HUMILITY
(Swami Ramarajyam)
Once there lived a sweeper in a kingdom. A Siddha had blessed him with a Mantra. Such was the power of the Mantra that when the sweeper chanted it twenty-one times, anything, in sight, that tempted him into getting it, would reach him by itself. He himself had not to move at all to reach out to that thing.
One day, on the insistence of his wife, he had the mangoes plucked from an orchard of the king after chanting the Mantra or you can say that the mangoes themselves reached him in consequence of the chanting of the Mantra. An enquiry was held about the theft and the sweeper was caught. He confessed to his crime and also told about the power of that Mantra.
The king pronounced death penalty on the sweeper.
The minister said to the king, “If you like, you may learn the Mantra from the sweeper before he is sent to the gallows.”
The king agreed.
The sweeper read out the Mantra to the king and requested him to chant it twenty-one times. The king got some fruits kept at a distance from him. He chanted the Mantra twenty-one times hoping that the fruits would reach him, but nothing happened. The fruits did not move in the least. The king chanted the Mantra twenty-one times twice, still the fruits did not respond to the Mantra.
The king said angrily, “You are a liar . . .”
The minister interrupted the king and said, “You have to be humble, if you wish to learn something. You are seated on the throne and the Guru, who is teaching you the Mantra, is standing before you.”
The king realised his mistake. He left the throne immediately and made the sweeper sit on it with all due respect.
The sweeper read out the Mantra again to the king.
The king chanted the Mantra twenty-one times and, lo and behold, the fruits fell in front of the king.
The king forgave the sweeper and honoured him as a Guru.
Dear children, if you want to learn something from someone, you should approach him with humility. Forget what his caste, position or social status is. Remember only one thing—your humility should be complete in all respects.
Humility is indispensable for acquiring learning.
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