Universal jealousy
Akbar asked Birbal, “How is it that there is no hair on my palm? There is hair everywhere else on my body. How is it that there is none on the palm of my hand?”Birbal answered, “It is because you always have plenty of money in your hands, and you give it away in charity. Your palms are being rubbed constantly, so the hair there has all been rubbed away.”
“But how is it that you do not have hair on your palms, either?”
“Just because I constantly receive money from you, my palms are always being rubbed. You are constantly giving me money and I am constantly receiving it, and that is why we have no hair on our palms.”
“But what about those who do not get money from me the way you do? Why don’t they have hair on their palms?”
“Oh, that is because they are very jealous. Jealous people are always thinking of the money that you are giving me and that I am receiving from you. They constantly rub their hands together in anticipation of receiving some money. They are always burning with jealousy and greed, and so they just rub and rub their palms together. That is why they do not have any hair on their palms either.”
Akbar was highly amused and pleased; but those who were listening to Birbal were terribly embarrassed at his accusation, and they bowed their heads in shame.
Spiritual comments
When I give something to a disciple my love-power increases, and when that person receives devotedly from me his gratitude-power increases. Whatever I give goes to the disciple in the form of love; and while receiving, what he offers in return comes to me in the form of gratitude. But if those who do not get something at that time become jealous, they simply delay their own progress. When I am giving spiritual wealth to a particular disciple, the others can easily feel that it is they who are giving. And while the disciple is receiving from me, they can feel that it is they who are receiving this wealth. If they can identify themselves with my offering and, at the same time, with the devoted qualities of the receiver, then they become the giver as well as the receiver.
Identification is not illusion. Identification is not deception. In the spiritual life one must always try to identify himself with the Truth that is coming from above and trying to manifest itself here on earth. Identification with Light and Truth is the only important thing in life. When a disciple identifies himself with his Master’s consciousness, he becomes one with the Creator. And when he identifies himself with his fellow disciples, he becomes one with the creation. When he becomes inseparably one with both the Creator and the creation, he gets the utmost joy.
By being jealous of what the giver has or of what the receiver gets, one can never have joy or peace of mind. In order to be constantly happy, one has to identify himself with Reality’s Source and Reality’s Course, with Reality’s Glow and Reality’s Flow. Reality’s Source is the Master; Reality’s Course is the disciple. Reality’s Glow is the Master; Reality’s Flow is the disciple.
