Keeping it Simple yet Profound

I have purchased a set of Amar Chitra Katha and Ramakrishna Mission's Children's stories for my 5.5 yr old son. One of the books is about Adi Sankara.

I was narrating the story of Sankara meeting the Chandala(providing the story at the end of the post). The chandala asks Sankara "Is there a difference between the moon reflected in the Ganges and dirty waters". Now I asked my son "We see the reflection of the moon in the water. Suppose if I throw dirt in the water, will it dirty the moon?". My son's immediate reply was " No! The moon is up in the sky and the dirt would make no difference".

I am sure any child would give the same answer(try it and please let me know). Such is the power of metaphors and similes used in Indian Philosophical textsThe snake-rope illusion is a classic example. Though in almost all works it has been mentioned that the "Truth" cannot be put in words, tremendous amount of effort has gone in making it available to the common man. The highest truths have been broken down into small comparisons and stories for each one of us to be able to relate to it and thereby realize.

Now the story for you,
Adi Sankara was traveling in the city of Varanasi. After taking a bath, he was walking with his disciples. A Chandala appeared before him. Adi Sankara said "Move Away!" disgusted by his dirty looks. The Chandala asks Sankara a number of baffling questions, the answers to which Adi Sankara has compiled in the "Maneesha Panchakam". Adi Sankara realizing that its the same Divine Brahman in each of us and fell at the feet of the the Chandala. The Chandala was none other than Lord Shiva.
Many of Sankara's works have been composed in Varanasi. The Bhajagovindam is one such work.