Let's learn from our 'Baba' - Learn to Share (Story 1)

Bete!, Learn to Share..

Son: Mom, I am feeling so hungry, what have you prepared for breakfast?

Mom: Son, I am preparing delicious Masala Dosa for you; just wash your hands and be ready, I will prepare & give you in five minutes.

(Son hurriedly washes his hand and sits in the dining hall eagerly waiting for the Masala Dosa, at the same time, calling-bell rings at the entrance)

Mom: Bete, go and see who has come.

Son: Oh No! Who is disturbing us at this moment, I hope it should not be some guest.

(Son opens the door and sees his uncle & aunty who have come from his mom’s home town)

Son: Oh!! Welcome. Mummy, Uncle & aunty have come.

(Son thinks to himself, “oh no, these old people will not go so soon from here, they have come all the way to my house only to spoil my Sunday”)

After a while…

Son: Mom! please come here for a moment.

Mom: What son, don’t you see I am talking to your uncle & aunty, what do you want?

Son: (whispers into her mother’s ears) Mom, I am hungry, please prepare Masala Dosa for me and serve me in my bedroom, I can’t wait for them.

Mother: (whispers back), Son, I have limited quantity of Batter only to serve two people, let us prepare & give it your uncle & aunty. I will prepare for you something else, may be UPMA.

Son: (starts beating her mom) Mom, you can’t do that; you know I can’t wait and I hate UPMA.

Mother: Son, listen to me, they are our guest, we have to serve them first, now please go inside & study for a while, and let me attend to them.

(Mother then starts attending the guest and serves them the Masala Dosa. She then prepares Upma for her son, which the son doesn’t take and starts crying inside the bedroom)

After an hour, when the guests have left the home, mom tries to pacify her son.

Mom: Son, what you have done today is totally wrong, how can you create such a scene when we have guests at home?

Son: How can you ignore your son request, don’t you know I was eagerly waiting to have Masala dosa and you know how much hungry I was.

Mom: you should learn to have control over your emotions, especially your hunger.

Son: So easy to say mom, you should have prepared upma for them instead of sharing them my quota of Dosa’s. (Starts crying)

Mom: See your baba is laughing at you (showing smiling "Swami Rama’s" portrait kept in the hall)

Son: I learnt even baba when he was a child was like me only.

Mom: Son, we can learn so much from Baba, even from his child hood days. All children are quite selfish by nature, they do not want to give anything to others, but he was trained to reverse this tendency and we can certainly learn from it.

Son: Oh is it? How?

Mom: When Baba was with his Master in Mountains, he used to have only one meal a day. Unlike you are getting such delicious Masala dosa’s, in mountains he generally gets one chapatti, some vegetables and glass a milk. One day it so happened that he was so hungry like you, and when he sat for his meals, his master stopped him from eating, and said there is old swami who has come and he is hungry too, and ordered him to give his food.

Son: Oh poor Baba, only one food per day, so what happened next? Did Baba give his food to him immediately?

Mom: No son, initially he too argued and hated that Swami who came at the stroke of his meal time. He didn’t want to share his food. His master asked him to share his food as an offering of love for which Baba hesitated. Later, his Master asked him to share his food as an order, for which Baba had no choice but to share his meals with the visiting Swami.

Son: Oh, what a training from Baba’s Master, He was really tough on Baba.

Mom: Son, Baba’s master is equally a loving mother towards Baba, but at the same time, he ensured Baba get the right training at the right time. He asked Baba not to lose control at this weak moment, and if he does so, he would lose the battle of life.

Son: So what happened next? Did Baba give food to Swami?

Mom: Yes he had to for the sake of his Master. Though Baba did not understand why he was asked to do so, he followed his Master’s order and washed the feet of the visiting swami and then asked the Swami to sit and Baba offered his food to the visiting Swami who had not taken the food for over four days.

Son: But what did Baba get in return of his sacrifice? What will I get if I sacrifice my Masala Dosa for the visiting guest?

Mom: Son, it’s not about what we will get, it’s all about serving selflessly. To answer your question, the Swami did blessed Baba by saying he will not get hunger unless food comes before Baba.

Son: Oh Nice, so if I sacrifice my food for others, will I also get such blessings from the Masters?

Mom: Son, before earning for such blessings, you have to develop the deservedness in you, and then at the right time, you will receive the grace from the Lord.

Son: So what should I do to develop the Deservedness?

Mom: Let me quote the same what Baba has said in “Living with Himalayan Masters”. He Says, “There is a narrow barrier between selfishness and Selflessness, love & Hatred. After crossing it, one enjoys doing things for others, without seeking anything in return. This is the highest of all joys, and an essential step in the path of enlightenment. A selfish man can never imagine this state of realization, for he remains within the limited boundaries built by his ego. A selfless man trains his ego and uses it for higher purposes. Selflessness is one common characteristic that we find among all great men and women of the world. Nothing could be achieved without selfless service. All the rituals and knowledge of the scriptures are in vain if actions are performed without selflessness".

Son: I don’t think I understood all you said, but I did understand that I will not cry anymore, if you share my food with others.

Mom: No problem son, atleast you agreed to share your food with others, which would be the beginning of your Sadhana, the rest Masters would take care.

Son: Mom, now I really feel hungry, do you have some Upma for me ?

Mom: My loving son, it’s there for you, even I haven’t had my breakfast, come let’s share and enjoy the food.

Son: Mom, you really know how to relate with children with the age of mine and how to address them. Sorry If I had hurt you.

Mom: No problem my dear. I too have a lot to learn as a Mother on how to upbring a child . Hence I am attending Sadhana Sangama’s summer camp to be held from 19th of May, to know more about “Love & Family Life” and my duty as a Mother.

Son: Sadhana Sangama? What is it?

(to be contd..)

- 'Bansuri'

(the messenger)

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