PRACTICE THY SELF BEFORE PREACHING OTHERS
- a moral story
Swami
Rishyamook ji lived in a Kutiya in Haridwar on the banks of river Ganga.
His
disciples came to him with their problems and got them solved by his
blessings. He was famous for his
preaching. His preaching were known to
bring miraculous improvements in stubborn as well.
Once,
Savtri came to his ashram with her son Rammaiya, who was in habit of eating
lots of sugar and jaggery. On hearing
Savitri’s problem, Swamiji told her to bring Rammaiya to him the next day. Next day swamiji again repeated his request
to bring Rammaiya the other day. On the
said day, swamiji very politely told Rammaiya “ Son, it is not good to eat
extra sweet, so it is better for you not to eat jaggery and sugar. Better stop eating it the way you eat.”
Some
days later Savitri came and told swamiji that Rammaiya has improved
considerably and does not eat Jaggery as before. While expressing her happiness, she asked
that why did the Guru asked her to pay so many visits to say those few and
simple words to Rammiya?
The
Guru replied. “ I should not preach what I do not practice.” The day you first came to me, I myself was in
habit of eating a lot of jaggery. The
next time, you came I could not improve my habit in spite of my best efforts,
that is why, I summoned you to come some other day. Finally, when you brought your son to me, I
had improved my habit of eating sugar & Jaggery. That day I could preach your son justifiably
and I did it. This is the reason my
simple preaching worked on your son.
