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would be mere attachment. Pundalik was not caught up in any such
attachment to a form. He thought to himself: "This form that
God has taken when he stands before me, is God only this? Was
creation a corpse before He appeared in this form?" He said to
God, "Lord, you have come yourself to bless me with this
vision. This I understand. But I believe in the doctrine of 'AND
ALSO'. I cannot accept that you alone are God. To me, you are God,
AND my parents too are God.
Since I am engaged in their service,
I am unable to give you my attention. Please forgive me." So he
pushed towards the Lord a brick for him to stand on, and became
absorbed again in his service to his parents. Tukaram has taken up
this occasion and with great enthusiasm and wonder.
"What mad love is this, that kept
Vitthal waiting.
What brave folly to push a brick for Him to stand on!"
18. This doctrine of
"AND" which Pundalik applied is part of the technique used
for renunciation of fruit. If the absorption in work (karma-samadhi)
of the man who has renounced the fruit of action is deep, his
outlook on life (vritti) is broad, inclusive and balanced.
For this reason, he never falls into the tangle of conflicting
philosophies, nor does he let go his own principle. He does not
raise controversies like those the Gita talks of "Naanyada-stiiti
vaadinah" - "Those who say that nothing else is,"
and "Only this exists - there is no other." On the other
hand, his humble but firm attitude is "This is true, AND that
too is true. But for me, this is true."
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