Passage 14

Tap any word for its meaning.

In plain words

We must build up this bond.

A small example. Einstein was a great scientist. In his own street a girl was learning mathematics. In this mathematics she would always fail, poor thing. Failing, paying the fee again: she went on suffering in this way. Someone told her, "Child, in your own street there is Einstein, who knows mathematics well; could you not go to him and learn?" and gave her this advice. The girl said, "Oho, I have found some good way," and went to this Einstein's house, poor thing. She stood outside. He was reading the paper on the veranda. He saw her and called, "come on, come on." "Sir, they say you are very skilled in mathematics; I have failed in mathematics many times," and she poured out all her trouble to him, poor thing. "All right," he agreed, at once. "Come at such and such a time and I will give you tuition," he said. She was very happy. She held his hand very tight, poor thing, and shed tears. "No one has ever given me so much courage. That is why I had grown weary of my life," she said. He gave her courage and daring and sent her off. Every day she came to Einstein and took tuition. Einstein taught very well. The girl's mother saw her coming and going in this way. He is a great man. "My child goes to such a man and gives him needless trouble," and she scolded the child a little. One day the girl's mother came to Einstein's house and begged Einstein's forgiveness. "Sir, my child, without knowing it, has been giving you trouble in this way. Please forgive my child," she said, and pleaded. Then Einstein said, "What trouble has she given me?" Must she come to you just to do sums! To put so great a man to such trouble, what is this? Then Einstein said, 'That is quite wrong; I too have learnt so much from this girl,' he said. As much as this girl learnt from me, so much I too have learnt from this girl. This Einstein did not know worldly matters. That girl had a great deal of worldly sense. He saw that General Knowledge and commonsense are most needed. In these great men of learning there are many kinds of great feelings. The thought "What is this, my teaching her sums? I am a big man" was not in him. He was a very great man. "Tell me your company, I shall tell you who you are," Einstein used to say.

We must take up the ideals that are in divinity. Worship is not what matters. God is not only in some one special place. He is everywhere. That is why I often say: you may think of a picture as God and worship it, but not God as a picture. We keep a picture for the sake of an ideal; the picture is not itself God. You yourself are God. The one who sees is oneself, the one who acts is oneself, the one who enjoys is oneself; all is oneself. If we experience resolves like these, we gain great contentment: I am the Veda.