Upakhyan (Anecdote)
A saint visited a fair along with a few disciples. He saw a few religious men chanting with rosary beads. The saint laughed and moved on. He saw a yogi doing his penance standing on his head and feet up. He laughed and moved on. A few steps ahead he saw a Pundit giving discourse on scriptures to thousands of men. He laughed again and moved on. Then he saw a doctor serving and nursing an injured man. He stood there and tears began to drop from his eyes. On returning to the ashram the disciples asked, "O master, why did you laugh seeing the religious men and cry seeing a doctor?" He replied, "Children, those who understand spirituality to be merely chanting God's names or yoga or hearing stories are wasting time on worthless deeds, so I laughed. The doctor alone has understood that true spirituality and religion is service to society. I cried because I do not know when would men ever understand this simple fact?"
Hrudaysparshi Katha [Story, that touches our heart]
Upagupt's Donation of Self
Acharya Shanawas was a very respected spiritual master. His entire life was spent seeking the eternal truth. He was terminally ill now and was on his death bed. He had led a grand life of an ascetic. In the last hours of his mortal journey however, clear expressions of worry were being cast on his face. Upagupt, his most worthy disciple, could sense his guru's distress but could not understand the reason behind the same. He wondered, "My gurudev has complete mastery over his senses and desires, and he has accomplished everything that he wanted. So he couldn't be worrying about any lost opportunities in this life. Nor would he be worrying about his life here after, since every moment of his life he has thought about welfare of others. He has spent every bit of his energy to uplift the poor and the needy. When the essence of Supreme Soul itself reflects through him, what worry could he have about the life beyond?" Upagupt could not bear to see his guru's agony and asked him, "Gurudev, if you consider it worthy please share with us the reason for your distress!"
All eyes of hundreds of disciples around the bed turned up to Acharya Shanawas. Seeing their inquisitiveness, a faint smile appeared on the worried face, as if the sun shone in its majestic glory one final time before setting. He said, "Dear children, all my life I devoted myself fully to mould the mind set of our people towards righteousness, and I have tried to reform and strengthen the religious setup of the society. All my sadhana is definitely showing the signs of fructification. I am very worried about the future of humanity. Who will ensure that the reforming religious setup in its infancy now, would not lose its way as it advances towards its adulthood?
His enquiring eyes probed every disciple but he could not see a definite assurance. Then suddenly Upagupt stood up and said, "Gurudev! I shall bear your inner pain here on. I take a vow that I will remain unaffected of all worldly attractions. I shall never marry and devote my life to service of the society. The whole goal of my life shall be reinstating the religious setup to all its effulgent glory."
Eyes of the dying Acharya lit up for a while and then gradually closed for ever. His face reflected a definite calmness and satisfaction that even after him the cherished tradition of humanity shall live on.
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