MASTER'S FAVORITE

agrasen

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[seattleseva] The Master's favorite

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JaiGuruDev Mon, May 24, 2010 at 9:26 AM
To: seattleseva@yahoogroups.com








The Master’s favorite

Sri Sri: Once upon a time, there lived a great sage named Angirasa in a forest. He had many disciples. All of them were considerably benefited by his wisdom. However, there were some pious souls, who learned everything faster than others, and followed his words more closely. They also received respect from other disciples for their pious nature.

But, some of the disciples who were dull-witted, developed jealousy towards those pious ones, forgetting the fact, that they alone were at fault for their slow rate of absorption of the master's teachings. Instead, they began doubting the master's impartiality. They felt that the master was imparting special knowledge to the pious ones secretly.

So, one day, when the master was alone, they went to him and said, "Oh, master! We feel that you are being unfair to us. We think that you are giving the full benefit of your wisdom only to a few chosen ones. Why can't you extend similar privileges to us also?"

The master was slightly taken aback by these words, but he calmly replied: "I have treated all of you alike and have never shown any special favours to anyone. If some of you progress fast, it is only due to your own feelings of closeness to my words. Who prevented you from taking more initiative?"

But the disciples were not convinced. Hence after some thought, the master said: "Alright, I will give those of you, who complain, the special attention you want, but on one condition. I will give you a small and simple test, and you must pass it. The test is that you should go to the nearby village, which you often visit, and bring me one good fellow. That's all."

The grumbling ones were overjoyed at the fact that the test was so simple, while its reward would be so immense. They selected one of them, who immediately started his search with much enthusiasm, feeling very sure of catching a good fellow. But to his misfortune, wherever he went and whomever he met, everyone seemed to have some sin or crime to his credit. After a long and fruitless search, and being completely disappointed, he returned to his group and to his master. With frustration he said: "Oh master, I am sorry to tell you that there is not a single good person in the whole village. Everyone has committed a bad deed, crime or sin. The entire village is full of bad people. "Oh, is it so?" the master said with mock sorrow. "Now let me see. We will send one of those, against whom you have a grouse."

He then called one of the pious ones and said, "Can you please go to the nearby village, visited by the other disciple, and bring with you a bad fellow". "With your blessings, I will try, sir," said the pious one and went away on his errand.

The grumbling disciples were again taken by surprise and said, "Oh master! This time also you have been unfair to us! The other fellow will certainly bring dozens of bad fellows, as the village overflows with them!"

However, the master counseled patience, and after due time, the pious one also returned empty-handed, to the shock of the grumbling ones. He made obeisance to the master and said, "Oh, master! I am sorry to disappoint you. I searched the entire village, but could not find a single bad fellow".

The grumbling ones rolled with laughter at this remark, but he continued, "Everyone seemed to have done one good thing or another. I could not get even a single person, who did not do any good deed. Pardon me for my failure. " So saying, he left the place with the permission of the master. To the shocked and surprised grumbling disciples, the master said, "My dear devotees! This is where discretion moves between good and evil, right and wrong, positive and negative. Your wisdom blossoms, when you find a spark of virtue in everything, and it withers away, when you spot a vice in everything. The world is a mixture of joy and grief, and your wisdom depends on what you choose to take out of it. People, who adopt a positive attitude in life, progress fast. But those, who adopt a negative attitude, can only proceed slowly, if at all. For the master, everyone is dear and near; it is only the disciple's fault, if he feels far from him. The more you feel one with me the greater is your evolution. Let all your actions conform to this basic understanding."

This story reveals, how one should face life and its problems. It also shows, how total surrender to a master helps a person to overcome the problems of life more easily.

Jai GuruDev