THE YOGI HUMBLED(Story about how sadhana can make you egoistic) 3 minute read

There was a Sannyasi who was practicing meditation, sitting beneath a tree. One day, while meditating, a bird's excreta fell on his head from above. Thus disturbed, the Sannyasi became angry, looked up and saw the bird sitting on the branch of the tree. The Sannyasi gazed at the bird, his eyes full of anger. At once, he found to his surprise that the bird was burnt to ashes. His astonishment soon gave place to an overweening pride at his own Yogic powers.

As usual, that day he went to the village nearby for alms. He stopped in front of a house and asked for alms. When he saw nobody coming out of the house to attend to his needs even though he had waited for about five minutes, he called out again in an angry tone. He considered himself as a great Yogi and was puffed up with conceit. The mistress of the house was busy attending on her husband who was ill, and could not leave him suddenly. Hearing the angry words of the Sannyasi, she warned him from inside the house, "I am not a bird to be burnt to ashes by your curse." 

The Sannyasi was taken aback and wondered how this woman could know about the incident of the bird. Because of her loyalty, service and devotion to her husband, she had acquired supernatural powers. She directed the Sannyasi, if he wanted to learn more, to the village butcher. Finding the latter in his shop, he approached him. The moment the butcher saw him, he asked the Sannyasi if he had not been sent by such and such a woman.

The Sannyasi's surprise was now still greater. He asked the butcher how he could know things in the way he did. The butcher replied, "I am serving my old parents with all love and devotion. They are to me the very images of God. I also carry on my business honestly and for their sake." The Sannyasi's eyes were really opened now and light came to him. He realised that one could get supernatural powers not merely by going to the forest and meditating on God, but also by doing one's duty and service of humanity, looking upon all beings as manifestations of God. Perhaps, living in the world and serving humanity with love is a better way. Ramdas can definitely say that such service, done with absolute unselfishness, can by itself lead to God-realization.

From Stories as told by Pappa Ramdas