Power of the Name

Down a narrow lane not far from the Ganges, an Indian teacher lived.  He had only a few impoverished followers.

One day the lane was filled with the excited voices of a great crowd of people.  On inquiring the reason for all this, he was told that one of his followers had just walked over the river whilst repeating his name.

The teacher was very interested in this news and thought that perhaps if the word got round, some rich American or Englishman might write about him and that he might collect some rich followers.  He then reasoned that if his follower had walked across the Ganges then there must be great power in his name.

So on the following day, crowds gathered to see the guru walk across the river reciting his own name - and he promptly sank.

When the follower had recited the guru's name, that was with faith, which had prevented him from sinking.  When the teacher stepped out reciting his own name, that was egotism.  There was no power in that.

(From: Sai Reflections, May 1999)