Once upon a time, a messenger of God visited a village.
Then he met a cobbler, busy in his daily, seemingly menial, work. When he saw the messenger, he considered his shoe mending job that he had been doing all this life albeit with his faith in the Supreme. He asked the messenger to inquire, how many lifetimes are left before he attains his liberation. The messenger smiles again and left.
When he went back to the priest, he was furious. He said, you must be joking. Tell me what was Supreme Lord doing while you met him? The messenger said, he was trying to pass an elephant through the eye of a needle. On hearing this the preist laughed in disbelief. I knew you never ever visited him. The messenger went ahead.
He replied, "Do you see the huge Banyan Tree, under the shade of which I'm working? Did you notice the size of the fruit it bears? And do you see the tiny seeds that it holds? When the Lord can make this tiny seed grow into this huge tree, imagine what he might not be able to do?"
There he met a priest, who was very pious and did all good works befitting a priest but with a scintilla of pride in his being pious. Sure of getting liberated in this lifetime, he asked the messenger to know from the Supreme Lord, how many days are left for him to attain liberation. The messenger smiled and went ahead!
Then he met a cobbler, busy in his daily, seemingly menial, work. When he saw the messenger, he considered his shoe mending job that he had been doing all this life albeit with his faith in the Supreme. He asked the messenger to inquire, how many lifetimes are left before he attains his liberation. The messenger smiles again and left.
When the messenger met the Supreme Lord, he delivered the respective queries. The Supreme Lord answered "Tell the priest, he has a thousand lifetimes left, but the Cobbler is in his final"
The messenger was bemused. He thought the Supreme Lord might have jumbled the two. But the Lord affirmed.
When he went back to the priest, he was furious. He said, you must be joking. Tell me what was Supreme Lord doing while you met him? The messenger said, he was trying to pass an elephant through the eye of a needle. On hearing this the preist laughed in disbelief. I knew you never ever visited him. The messenger went ahead.
When he met the cobbler, he was unnerved. He asked, tell me what miracle was the Lord performing when you met him? The messenger said, he was trying to pass an elephant through the eye of a needle. On hearing this the Cobbler smiled and sung glories of God.
The messenger asked, so do you believe what you heard?
He replied, "Do you see the huge Banyan Tree, under the shade of which I'm working? Did you notice the size of the fruit it bears? And do you see the tiny seeds that it holds? When the Lord can make this tiny seed grow into this huge tree, imagine what he might not be able to do?"
The messenger got the message. Its all in the Faith. The faith of the priest was marred with pride contrary to the cobbler whose was firm and without doubt!
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