One with Heaven, one with earth⁹

Twenty years ago in India there lived a God-realised Master of unparalleled height. In his youth the Master had excelled in sports. His friends and admirers were glad to see that he believed physical and spiritual health should go together. When the Master began accepting disciples, however, he suddenly became very sickly. Whenever he returned from visiting disciples in distant villages, he looked even weaker and more helpless. This continued for many years and even some of his own disciples began to doubt the Master's inner strength.

Finally a few of the Master's closest and most devoted disciples went to speak to the Master about his health. "Master," one young woman began, "there is great concern in the ashram about your physical health."

The Master said, "For the last six years, how I have suffered! The Divine in me can enter into trance. But if we spiritual Masters want to be of any help to humanity, then we have also to live on the human level."

"We understand that, Master,' said one young man. "But now even some of your own disciples are asking why you are sick so much of the time if you are supposed to be so great spiritually."

"When spiritual Masters enter into the world, they always suffer. All spiritual Masters who have taken human incarnation have suffered tremendously. You people may say, 'Oh, he has not realised God; that is why he is suffering. Otherwise, he would be all the time in Bliss.' But no! I have realised God and I do have the capacity to enter into Bliss. But if I see that all of you are starving, will I be able to eat the ripe fruit alone? When I try to feed you, however, I just get kicks from you. This is what I have been suffering from."

"Master, was this why you looked so weak yesterday when you returned from visiting your disciples in a distant village?" asked one girl.

"Once or twice a year when I make these journeys," the Master said, "when I see some seekers, immediately I am reminded of Shakespeare's Shylock. They make a kind of vital demand on my time and energy and it is like tearing out my flesh. They think, 'Guru sees me only once a year for three minutes, so let me try to get as much from him as I can.' They don't realise that I am giving to them and feeding them inwardly every single day.

"On this trip I was very, very sick. For twelve days how I suffered. Such pain I went through! Yet even here, where I have my main ashram, there are disciples who have the attitude that the Master has an obligation to take their ignorance. When spiritual Masters come on earth, they suffer far more than the Masters up in Heaven."

"Why do they suffer more on earth, Master?" another disciple asked.

"When we see the suffering on earth, we have to take it. But those in Heaven, when they keep their eyes closed, do not see this suffering. It has happened once or twice that I have had such problems with some spiritual Masters who have left the body. After a particular disciple has left me, sometimes they want me to take him back. But I say, 'No'. It is I and not these Masters who have to go through suffering when a disciple creates problems. When you are a little higher, in another world, it is very easy to give advice. But when you are here on the ground floor, it becomes difficult to take that advice. My disciples, too, seem to like to give me advice. Ninety-nine times I have to listen to them; then on the hundredth time they may listen to me. Not only I, but all spiritual Masters, suffer this fate."

"Master, you are one with Heaven and you are one with earth. Why do you put up with this?"

The Master said, "When an individual becomes one with God, he feels that God is using him to fulfil the need of humanity. And at the same time, he sees firsthand the hunger of humanity and feels compassion. On the strength of his oneness with his younger brothers and sisters, he lifts humanity to the highest height and then brings down for humanity a most delicious meal from above. A God-realised person is like a messenger. He carries humanity's aspiration to the highest plane and he brings down from above God's Compassion and Blessings. One moment he represents earth-consciousness, the next moment Heaven-consciousness. What earth-consciousness is, he brings to God; what Heaven-consciousness is, he gives to man."