*A Millionaire & Three Beggers*

[Guest guest]

*A Millionaire & Three Beggers*

There was a good-natured millionaire in the town. Three beggars

thought of

approaching him for help. The first man went to the millionaire and

said: " O

Lord! I want five rupees. Please give me. " The millionaire was taken

aback

at this man's impudence. " What! You demand five rupees from me as

though I

owe you the money! How dare you? How can I afford to give five

rupees to a

single beggar? Here, take these two rupees and get away, " he said.

The man

went away with the two rupees.

The next beggar went to the millionaire and said: " Oh Lord! I have

not

taken a square meal for the past ten days. Please help me. "

" How much do you want? " asked the millionaire.

" Whatever you give me, Maharaj, " replied the beggar.

" Here, take this ten rupee note. You can have nice food for at

least three

days. " The beggar walked away with the ten rupee note.

The third beggar came. " Oh Lord, I have heard about your noble

qualities.

Therefore, I have come to see you. Men of such charitable

disposition are

verily the manifestations of God on earth, " he said.

" Please sit down, " said the millionaire. " You appear to be tired.

Please

take this food, " he said, and offered food to the beggar.

" Now please tell me what I can do for you. "

" Oh Lord, " replied the beggar; " I merely came to meet such a noble

personage that you are. You have given me this rich food already.

What more

need I get from you? You have already shown extraordinary kindness

towards

me. May God bless you! "

But the millionaire, struck by the beggar's spirit, begged of the

beggar to

remain with him, built a decent house for him in his own compound,

and

looked after him for the rest of his life.

God is like this good millionaire. Three classes of people approach

Him,

with three different desires and prayers. There is the greedy man

full of

vanity, full of arrogance, full of desires. He demands the objects of

worldly enjoyment from God. Since this man, whatever be his vile

desires,

has had the good sense to approach God, He grants him some part of

the

desired objects (even these very soon pass away, just as the two

rupees the

first beggar got are spent before nightfall).

The other type of devotee prays to the Lord for relief from the

sufferings

of the world, but is better than the first one, in as much as he is

ready to

abide by His Will. To him the Lord grants full relief from

suffering, and

bestows on him much wealth and property.

*The third type he merely prays to the Lord: " O Lord, Thou art

Existence-Absolute, Knowledge-Absolute, Bliss-Absolute, etc., etc. "

What

does he want? Nothing. But the Lord is highly pleased with his

spirit of

renunciation, of desirelessness and of self-surrender. Therefore, He

makes

him eat His own food, i.e., He grants this man Supreme Devotion to

Himself.

Over and above this, He makes the devotee to live in His own House

For ever

afterwards this devotee dwells in the Lord's Abode as a Liberated