Today is the Jayanti of Sri Sarada Devi, belovedly called Holy Mother, the divine consort of Bhagavan Sri Ramakrishna.
In the religious history of India, there have been several great avataaras who have given “blank cheques” to humanity. It is up to us to use them. Sri Sarada Devi said once, “Whenever you are in distress, remember you have Mother. Don’t worry.” Just simple faith in Her gives tremendous strength to face life. Problems dissolve like morning mist vanishing as the sun rises.
Similar “blank cheques” have been given by Rama and Krishna too. Rama says, abhayam sarva bhutebhyo dadaami etat vratam mama. Valmiki Ramayan (6-18-33). It is Rama’s vrata (resolve) that he will protect anyone who takes refuge in him. Krishna says, na me bhakta pranashyati. Bhagavad Gita (9.31). A devotee of Krishna is never destroyed.
After all the intellectual gymnastics and exertion by work, it is these “blank cheques” that give real strength.
There was a rich father who owned a huge factory. He had a son who had just completed college. The father employed his son as an executive in the factory, a position that is just right for a person of his qualification. Now, how does the son go about in the office? He need not fear anyone. His father is the owner of the entire factory. Everyone in the company are working for his father. And the son will be honest and hardworking because it is his father’s name that is at stake. He does not desire for anything in the company. Everything is his father’s. We are the same situation. This is the Lord’s world and we are all his children. The Lord has placed us where we are in good faith. It is our duty to do whatever is expected. We need not fear. It is a way of showing gratitude to the Lord who has given us whatever we have.
On this holy day, let us remember Mother and her “blank cheque”. Let us live our lives with truth and honesty, and show our gratitude to her by our actions.
Credit-ors were closing in on him,suppliers were demanding payment,etc..etc. He sat on the park bench, head in hands, wondering if anything could save his company from being bankrupt.
Suddenly, an old man appeared before him. “I can see that something is troubling you,” he said. After listening to the executive’s woes, the old man said, “I believe I can help you.”
He asked the man his name, wrote out a cheque, and pushed it into his hand saying, “Take this money. Meet me here exactly one year from today, and you can pay me back at that time.”
Then he turned and disappeared as quickly as he had come.
The business executive saw in his hand a cheque for £500,000, signed by John D. Rockefeller, then one of the richest men in the world!
“I can erase my money worries in an instant!” he realized. But instead, the executive decided to put the uncashed cheque in his safe. Just knowing it was there might give him the strength to work out a way to save his business, he thought.
With renewed optimism, he negotiated better deals and extended terms of payment. He closed several big sales. Within a few months, he was out of debt and making money once again.
Exactly one year later, he returned to the park with the uncashed cheque. At the agreed-upon time, the old man appeared. But just as the executive was about to hand back the cheque and share his success story, a nurse came running up and grabbed the old man.
“I’m so glad I caught him!” she cried. “I hope he hasn’t been bothering you. He’s always escaping from the rest home and telling people he’s John D. Rockefeller.”
And she led the old man away by the arm.
The astonished executive just stood there, stunned!!!!!!
All year long he’d been wheeling and dealing, buying and selling, convinced he had half a million pounds behind him.
Suddenly, he realized that it wasn’t the money, real or imagined, that had turned his life around. It was his newfound self-confidence that gave him the power to achieve anything he went after!!!!!!!