There was a good-natured millionaire in the town. Three
beggars thought of approaching him for help. The first man went to the
millionaire and said: "O Lord! I want five rupees. Please give me." The
millionaire was taken aback at this man's impudence. "What! You demand
five rupees from me as though I owe you the money! How dare you? How can
I afford to give five rupees to a single beggar? Here, take these two
rupees and get away," he said. The man went away with the two rupees.
The
next beggar went to the millionaire and said: "Oh Lord! I have not
taken a square meal for the past ten days. Please help me."
"How much do you want?" asked the millionaire.
"Whatever you give me, Maharaj," replied the beggar.
"Here, take this ten rupee note. You can have nice food for at least
three days." The beggar walked away with the ten rupee note.
The third beggar came. "Oh Lord, I have heard about your noble
qualities. Therefore, I have come to see you. Men of such charitable
disposition are verily the manifestations of God on earth," he said.
"Please
sit down," said the millionaire. "You appear to be tired. Please take
this food," he said, and offered food to the beggar.
"Now please tell me what I can do for you."
"Oh Lord," replied the beggar; "I merely came to meet such a noble
personage that you are. You have given me this rich food already. What
more need I get from you? You have already shown extraordinary kindness
towards me. May God bless you!"
But the
millionaire, struck by the beggar's spirit, begged of the beggar to
remain with him, built a decent house for him in his own compound, and
looked after him for the rest of his life.
God is like this good millionaire. Three classes of people approach
Him, with three different desires and prayers. There is the greedy man
full of vanity, full of arrogance, full of desires. He demands the
objects of worldly enjoyment from God. Since this man, whatever be his
vile desires, has had the good sense to approach God, He grants him some
part of the desired objects (even these very soon pass away, just as
the two rupees the first beggar got are spent before nightfall).
The other type of devotee prays to the Lord for relief from the
sufferings of the world, but is better than the first one, in as much as
he is ready to abide by His Will. To him the Lord grants full relief
from suffering, and bestows on him much wealth and property.
The third type he merely prays to the Lord: "O Lord, Thou art
Existence-Absolute, Knowledge-Absolute, Bliss-Absolute, etc., etc." What
does he want? Nothing. But the Lord is highly pleased with his spirit
ofrenunciation, of desirelessness and of self-surrender. Therefore, He
makes him eat His own food, i.e., He grants this man Supreme Devotion to
Himself. Over and above this, He makes the devotee to live in His own
House For ever afterwards this devotee dwells in the Lord's Abode as a
Liberated Sage
Pramod Bhalerao
Pramod Bhalerao
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