In the middle of the night Ramdas was seated on his bed meditating. His disciples were sleeping in adjacent rooms. Suddenly a middle-aged but beautiful widow came into Ramdas’ room and embraced him. Ramdas became furious and wanted to strike her. When he shouted aloud, his disciples came in. All of them wanted to beat the woman mercilessly, but she immediately cried out, “I was sent by the head of the village to test your celibacy. I am innocent. Please forgive me.” And she began to weep bitterly.

The disciples were moved to tears and sympathised with her. But the Master did not forgive her. He said to her, “I will not forgive you, for I know you could have easily ignored the request or command of the head of your village. It is not his request or command, it is his money-power that has compelled you to come to me; therefore, I shall not forgive you. Go home.”

The widow went home crying and sobbing.

Commentary:

Money-power and temptation-power are two neighbours. These two friends are extremely fond of each other. In course of time they look around and find a few more friends. Money-power makes a special attempt to make friends with pride and vanity. Temptation-power makes a special attempt to make friends with the lower vital. In most cases, members of a family or friends all stay together. Here we try to separate them and put an end to their friendship so that we can hear the message of perfect oneness.

After we have separated them they will be weakened, true, but there is no guarantee that they will lose all their power. What shall we do then? We shall have to transform them radically. In order to transform them, we advise money-power to enter into the world of dedicated service. We advise temptation-power to enter into the world of aspiration. We advise the lower vital to enter into the pure heart, the heart that always listens to the soul and devotedly sees eye to eye with the soul. Money-power becomes satisfaction-power only when it is used in service to God. Temptation-power becomes satisfaction-power only when it is used as aspiration-power. The lower vital becomes satisfaction-power only when it is used as illumination-power.

Sri Chinmoy