Shankaracharya meets the SCULPTOR

The Fallen Gladiator:  I entered the rung with my shiny armor brandishing my steel. The day however, saw me crushed to my defeat again and again. I feel sad when this happens. Why am I not enough for God to give me what is rightfully mine, a victory commensurate with the efforts I take? My heart aches ...


The Hermit: Well two things ...
1. If you aren't good enough for God attention, how do you think you had the opportunity to get crushed again and again?
2. You don't need to be pleasing anyone. You are just perfect the way you are.

The Fallen Gladiator: But this does not befit the Great Maker. The creation He has forged with His hands must align with the grand design, must it not? And the grand design needs to make sense to the little pawns even is it not? Thus far.. I haven't the foggiest ....
[well the equivalent of ... Not cool. Whatever God's plan, it sucks. Big time ..]

The Hermit: I know. you haven't.. And believe me, after all these years, neither have I... and this is the only thing I do!!
You aren't alone on that quest, my fine knight. And . Just stay with me on this one please, may be the flurry of questions in your head will all be allayed once you hear this story, I heard in the morning from a wandering monk. At the time, I had no idea how that story was even vaguely applicable to me until now!!!

The Fallen Gladiator: These shoulders are worn tired from the weight of defeat. But I will do my best to listen ardently... Pray, proceed!

The Hermit: Splendid !! We better sit down.. [Clearing his throat] ..

In the far lands of Anga, there is this sculptor by the name of Pragatiya, who makes the most lovely figurines of krishna and while he is at it, keeps chanting his name through and through. He lives with his good friend Chandana in the outskirts of the kingdom.

When Adi Shankaracharya goes to his town, Pragatiya is thrilled at his good fortune of meeting the great soul. But it was not meant to be! Shankaracharya meets everyone in the town but doesnt get to meet the sculptor.

Chandana, knows how important the meeting was to Pragatiya and goes to meet him, and ask him how the meeting was. Pragatiya says he didnt get to meet the Acharya afer all.

Initially Chandana feels sorry for Pragatiya , but to Chandana's surprise, Pragatiya  goes right back to making the figurines again with his usual gusto. A puzzled Chandana asks Pragatiya about the secret to his undying enthusiasm and how he was able to take the rejection so easily.

Pragatiya's reply forms the basis of one of Shankaracharya's greatest opus on vedanta called the viveka chudamani.

Pragatiya says
      ''Failure is a point of view of he who was a part of the event and often because of this, it causes pain suffering and delusion. Much like the stone block that becomes the sculpture... During the entire process, the stone undergoes tremendous pain apparently. and when the sculpture is done and made, it  looks so beautiful that the world thinks that, what remains as the sculpture is the most important part of the transformation.

      But that's not true, the stone pieces that fell off also contributed to the success of the sculpture. Their absence in the end product is their success.

      So the pieces that fell off are also successful, and so are the pieces that remained on to become the sculpture .. and long before the stone block became the sculpture, the sculptor is able to tell them apart... granularly.

      The sculptor, then takes on a great ordeal of a task to separate them to their individual successes. And all this anyway happening, and all the stone has to do is to hold on and be patient... and realize the true definition of success. All the fallen pieces of stone need to realize is that the success of their existence was just to fall off.

     Those pieces are perfect the way they are.. they didn't need to change, didn't need to move. They only need to hold on and trust the sculptor... and fall off so what remains is beautiful... Just as beautiful as the absence of the fallen pieces, and their silent sacrifice.''

[The Hermit at this point, adjusts his robe, symbolically indicating the end of the story and continues ... ]
People have always asked me how I can justify the saying " God ensures all endings are happy. If its not happy, its not the ending" AND the story of Pragatiya really shows the way...

[At this point, The fatigued expression on the gladiator's face irons out into a weak but sparkling smile. And powered by an invisible ray of hope, the Gladiator stand back up dusting himself. He picks up his cracked shield and worn steel and starts walking away]

[Laboring under that sinking feeling, that the ceremonious grand finale he was building his story up towards, would not materialize after all, the Hermit exclaims after the leaving Gladiator]
Hermit: Hey... I am not done yet.. where do you think you are going? Dont you want to know why the title reads Shankaracharya MEETS the sculptor ... when the story up until now reads that he did not? 

The Fallen Gladiator: I see it ... It doesn't matter, I got work to do Hermit, Cant lie around all day having deep philosphical reflective thoughts, I have an axe to grind. I need to make another fellow gladiator find purpose and direction... lead him to his success, you know!