Reminiscences

LET US NOT FORGET THAT JUST AS GOD IS KIND HE IS  JUST TOO

There was a person who used to accept bribes. He was suspended from service on a charge of having taken a bribe in one case. He had not taken a bribe in that par­ticular case, as a matter of fact. He met ShriMaharaj and said,’The charge of my having taken a bribe in this case is not at all true. If I am penalized in this case, then I will shout out in public that there is no justice at God's door, that religious practices and the Nama of Rama are a hoax, ShriMaharaj said, "When the Diwali festival approaches, the womenfolk of the house start preparing different deli­cacies. One 'samples' them as they are prepared. One also takes the usual meals. Later, when Diwali actually ar­rives, one eats the snacks to one's content. After the four days of Diwali have thus passed, one gets indigestion. Then, on the fifth day, one eats a light meal of rice and buttermilk. But the accumulated indigestion continues, worsens, and one begins to vomit and gets diarrhea. Then one starts telling people, 'God alone knows why I am suf­fering so, although I only ate rice and buttermilk yester­day.' Will such a plea be justified? Swear by God that your conduct till today has been blameless; then I assure you not one hair of yours will be harmed. Are you pre­pared to do this? If not, then why do you merely blame God? " Having said this much, ShriMaharaj added, 'God is surely kind, but let us not forget that He is also strictly just.'