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The lesson of a saint
There was a saint by name
Thiruvalluvar. Initially he was a weaver. He used to weave just
one sari per day, sell it in the bazaar and earn money for his
family. Good and bad would exist together. It would be
impossible to separate them. In the same village there was the
son of a rich man who was wasting his time wandering aimlessly.
Where there is money there is ego. Ego gives rise to many bad
qualities. Once the money is lost all bad qualities too
disappear. One day the rich man's son came to Thiruvalluvar and
asked for the price of the sari. Thiruvalluvar said it cost four
rupees. The boy was known for his arrogance and pride. He picked
up the sari, tore it into two pieces and asked for the price of
one piece. Thiruvalluvar replied, it cost two rupees as he had
made the sari into two halves. The boy tore it again into
another piece and asked for the price. Thiruvalluvar replied
that the price was one rupee. This brought about a
transformation in the mind of the boy. He wondered how the
businessman was calm and composed even after he tore the sari
into pieces. Then the boy fell at Thiruvalluvar's feet and
repented for his behavior. The boy said due to his pride and
arrogance he made this mistake. Then he went to his father, got
the required money, kept it at the feet of Thiruvalluvar. Many
such great saints lived in Tamil Nadu who set an ideal to the
society. Their statues are installed and adored. It is not their
statues that are important, but their teachings. The best way to
propagate their teachings is to practice them.
Sri Sathya Sai Baba
From the Divine Discourse
"Devotion, Duty and Discipline." 12 Oct 1998, Prashanti Nilayam
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