship or imperialism or other forms of suppression. But, let’s talk about the true freedom for an individual being.

The importance of rituals

A businessman invited the holy man during the inauguration prayer ceremonies on the opening ceremony of a new factory. Usually Baba don’t accept such invitations, but looking at the faith and devotion of the invitee, Baba agreed. On the day of Yagna ceremony, Baba reached before time and sat on the side quietly, while observing the happenings all around. At the set time priest came and performed the Yagna rituals while chanting Sanskrit mantras and left. Everyone left after a while, but the Baba keep sitting in his own bliss.

Once everyone left, the businessman came and sat next to Baba. Baba asked, “So, how did the Puja go?”

With a satisfying smile on his face, the invitee replied, “Sir, I am glad it is over without any hindrance. Everything went as per the plan. Now I feel relaxed.”

Baba started laughing and said, “Son, the purpose of this puja was to introduce you to the ever present peaceful blissful Divine within, while performing the puja. But it seems you are more peaceful after the puja. I have observed that before the puja and during the puja, you were quiet tense – ensuring all Samagri (materials required for Puja) is available, flowers are placed in correct manner, guest are being taken care of and other formalities. Priest came and chanted a few mantras on your behalf, performed all the rituals and you are thinking puja is done. Have you ever thought, what is the real purpose behind it?”

Deep Sleep and Meditation

A true seeker always keeps alive the spirit of inquisitiveness. One always wonders how is it that we feel rejuvenated after a few hours of deep sleep. What exactly happens during deep sleep? How is deep sleep different than dreaming state? Several people have researched about these questions in the western world and have written multiple books, but none of the theory could fully satisfy all the questions around the deep sleep.

All the theories to explain the workings of deep sleep  begins with an assumption that this world is real and we go to a state of deep sleep and then come back to this world. But the Yogis and Rishis of India says that it is the other way round – the deep peaceful, restful and blissful state of consciousness, that we call deep sleep, is the reality. Because of our body-mind-sense complex, the virtual multi-dimensional reality appears to be the real world temporarily and then again we go back to our original state. This world is what appears to be true temporarily because of the sensations carried by our five senses to the mind, and then it disappears.  In the middle, sometimes the mind keep working even without the active sensation from the senses and we call it a dreaming state. Eventually, after some time, even the mind settles down and we again enter into deep sleep. The seer, the consciousness, is always present.

Only your experiences comes for your rescue

A true seeker is a scientist of inner worked. He has to research on his own to find the presence of the true divine within, to realize the highest form of peaceful happiness within. One cannot be just dependent on the research performed by others or just read thesis written by others for the art of inner exploration. Learning from other’s experiences will help you, but totally relying on the experience on others won’t bring you closer to your own real Self. Inner divine exploration is more of an art rather than science. But it is very logical in nature and hence referred to as science also.

A master observed that a disciple has a lot of potential, but he is always engaged in reading scriptures, memorizing the hymns from the holy books and trying to impress others by rephrasing the knowledge that he gained from other sources. He observed that disciple is hardly spending any time in seclusion, sitting in meditation and performing Self analysis. Out of compassion, one morning master called the disciple to his room and said, “Son, sit here close to me. I want to tell you a story.”

For a true seeker, it’s light everywhere!

“Dear Sir, please guide us so that we can also see the divine presence of the almighty everywhere, just like you,” requested a seeker.

With a pleasant smile on his face, the holy man started with a short story, “It was dawn and darkness was about to engulf every corner of the house. The master of the house called the servant, Ramu and instructed, 

“just go with these lanterns in every corner of the house and place it where ever you see the dark.” Ramu placed the lantern on his head and went from room to room and returned after a while. “Sir, there is no corner in the house with darkness. The whole house is already lighted up.”

“Similarly, son, the true seeker can see the presence of divine in each and every being while carrying the lantern of divine inner wisdom. Because of the presence of the lighted intellect, a true seeker never judges others. In fact, he tries to see the presence of divine, positive qualities in others.”

Sab jag Ishwar roop hai, bhala bura nahi koi I

Jaisi jiski bhavna, tesa hi fal hoi II

Whole world is manifestation of the God, there is no good no bad, 

As is your attitude, so is the results of your actions (on your inner existence).

