Sunday, October 11, 2009

Accepting Praise and Honour

I once asked a spiritual teacher, "Don't you get embarrassed when people praise you, touch your feet, perform your worship and honour you in various ways?"

He smiled in the way that only a saint can smile. After a pregnant pause, he answered me by asking another question: "What would you do if someone gave you a gift that was meant for me?"

"Well," I said, "I would hand it over to you!"

"Exactly," said the spiritual teacher, "I accept all the praise, honour and worship offered to me and I pass it on to God."

When you make a large cash deposit in your bank, the cashier does not experience a thrill of excitement. He accepts it soberly, and counts it carefully, before depositing it your account.

Similarly, the devotee of God does not experience elation or exhilaration on receiving any praise or honour. He accepts it soberly and evaluates it carefully before depositing it in your account at the feet of the Lord God.

The devotee of God is a window into the spiritual world. While he is not God, you can reach God through him. As an instrument of the divine, he is a conduit for the spiritual energy that surges through him. The honour, appreciation, or respect offered to him, goes back to God as part of the bi-directional flow within this transparent channel to God.

Empty yourself and become an instrument of God by understanding that all things are done by Him alone. Make yourself transparent to the praise and honour that people direct at you.

Pass all the praise, respect honour and appreciation you receive to the dark mystical lord who is seated within your heart and the hearts of all those around you.Thus, you shall be free of ego, serene, tranquil and unruffled by embarrassment at all times.

Dr. Shantanu Nagarkatti

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