The Goddess Resides in everyone

[Guest guest]

It was a sunny morning. You know how cold it is in the Himalayas. In

the very high Mount Kailash, it is colder still. So sunshine is most

welcome there. It is a matter of joy. Ganesh, the darling child of

Parvati and Siva, was feeling bored. He had none to play in the

sunshine. Hewent to the kitchen. Mother Parvati was busy getting the

food ready.

Ganesh hugged her and said, "Mother, may I go and play in the garden?"

 

" All right, my boy," said Parvati, "but don't dirty yourself. And

come back quickly, you have your lessons to do."

 

Even before she had finished the sentence, Ganesh was gone. With a

hop and a leap he was out in the garden. He plucked and smelt fragrant

flower. He chased the multi colored butterflies. He climbed trees and

ate the delicious fruits. He tried to catch the deer, but they were

too fast for him. All this running about tired him. He sat under a

tree. Just then he hear a mewing. It was his pet cat greeting him. He

looked at it fondly. Itwalked up to him gracefully and climbed onto

his lap. It closed its eyes an cozily settled down to a nap.

 

Ganesh felt this was not right. It is bad to sleep in the daytime. He

should not permit it. He roused the cat. It opened its eyes a little

and gave a small mew in protest. Ganesh stood it on its hind legs. He

would literally teach it a lesson; stick in hand he asked pussy to

repeat what he said.

 

But the cat only blinked. It climbed back onto his lap and closed its

eyes again.

 

Ganesh was irritated. His pupil was getting disobedient. He caught

hold of the cat and scratched its face. The cat jumped out of his

grasp and ran away. Ganesh smiled to himself. Cats will be cats. He

roamed about in the garden for a little longer and then returned to

the house.

 

He felt very hungry. He stepped into the kitchen. "Is food ready,

mother?" he cried out. Parvati looked at him smiling and said, "Yes,

Ganesh, go, and wash and come. I shall finish dressing my wounds."

Ganesh was puzzled. Wounds? He looked at his mother more closely. He

got shock. There were many ugly scratches on her lovely face. Ganesh

became angry. "Mother, tell me who has done this to you? I shall tell

Father and get the villain punished"

 

The he got a second shock. Parvati said, "The culprit is none else

then my beloved Ganesh" Ganesh could not make head or tail of what she

was saying. "I hurt my ear mother! Impossible, even in a dream. And

was I not all the while out in the garden? Perhaps some mischievous

boy has taken my guise an done this wicked deed."

 

But Parvati only shook her head. "Ganesh tell me, did you hurt anyone

while playing in the garden?"

 

"No, Mother." Said Ganesh. "I has no companion to play with today."

 

"Then did you play with any per animal and hurt it in any way?" asked

the mother.

 

Ganesh now remembered how he had punished the disobedient cat. But

what ha that to do with the scratches on his mother's face" he

questions her. Parvati smiled and said. "Ganesh, don't you know I am

the Mother of the While Universe?" It is I who live in all creatures.

When therefore ou hurt any creatures you are hurting me."

 

Ganesh saw light. He now understood. He was only one of the children

of the Divine Mother. She loves all her children equally with all.

Bowing own before his mother Ganesh told her, "Mother, from today, I

will not hurt any person or any creatures by thought or deed"

 

The promise Ganesh made, each of us has to make. Then only can we be

really the children of the Divine.

 

Source: Sri Ramakrishna Tells Stories