Parables of Rama
by Swami Rama Tirtha | 102,836 words
Stories in English used by Swami Rama to illustrate the highest teaching of Vedanta. The most difficult and intricate problems of philosophy and abstract truths, which may very well tax the brains of the most intellectual, are thus made not only simple and easy to understand but also brought home to us in a concrete form in such an interesting and ...
Once two men in India were quarrelling. They were Darveshes. One went by the name of Mr. Wood, and the other by the name of Mr. Axe. Mr. Axe was enraged and said to Mr. Wood, *I will slash you to pieces!' and Mr. Wood replied 'But my dear sir, you must have me behind you, otherwise you can do nothing.* You see the handle of the Axe is made of wood, and so it is that Idealism and Realism go hand in hand, they are interdependent.
. . Just so, strike a match on the sand paper and a flame is produced. Now the flame was not in the match, neither was it in the sand-paper, but the coming together of the two produced the flame. Similarly, strike the hands together and there is a sound produced. The sound is neither in the right hand nor in the left, but is the result of the two coming together.
MORAL:—Idealism and Realism are not independent of each other but are interdependent.