As one goes forward on the spiritual path, it is recognised that one’s relationship with the Divine must go through changes. In the beginning, perhaps, one bows before God in humble worship, but in time one may discover one is in a sacred love affair, in which one longs constantly for a meeting with one’s Beloved. Still further on the way, one may find that the Divine is indeed One, that there is only One Being appearing in all names and forms. That is the case in the following short anecdote.

One day a very spiritual man was walking in the street in the company of a student, and it happened that he was knocked down by someone hurrying past.

The saint fell heavily, and seemed dazed by the blow. Naturally, the student was very concerned for hm. Bending over him, he asked his teacher, “Master, do you know who I am?”

“Yes,” said the saint, “you are the One who gave me the blow.”