Grace

Once Mulla Nazruddin was climbing up a cherry tree. The cherries were ripe, but high on the tree top. Mulla had to climb way up. He was frightened and started praying, "Oh, God, if I reach the cherries and get them, I shall offer one rupee in the mosque."

 

Mulla began to climb with full faith that God would protect him. As he neared the top branch, the thought struck him, "One rupee is too much to have committed, and there aren't that many cherries. Besides I'm climbing on my own. It wasn't necessary to bring God into this at all!!" When his hands reached the cherries he said, "I could buy more than this for one rupee in the market and as it is God hasn't moved even a finger. I'll offer a few cherries in the mosque in place of one rupee."

 

As Mulla was busy thinking this his foot slipped and he came down crashing to the ground. As he lay there he called out to God, "Couldn't You even take a joke? If You had been a little more patient I would have offered that one rupee at the mosque as I promised."

 

MORAL OF THE STORY

 

Friends, when one is filled with shame, God's grace pours on him. When one becomes a zero, empty, only then perfection descends on him. One's stiff-backed arrogance is the obstruction between him and God's grace. Most of us rely on our own self. Most of us need no help even when we pray, and even if something does emerge, we claim that, it was our own effort that brought about the achievement.

 

When one worships or prays, it is all a display of one's ego and arrogance. It is a decoration for one's ego. Friends, the real prayer is when one is not. When the worshipper dissappears only then the worship starts. Bliss is always pouring down on us, but we are so filled with our arrogance that there is no place for it within.

 

Friends, His Grace can keep on pouring on us constantly, only when our total surrender empties us from within....!!