Treat your stay in this world like a hotel

Saints are filled with compassion and always try to give easy keys to open the inner locks. A holy Baba visited a village and villagers offered him to live in a Dharamshala (olden day’s hotel). That evening all the villagers gathered around the holy Baba with an expectation to hear a few words of wisdom.

Pleased with the service and love offered by the villagers, the holy Baba said, “Let me give you an easy key that will help you alleviate your seeking to next level and will enhance inner peace.”

The villagers sat down quietly and with inquisitive ears started listening to the Saint. Baba said, “Treat this world as if you are visiting a huge endless hotel and you are renting it for a short while. One day, we all have to leave everything and move on. While living in this hotel, we can make use of all the facilities with gratitude, but nothing belongs to us. We cannot even carry a small needle with us to the next journey. We can mingle with other companions, but always remember that they are also the travelers like us. We are staying together for a short life, and then everyone will move on to their own journey.”

Natural means of a healthy body and happy mind

A seeker of true happiness treats the body as a temple of the divine spirit. A healthy body helps in keeping the mind happy and a healthy mind keeps the body healthy. Along with this, a healthy body and a happy mind, together helps the being to realize the divinity within.

God has provided us with a lot of natural means to keep the sanctity of this bodily temple. The body is made up of five basic elements – earth, ether, water, fire and space. The sages of India realized thousands of years ago that by maintaining the proper balance of these five basic elements, one can live a healthy and happy life. Let’s analyze how easily we can make use of these natural health tips for leading a happy life.

Purity of antah karan or inner senses

The Rishis of India have defined many kinds of meditation suiting different personalities. Deep concentrated contemplation is also a form of meditation that is suggested for the intellectual kind of seekers who give importance to logic and understanding. Such seekers read holy scriptures and listen to the talks of Saints till the time something touches them deeply and then, they sit in the contemplation of the deep meaning behind those words.

Shabdaà  -->  Arthaà  --> Tatvaà

Shravanaà  --> Mananaà  --> Nityadhyasanaà

By delving deep into the artha (meaning and purport) of the shabda(words) , such seekers dive into the realm of Tatva. Fortunate are those who tread this form of spiritual journey. For such seekers, here is a deep thought of spiritual wisdom.

Tree of Life

A lot of Saints describe the beautiful analogy of human life with a tree. When we look around, we find that there are people who are strong and stay steady in all the circumstances of life. Those are the people who also contribute to the welfare of others and the society as a whole. While there are others who are flimsy and emotional. They can be shattered by minor adversities. They always seek help of others.

Let’s see the similarities between a tree and the human life. The strength and sturdiness of a tree is dependent on the depth of its roots. Deeper are the roots, healthier is the tree. Roots symbolizes the spiritual depth of a being. One who remains in solitude for a few moments on regular basis while contemplating on the Self. One who meditates on the inner realms while enjoying the bliss and peacefulness of the consciousness, surely has deep and strong roots. The superficial people, who remains distant from the spiritual Truth, who are always restless while seeking the momentary pleasures of the world, have very shallow roots.

Vedas-a treasure of secrets of life

Vedas are considered to be the bible of Hindus. The Sanskrit word véda "knowledge, wisdom" is derived from the root vid- "to know". It is a large body of knowledge text composed in Sanskrit. Vedas contains the sublime secrets of life. Vedas are also called śruti ("what is heard") literature, distinguishing them from other religious texts, which are called smṛti ("what is remembered"). Vedas were not written by anyone, but were heard by the Vedic Rishis while in deep meditation. This text has been carefully preserved since ancient times. Vedas are called Marai in parts of South India. Marai literally means "hidden secret".    

Scholars believe that they were written down some 2,500 years ago, though the tradition often dates them to the beginning of Kali-yuga (3000 BCE). Initial Veda was a one huge body of text with more than a hundred thousand shlokas. Later, it was divided into four vedas by Rishi Veda Vyasa and hence is his name, one who divided the vedas. These four are now known as Rigveda, Yajurveda, Samaveda and Atharvaveda.

Living Yogis in the modern age

The Rishis and Yogis of ancient India used to meditate not only for hours, but for days; not only for days, but for weeks; not only for weeks, but for months and years at a time. But, an inquisitive mind asks – what about food, their daily chores – don’t they have to get up for that?

