I would like to tell a story from
an Indian classic. It goes like this…..
There was a hermit in India. He
was very pious and he always adored God in different way. He never hurt any one
by deed, word or by mind. He always worshiped and roamed along villages. Seeing
his faith and righteousness all villagers used to provide everything what he
wanted. But as he had been very righteous, he would not accept anything more
than what he needed for his existence. God had also been very happy seeing his
pious and faith. Gradually people began
to respect him like anything. He understood that he was the biggest
spiritual man in the world. He began to contemplate this thought in his mind. One
day he decided to ask God to know whether he was his best devotee. He met God
in a vision and asked his doubt. God answered with a smile “My best devotee is
there living at the gate of one particular village.” Hearing this he wondered
and decided to meet that devotee. He started to that village gate and reached
the specific house God mentioned.
It was a farmer’s house. He inquired about the
man of the house. The lady answered that he had gone to farm to plough the
field. Hermit waited there till the farmer returned. In the evening the farmer
came back with his bullocks, tied them in their stable and entered home. He
prayed, “Thanks God you provided a good day, protected us.” Then he turned to
the guest who was waiting him. The guest, the hermit, asked about his way of
worship, the things he did every day and the spiritual knowledge he posses and
all. He had nothing in his hand as answers for hermit’s question to satisfy him.
He answered that God was there who provided him everyday; he worked up to his
capacity; no scriptures or spiritual routines he knows; he prayed twice in a
day, immediately after got up and after returned home. Having heard this hermit
surprised. He returned and met God again and asked what had the farmer been
doing so specific to please God so much. Only twice he remembered God in a day,
nothing else. God smiled and gave him an assignment to round that village with
a pot full of oil on his head. One condition was there, not to spill even a drop
of oil from the pot. He went around the village with pot full of oil on his
head with utmost care and came back to God. God smiled again, hermit couldn’t
understand. God asked the hermit how many time he remembered him while he was
going round the village. Not even a single time, he concentrated on the pot in order
to balance it in such a way that no drop of oil would spill out.
Hermit could understand the
fault, but he argued that the farmer was living for himself and for his family.
But he was solely living for God that were the substantial difference. God answered that were the substantial difference. God continued, that farmer’s devotion was
for the sake of the devotion towards him, but hermit’s devotion gradually
became for the sake of becoming the 'best' spiritual man(to compare with others), so the thought came that he
was the best, none else . But in the case of farmer he didn’t even thought
about a comparison to make, because his sole purpose was to please him, to
worship him with his capacity.
Then hermit was advised not to compare
with others’ spiritual grade, comparing with others’ spirituality was not
coming under the devotion, worship or spirituality.
Look in to Bible there is a good
example , Luke 18: 10-14
11 The
Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed1 thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like
other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.
13 But the tax
collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but
beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’
14 I tell you,
this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone
who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be
exalted.”
Personal growth is not possible
comparing or pointing to others qualities. They have their own we have our own.
Concentrate to what we have. Whenever we begin to think the other person is not
so………….. Or I am the better …….., there the paralysis begins, not the growth. What we
need is, finding out the short comings we face in our life, means what we or I
don’t have, that is the way to prosperity. Not ostentatious performance.
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