No Place for Status and Pride in a Temple

No Place for Status and Pride in a Temple

— Nārāyaṇasvāmī

A wealthy man came to Pramukh Swami and bowed respectfully. After some pleasantries, Pramukh Swami asked, "When do you come to Akṣardhām?"

"I came twice, but no one gave me any special attention. My pride was hurt, so I stopped coming."

Pramukh Swami smiled and said, "That's alright. No one is at fault."

The man felt a little better. Then Swami asked, "Where do you live?"

"In Delhi."

"I hear the President of India is visiting your area the day after tomorrow. Did you know?"

"How wonderful! I will definitely go with flowers to see him."

"But what if he doesn't accept your flowers — would you feel insulted?"

"Not at all. Many people will be there. I'm going just for his darshan. Whether he takes the flowers or not doesn't matter. Showing respect is my duty."

Swami gently said, "When you go to see a great leader, you don't expect special treatment — you just go with humility. The same should be true when visiting God's temple. Feeling hurt because no one honored you or gave you a special seat — is that the right attitude for going to a temple?"

The man felt ashamed. He apologized, left, and from that day began visiting the temple regularly.

-Balmodini July 2024