Those are not just stories. Ancient wisdom was capable of imparting some of the wonderful powers to humans – which modern man calls super natural. Even in the present age there are many instances where Yogis meditate for months without water or food, without even getting up.

In 2005, a young boy of age 14 in Nepal, told his mom that he is going for meditation and will return after attaining self-realization. He told his mom not to worry about him or his health. He went outside the town and sat under a tree. He continued his meditation for more than 6 months without moving from his meditative posture. His name is Ram Bahadur Bomjon and he is 26 years old now. He can sit in meditation like ancient day Yogi – for months at a stretch.

Role of science and spirituality in our pursuit of happiness

What do you think can contribute significantly in the pursuit of happiness- Science or Spirituality? I know that most of you would answer in favour of science. With its spectacular progress in last couple of centuries, science has definitely made human life much easier, healthier and comfortable with its innumerable inventions. Not only that, science has also provided human race with countless means of entertainment. It is no surprise that most of the younger generation is fervent enthusiast of Science.

Another factor that helped you in deciding in favour of science might be the ignorance of true meaning of spirituality and its misinterpretation as part of religion. There are wide spread myths that science is logical, while spirituality is only based on beliefs and superstitions; science can be applied usefully in human life, whereas spirituality is mere set of esoteric impractical philosophies.

History of Yoga

In order to grasp the essence of Yoga, understanding about the history and evolution of Yoga would definitely help. Yoga is one of the oldest art, or you can say science, or philosophy of the world that originated in Indian subcontinent thousands of years ago. Practice of Yoga is very beneficial not only for maintaining the physical health, but also for rejuvenating your mental, moral and spiritual health. The philosophy of Yoga is as ancient as the civilization. According to one of the classical texts of Yoga known as HathaYoga Pradipika, Lord Shiva is the first teacher of Yoga when he preached the Ashtang-Yoga to Mata Parvati. As per Bhagavad-Gita, Lord Krishna is referred as the first teacher of Yoga.

A significant milestone in the history from where Yoga revived itself is considered to be the era of Maharshi Patanjali who systematized Yoga, its meaning and its related knowledge through his Patanjali Yoga Sutras around 400 A.D. So, for discussion on the historical development of Yoga, it may be divided into three phases:

Pre Patanjali Period [Before 400 A.D.]

According to Hindu culture beliefs, Yoga is an eternal philosophy – it has always been there. However, the historical evidences of Yoga were seen up to 4500 B.C. The main sources related to Yoga during those times are Vedas, Upanishads, Smrti, Teaching of Buddha, Jainism, Panini, Epics and Puranas.

The supreme secret of true happiness

First of all, let me shed some light on the meaning of true happiness. I am not referring to the momentary and shallow form of day to day happiness. True happiness is the sublime state of mind that is totally peaceful, fulfilled, ever-lasting and blissful. Once you achieve authentic happiness, you are elevated to a higher state of mind where no anxiety, no worry, no sadness, no unhappiness can touch you. You are not impacted by the vagaries of external world because when you find the true ambrosia within your heart, you are not dependent on the external happiness any more.

Well…. you might think that I am sort of becoming philosophical. Such happiness is only talked about in our religious scriptures, after death, in heavens. You may ask if it is possible to realize such a blissful state of mind while living on earth.

Optimistic attitude of a true seeker

Life is full of avenues and opportunities as long as you keep your hopes alive. A seeker is always optimistic and never gives up. A seeker with an open mind keep on listening to different saints, continue to read one scripture after another, keep on exploring different forms of sadhna with a fire in his belly to realize the true Self and finally attains the goal – the goal of achieving liberty while living, not after death. 

This principle is not only true in the spiritual world, but also in the material world. Let me tell you an inspiring story.

This is the story of a boy from Kentucky. At age 5, his father died. At age 16, he quit school. At age 17, he had already lost four jobs. At age 18, he got married. He joined the army and washed out there. At age 20, his wife left him and took their baby. He became a cook in a small cafe and convinced his wife to return home. 

Two types of seekers

In this dualistic work of happiness and sorrow, positive and negative, peace and restlessness, there is only way to transcend, there is only one way to achieve harmony and blissfulness- that is to seek; seek the higher goal, seek the Truth, seek the true Self, seek God.

There are only two kind of people in this world – those who are the seekers and those who are not.

