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 Boss! 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 Boss! 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," 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 Boss, 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 Boss,"
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.
Just like this
story three classes of people approach God, 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 of renunciation, 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 Sag