When it comes to spiritual matters I believe there is a lot of talk and not enough action. And by action, I mean the way one lives her life or the way one conducts his own business. The way we present ourselves to others just the way we are, without any throat-clearing or posturing, is a lot more effective way to communicate certain spiritual truths than mere lecturing. Indias great spiritual and political leader Mahatma Gandhi was one such soul who always tried to choose correct behavior over correct words. One day a mother brought her ten year old son to the great Mahatma. She asked Gandhi to tell the boy quit eating candies because it was ruining his teeth. Not now, was Gandhis answer. I have to make some preparations. He told them to come back in two weeks. Two weeks later, the mother again showed up with her son and asked for the same request. Then Gandhi simply told the boy: Quit eating candies and that was the end of that! The kid never ate candies again. Quite some time later, the mother revisited Gandhi to learn what exactly happened during those two weeks and what kind of a preparation he made to be that effective. Gandhi said: Simple. When you first came to me, I was also eating candies. People decide whats right and whats wrong not by the words we speak but by the lives we lead. |