2021 Guru Poornima
Kripalu Leelamritam - “This dog has worn many flower-garlands”
This is a story of the days before Shri Maharaj Ji became Jagadguruttam and used to live in Pratapgarh as a family member in Mahabani’s house.
A stray dog came and started staying outside Mahabani Ji’s house. His white fur coat naturally had a big tilak-like mark on his forehead. Occasionally, one of the devotees would give him a piece of bread and he would rarely touch that bread. People used to call that dog extremely lazy as other dogs would carry away that piece of bread and he won't even growl at them. He used to follow Shri Maharaj Ji when he went anywhere.
One day as the dog was following Shri Maharaj Ji, He removed one of his flower garlands and threw it around the dog’s neck. Banchary didi was a 5-6 year old girl at that time and was also accompanying Shri Maharaj Ji. Seeing this, like a little girl she started giggling. Shri Maharaj Ji asked “what makes you giggle. This dog has worn many flower-garlands, even more than I have”. At this she laughed and said “He is a dog. Then how come he has worn more garlands than You?”
Shri Maharaj Ji said “He was a Mahant (the chief priest of a monastery) in his previous life. Every place he visited he used to be welcomed with flower-garlands. Due to a single sin he has been born as a dog.” It was no longer a laughing matter.
Moral: When one does not take assistance of bhakti and follows karmkand a single sin can cause someone’s downfall from a mahant to a dog. But if you do bhakti till the last moment of your death, then Shri Maharaj Ji has said, you will certainly get a human birth where you will get another opportunity to progress on the spiritual path.
A stray dog came and started staying outside Mahabani Ji’s house. His white fur coat naturally had a big tilak-like mark on his forehead. Occasionally, one of the devotees would give him a piece of bread and he would rarely touch that bread. People used to call that dog extremely lazy as other dogs would carry away that piece of bread and he won't even growl at them. He used to follow Shri Maharaj Ji when he went anywhere.
One day as the dog was following Shri Maharaj Ji, He removed one of his flower garlands and threw it around the dog’s neck. Banchary didi was a 5-6 year old girl at that time and was also accompanying Shri Maharaj Ji. Seeing this, like a little girl she started giggling. Shri Maharaj Ji asked “what makes you giggle. This dog has worn many flower-garlands, even more than I have”. At this she laughed and said “He is a dog. Then how come he has worn more garlands than You?”
Shri Maharaj Ji said “He was a Mahant (the chief priest of a monastery) in his previous life. Every place he visited he used to be welcomed with flower-garlands. Due to a single sin he has been born as a dog.” It was no longer a laughing matter.
Moral: When one does not take assistance of bhakti and follows karmkand a single sin can cause someone’s downfall from a mahant to a dog. But if you do bhakti till the last moment of your death, then Shri Maharaj Ji has said, you will certainly get a human birth where you will get another opportunity to progress on the spiritual path.
