Don't Preach What You Don't Practise

One day, a poor woman visited the great Shri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa along with her greedy son.

She said: "Guruji, my son is very fond of sweets. He wants to eat them everyday. And he is spoiling his teeth. He does not pay heed to my advice or warnings. Please help him stop this habit!"

Shri Ramakrishna Paramhamsa looked at the boy but instead of talking to him, asked the woman to come with her son again after a fortnight.

The woman brought the boy again after two weeks. As both sat down, Shri Ramakrishna looked tenderly at the boy and asked, "My dear son, is it true that you trouble your mother to get you sweets every day?" The boy hung down his head and said, "Yes, Sir!" and became silent. "You are an intelligent boy. You know that sweets spoil your teeth. Your mother too is worried about you. If she spends money on sweets every day, how can she buy new books and clothes for you? Don't you think you are committing a mistake?"

Shri Ramakrishna's words touched the boy's heart. He looked at the Great One and said, "Yes, Sir." and became silent again. "Then you will stop asking for sweets from today. Is it not?" asked Shri Ramakrishna in an appealing tone.. The boy smiled this time and said, "Yes, Sir. I will stop troubling my mother for sweets from today."

Shri Ramakrishna was pleased with the boy's reply. Lovingly, he drew the boy close to him and said, "My son, you are a nice boy. You understand what is good and what is bad for you. You will surely grow into a happy man." As the boy bowed down, Shri Ramarishna blessed him and turned to the other devotees.

The boy went out into the garden. His grateful mother asked Shri Ramakrishna, "Gurudev, why did you make us wait for two weeks to give these few words of advice?"

Shri Ramakrishna smiled and said, "You see, when you came two weeks ago, I too was eating sweets now and then almost everyday. So from that day, I stopped eating sweets. That gave me the courage to advise your son to do so."

(Spiritual Impressions)