A Tale of Two Swamijis

I was a  bit reluctant to publish this post as I have done my best to avoid negative comments. Yet, the sentiments expressed here are meant to promote thought rather than provoke comment. 

There was a swamiji. He was the local head of a spiritual organization. The swamiji was a great orator. People loved to hear his fiery discourses. Some even felt he was almost like the founder of the organization.

The organization was a registered society. To increase the number of members the organization forced the parents of children joining their schools to become life members. A life member is someone who will be your member till he dies. But these parents lost their interest once their children finished school and went to college and then abroad and so on; some stayed connected. Most did not.

So although there were thousands of LMs on the record only a very few helped the organization. These were people who admired the founder and loved his teachings But  the monthly News-letter had to be sent to ALL the LMs. That was the rule! This cost money!

Now, the swamiji was upset. But as he was a brilliant swamij and he got this idea. So he called a meeting of the LMs. A few attended. At that meeting the swamiji made them pass a resolution that any LM who did not attend two General meetings will cease to be a life member (No! The swamiji will not kill them! But they cannot be life members! How? I don’t know! Luckily I am not a swamiji. ;-)

Then the swamiji called another meeting. The swamiji did not call the meeting. He has to be detached. Someone else did it. In the invitation to that meeting it was stated that any LM who did not come will cease to be one! The LMs who were connected to the organization and who admired the founder came to that meeting.

They came because they valued their membership.

But many LMs did not come. May be they were parents of children who had left the school and had gone to college and then abroad and so on.(I don’t know).

The swamiji was upset. He started haranguing the LMs who had come. He was upset with the people who had not come. But he gave a severe lecture to the people who had come! The swamiji was quite upset. A few people mildly pointed out that some of the things the swamiji was proposing to do were not correct. The swamiji lost his cool then! He pounced on these blasphemers and started accusing them of disloyalty and arrogance,

The swamiji became an Angry Man.

Huh!

An angry man can become  a swamiji by conquering anger,

How can a swamiji become an angry man?

But this is what happened. Forget it.

There was another swamiji. He was a brilliant writer of spiritual essays and books. These essays were published in popular magazines. The swamiji was famous all over the world. He had many rich devotees. These devotees gave him lot of money so that the swamiji could lead a luxurious life. They themselves preferred to live like beggars.

The swamiji liked to have young girls near him. It is good for a young girl to be near a swamiji. But, is it good for the swamiji?

Hinduism says it is better to enjoy life and then become a sanyasi. But many swamijis is think it is better to become swamiji and then enjoy life.

Why can’t we all enjoy our life and allow others to enjoy theirs? You don’t have to be swamiji to be spiritual. Just be a good human being.