It happened: One German scholar came to India to see a certain old sage. His name was very famous, because he knew the RIG VEDA just by the memory. He had memorised the whole RIG VEDA; that was his fame. I don’t think he was a sage; he was just a great scholar, with a very good memory. You can call him a good computer, but not a sage.
And this German scholar came to discuss something, and he told him a few sutras from the RIG VEDA: ‘I would like you to discuss these with me.’
The old man said, ‘Never heard of it before’ – because the German scholar had not said that these were from the RIG VEDA.
The old man said, ‘Never heard it before.’
The German was surprised. He said, ‘I have heard that you know the whole RIG VEDA, and you say you have never heard this before?’
He said, ‘I cannot remember pieces. I remember the whole text, from the beginning to the end. I can repeat it whole, but if you bring two sentences, then I don’t know.’
It happens many times: you can repeat the whole thing more easily – because no consciousness is involved in it; it is just a mechanical repetition, just replaying a tape-recording. It is like a gramophone. If something is asked, you cannot even remember that you know about it, because it is out of context. You remember only in the context of the whole. You can do a ritual: you can go every day to the mosque and do NAMAJ, the yoga of Islam; or you can do a Hindu ritual, or any other ritual; or you can invent your own ritual, and you can do it every day, and you can do it religiously, and it will become part of your habit. And it is not going to enhance your being at all.
Kabir says: Be spontaneous. If you are sitting silently and a prayer arises, say it – and there is no need to repeat any formal prayer. Say whatsoever you feel like saying.
The Path of Love
Love Is The Master Key
