LIKE THE SHOOTING OF AN ARROW FROM A BOW

 
Meher Baba has said: "All spiritual work is strengthened by opposition. It is like the shooting of an arrow from a bow; the more you pull the bow-string the further the arrow flies." An example of this is as follows:

A disciple of Abdul Quddus of Gangoh was to visit Delhi and he asked his Master how to locate the spiritual chargeman of the city. The Master gave the disciple details of the saint and said: "He sells firewood in the marketplace and invariably comes there in the evening with timber loaded on his head."

The disciple reached Delhi, and in due time found the saint. He was occupied as it was said he would be, and the disciple was able to observe him from a distance.

A customer approached the firewood seller and asked him the price of the bundle of wood. On being told that the price was four annas and a few paise, the customer asked him to bring the bundle to his home. On reaching the destination, however, the man gave the saint only four annas and refused to pay the extra few coins. A heated argument ensued, and then finally the saint was severely man-handled and kicked off the property.

The saint then went home and gave his wife the four annas. She demanded to know why it was only that amount, and when told that that was all he was able to earn, she flew into a rage and gave him a sound thrashing with hands and tongue.

The disciple, who had observed all this, was greatly mystified, and at a later opportunity said to the saint: "Sir, your spiritual status is very exalted among the saints of the day and yet you lead a distressful and harsh life. Will you please explain to me?"

The saint replied: "My achievement and position in the spiritual world are the outcome of the temperamental make-up of my wife. Before I go to the market, my wife fixes arbitrarily the price of the firewood, and if that is not obtained then she treats me as you have witnessed. Today's amount was four annas and a few paise. In this I failed and as a result I suffered abuses and beatings at two places."