With the enthusiasm obtained from thinking, continue to read further:🔗

A disciple came in search of a Sufi Master. He had come only to learn how to live life properly.

However, there were rays of anxiety on the disciple's face. His behavior showed the restlessness of his mind.

He opened the door of the Master's house with a big bang. With the same force, he closed the door.

He threw away the shoes he was wearing, into a corner. Due to these actions, he felt pacified a little and then silently sat as a good boy before the Master. Then he paid his respects to the Master.

But the Master did not accept his respects. He said, 'I will not accept your respects. First of all go and ask to be excused by both the shoes and the door and then come!'

The disciple could not understand what the Master said. He looked at the Master, wondering why he was blabbering so.

The disciple continued putting questions to the Master, thinking himself to be too clever and intelligent. He asked, 'How can I ask for an excuse from the shoes and the door? Are they living beings? Even if I ask to be excused by them, what can these things know?'

The Master did not become angry when he listened to him. "When you came with anger. You did not have the courage to show that to some people and became calm. So you showed it to the door and shoes. What wrong have the shoes and the door done to receive kicking and beatings from you?

You thought they were living things when you showed your anger toward them. But when it comes to asking to be excused by them, you call them inanimate objects.

How can I accept this? I cannot accept you as my disciple,' the Master said. The disciple hesitated to accept what the Master said. But he did not want to leave the Master. He felt there was some hidden message in the Master's words, beyond all these things.

He thought. 'The man whom I have approached now, is a slightly different type of person. There appears to be some truth in what he says. So, why not obey what he says?' and prepared to ask to be excused.

'Friends, don't think much of all my insults to you. Have a heart and excuse me,' the disciple asked politely and submissively.

The disciple did not, however, act with all his heart. As he was asking to be excused, there was only fun and a giggle in his tone.

In spite of it, after he finished asking to be excused, there was a change in the disciple's mind. He felt as though a big burden which was on his mind, had broken free and fallen away.

The disciple began thinking, 'I asked to be excused only in a playful (and not sincere) manner. Even for this, my mind has become so light. If I begin to ask with all sincerity and seriousness, how much more relief and peace might I get.' Now, again he asked to be excused by them one more time, sincerely and truly. He then felt a comfortable and nice feeling within himself.

From that day, he changed himself completely. We should also begin to forgive. We will blossom as new persons.

The mind which excuses is great. We need not fight to get such a mind. It is enough if we begin to see everything with compassion. The tendency to forgive will blossom by itself.

We may ask. 'Is that state of mind of forgiveness such an important one? Somebody makes a mistake. We get angry with him. Our anger does not decrease until we forgive him. In fact, anger will only be increasing day by day.

Too much anger will create problems in our body and mind. In the same way as a very small fire, which is formed in some corner of a house, gradually becomes bigger and ultimately consumes and destroys the house completely, the anger which is not under control will destroy us completely.

Only a mind which excuses has the capacity and strength to destroy this big fire.

Important thing: Forgive, and then, immediately forget it.

'Do you know what sort of big mistakes you have made? But I have forgiven you. So I am great. You are nothing...... ' Don't commit another mistake by your thinking high about yourself. The worst type of pride and ego is only the thinking 'I am a very good person.'

So let us learn to forgive. Also learn to forget it immediately.

If we are not able to forget, then, that means we are only acting in the name of 'I have forgiven.' If the forgiving is total and wholehearted, simultaneously as the act of forgiving happens, forgetting will also happen.

**********

My Dear Youngsters

• ❖ The secret of achievement lies hidden in these three words: Belief, morality, enthusiasm.
• It is known to everyone that belief and enthusiasm are essential for achieving. But the fact that morality is also essential is not known to many.
• Individual morality is one thing, Social morality is another.