Hariharananda Baba

Baba was in New York to give initiation in Kriya Yoga. It was a crisp early morning, all the people were sitting quietly in the spacious room, with their offerings of flowers, fruits and little financial donation nicely arranged in front of them. Everything and everybody looked pure, fresh and loving, and Baba was about to start the holy ceremony.

 

Suddenly a man burst into the room, and mumbling a vague apology for his tardiness, plunked himself down in the first row directly in front of Baba. A wave of repulsion spread slowly across the room. The man was smelly, dirty, unkempt, and he had not brought the proper offerings. On a dirty paper plate he hastily threw a few wilted flowers (which he had probably snatched from the park across the street), five black, rotten bananas (from God knows where!), and his pocket change.

 

One long-time disciple of Baba was sitting at the back of the room, chewing his lower lip in barely contained anger. How can someone be so disrespectful to a guru and not put any care into their own spiritual initiation? Baba had been sitting quietly with his eyes closed throughout the whole interruption. All of a sudden he opened his eyes and said, looking straight at his disciple in the back row, "Baba, I love you, but you will not keep this mood in this room."

 

He then went on to give initiation to this dishevelled man first, giving him his fullest attention, even picking up the little wilted flowers with greatest love, as if they were the most precious gift he had ever received.

 

We cannot judge people from their outer appearance. We have no idea who anybody is today, will be tomorrow, or was yesterday... let alone in their previous lives. A true guru only sees divine potential, not temporary flaws. And he gives exactly the treatment that everybody needs, never getting offended or excited in any situation. That is the quality we should try to emulate - equanimity at all times.