Mockery returns home

The minister once went to visit a Muslim friend of his. The Muslim was eating when he went in, and just for fun, the minister asked him, “Khajee?” That is a respectful Muslim term meaning “what are you eating?”

The Muslim said, “I am eating rice, and I am eating your second Avatar.”

According to Hindu tradition, the second Avatar was the Lord in the form of a fish. So instead of saying, “I am eating fish,” the Muslim said, “I am eating your second Avatar,” in order to insult the minister, who was a Hindu.

The minister, who was not to be defeated, immediately replied, “Oh, do you think it is our second Avatar? No, you are wrong. I see clearly that you are eating our third Avatar.”

Now the third Avatar was the Lord in the form of a boar, and Muslims never eat the meat of the boar.

The Muslim exclaimed, “No, no, no! I don’t eat it! I don’t eat it!” He was so disgusted at the very idea, that he threw all his food away. He shouted, “You have insulted me!”

The minister replied, “You have insulted me. You told me that you were eating our second Avatar, so I told you that you were eating our third Avatar.”

Spiritual comments

What do we learn from this story? We learn that when we criticise or mock any religion, consciously or unconsciously, immediately God will inspire the followers of that religion to make fun of our stupidity. God wants us to see and feel His living Presence in all religions. One man was a Muslim, and the other was a Hindu. Followers of these two religions are always at daggers drawn. When the Muslim attacked the Hindu, the Hindu immediately retaliated. No matter what the situation, if you attack someone unnecessarily, at that time the divine Power will take his side and challenge you.

In the spiritual life we always see that if we just want to find fault with somebody else, if we want to criticise and make fun of someone, God will immediately give him the capacity to make fun of us. If the Muslim had said the right thing, then the question of making fun, the question of insulting and abusing, might not have arisen. If he had said, “rice and fish,” then who knows what the minister would have said. But instead, the Muslim had to make fun of Hinduism by saying, “I am eating your second Avatar.” That is why the minister gave him a reply which made him lose his appetite.

You have to be very careful in this world. When you make fun of people, they will pay you back in your own coin. Attack them and immediately you will be attacked. Like a tennis ball thrown against a wall, your attack will bounce off and come back at you.