WHO IS NEAREST TO THE LORD
Baba said, "Slave of slaves I am your debtor, I am satisfied at your darshan. It is a great favour that I saw your feet" in Sri Sai Satcharitra Chapter X.
A conclave of hatha-yogis – men who claim to have tremendous yogic power – had gathered on the banks of a holy river. A huge crowd of men and women from nearby villages and towns had assembled to watch them demonstrate their feats.
At some point, a question arose in the conclave about who among them, was the most acceptable to the Lord.
The hatha-yogis somehow interpreted this to mean the one who could perform the most outstanding feats. And thus began a strange contest – a display of each one's unique yogic power.
One of them got up and said, "I am surely the most acceptable to the Lord, for I can walk upon the waters, even as ordinary mortals walk upon the earth."
So saying, he swiftly walked across the flowing river and back to where they stood. The people were astounded!
A second yogi arose to have his say, "This is nothing – for I can fly up in the sky and come down to the earth when I choose."
This avowal was followed by a demonstration of flight to prove his point. The crowd cheered him mightily!
A third yogi, not to be outdone, spoke next, "I am the most acceptable to the Lord, for I am the greatest of astrologers – I know the past, present and future!"
To prove his claim, he singled out a stranger from the crowd and narrated all the incidents from his past life. The stranger agreed the account was, indeed, accurate. The yogi then proceeded to predict the man's future in great detail. The crowd was amazed by his confidence and accuracy.
A fourth yogi now stepped in to claim his share of fame, "Fire cannot burn me!" he proclaimed proudly. "Let a huge bonfire be lit, I shall prove it to you."
This remarkable feat was also accomplished before the people's eyes.
Now there were claims galore from all the tantriks assembled. One claimed the he would stay alive even when he was buried underground. Another claimed that he could break out of fetters and prisons – and so it went on and on.
In the crowd was a poor woman who was truly pious.
She came forward to speak. "May I tell you who is nearest to the Lotus Feet of the Lord?" she asked.
Everyone stared at her.
"Do tell us, do!" chorused the onlookers. "We simply cannot make up our minds as to which of these powerful men is the most acceptable to the Lord."
"He who is the humblest is also the greatest!" said the woman. "The most difficult feat a man can perform is to annihilate his ego, and consider himself but as a speck of dust on the Lord's Feet!"
This was a sadhana that none of the tantriks had mastered!
