SATHSANGHA MAKES A PERSON – STORY
A saint was camping in a village.
Most of the people in that village were drinkers. They did not abort their bad habits though their wives and relatives advised in many ways.
So, the wives went to that saint and cried:
“Swami, our husbands drink and abuse us every day. Please bless them and correct them”
The saint said:
“Don’t worry women. Just send your husbands to my camp. Let them stay with me for a week. They will become good persons”
The women went to their homes and begged their husbands to stay with the saint for seven days only.
(Also read this: ASSOCIATION MAKES A PERSON – STORY)
They forcibly brought their husbands to the camp of the saint.
Just on seeing the saint, everyone felt some kind of satva guna domination in them. They developed some kindness in their hearts.
Everyone wanted to do some service to the saint.
One went out and brought some food.
Another brought a bucket of water for the saint to bath.
Another brought some wood to fire and get hot water for the saint to bath.
Another person went to the river and washed the clothes of the saint.
Another person cleaned the camp of the saint.
Thus, everyone did some small service to the saint.
The saint was discussing with them about god, dharma, life after death, etc.
They took part in the pujas and worship of the saint.
One week ended.
The saint told them that they can go back to their homes.
No one wanted to leave the camp. They loved the simple life style and great knowledge of the saint. They had been attracted and reformed themselves.
In fact, they had forgotten the habit of drinking.
They fell on his feet and requested him to stay here for ever.
The saint assured them that he will stay there for some more days than planned.
Next day, all the wives came to the saint and fell at his feet.
They told with tears:
“Swamiji, how could you reform our husbands within seven days? It is a miracle”
The saint smiled and said:
“If a person associates with a devotee or renounced person, he gets purified because of the power of sanyasa and devotion of that saint. They too got rformed because they stayed with me for seven days”
The wives asked:
“How is such a reformation possible Swami?”
The saint told them to take a small stone from ground and throw in the river water.
They threw a small stone in the water. It drowned and disappeared in the water.
Then, the saint took another stone and kept that stone on a wood piece and kept on the river water.
The stone floated on water on the wood.
Now, the saint said:
“This is the power of association. Thee stone drowned in the water when it was alone. When the same stone associated with a wood, it was safe. Similarly, when even a strong sinner gets the sathsangha a good person, he will be prevented from drowning in material life and disappearing. This is what happened in your husbands’ case also.”
The women understood and got the blessings of that saint.
MORAL:
SATHSANGHA (DEVOTEE ASSOCIATION) IS THE CAUSE FOR BEING A GOOD OR BAD PERSON. WHEN WE ASSOCIATE WITH A PURE DEVOTEE, WE COME OUT OF EVEN THAT GOOD AND BAD AND BECOME PURE.
This is how, hundreds of drinkers could get reformed by the association of Srila Prabhupada that can be read in his life history.
(Also read this story: LET GOD DECIDES – STORY)