Parables of Sri Ramakrishna - 3

[Guest guest]

Parables of Sri Ramakrishna - 3

Source: holy_trinity (AT) googl (DOT) com

 

In a certain village there lived a very pious weaver. Everyone loved

and trusted him. The weaver used to go to the market to sell his

cloths. If a customer asked the price of a piece of cloth, he would

say: " By the will of Ram a, the yarn costs one rupee; by the will of

Rama, the labour costs four annas; by the will of Rama, the profit

is two annas; by the will of Rama the price of the cloth as it

stands is one rupee and six annas. " People used to have such

confidence in him that they would immediately pay the price and take

the cloth. The man was a true devotee. At night after supper he

would sit for a long time and meditate on God and repeat His

holy 'name.'

 

Once it was late in the night. The weaver hid not yet gone to sleep.

He was sitting alone in the courtyard near the entrance, smoking. A

gang of robbers was passing that way. They wanted a porter and

seeing this man, they dragged him away with them. Then they broke

into a house and stole a great many things, some of which they piled

on the poor weaver's head. At this moment the watchman came. The

robbers at once ran away, but the poor weaver was caught with his

load. He had to spend that night in confinement. Next morning he was

brought before the magistrate. The people of the village, hearing

what had happened, came to see the weaver. They unanimously

declared, " Your Honour, this man is incapable of stealing anything. "

The magistrate then asked the weaver to describe what had occurred.

The weaver said: " Your Honour, by the will of Rama, I was sitting in

the courtyard. By the will of Rama, it was very late in the night.

By the will of Rama, I was meditating upon God and repeating His holy

'name.' By the will of Rama, a band of robbers passed that way. By

the will of Rama, they dragged me away with them. By the will of

Rama, they broke into a house. By the will of Rama, they piled a

load on my head. By the will of Rama, I was caught. Then by the

will of Rama, I was kept in prison and this morning I am brought

before your Honour. " The magistrate, seeing the innocence and

spirituality of the man, ordered him to be acquitted. Coming out,

the weaver said to his friends, " By the will of Rama, I have been

released. " Whether you live in the world or renounce it, everything

depends upon the will of Rama. Throwing your whole responsibility

upon God, do your work in the world.