The wrong prayer to the wrong person

There were two women who were very close friends. Both of them had a happy family life as well as material prosperity. Another lady observed how fortunate these two friends were and she longed for the same wealth and happiness. So she asked them, “How is it that you and the members of your families are blessed with such inner and outer riches?”

One of the friends told her, “For years I prayed and prayed to the goddess of misery. One day the goddess came and I said to her, ‘Now that you are pleased with me, please go away and never come back!’ The goddess listened to my prayer and she has never returned.”

Then the other friend said, “I prayed to the goddess Lakshmi to give me wealth, beauty, prosperity, harmony and all other divine gifts. I, too, prayed for years and years. One day she came to bless me and I begged her, ‘Please do not leave me! Please stay with me forever.’ The goddess Lakshmi listened to my prayer and stayed with me.”

When the third lady heard these stories, greed entered into her. She said, “Let me invoke both the goddess of misery and the goddess of prosperity. When both of them come, then I will be able to ask them for the proper boons.”

So she began praying most fervently. At long last, both goddesses came together to bless her. The lady was so excited and delighted to see both goddesses at once that she became confused. She said to the goddess of misery, “You are so kind. Please stay here with me forever.” To the goddess of prosperity, she said, “You can go away! Now that you have come to bless me, I am asking you to leave. I never want to see you again.”

So the goddess of prosperity went away and the goddess of misery stayed with her for the remainder of her life.

This lady had wanted to get double benefit by invoking both goddesses at once. But when greed enters, wisdom disappears. In her excitement, she offered the wrong prayer to the wrong person. Always we have to be careful when we pray. Otherwise, we may make the wrong choices.

From:Sri Chinmoy,Amusement I enjoy, enlightenment I study, part 8, Agni Press, 1999
Sourced from https://srichinmoylibrary.com/aie_8