Let’s talk first about those who are not. They are just contended in the worldly achievements and worldly pleasures. They believe this world to be true. They have no curiosity, no inquisitiveness to know the Truth. Even though they are always restless while running for outer pleasures- they don’t have any desire for peace or lost lasting happiness. While participating in the race of worldly achievements, they don’t have time to pause and think for a moment.  Either they are busy making money or thinking of ways to spend it- let’s plan an excursion trip, let’s go for a movie, let’s do a party, let’s go out to eat, let’s invite friends and what not? They don’t want to keep their mind unoccupied even for a moment because they don’t know how to deal with an unoccupied mind.  

This world is an Echo-Point

A disciple was traveling with his master to spread the message of love, compassion, harmony and inner peace. On the way, while crossing over a beautiful hill came across an echo point while crossing the hill. The excited disciple started shouting loud and to his amazement, the echo vibrated in the surroundings.

“This world is also an Echo-point, son.” Whatever you give to this world, the same comes back to you”, commented the master.

With the eyes filled with curiosity, the disciple sat down and started paying attention to the master’s words of wisdom.

“When you give love and laughter to this world, this world embraces you with love and laughter. And if you give pain and sorrow to this world, same feelings will echo back to you. Let me tell you a story of Winston Churchill and Alexander Fleming.

Neither sorrow, nor happiness is real

A philosophy professor came up with an interesting question for his students at the time of final exams. The class was already seated and ready to go when the professor picked up his chair, plopped it on top of his desk and wrote on the board:

"Using everything we have learned this semester, prove that this chair does not exist." A panic wave transcended  across the hall. Fingers flew, erasers erased, notebooks were filled in furious fashion. Some students wrote over ten pages in an hour attempting to refute the existence of the chair. One member of the class however, was calm and quiet. He closed his eyes for a moment and delved inside to calm his mind in the source of intelligence. He wrote a line and within minutes, handed over his paper to the professor and walked out while smiling.

Spiritual eating habits

In Vedic culture, a lot of importance is given to the act of eating. It is believed that as we eat, so is our thought process. The food that we eat becomes part of us- not only the minerals and vitamins become part of our physical body, but the subtle part of the food becomes part of our thought process. So, a lot of emphasis is given on taking pure and saatvic food. When we offer food while chanting prayers and while paying our gratitude to Mother Nature and the omnipresent God, the food gets purified and become Prasad.

One of the reasons that the modern man is facing restlessness and depression is that just for the sake of taste and time-saving, modern man gets into the habit of consuming all kinds of tamsi food while watching TV. Such common practices leads to all sort of chaos in the society as well. As per our Vedic culture, food is considered as medicine for the illness of hunger and as the sustenance of life.

When we chant holy prayers, our mind becomes pious and peaceful in the remembrance of Paramatma that has made the food available to us in nature. Eating such saatvic food with peaceful mind helps the true seeker in not only attaining physical and mental strength, but also in attaining the goal of spiritual blissfulness.

Here are a few Mantras that a true seeker chants before eating the meal.

   Harir Daatha Harir Bhoktha, Harir Annam Prajaapatih I

   Harir Vipra Shareerast, Bhoonkte Bhojayathe Harih II

   

  O Lord Hari, You are the food, You are the enjoyer of the food, You are the giver of food.    Therefore, I offer all that I consume at your Lotus Feet.

Surya Namaskaar

There are many customs that are integral part of Vedic culture that pertains to showing our gratitude to the Nature (Prakirti) that manifests in the form of Sun, Moon, rivers, forests and animals around us. Since times immemorial Sun worship was a central and integral part of religious practice on the Indian subcontinent.  This is evident in the presence of Konarak and Arasavelli (A.P.)  Sun temples.

There are numerous references of praising the Sun for the purpose of good health and prosperity, in Vedas. Some of these Vedic hymns were incorporated into "Nitya Vidhi" (Daily routine prayers) for the well being of an individual, through the salutations to the Sun. These daily procedures were termed as Surya Namaskaar (literally translates as "sun salutations"). 

Answers from Bhagwad Gita on attaining pure Bliss

Srimad Bhagwad Gita is a sacred Hindu scripture, which is considered among the most important texts in the history of literature and philosophy. The content of Gita is the conversation between the Arjuna and the God-personified Sri Krishna in the midst of a battlefield. It clarifies the doubts of all the seekers of inner happiness with extraordinary ease, logic and prudence. Presented below, are a few straight forward answers related to the process of attaining inner bliss.

