In
the Joy of Others |
The night was dark. Everything was still. Suddenly. Tap-Tap-Tap. Thump. Thump. Thump.... BANG! BANG! BANG! The sound of angry fists hammering on an open door disturbed the peaceful night. "Wake up! Are you deaf?!" A rude shout woke up two sadhus from their sleep. The 100 th anniversary of Shastriji Maharaj was being celebrated. Pramukh Swami was in charge of managing the entire event. For many months, he had worked day and night preparing for the celebration - and tomorrow was the big day. All day long he had been running around making the final arrangements. Finally, at two in the morning, a very tired Pramukh Swami and his fellow sadhu went to sleep. At 2:30 a.m., a devotee came into the room and rudely woke up the sadhus. He angrily scolded Pramukh Swami, "There are no blankets or mattresses left for the devotees. Where do you expect me to sleep! If you can't manage an event properly, why did you tell everyone to come!" During such a big festival when thousands of devotees had arrived - what could he expect at such a time? And at 2:30 a.m., to wake up the president of the entire organization and yell at him - just because he didn't get a blanket! Anyone would be upset with this devotee's lack of courtesy. What would you do at a time like this? What do you think Pramukh Swami did? Pramukh Swami did not yell back. He was not rude. He did not give any excuses or explanations about why he didn't get a blanket. He did not blame anyone else. Pramukh Swami did not care about doing those things. He cared only about the devotees and solving their problems. Yet, where was he going to get extra blankets and mattresses at 2:30 in the morning? In such a situation we might get worried, but Pramukh Swami did not. He knew that nothing can come in the way of someone who truly wants to help others. So, while the angry devotee yelled at him, Pramukh Swami calmly and politely listened to his complaints. Then, Pramukh Swami simply turned around, picked up his own mattress and blanket and lovingly gave it to the devotee. Sharing is about giving something evenly to two people. But Swami Bapa went one step higher. He happily gave away his own bedding to the angry devotee without a second thought about where he would sleep that night. In the middle of the night, faced with a very rude and thoughtless person, Swami Bapa showed us not the value of sharing, but the value of caring - "In the joy of others, lies our own." |
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