Reminiscences

Money tainted by Some one else's Wish for it corrupts one's Attitude

One doctor had a hobby of solving crossword puzzles to earn money given in prizes. He once mentioned this to ShriMaharaj. ShriMaharaj expressed disapproval of earn­ing money in this manner. When asked why, ShriMaharaj said, "Let us assume that the prize money for a cross­word puzzle is one hundred rupees, and the fee to be paid by each participant is one rupee. Each one who has paid the fee has his greed clinging to those one hundred ru­pees. All that greed is transmitted to you with the re­maining ninety - nine rupees. How is it possible that the money so tainted by greed will fail to affect your atti­tude? This is why someone who earns money except by dint of his own labour lacks contentment."

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Marathi-July31

Reminiscences

It is foolishness  to say ‘God does not bring good Fortune”

A man had married for the second time after his first wife died. When he met ShriMaharaj the day before Ganeshchaturthi* he said, 'At our home we do not follow the practice of installing annually the idol of Lord Ganesh, as He does not bring us good luck.' ShriMaharaj asked him, 'What makes you feel that He does not bring you good fortune?' He explained that on some earlier oc­casion, the idol of Lord Ganesh was installed and some-

one died soon afterwards. Since then the family had discontinued the practice of installing the idol of Lord Ganesh. Upon this ShriMaharaj said, 'God not being beneficial is an utterly incompatible thing. Saying that God does not bring good fortune is as ridiculous as, or even more so than, saying that one placed one's hand on ice and that it got burnt. Your first wife died. Thereafter you entered into a second marriage without imagining that a wife does not bring good fortune to you. It is foolish to say that God has been angry if someone dies. By all means do install this year the idol of Lord Ganesh in your home so as to  get rid of this belief.'

* Ganesh Chaturihi  : the fourth day of the light half of Bhadrapada, the sixth month in the Hindu calendar. In Maharashtra, and some other parts of India, the day is the beginning of the ten-day Ganesh Festival.

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Marathi-July30

Reminiscences

‘Self-Earned Wealth  too is a result of the Grace of Rama’

A couple was visiting ShriMaharaj. The husband said, 'Maharaj, I am well settled, and I have a very good monthly income.' ShriMaharaj said to him, 'Whatever one obtains is by the will of Rama. We are mere figureheads. No matter how much wealth comes your way, do not cease remembering Rama.' After this he turned to the wife and said, 'Do you wish to ask about anything ?' The woman moved forward and made two or three attempts to speak, but her eyes were filled with tears, and words failed her. Then ShriMaharaj said to her in a reassuring voice, 'Does .your husband beat you ?' On hearing this she began nobbing freely. ShriMaharaj said to the husband, 'Remember, your prosperity is not because of your capa­bilities but because of the luck that appertains to this girl. Remember for all time that she has entered your home as the goddess Lakshmi* herself. If you so much as lay a finger on her hereafter, the wrath of Laxmi will be upon you. And if that happens, all your wealth will go away. Do not come weeping to me when you have reached such a miserable state.' ShriMaharaj said this in a voice of warning. To the lady he said, 'My child, whatever prob­lem existed has been fully taken care of. Now you can continue to practice chanting of Nama and live a happy domestic life.'

Sri Maharaj's Pravachan in Marathi-July29

Reminiscences

One believes that the Food  one eats is of one’s own earning, but in reality even that is the Fruit of God’s Grace.

ShriMaharaj said to one, 'Do partake of Rama's Prasad today before you leave.' He said, 'I cannot do so, for it is an observance of mine not to eat during the four monsoon months food of another person's earning. ShriMaharaj asked him, 'What notion do you carry when you eat at home every day ?' He replied, 'I feel that I am eating food earned by me.' Upon this ShriMaharaj said, "If it is with this notion that you eat at home every day, then it is far better to eat food of another. It is very harmful to have a notion in one's mind that one eats from one's own earn­ings, and that there is no element of the grace of God in it. A Sadhaka must bear the notion that whatever food he consumes every day is only because of His grace and wish. It is for this notion to develop that such observances are to be followed. There is another aim of this obser­vance: if food from a house with evil ways were to be consumed, there is a possibility that it may defile one's mental attitude; this observance is proper in order to avoid such a risk. The food here is owed entirely to Rama's grace, and because of that it is exceedingly holy. Your observance will not be broken if you were to partake of it." The gentleman then partook of prasad before he left.