Ladu's complaint³

“Master, I know I am not perfect. But at least I am trying to be perfect, whereas three other disciples of yours are not trying to be perfect. So today I have come to you with severe complaints against them.

“Your disciple Jadu reads seventeen hours a day. The rest of the time he sleeps and fools around. He never meditates or does any kind of dedicated service. He just reads and reads. He is totally confined to the mental world. What is the mental world, after all? A world of useless information.

“Your disciple Madu just works and works like a machine, fifteen hours a day. Needless to say, his work is not dedicated service at all. He is a fool. He does not care for meditation. He never meditates even for five minutes. He does not even care for books, for mental awakening and mental discipline. How can such a stupid fellow ever realise God?

“Your disciple Sidu meditates sixteen hours a day, and the rest of the time he just sleeps. Now you see, Master, Sidu is so mean that he wants to have realisation and liberation all for himself. He does not care for the ashram activities. This is a spiritual community. We must work and meditate at specific times. But he only meditates and meditates for his own liberation. It is we who work and do everything for him. So you see how ungrateful and mean he is.

“Madu works and works, and Sidu meditates and meditates. But Jadu is so clever! He thinks that since Sidu is meditating and Madu is working, he will gain his own realisation by virtue of their dedicated service and soulful meditation. Look at this rogue! So, Master, Jadu is a rogue, Madu is a fool and Sidu is a selfish churl!

“Master, I work selflessly, I devotedly read only your books, and I meditate soulfully. Do you not think that it is I who will get realisation first? It is I who deserve realisation, and not Jadu, Madu or Sidu.

The Master gave his angry disciple a smile and said, “I tell you, Ladu, it is true that one day all of you will realise God. But your friends Jadu, Madu and Sidu will realise God long before you.”

Ladu was shocked. He said, “Master, how can it be? I never thought that you could be so partial. Your statement — I beg to be excused — is absurd. I work, I read, I meditate, I do everything to please you. But they do everything to please themselves.”

“How do you know that they do everything to please themselves? Anyway, I shall tell you why they will realise God long before you. They know what they are. They know perfectly well what their weaknesses are. But you do not know at all what your weaknesses are. Your weakness is pride; your weakness is finding fault with others; your weakness is pulling forward God’s Hour undivinely. Since they are conscious of their weaknesses, they will pray to God for forgiveness. Each one will turn over a new leaf. With a searching mind and a crying heart they will all run and run towards their destined Goal. Before you even become aware of your weaknesses, I tell you, your friends will try to rectify their weaknesses. Naturally, you will not be able to keep up with them.”

“But Master, now that you are illumining me with your blessingful advice, I am sure I shall achieve my realisation before them. As you see, they are not here to receive your advice.”

“Yes, Ladu, I am illumining you now. But I have already illumined them. You can go and see for yourself."

Ladu ran to the meditation hall, where the other three were sitting. To his wide astonishment, he saw infinite Light in Jadu’s eyes, and he saw that Jadu’s body was none other than the Master’s own body. Immediately Jadu stretched out his hands and blessed Ladu with all his loving compassion. Then Ladu saw infinite Peace in Madu’s eyes, and he saw that Madu’s body was none other than the Master’s own body. Madu stretched out his hands and blessed Ladu with all his loving compassion. Then Ladu went to Sidu, and he saw infinite Delight in Sidu’s eyes, and he saw that Sidu’s body was none other than the Master’s own body. Sidu stretched out his hands and blessed Ladu with all his loving compassion.

Sorrowful because he had been humiliated, yet delighted because at last he had really received something worth treasuring all his life, Ladu returned to the Master. Lo, he saw Jadu, Madu and Sidu already sitting there by the Master. He was wonderstruck. How could they have come before him? The Master asked Ladu to come and sit in front of him.

The Master blessed Ladu. Immediately Ladu’s three brothers saw in his eyes the sky-vast Perfection-light. All three fell at his feet and received perfection from his blessing.

Then the Master blessed all four disciples and said, “Today my disciples and I have brought down the Kingdom of Heaven on earth. Let us welcome aspiring humanity to become citizens of our newly established and well-founded Kingdom.”