Srila Gurudeva once went to Hauli, Assam, where there was a huge gathering. Followers of all religions were welcome and so it was that half of the participants were Muslim and half were Hindus. As usual, Srila Gurudeva asked the audience to save its questions for the end. Here again, however, a maulvi interrupted to ask, “Svamiji, have you seen the atma and Paramatma, the soul and the Supersoul? Can anybody say he has seen them? I think no one has ever seen the atma and Paramatma and that you are deceiving the world by speaking of them.”

Both the organisers of the meeting and the people in the audience were displeased with this challenger, but Srila Gurudeva answered him respectfully. He said, “You are obviously a learned person. May I ask you a question? What is the name of the book you are holding?” The man stated the name of the book. Srila Gurudeva replied, “I cannot see it. I cannot see the name of the book. You are deceiving me.” Others came there and looked at the book’s cover and confirmed the first man’s statement. “Svamiji, this man has told you the correct name of this book.”

Srila Gurudeva replied, “I have my eyes and my eyesight is good. Yet I do not see what you say you do. You are collectively deceiving me. To me, it looks as though a crow stepped in ink and then walked on paper to make all those marks. I see nothing but crow’s footprints.”

Hearing this, the maulvi was enraged, “Svamiji, do you not know Urdu?”

“No, I do not.”

The maulvi replied, “Then how can you expect to understand? You have to go through the alphabet and then you will be able to read it and understand. You have to earn the ability!”

Then Srila Gurudeva said, “You have given the answer to your own question. Even if someone knows many languages, he will not be able to understand Urdu unless he has learned it. Even if one has good eyesight, unless he knows Urdu, he will neither be able to recognise what sounds are represented by its script, nor what the meaning of those sounds is. The same thing goes for understanding the atma and the Paramatma. Even if one has great learning and experience in this world, unless he has specifically earned the qualifications to experience the Lord, he will not be able to experience Him.

“There are two kinds of vision, one based on knowledge (veda-dṛk), the other on simple sensual capabilities (mamsa-dṛk). The physical eye can only see physical objects and nothing else. Things which are beyond matter and the senses are self-revelatory and can only be seen with the Lord’s blessings. The truth is revealed in the heart of the surrendered soul.”