Question: How can one attain that wonderful state of bliss?

Answer: The state, that is free from contact of sorrow and the affinity for the world, should be known as Yoga. Such Yoga is attained with determination of an unwearied mind. (Gita

6-23)

Two types of meditation

In ShivaPurana (Lingan Purana and Vayu Porana), Shivji gave discourses on Ashtanga Yoga (8 phases of Yoga) to Mata Parvati. The seventh phase of Ashtanga Yoga is described as Dhyana or meditation. For a true seeker, it is vital to understand the importance of meditation in order to progress to the higher stages of spiritual experiences. The spiritual knowledge and practices of a true seeker should be deep rooted in experiences during meditation.

The scientists of the yore, our Rishis and Yogis, categorized meditation broadly into two categories. One is the concentrative meditation where the emphasis is given to fixing the attention or concentration. And the second is contemplative meditation which involves analytical investigation. A true seeker is skilled with both of these types of meditations. Meditation is an art that can be learned with determination and can be mastered by persistence. So, practice is the key, like learning any other art. Just like with any other art, the importance of an experienced teacher cannot be undermined. When it comes to all the phases of Ashtanga Yoga, guided practice is very helpful for the beginners.

The art of Ashtanga Yoga

"Ashtanga Yoga" are the eight phases of Yoga that can help a soul to realize the Supreme Soul, a being to realize the oneness with the Supreme Being, a consciousness to realize being the part of the Supreme Consciousness. According to the ancient texts, these eight phases of Yoga were first explained by Lord Shiva during his discourses to Mata Parvati.  After Vedic period, around 400 BC, a great sage Maharishi Patanjali explained Ashtanga Yoga in detail in Patanjali Yoga Sutras.

When a seeker begins his seeking under the guidance of a Self realized Guru, the seeker is expected to follow the logical path, that are the eight steps of Ashtanga Yoga.

Yamas

The first phase of Yoga involves moral code of conduct that helps the seeker in controlling inner and outer senses. This helps in becoming free of any kind of lust and desire. The five Yamas are: 

Ahiṃsā (अहिंसा): Nonviolence, non-harming other living beings
Satya (सत्य): truthfulness
Asteya (अस्तेय): non-stealing
Brahmacārya (ब्रह्मचर्य): celibacy
Aparigraha (अपरिग्रहः): non-avarice, non-possessiveness

The superior most path of Self realization

A group of pious villagers often used to gather in the evenings for divine discussions on the subject of life and God. On one of such lovely evenings, when they gathered under the huge Pipal tree, one of the villagers began the discussion by saying, “Friends, we are fortunate to have so many holy men and saints in our village during past few years. But I often wonder, they all tell us about various paths to the realization of Truth. But which path would be the most superior one?”

Another villager tried to answer, “In my opinion, with the help of the path of Yoga and meditation, many Yogis have attained the higher state of existence in the Himalayas and elsewhere. So, the path of Yoga and meditation should be followed by the true seekers.”

Life is much more than a race

Just imagine, you are driving on a highway on your new car. You are in high spirits, enjoying the comforts of soft cushioned seats, listening to your favorite music, appreciating awesome scenery on both sides of highway and thanking the almighty for all his blessings. Life is beautiful, you are enjoying the journey and you have covered more than half a distance.

Suddenly, you saw a Mercedes zooming ahead of you at high speed. Not only one, but many others are getting ahead of you. You assumed that it’s a race and you have to get ahead of these guys. Now, you stared peddling at full speed as per the capacity of your car. Under pressure, you started ignoring the rules of the road as all of your attention is to get ahead in the race. Not only that even if your car is getting minor dents on the way, you are ignoring that. You are no more appreciating the scenery. Instead all of your focus is now on winning the race. Same journey that you were enjoying before has become a tiring endeavor.  

The science of Pranayama

Prana refers to the subtle vital life force that is the link between the physical body and the mind. This vital energy makes us breath and keeps us alive. Pranayama is a Yogic discipline of breathing exercises developed by the ancient sages of India thousands of years ago. 

