The Mystery of Faith Series: When a Child Blessed a Poor Woman.
Of Giving, Non-Dualities, and Renunciation.
From my post on the introduction to this series:
One of the most striking aspects of the roots of this land lies in spirituality and faith.
It runs like a river through the vastness of the region, undeterred by any obstacle, barrier, or passage of time, carrying with it tales of magic, belief, faith, unwavering intent, and miracles.
William James, the 19th-century American philosopher and founder of the modern discipline of psychology, is believed to have said,“The greatest discovery of the 19th century is not in the realm of physical science. The greatest discovery was the power of the subconscious touched by faith.”1 He also said, “Belief creates the fact.”
In the third part of this premium series, I retell an ancient tale of a renowned Indian monk that continues to showcase how faith works in this ancient land.
As I have shared in earlier posts, renunciation is an accepted way of life for many who seek a higher truth.
In fact, attaining the Self is considered the ultimate goal1 of human life, with any other pursuits seen as mere illusions that keep a person ensnared in the cycle of birth and rebirth.
Some feel this calling at an early age, while others may experience it later in life.
A rare few are chosen and initiated into monastic life by Gurus—monks themselves—who recognize in them exceptional intelligence, a devotional nature, or a Divine spark.
The stories of ancient and pre-modern India are filled with miraculous tales of such monks and their lives.
One such soul was born to a couple in the southern state of Kerala, in either the 5th or 8th century—though scholars lean towards the latter period.
His father passed away when he was just a child.
From a young age, the boy was drawn to a monastic life.
He sought a Guru who could teach him the deeper secrets of the ancient spiritual texts—the Vedas, Upanishads, and others.
Many stories about him have been orally transmitted through generations, as is the nature of many ancient Indian tales, with the faith of believers carrying these stories across the bridge of logic.2
I showcase in this post, three relevant ones that illustrate the nature of spirituality and faith.
Every day, the Guru3 would send the boy and his other disciples out to seek alms, as was the practice of the time.
On one such trip, the five - or perhaps - eight-year-old boy stood in front of a hut and spoke softly, “Bhiksham Dehee,” in Sanskrit, which translates to “Alms, Give”—a familiar request made to householders by monks.
A while passed, but no one answered his call.
The boy repeated his request, yet there was no reply, though the door was open, and it seemed someone was inside.
Any other child might have left in impatience, but the boy waited calmly, asking again in a slightly louder voice, “Bhiksham Dehee.”
Finally, he heard footsteps, and soon after, a woman, aged prematurely, appeared, breathless.
“Mother, kindly give me alms,” the boy asked, unperturbed.
The woman offered him a single gooseberry.
Surprised and curious, the boy inquired about this unusual offering.
Typically, alms seekers receive raw foods like rice or lentils for cooking meals, or edible fruits like bananas, apples, or pomegranates.
A single gooseberry—bitter and sour—was not a customary gift for a monk.
The woman explained, “Dear child, this is all I have. I fasted yesterday4 and I had saved this to break my fast today. When you called, I was searching for it, and it took me some time to find this lone fruit. I am sorry, but this is all I have in the house to give you. Forgive me!”
Struck by the woman’s poverty and her generosity even in such dire circumstances, the boy immediately burst out in praise of the Goddess of Wealth, the wife of the Preserver-God.
He composed, impromptu, twenty-one stanzas extolling her virtues, strength, courage, victories over evil, and her love for Rama, the Preserver-God’s famous incarnation.
Through his composition, he implored the Goddess to show mercy and compassion toward the poor woman, asking that she bless her and end her poverty.
It is said that the Goddess, moved by his devotion, showered the woman’s home with golden gooseberries.
Thus, the boy revealed his spirituality and compassion for the human soul at a young age.
This composition is one of his many famous devotional works, sung by renowned musicians throughout the ages.
To this day, it is believed that reading or reciting this hymn with devotion cleanses the mind of stress and anxiety, bestowing abundance.
