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SPECIAL FEATURE JUNE 06, 2024 | The Indian Eye 12

HUMILITY IN LIFE

SAVES STRIFE

He who is down, needs fear no fall; He who is low, has no pride.

He who is humble ever shall Have God to be his guide.

hagwan Swaminarayan says in calmness.
his Vachnamrut, “If one remains Once, on entering Anand, Bhag-
Bequipoised in the dualities of wan Swaminarayan was pelted with
honor and insult, between an honorable stones, bricks, cow dung and garbage by
ride over an elephant and a humiliat- the unbelievers.
ing ride on a donkey, and between the The Bhagwan didn’t retaliate nor
charms of a young woman and the de- thought of cursing them. He even
formity of an old hag, between heaps of stopped his angered royal disciples like
gold and of dross, he gains the power to Sura Khachar and Jiva Khachar from
sustain God within him fully and thus fighting the mischiefmongers.
becomes totally possessed by God.” Nishkulanand Swami writes in the
God ordains, be it Good or Bad Bhaktachintamani, “How could a devo-
In a homely parable, Meister Eck- tee even think of acquiring pride when
hart writes: “There was a learned man God is ever humble.”
Once a sadhu struck Shastriji Ma-
who, eight years long, desired that God haraj with a stick so forcefully that it
show him a man who would teach him broke into two. Shastriji Maharaj calmly
the truth. And once, when he felt a very picked up the broken pieces and hand-
great longing, a voice from God came ed them back to the sadhu.
to him and said, “Go to the church, and Once Yogiji Maharaj was engrossed
there shalt thou find a man who shalt in his morning puja. A person put a ba-
show thee the way to blessedness.” And “You wished that God make pray unto God, “Even if you cast us nana skin on Yogiji Maharaj’s head.
he went and found a poor man whose me happy. I was never unhap- into hell, do remain with us so that Swami picked up the skin and put it
feet were torn and covered with dust py; for my only desire is to live in we can do your devotion.” aside without showing the slightest trace
and dirt, and all his clothes were hardly God’s will, and I have so entirely Simplicity and utter humility of annoyance.
worth three farthings. And he greeted yielded my will to God’s, that what are the two sovereign helps on the An uncultured man spat on Eknath
him, saying: “May God give you a good God wills, I will.” path of devotion whereas pride while returning from his morning bath.
day.” “But if God should will and hypocrisy are the two great ob- Without a word of reproach, Eknath went
“I never had a bad day,” he answered. to cast you into hell,” said the stacles. to the river Godavari and bathed again.
“God give you good luck.” learned man, “What would you God, Himself, has ever re-
“I have never had ill luck,” do then?” mained modest performing the This act was repeated a hundred and
eight times. Eknath won the man through
the poor man replied. “Cast me into hell? His good- lowest form of ‘seva’ (service) and his humility. The man fell at his feet and
“May you be happy!” ness forbids! But if He did cast me disregarding the insults hurled
“I have never been unhappy.” into hell, I should have two arms upon him. asked for forgiveness. Eknath thanked
“Explain this to me, for I cannot under- to embrace Him. One arm is true Bhagwan Swaminarayan, him saying, “It was very kind of you to
give me a chance to bathe in the sacred
stand it.” humility, that I should lay beneath during his stay at Loj in the ashram
The poor man answered willingly: Him, and be thereby united to of Ramanand Swami, washed the Godavari a hundred and eight times.”
“You wished me a good day. I never had His holy humanity. And with the clothes of the sadhus, brought wa- Finally, let us ponder upon a humble
thought:
a bad day; for if I am hungry, I praise right arm of love, which is united ter from the well, swept the floor, Humility is the seed of character
God; if it freezes, hails, snows, rains if with His holy divinity, I should picked cow dung for fuel, per- fertility. Sow it in your heart in order to
the weather is fair or foul, still I praise so embrace Him that he would formed every kind of ‘seva’ in the keep you in one part. Water the seed to
God; am I wretched and despised, I have to go to hell with me. And I most humble fashion. perform good deeds.
praise God, and so I have never had an would rather be in hell and have Shree Krishna cleaned up Serve the meek and the humble,
evil day. God, then in heaven and not have dishes during the Rajsu Yagna per- and seek the divine preamble. Let
“You wished that God would send God.” formed by the Pandavas.
me luck. But I never had ill luck, for I Then the learned man under- Durvasa humiliated Shree this body bend high and low, for many
births have we struck blows. Be humble
know how to live with God, and I know stood that true abandonment with Krishna by spattering butter on to God and life; make this the closing
that what He does is best; and what God utter humility is the nearest way to his face and treating him and Ruk- chapter to all strife.
gives me or ordains for me, be it good God. mani as horses to pull his chariot.
or ill, I take it cheerfully from God as Krishna, though an incarnation of
the best that can be, and so I have never Simplicity and Humility God, acted like a humble servant Gnanyagnadas Swami
had ill luck. In the Vedas also, the devotees without crossing the barrier of BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha

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