EXTRACTS FROM “HUMOUR FOR HEALTH”
Sulochana
Gupta Babu was a merchant. He lived in Kolkata. His son, Narendra, was a graduate of Kolkata University. He was a very fashionable young man. He was an up-to-date gentleman. Narendra's father wanted his son to marry Sushila, the daughter of a poor man. She was a very pious
girl who knew Sanskrit and studied the Gita, Upanishads, Ramayana and Bhagavata. She could sit in Padmasana for three hours at a stretch for Japa and meditation. She could sing beautifully the songs of Tulsidas and Surdas.
But Narendra did not want to marry Sushila. He admired Sulochana, a very fashionable girl, who had read many modern novels, and who was also a graduate of Kolkata University. The lives of Sita, Mirabai, Savitri, Madalasa and Gargi did not appeal to Sulochana. She used to draw inspiration from the stars of the silver screen. She had learnt the art of hoodwinking the "hubby". She could play the piano also.
Narendra eventually married Sulochana. They both lived happily. They used to walk along the beach with clasped hands. Sulochana would appear in her fashionable semi-transparent blouse and jeans. They both used to walk along the Chowringhee Road to do shopping. Sulochana would put her arm around Narendra's neck while they walked along the street. Narendra enjoyed her company very much.
One day, Narendra had to go to his office at 8 o'clock in the morning. He said to Sulochana, "My dear, today I have to go to the office a little earlier than usual. My officer is coming for inspection. Kindly prepare the breakfast now."
Sulochana was reading the newspaper as there was some sensational news with an interesting editorial column in it.
She said, "Please wait for ten minutes. Allow me to finish the editorial column first."
Narendra came after ten minutes and told her, "Dear Sulochana, it is getting late. Please prepare the tea at once."
Sulochana did not get up. She was busy reading the newspaper with great interest and attention. Narendra came again after fifteen minutes and said in an angry tone, "Sulochana, what are you doing? What is the matter with you today? Did you not hear me? Get up and prepare the tea at once. I am in a hurry."
Sulochana became quite irritated and retorted, "Look here! Don't talk so much. You are a graduate. I also am a graduate. Why should I serve you? Why don't you prepare the tea and serve me?"
Narendra was put to great humiliation. He hung his head and quietly left her presence. He himself prepared the tea and went to the office.
In the evening he went to a solitary place in a garden and thought within himself: "What a great fool I was! I was easily carried away by this fashionable girl. My wise father wanted me to marry Sushila. Sushila, though poor, is a pious, devoted girl. I would have been very happy had
I married her. She would have been obedient to me. Look at the arrogant nature of this fashionable and wretched girl, Sulochana! How contemptuously she treated me! I
cannot live with her for a single second."
Such is the condition of fashionable men and women who have no purity, devotion and ethical training. It is very difficult for a poor man to get on with a disobedient, ease-loving and fashionable girl. It is better for a man to marry a poor girl who is devoted and has divine virtues. It is better also for a girl to marry a poor but devoted man, than one who is proud and fashionable.
The Nature of Samsara
Once upon a time, a certain king, while out hunting, was chased by an enraged tiger and her three little cubs. Fleeing in great fear for his very life, the king suddenly fell into a deep, dark well. He fell headlong but managed somehow to catch hold of a plant that was growing on the
side of the well about half-way down. Clinging tightly to the plant, the unfortunate man remained suspended thus in the semi-darkness, while the ferocious tiger sat growling above, seeking some means of springing upon him.
The little plant, unable to bear his weight, began to crack. Down in the waters of the well a crocodile waited with open jaws to snap at the king when he fell. A snake, venomous and long, also crawled along the plant towards the king to deliver its deadly bite. At this moment, two rats began to gnaw with their sharp teeth the roots of the plant which was already on the point of snapping under the strain.
At this juncture, there fell a drop of honey from a beehive built on the branch of a tree above the well. A breed of deadly insects had injected their venom into the hive, rendering the honey into veritable poison.
In this pitiable and precarious condition, with a terrible and imminent death waiting upon him, the doomed king put out his tongue to taste the drop of honey.
This is what Samsara or worldly life is like. Man suffers under the strain of cares, worries, pains and sufferings. In this pitiable and precarious condition he still tries to enjoy sensual pleasures, which are indeed poison.
