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 ...
Story 173 - Spear with which Jesus was touched
Rama now tells you something about the Christian crusade in which Richard I, King of England had also participated. When the Christians were being defeated in Jerusalem, an old warrior spoke out, "I have seen Gabriel. He told me that just here, where we are fighting, there lies buried the spade with which Lord Jesus was touched. If we could find it out, we are sure to win the battle". On hearing this, all of them began digging the ground, and, after exhaustion of considerable time and energy, they succeeded in digging out an old and rusted spear. Taking that spear to be the one connected with Lord Jesus, they resumed the fight, heart and soul, and won the victory in the end. The old man confessed at the time of his death to the priest that he had concocted the story, concerning the spear, in order to achieve victory in the holy war of Jerusalem. Whatever the case may be, the fact remains that the story worked wonders due to faith alone.
That portion of the story which infused the hearts of men with conviction was „faith‟ and the story itself is 'creed'. The strength of conviction is life.