Only those who understand the nature of Divinity can appreciate the ways of the Divine. The
Divine resorts to certain kinds of punishments to make the devotee pursue the right path and
enable him to lead an ideal life. Such punishments are for the devotee's good and well-being.
Here is a story to illustrate the maxim, "No gains without pains."
There was a gardener who used
to water the plants in the garden carrying a pot on his head from dawn to dusk. One day while
carrying the pot he got a headache and wanted to lay down the pot and go home.
At that moment,
the pot taught him a valuable lesson. The pot said: "Oh man! There can be no fruit without:
labour, no pleasure without pain. Learn the lesson from my own story. I was just mere dust and
mud, trodden upon by people. The potter gathered that mud, turned it into clay by pressing it
under his feet, and made a pot from it by whirling the clay on his wheel. And finally I was placed
in a kiln for firing. Whoever came to buy me, tapped on my sides with strength to test my
hardness. It was because I went through all these ordeals that I earned the privilege of dancing on
the heads of people. If I had not gone through all these trials, how could I have achieved this
eminence? Likewise, only if you are prepared to go through trials and difficulties will you be
able to raise yourself in life."
Hence, you should not succumb to difficulties and disappointments. You must strive to
overcome them. For this purpose, you have to acquire the grace of God by developing faith.
(From the Divine Discourses of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba)
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