The tree can be compared to the earthly domain, the tiger and the three cubs to lust, anger, infatuation and greed, the two rats to the day and night that cut short man's life, and the snake and the crocodile to death above and below. In this miserable condition the man of the
world tries to taste pleasure, even as the king tried to taste the honey. Worldly sensual pleasure is a veritable venom and is destructive of the soul of man.
Under the circumstances, the only way left for the king is to submit himself to the protection of the Supreme Being. So also, in spite of the numerous temptations and difficulties on earth, man should take complete refuge in God and attempt to realise Him.
The Master's Test!
A Sadhu came and stood before the Master with a kamandalu (water-pot) in his hand. He went on repeating, Shivoham, Shivoham.
Whenever he repeated Shivoham (I am Shiva), the Master said, "Dasoham (I am the servant).
The Sadhu continued his repetition.
The Master called to Satyagyanam and ordered him, "Ohji, take away the water-pot from that Sadhu!"
Satyagyanam approached the Sadhu, but he at once said, holding the water-pot with a firm grasp, "Maharaj, this water-pot is my life. I cannot part with it!"
"See! The true colour of Shivoham has now come out! Ohji, don't say Shivoham, say 'kamandaluham'!" the Master smilingly said.
All burst into laughter!
Sadhu Krishnaprem
Sadnu Krishnaprem was the disciple of Sadhu Govindram, and lived on the banks of the Ganges. He was a good Sadhu. He practised Yoga Asanas and Pranayama
daily and repeated Ram-Nam many thousands of times. Once a fortnight he observed a complete fast, and refrained from taking even a drop of water. He knew the whole of the Gita by heart and delivered inspiring lectures on the Upanishads and Bhagavata.
Sadhu Krishnaprem, however, had one great defect—he was very fond of hot bajias!
One day, he proceeded to the city, purchased hot bajias and returned to his Ashram. He closed his door and began to partake of the delicious preparation. He had only eaten a few pieces when there was a knock at the door. He washed his mouth, put the bajias into a box, locked it in
the cupboard and quickly opened the door. One of his brother-disciples had come to him for the loan of a book for his study. Krishnaprem gave him the book, returned to his room and once more opened the box of bajias.
He had hardly taken a mouthful, when there was another knock at his door. Again he washed his mouth, put the preparation into the cupboard and went to the door. This time one of his friends had come to get some of his doubts on the Gita cleared. Krishnaprem felt much uneasiness because the bajias were getting cold. He desired to eat them while they were hot. Anyhow, he talked to his friend for a few minutes and disposed of him, only to return once more to the box of bajias.
He closed the door and began to eat with great avidity—but not for long! There was a third knock at the door! He was greatly upset. He could not eat his bajias to his heart's content. He rushed to the door but forgot to put the box away into the cupboard. A pilgrim had come to distribute
clothes to the mendicants, and while Krishnaprem talked to him, some monkeys entered the room and departed with the bajias!
Krishnaprem took the clothes from the pilgrim and returned to his room with great eagerness to eat his bajias! But they were not there! Great was his disappointment when he discovered that the monkeys had got away with them. He was much afflicted at heart because of the loss of his hot bajias.
Krishnaprem was doubtless a good Sadhu. He was an able lecturer and proficient in Asanas, but he had this one great defect of eating bajias behind closed doors, without sharing it with his brothers who lived in the same Ashram. He had a narrow, constricted heart. He had developed only his intellect, while his heart was selfish. His lectures could not produce a deep impression on his listeners. Despite his learning, spiritually he was still poor. A noble heart is the passport to enter the kingdom of heaven. One may be able to recite the whole of the Gita,
one may be able to get oneself buried underground for several hours or days, yet if one does not possess a pure and loving heart, a heart that delights in sharing what it
has with others, one cannot realise God.
Anything that is done stealthily with uneasiness of mind is a sin. May God grant you all a large heart to share what you have with others!
My Sweet Honey Darling
The husband says to the wife at night: "O my sweet honey! O my darling! O my sweetheart! How I love you! I cannot live without you even for a second. Thou art the apple of my eye. Thou art my very Prana (life). I will pine away even if I do not see you for a second."
The wife also repeats the same phrases, perhaps even with greater force. But the following morning she may divorce her husband without a moment's notice. He also may divorce her within a minute.
Such is the nature of human love. It is hollow, shallow and fleeting like the lightning. It is mixed with cunningness, crookedness and selfishness. There is no real love in this world. Develop pure, divine love towards God and rest in Him peacefully forever.
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