Subject: <---STORY OF SAINT & A SINNER --->
From: Bhayani <[email-masked]>
To: [email-masked]
Date: Wed, 04 May 2005 09:37:04 +0400

STORY OF SAINT & A SINNER
 
Once a young man (for this narration we will give a name to this young
man as Ahmed) who had been brought up by a traditional family, went to
visit a famous Saint.

Now Ahmed had told by his mother that the Saint was a true preceptor, a
teacher and that the teacher's words were true and to be held in high
esteem.

The meeting transpired as follows:

Ahmed asked the Saint, "Sir, how come my mind wanders around to
forbidden places and your does not?" 
"Sir, how come I do back-biting and you don't?"
"Sir, how come I don't have compassion for others, while you have?"

All the questions that Ahmed asked were of similar nature.

Saint replied, "Ahmed, your questions are good, but it seems to me that
in 24 hours from now you will die".

Now Ahmed who had already been told by his mother that the Saint's words
are true and to be held in high esteem, was shocked. He got up and
started getting ready to go.

The Saint asked, "Ahmed, what happened? You came with such vitality and
by my one statement you are totally dismayed."

Ahmed said, "Saint, my mother told me that your words are true and are
to be held in high esteem. So please let me go so that I may meet my
family members, friends and others before I die."

The Saint said, "But there are still 24 hours. Sit, we will talk more".

Ahmed said, "Sir, please let me go. I must meet my people before I die."

So Ahmed left and went home. Met his mother and started crying. The word
spread. His friends came, other family members came, neighbors came.
Everyone was crying with Ahmed. Time started flying.

Ahmed was only busy in either crying or counting the hours. When only 3
hours were left, he pulled up a cot and lied down on it. Although the
Death has not yet arrived, poor Ahmed is kind of dead.

When only an hour was left, the Saint walked in.

Saint said to Ahmed, "Ahmed, why are you lying down on the cot with your
closed eyes. Death is still an hour away. And an hour is 60 minutes
long. That's a lot of time. Get up, let us talk".

Ahmed, "Saint, what is it now that you want to talk? Just let me die
peacefully."

Saint, "Ahmed, there is still time and our talk will get over before the
'ordained' time."

Ahmed, "Okay, Saint....say what you have to say."

Saint, "In the past 24 hours, did you curse anyone?"

Ahmed, "How could I curse anyone, I was all the time thinking about
death."

Saint, "In the past 24 hours, did you think or wish ill for anyone?"

Ahmed, "How could I do that, I was all the time thinking about death."

Saint, "In the past 24 hours, did you steal?"

Ahmed, "Sir, how can you even ask that, I was all the time thinking
about death."

Finally the Saint said, "Ahmed, I don't know who has to die and who has
to live. But understanding the ultimate truth i.e. death can be very
enlightening. All the questions you posed to me have been answered by
yourself because of the awareness of death that you experienced during
the past 24 hours. The difference between me and you is that you were
aware of death for the past 24 hours, I have been aware for the past 24
years."

Don't be so proud and vain
Looking at your high mansion
Death makes one lie on bare land
And grass will grow thereon

Don't be so proud and vain
The clutches of Time are dark
Who knows where shall it kill
Whether at home or abroad

Pride, arrogance and vanity are all related to our ego, our perishable
belongings and things which are not eternal. One should be aware of
eternal ultimate Truth i.e. Death. We all know that we have to die, but
are we willing to accept this fact? Deep behind our psyche is the idea
that everything else is going to perish to die, but "I" will go on
eternally.
Hence, we cling to our perishables and become possessive and selfish.
This causes us to become arrogant, greedy, proud and vain.

We need to understand the cycle of Life and shed our pride.

Death is inevitable and one who remembers this in fact becomes humble,
compassionate and true to oneself.

  _____