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A Story about Two WomenSubmitted by: A. Kaur Once upon a time there lived two very opposite women. One was rich and one was poor. The rich woman spent extensive amounts of time trying to decorate her stone idols and make her prayer room look beautiful with incense, candles, and fresh rose petals. Inside of her heart, the rich woman felt she was doing great service to God. The poor woman had no prayer room or idols at all. She had no money to afford incense and beautiful pearl-colored candles, alas, she could not even pick rose petals without her neighbors being upset with her. The poor woman could not serve God, but in her heart, she saw God in every being, whether high or low. The rich woman had regular prayer sessions in her large, accommodating home, her entire village praising her for the lavishly beautiful decor of the stone idols. The entire world bowed to the rich woman, exclaiming, “wow, this is a true woman of God. She spends such great time and effort decorating her idols.” The poor woman was not accepted anywhere. The countrymen spat on her face and everywhere she visited, she received painful hatred. At the end of the day, however, she saw God in every being, and thanked Him for every drop of water and ounce of grain she was given. One day, the poor woman and rich woman crossed on the same path. The poor woman, looking at the beautiful and resplendent face of the rich woman, offered her a smile and a warm “Jai Raam Ji”. The rich woman, with a disgusted look on her face, declared “stay away from me, you faithless wretch! I must not come in the guise of such poor, tasteless women as you!” Which woman is a greater devotee of God? She who follows various rituals and who the world obeys as righteous, but who hurts the hearts of God’s devotees? Or she who cries alone at night, repenting any moment that she hurt another soul created by the Lord? sabhanaa man maanik t(h)aahan mool machaa(n)gavaa || jae tho pireeaa dhee sik hiaao n t(h)aahae kehee dhaa ||130|| |
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