Once there was a priest who was very well learned, very smart. He knew all the scriptures and all the stories. He was a very spiritual and inspiring man and he would travel around to the different communities and teach people.
In one village he went to, he was given a tour of the lake. In the middle of the lake, there was an island. On that island there lived one man. The man was very simple minded and many considered him to be a fool. As the priest came to the water of the lake, he heard the man singing bhajans, scriptures, "Bajh ghovindhan, bhuj govhindim moodaamate, lalalaaa.... lala..." But the fools pronunciation was TERRIBLE! He obviously didn't know much.
The priest listened for a minute and thought to himself, "Oh my god, my ears, they are hurting! He is make so many mistakes!! I HAVE to help this man!" So the priest in his compassion, got in a boat and went over to that small island to teach the man. He told the man, "Namaste ji, I have come to extend my service to teach you." The man said, "It is an honor above honors sir! Please, please let me serve you food and water!"
The priest spent three whole days teaching the man. He taught him how to say the scriptures, he taught him how to pronounce things properly, he told him many stories of truth and spirituality. He said, "Now I will tell you the story of The Thief and Kali." The man replied, "YAY!!! I LOVE STORIES!!"
After three days the foolish man on the island was happy to have learned so much, "Thank you, thank you, thank you good sir! Uncle ji, God bless you, I love you!" The priest got in his boat and left that island. As he was rowing the boat......
.... THE FOOL RAN ON TOP OF THE WATER!
He ran over to the priest in the boat and said to the priest, "Uncle, sir, pandit ji! I forgot one thing! How do I pronounce that one line again???" The priest was still shocked that the man had walked on water but he managed to reply, "Umm... it...it is pronounced...." After the priest corrected him the fool said, "OH THAT'S RIGHT!!! Hahaha yay!" And he ran back to the island on top of the water.
The priest was very humbled. He had so much knowledge, but this beautiful man on the island.... had more than that. Not only did he have spiritual powers, the man on the island had such sweet devotion. The priest thought, "He is not a fool at all. I am a fool compared to such a sincere devotee as that man..."
The Guru says,
"ਤਤੁ ਪਛਾਣੈ ਸੋ ਪੰਡਿਤੁ ਹੋਈ ॥
By recognizing reality, one becomes a true priest."
(ang 128)