A Millionaire & 3 Beggars

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Posted by: " SHABBIR KAGALWALA " kagalwalashabbir

Sun Aug 3, 2008 6:09 pm (PDT)

 

A Millionaire & 3 Beggars

 

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 Lord! 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 Lord! 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, Maharaj, " 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 Lord, 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 Lord, " 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.

 

God is like this good millionaire. Three classes of people approach

Him, 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 Sage.