Sri Ramakrishna Says One Who Is An Acharya Should Give Up 'woman And Gold'

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A PHYSICIAN prescribed medicine for a patient and said to him, " Come another day and I'll give you directions about diet, " The physician had several jars of molasses in his room that day. The patient lived very far away. He visited the physician later and the physician said to him, " Be careful about your food.

It is not good for you to eat molasses. " After the patient left, another person who was there said to the physician, " Why did you give him all the trouble of coming here again? You could very well have given him the instructions the first day. "  

The physician replied with a smile: " There is a reason. I had several jars of molasses in my room that day. If I had asked the patient then to give up molasses, he would not have had faith in my words. He would have thought; 'He has so many jars of molasses in his room, he must eat some of it. Then molasses can't be so bad.' Today I have hidden the jars. Now he will have faith in my words. "

Renunciation of the world is needful for those whom God wants to be teachers of men. One who is an acharya should give up 'woman and gold';otherwise people will not take his advice. 

It is not enough for him to renounce only mentally; he should also renounce outwardly. Only then will his teaching bear fruit. Otherwise people will think,

" Though he asks us to give up 'woman and gold',he enjoys them himself in secret. "

Source: Tales and Parables of Sri Ramakrishna

-- Om Namo Bhagavate Sri Ramanaya

Prasanth JalasutramLove And Love Alone