Once, an old friend of a king came to meet him. The king was glad to see his old friend and chatted with him affectionately. This man was very aged and carried a stick with him for support. The king questioned his friend as to how he was leading his life. His friend replied that in old age, one needed some support, and the stick was his support. The old man asked the king whether he was serving his people well, to which the king reacted that he was a king and could never be a servant.
The old man wished to teach the king a practical lesson. So, he dropped his stick to salute the king. As he could not bend down to pick up the stick, the king at once bowed down, picked up the stick, and gave it to his friend.
Then the old man said, “You say you are not a servant. But right now you have served me. So, you are my servant.”
All have to serve one another at some point in time. To say that one is not a servant is ignorance. The spirit of service is present in everybody, but it varies from person to person depending on the state of his mind."
~ Sri Sathya Sai Baba ~
(From the Divine Discourses of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba)
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