One day, when Ubhaya Bharati was going to the river for a bath with her women disciples, she saw an ascetic, who had renounced everything in life, sleeping on the wayside, resting his head on a hollow water jug, using it as a pillow and at the same time ensuring that nobody took it away.
As long as you have attachment and ego, you
can never understand the Atma or experience atmic bliss.
In order to convey a lesson to the ascetic, Ubhaya Bharati spoke
within his hearing the following words to one of her disciples: "Look
at that ascetic, who has ostensibly renounced every kind of attachment,
but he has not given up his attachment to his water jug!" On hearing
these words, the ascetic got enraged. He thought: "Is a mere woman
entitled to teach me as to how I should behave."
While Ubhaya Bharati
was returning from the river, the ascetic threw the jug at her feet
and said: "Now, see what my renunciation is?" Ubhaya Bharati remarked:
"Alas! You are not only filled with attachment (abhimana) but you are
also filled with ego (ahamkara)." On hearing these words, the ascetic
ran up to her, fell at her feet and pleaded for forgiveness of his
faults.
(Chinna Katha from the Divine Discourses of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba)
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