At the age of eight, or shortly after, the boy sought to formally become a monk.
But when he asked for permission from his widowed mother, she refused, fearing to lose her only child.
Despite his many entreaties, she would not let him leave her to embrace the life of a wandering ascetic.
The boy, bound by duty to his mother, could not leave without her consent.
Life continued, with the mother hopeful that her son would soon forget his mad desire.
One day, while both were at a nearby river, the boy waded in deep to complete his morning prayers in the water, 5 while his mother remained on the banks tending to household chores.
Suddenly, the boy screamed—a crocodile had approached stealthily and caught his leg.
Terrified, his mother called for help.
In that moment, the boy again pleaded with his mother, seeking permission to become a monk, suggesting that perhaps his life might be spared or his soul redeemed.
Torn between her fear of losing him to a monastic life and the immediate danger of the crocodile, the mother faced the grim choice of losing him either way.
In distress, and praying for his life, the helpless mother finally assented to his request.
Miraculously, the crocodile released the boy and swam away.
It is believed that this event was a divine intervention to help the mother accept that her son was destined for a greater spiritual life.
The mother wept, and the boy, moved by her tears, promised to return to perform his duties as a son at the end of her life. 6
The boy left to find the right teacher to initiate7 him into asceticism.
He would later be known as ‘Adi Shankara,’8 one of India’s greatest monks.
Another famous story about him goes as follows:
One early morning, the monk was on his way to the river in the ancient town of Benaras,9 for his morning prayers, accompanied by his disciples.
Walking down the narrow lanes of the city of Shiva, he encountered an old man, frail and hunched over, sitting on the verandah of his small home, struggling to learn and reciting aloud, the rules of Sanskrit grammar.
The monk, struck by this scene, spontaneously broke into verse, admonishing the man, saying:
“Think of God, O Foolish Human, For No Rules of Grammar will Save You At the End of Your Life.”
He questioned the foolishness of men in seeking vain goals - even at that age, pursuing material luxuries, and clinging to superficial ties, instead of asking deeper questions of life and meditating on the Universal Truth.
His twelve hard-hitting verses, composed that early morning, exhort people to remember that the real quest of the human soul is to seek the Eternal Truth.
This set was later added to by his disciples and is another famous composition sung by renowned artists, and recited by many on a daily basis.
Adi Shankara lived for only 32 years.
Yet, in his short life, he wrote several expert treatises and commentaries on ancient texts, revered by scholars, composed hundreds of devotional hymns, and established monastic orders that continue to thrive.
He is credited with significantly reducing the influence of Buddhism in India and re-establishing the prominence of the Vedas.
He was the first to expound the philosophy known as ‘Advaita’ in simple terms, asserting that the Absolute or ‘Brahman,’ is real and everything else is illusory.
He is believed to have been an incarnation of Shiva, the Destroyer-God.
Read the other stories in this series:
Hence, the ancient masters write, that the paths for the soul to acquire Wisdom and unite with its true Self, are many: through work (Karma Yoga), through devotion to God (Bhakti Yoga), through discrimination by using the mind (Jnana Yoga), or through meditation (Raja Yoga).
These tales are simply accepted as true, and since then, children have learned them through famous comic books where they are narrated.
There is some confusion from my research as to the role of the Guru. It maybe that the boy sought alms on his own. The rest of the story is believed to be true.
An ancient ritual 24-36 hour fast - known as Ekadashi - observed twice a month even now.
Monks renounce all worldly ties and do not see their families again, or recognize the relation.
Being initiated into monkhood involves receiving a sacred mantra known only to the Guru and disciple and taking a solemn oath before the Guru to observe the strict path of renunciation. Most people do not join a religious order unless they are chosen as successors to one of the established institutions that only have monks as heads.
Adi Shankara is revered as ‘Adi Shankaracharya. In Sanskrit, Adi = foremost; Shankara = name of Shiva; Acharya = teacher.
Present day Varanasi