PITFALLS OF A SPIRITUAL LIFE
My father, HH Shri Bhola Nathji (1902-1992) was a great spiritual luminary of his time, who was even revered as God, but he was the humblest person upon earth, who genuinely called himself, Nath, Ghulaam Rue Zameen, which means, The Servant of the Earth. He desired neither name. nor fame nor followers, nor indeed anything from anyone in the world. All his life he gave freely of himself, alleviating the ills and sorrows of mankind, and inculcating a feeling of oneness and peace in the world.
He was known as the living personification of Love, an incarnation of Love. Even total strangers felt this love emanating from him as if he were their nearest and dearest loved one.His love went out towards all whether they were intellectuals, scientists, or poor, common folk, or even atheists.
When people showered praise upon him, this is what he would say:
"Accept me, but not as your Master, as your servant!"
"I have not come to be worshipped. I have come to worship you!"
"I am a very old companion of yours. I was your companion even before the Universe came into existence!"
When people compared him to God he would say in Persian:
"Jamaale hamnasheen dar man asar kard
Vagarnaa man hamaa khaakam ke hastam"
"It is the Light of my Eternal Friend that illuminates my existence,
Otherwise I am nothing but that dust from which I was taken!"
In contrast there were people who took to the spiritual path and soon became enamoured of the fame they were getting. And they wanted more and more, more followers, more fame, greater respect and reverence. They became filled with the desires of the world, little realising that they were alienating themselves from God.
They were filled with ego, a pride of their spiritual attainment and began thinking of themselves as superior to others. This soon developed into a greed and a thirst for material possessions, institutions and buildings, mansions and air conditioned cars.
The greed became so intense that it went with them even at the time of their death. They wished that magnificent graves and mausoleums, samadhis, be constructed over their bodies after they were gone, and that thousands would throng to them to pay their obeisances. Alas, little knowing where they had gone themselves!!
This then is the lesson to be drawn - namely that any person walking on the spiritual path who claims to be enlightened and wants to enlighten others must tread with care on this path, lest he begin to consider himself superior to others, lest pride enter into him and he begins to proclaim that he is God himself, and falls, like a fallen angel.
My father, HH Shri Bhola Nathji (1902-1992) was a great spiritual luminary of his time, who was even revered as God, but he was the humblest person upon earth, who genuinely called himself, Nath, Ghulaam Rue Zameen, which means, The Servant of the Earth. He desired neither name. nor fame nor followers, nor indeed anything from anyone in the world. All his life he gave freely of himself, alleviating the ills and sorrows of mankind, and inculcating a feeling of oneness and peace in the world.
He was known as the living personification of Love, an incarnation of Love. Even total strangers felt this love emanating from him as if he were their nearest and dearest loved one.His love went out towards all whether they were intellectuals, scientists, or poor, common folk, or even atheists.
When people showered praise upon him, this is what he would say:
"Accept me, but not as your Master, as your servant!"
"I have not come to be worshipped. I have come to worship you!"
"I am a very old companion of yours. I was your companion even before the Universe came into existence!"
When people compared him to God he would say in Persian:
"Jamaale hamnasheen dar man asar kard
Vagarnaa man hamaa khaakam ke hastam"
"It is the Light of my Eternal Friend that illuminates my existence,
Otherwise I am nothing but that dust from which I was taken!"
In contrast there were people who took to the spiritual path and soon became enamoured of the fame they were getting. And they wanted more and more, more followers, more fame, greater respect and reverence. They became filled with the desires of the world, little realising that they were alienating themselves from God.
They were filled with ego, a pride of their spiritual attainment and began thinking of themselves as superior to others. This soon developed into a greed and a thirst for material possessions, institutions and buildings, mansions and air conditioned cars.
The greed became so intense that it went with them even at the time of their death. They wished that magnificent graves and mausoleums, samadhis, be constructed over their bodies after they were gone, and that thousands would throng to them to pay their obeisances. Alas, little knowing where they had gone themselves!!
This then is the lesson to be drawn - namely that any person walking on the spiritual path who claims to be enlightened and wants to enlighten others must tread with care on this path, lest he begin to consider himself superior to others, lest pride enter into him and he begins to proclaim that he is God himself, and falls, like a fallen angel.
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