Prana flows through thousands of subtle energy channels called ‘nadis’ and energy centers called ‘chakras’. The quantity and quality of prana and the way it flows through the nadis and chakras determines one’s state of physical and mental health. If the Prana is well regulated and its flow is spontaneous, smooth and steady, the mind remains calm, positive and enthusiastic. Many ailments are attributed to the blockages in the prana flow throughout the body as per ancient science of Ayurveda. 

Pranayama is the fourth 'limb' of the eight limbs of Ashtanga Yoga as per Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. Regular practice increases and enhances the quantity and quality of prana, clears blocked nadis and chakras, and results in the practitioner feeling energetic, enthusiastic and positive. Regular practice of prananyama techniques brings harmony between the body, mind and spirit, making one physically, mentally and spiritually strong.  A seeker practices Pranayama before sitting in meditation because such breathing exercises helps in calming the mind and prepares it for meditation. 

Gratitude brings you peace and inner happiness

Happy moments? ... Praise God.

Difficult moments? ... Worship God.

Painful moments? ... Trust God.Quiet moments? ... Seek God.

Every moment? ... Thank God.

Most of the people resort to the Supreme power during the difficult moments of life. But how many of us praise God during happy moments? The remembrance of God at all the times and the sincere heartfelt gratitude towards God brings you long lasting peace, equanimity and inner fulfillment.

Quotes on mysticism

Mysticism is the pursuit of communion (or Yog) with, identification with, or conscious awareness of an ultimate Reality, Divinity, spiritual Truth, or God through direct experience, intuition, instinct or insight. When the seeker realizes the union with the Supreme Truth, he or she becomes a mystic - full of divine peace and spiritual blissfulness. Mysticism is the path only for those seekers who have the boldness, strength and intelligence to look beyond the rigid constraints of traditional religious institutions. 

Recently, I came across a few interested quotes about mysticism which I want to quote here.

The finest emotion of which we are capable is the mystic emotion. Herein lies the germ of all art and all true science. ~ Albert Einstein

I said before, the most beautiful and most profound religious emotion that we can experience is the sensation of the mystical. And this mysticality is the power of all true science. ~ Albert Einstein

When you study natural science and the miracles of creation, if you don't turn into a mystic you are not a natural scientist. ~ Albert Hofmann

Mysticism and materialism

A seeker went to a Saint and asked humbly, “Dear Sir, it is commonly believed that for pursuing spiritual path, one has to give up material pursuits. Most of the sadhus and holy men even give up their household to pursue mysticism. Can’t both coexist – mysticism and materialism?”

The compassionate Saint looked at the seeker and with a gentle smile and chanted a shloka,

“Shuka Tyagi, Krishna bhogi, Janak Raghav Narendra, 

Vashistha Karmanishtsya, Sarvesham  Gyaninaam samana bhokta   II”

Shukadev was a renunciate, Krishna relisher, Janak Kingly,

Vashistha action oriented, all Self realized ones equally enjoys  II

The Saint continued, “Son, materialism and mysticism are independent of each other. Materialism is in respect to the outer world, whereas mysticism is all about the inner world. Sure, both can coexist, but only with the help of spiritually elevated and purified intellect. One doesn’t have to give up the material world for achieving the goal of supreme blissfulness of the inner world. Kabir, Guru Nanak, Sant Ravidas and many Saints realized the goal of life while leading a married household life. Even I haven’t given up my worldly pursuit while pursing my spiritual goals.”

Your true essence is Ram

A young IAS officer came to know about the arrival of a Brahmnishta Saint in the town. Under the influence of his saatvic (virtuous) sanskaars, he went to meet the Saint. The Saint was sitting in a room with about a dozen devotees and talking about the significance of reciting the holy name (Naam japa).

At the end of the discussion, the Saint told the devotees to clarify their doubts and ask questions. The Officer asked, “Dear Sir, please tell us an easy and practical method of realizing our Aatman and the God.”

With a smile of his face, the Saint said, “Son, reciting the holy name of God while contemplating upon his essence is the easiest and practical way to realize the true Self. Recite Ram... Ram … Ram every day and fill your heart with the love and devotion for that holy name.”

“Sir, we already know that. Please tell us something new.”

“Oh you donkey, don’t just keep on asking questions for the sake of asking.”

There was a complete silence in the room. Even the Saint closed his eyes in silence. With a heavy heart, the Officer stood up and left the scene.”