Tag: Mahatma Gandhi

One day in Dakshineswar we had a long discussion with Swami Niranjanananda, a friend of ours, about whether human beings have free will; then we went to the Master for the definitive answer. The Master listened to us debate for a while and was amused. He then said seriously: “Is there any free will for anyone? Everything is happening and will happen eternally by God’s will. People understand this eventually. Let me give you an example: Here is a cow tied to a post with a long tether. She can walk one cubit from the post or up to the whole length of the tether.

The enclosed post has been excerpted from Swami Chetanananda’s beautiful write-up on the Holy Mother Sarada Ma. It showcases the lessons we can learn from the way Mother conducted herself through frustrating life events. Swami Chetanananda is a monk with the Ramakrishna Mission who has written many beautiful books. You can download and read Swami Chetanananda’s full essay on the Holy Mother

In it Mother narrates an incident from the Ramayana, which acts as a wonderful metaphor for the truth that sincerity is a quality which endears us to others and causes people to place their trust in us. A sincere person is tremendously valued for their integrity and so when such a person decides to speak up against an injustice, he or she is easily able to pierce through and destroy the false and hypocritical clouds of propaganda, which obstruct the vision of many, as people sit up and take notice of their words.