Blog

January 2012

Tomorrow, we will be what we are now, plus what and how we have faced life’s challenges today. This is the Law of Cosmic Justice. – Chinmaya

Law of Cosmic Justice, put in other words, simply states that we alone are the makers of our destiny.

Ibrahim Al Adham was a great saint who, despite being a king, renounced his throne and lived a life of an ascetic. His countless acts of righteousness and his humble lifestyle have been greatly praised in Sufi tradition.

Once a beggar came to Ibrahim and asked for charity. The saint told him, “I’ll give you something better. Come with me.” Ibrahim took him to a merchant who gave the beggar the job of a salesperson.

A few days later, Ibrahim found the same beggar on the street, in the very same miserable condition. Surprised, he asked the beggar what the matter was. The beggar narrated his story, “Once while travelling, I found a blind eagle in the desert, and to my big surprise, another eagle came by to feed the blind eagle. Thus I said to myself, ‘He, who took care of that blind eagle, will also take care of me’!”

Ibrahim, after reflection, asked the beggar, “But tell me, why did you choose to be the blind eagle, and not the other one, who can feed others?”

Blind eagle or the feeding eagle – we become what we choose in our life.

The outer circumstances are nothing but a reflection of what we have chosen in our life. A lover of God finds himself amidst satsangs and devotees; so too with the drunkards and the flirts amidst wine and women.

Ultimately, we are left with none but ourselves to blame or to thank for what happens to us.

A watermelon farmer was determined to scare off the local kids who went into his watermelon patch every night to eat their fill.

After some thought, he fixed a board in his field that read, “Warning! One of these watermelons has been injected with POISON!”

The next night he saw the kids run off the field without eating any of the melons. He smiled and returned to his home in great relief, congratulating himself for his effective technique of keeping the kids out. A week later, the farmer went to survey his fields. To his satisfaction, no watermelons were missing, but he found his board with an additional warning which read “NOW THERE ARE TWO”!

Our goodness and wickedness come back to us with exact precision someday or the other – this is in accordance with the Law of Cosmic Justice.

We always find, in the life stories of the great people how much they were vigilant even in their seemingly insignificant transactions with the world. They never slackened in disciplining themselves to purity and integrity because they knew well that what they sow today has to be reaped tomorrow.

Saint Shah Ali was going to Lucknow from Saharanpur. He told his disciples at the railway station to have his luggage weighed and the charges paid accordingly. The guard of the train was his devotee. He said, “This is not required. I am accompanying you.” Shah Sahib asked, “Up to which station?” The guard said, “Up to Bareilly. But please don’t worry!”

“But brother, my journey is yet longer.” Said Shah Sahib. The guard said, “I shall make suitable arrangements with the guard who will take over the charge from me at Bareilly railway station and go up to Lucknow. Remain assured, you shall not have to face any problems.” “Dear, my journey is very very long.” Said Shah Sahib with a smile. “But you said that you have to travel up to Lucknow only.” said the guard.

Shah Sahib said, “Yes, that is true. Right now I have to go up to Lucknow only, but the journey of life is very long. And that journey will end only when I leave this world and reach God. Who will save me there from the consequences of the sin of my not having paid the charges of my luggage?”

The guard of the train was embarrassed. Shah Ali’s devotees got the entire luggage weighed and made full payment of the freight charges.

Who can cheat God, the Ultimate Witness within? May we bow down at His Holy Feet, the Ruler of the Cosmos, the Maker of Cosmic Justice. Giving up all our crookedness and street-smartness, may we adopt the ways of the wise by ever remaining humble, pure and clean in our thoughts, words and deeds. This is the surest and the only way to bring these laws to our advantage.

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