Once upon a time, there was a cowherd boy who used to take his entire cattle for grazing every day. He was a young boy with a lot of energy and a devotional heart. Whilst his cattle used to graze, he had free time which he made use of by talking to his best friend, God, whom he lovingly called Abba. He used to talk to Abba for long hours while maintaining a corner eye on his cattle too.
One fine day, a Brahmin priest was passing by from there where he saw the young boy, talking to someone in great ecstasy seeing which he was surprised. He asked the young boy in amazement that whom are you talking to… So, the boys said that I am talking to my Abba, the Supreme Soul, God!! Hearing this, the face of the priest immediately changed and he began making nasty remarks on the young boy…He started to scold the boy that you are not fit for worship, connecting to God in this way is an absolute violation of Vedic dharma and you have sinned by not following the rules.
The young boy got so nervous and filled with fear that he apologized and asked for forgiveness. The priest then taught him a mantra and asked him to repeat it again and again as an apt method to connect with God. Two-three days later, God taking the form of Lord Vishnu appeared in the dreams of the priest and started talking to him. God says that oh Priest, what did you do, you actually moved a real devotee far away from me by binding him into unnecessary rituals which he couldn’t even understand. The young boy who used to dance and talk to me in sheer joy see, he feels bored, hardly can pronounce the mantra, and lost interest in devotion. Your basic role in society is to guide people towards me and not to make them move away from me.
Hearing this the Brahmin realized his error and changed his attitude towards the young boy, freeing him of the guided path and asked him to freely express his devotion. He also realized the value of true love for God and free expression of devotion instead of mechanical techniques which lacks sincerity and love of heart.
Morals: Rituals, mantras and Vedic ways of connecting to God are good and should be taught but with discernment seeing the stage of the devotee. Also, Pure devotion comes from the heart and needs no rules and regulations for expression, it liberates us instead of binding us.
