IN THE EYES OF GOD..

"The Great Man never used to eat His food unless He strained Himself physically in that direction for a fixed time for the day in spite of His Nature of Work being totally different!"

Two devotees of a Great Saint were living near to the Ashram as neighbors as well as friends and both together were working in the Ashram serving the Master daily. All around were really happy with the discipline and devotion with which the two friends worked in the Ashram for its upkeep.

• Daily they used to get up very early in the morning at 4 AM, finish their morning chores and important home activities and straight head to the Ashram sharp by 0530 AM. 

• From that time, they both used to welcome and look into the needs of the visitors to the Ashram for the morning session up to 0700 AM. 

• Subsequent to that, they used to be back home attending to the family needs and leave for their work around 9 AM. 

• And on holidays and Sundays, invariably they used to extend their stay at Ashram up to 0900 AM attending to the special discourses offered on those days!

Thus they were tiring themselves between Home, Ashram and Office endlessly doing all that is required never doing anything less anywhere. The Friends and Colleagues were all praise for both of them for doing such a yeoman service amidst their busy life and used to have their regard for the two.

No doubt, the two friends were close to the Saint and all the time the Master too used to praise their services offered.

But some of the Ashram Disciples over a time, noticed that the Master was a little more closer to one devotee than the other.. They were a little astonished at the Master's attitude as all along He preached, 

Service to Humanity is next to Service to God

And in that context, the two friends were truly doing the best in their lives.. Somehow they could not control their feelings for long and one evening asked the Master for that difference in His attitude.

The Saint smiled and said,

“Dear, I know that one day, you will ask similar question. No problem, I 'll explain to you.

No doubt, both the friends are well disciplined and contribute a lot from their side for maintenance of the Ashram out of their precious limited available with them beyond their normal duties at home and Office. But as one observes them carefully doing these activities at Ashram, he/she sure will not miss noticing the difference that..

• One will always be taking up and doing only such works which are of more pleasing and eye catching type and which involve less physical labor in doing all invariably in a clean environment..

Where as

• The other always takes up jobs that are basically essential from health and cleanliness point of view of the inmates of and visitors to the Ashram, jobs of real physical exertion and eventually all those jobs behind the screen which most of the time go unrecognized! 

Thus seen,

• The first one is attending to the activities of the Ashram but in a fine way is keeping off from the tough, rough and not recognized jobs. In fact he is taking life easy but at the same time is trying to get a better name and recognition for himself..

But

• The second man is truly straining himself through these activities, helping all of us at the core but is never coming into the limelight so easily! 

That way the second friend is really nearer to God in doing his duties and no doubt is ever dearer to me in this context!”

Keywords: Spirituality, Physical Exertion