Eknath Maharaj - Control of anger Part -1.

Control of anger is the first step in the attempt of spiritual progress.Due to anger we have to face many unpleasant consequences.Anger  also triggers other emotions in us such as fear, jealousy, selfishness, disappointment, helplessness so on..

Today we will read a very valuable story from Swami Samartha Ramdas Vijayam book, which are incidents that took place in  great Saint Ekanath Maharaj's life.

 Nobody ever saw  Ekanath Maharaj angry and nothing could make him lose his temper.One fine day few people in the village decided to test his patience and make him angry.They thought, as he is very pious and devotional if any situation was created that would disturb his Pooja rituals he may be disturbed and loss his temper.They hired a man to do this work, and promised to pay him few expenses for his daughter's marriage if he succeeds in making Maharaj angry.The man being helpless, as he needed some finance for his daughter's marriage agrees to try and do his best.

  The man enters Ekanath Maharaj's pooja room with shoes, thinking that this act would definitely make him lose his temper.Seeing Maharaj not losing his temper, he decides to sit on his lap with shoes.Alas! Maharaj did not loss his temper, instead he calls out his wife saying, "See dear! Your son is here". The man now decides to sit in Maharaj's wife's lap, thinking this act will make Maharaj loss his temper and he will succeed in making him angry.But to his utter surprise she also treats him as his son.This makes him feel disappointed as he could not succeed in making Maharaj loss his temper, and starts crying as he lost a chance to get some help for his daughter's marriage.

 Maharaj asks him the reason for  sorrow and also what made him do this kind of act.The man narrates the whole incident. Maharaj listens to him, understands his situation and gives him more money than the villagers agreed to pay him if he succeeds in making Maharaj lose temper.Also, Maharaj comes up with a plan where in the man could also get paid from the villagers.

 Maharaj says that he would run behind the man as if he is mad on him..and he can tell the villagers that he succeeded in making Maharaj lose his temper.In this way he will have enough money for his daughter's marriage. Maharaj and the man act in the same way..the villagers are finally happy thinking they succeeded in making Maharaj lose his temper.The man with Maharaj's blessings could get enough help for his daughter's marriage.

Maharaj was happy and feeling blessed that he was blessed with an opportunity to help someone who was helpless.He neither thinks bad of the villagers nor the person who behaved bad with him.