Parable Of The Millionaire’s Messenger

Divine Life Society Publication: Parables of Sivananda by Gurudev Sri Swami Sivananda

A millionaire wanted to send an urgent message to another rich man living in a neighbouring town. He called his best clerk and handed him the message saying: "Please take this urgently to my friend." The messenger delivers the message to the other rich man. This haughty rich man accepts the message and indifferently tells the messenger: "I hope you have had your food; if you haven't, take this fruit and get away." The messenger was deeply hurt. He goes away.

A poor man on the way meets the messenger and with great love and solicitude offers a glass of cool water. The messenger is greatly pleased and refreshes himself with the water. The messenger reports the whole matter to the master who, realising that the insult heaped upon his messenger was verily insult to his own person, looks with disfavour upon the rich man who thenceforward lives estranged from the millionaire. The poor man is amply rewarded.

Similarly, God sends mankind His Messengers in the form of saints and sages. They come to the earth with the message of hope, of joy, of immortality. The haughty man filled with the pride of wealth, position and power, builds an Ashram for the saint or donates lakhs of rupees for the saint's mission;-but all these tainted by arrogance, Ahamkara and Abhimana. This does not please the saint. A poor man, on the other hand offers the saint a flower, a fruit or just water; and with it, he offers his heart to the saint. The saint is well pleased with him. Through the saint the Lord knows the comparative merits of the rich man and the poor one. He punishes the arrogant rich man and rewards the devout poor man. What matters is Bhava, the feeling; quality, not quantity.

Excerpts from: Parable of The Millionaire’s Messenger - Parables of Sivananda by Gurudev Sri Swami Sivananda