By: Dwarika Mohan Misra
Dattatreya Sai Ashram situated in Kapilah, Dhenkanal in Odisha is surrounded by green trees and the verdant foliage is spreading the message of Sai Baba, in an inimitable manner. They have not only beautified the Ashram but also the people who visit the Ashram.
A tree lives in the same world as the one in which we live. But, there is a difference. People’s lives are marred by tension, malice, hate and violence, whereas all these negative features are totally missing from the tree culture. Man is like a walking tree, but fails to follow the culture of the tree in his source of complaint, hate and stress, this same world has a different meaning for a tree. The beauty we see in the tree has come from this very world – it has not been imported by it from outer space. How was this possible for the tree? The reason is that the tree, by nature, has adopted the art of conversion: converting things to one’s own advantage.
What does the tree do? It takes minerals and water from the soil and convert them into food for itself. It takes sun light and convert it into chemical energy which is then used to fuel its activities. This is the result of the art of conversion. My Guru, Sri Ganeshnathji Maharaj of Bhima Shankar has advised us to take this silent message as a means of spiritual food for us. Make the whole world a global source of your personality development. You will be able to live in this world as a complaint-free person.
For example, if someone says something against you, turn it into a point for discussion. If somebody speaks ill of you, make that a source of self-discovery. If you are discriminated, then draw the lesson to develop that missing quality in you. If someone provokes you, ignore it. If someone makes you angry, forgive him. Sri Narasimha Swamiji prayed for the welfare of a person who used to throw garbage on him daily!
Adopt the culture of the tree in one’s own life. If you throw a stone at a tree, it will give you a fruit in return. This is the highest kind of positive behavior. By adopting this positive behavior, you can make the whole world turn in your favor just as the tree does. This is Sai Baba’s message.
Leave a Reply