The sculptor

Today Sri Swami Vishwananda shares the following story with us:

Once there was a boy. He was studying sculpture. His father was his teacher. He was a well-known sculptor. So he will study and after some time the father said “My son now it’s time for you to go and study further in this school”. So he went to school to study. He went to college to study and he became very, very, very good in the art of sculpturing and everybody flatted him- Everybody. Whenever he will make a beautiful statue, everybody flatted him, saying “Oh your statue is so perfect, so good.” But when he shows this statue to the father, the father will always find something negative into the sculpture. Even if this people would say it’s perfect, it’s very beautiful, but the father would say “No, it’s wrong”. So, after years and years, the son started to think "Why my father always said that I have some defects in the statue?" So, one day an idea crossed his mind. He said to one of his close friends “Here, I have sculptured this beautiful sculpture, I would like you to bring this statue to my father and say that you have sculptured this statue and I will hide and listen.” So, the friend brought the statue to the father of the boy. When the father saw the statue, such a beauty, such a finesse in the statue, he started praising the sculpture and also the sculptor. He said "For sure who ever has sculptured this statue, should be a very great artist." And as he was praising, the son came out from the hiding and said: “Father, I sculptured the statue. I am the sculptor of this statue. I sculptured it. This is my statue. You always find defects in the statue, but right now you are praising the statue. Tell me now what do you see as defects in the statue?” Then the father said “Okay my son, now its time for you to know the truth.” He said :“These statues you have carved were always perfect, but I have never told you. From the beginning they were perfect, they were very good, but I have never told you that, for your ego and pride not to stop you. Who you are today, is because every time that I have said there is a defect, you have tried to improve yourself. But if from the beginning I would have told you "Yes, you are right what would have happened? You would have stopped your progressing. The ego would have taken place and you would have stopped everything." Hearing that the son fell at his father’s feet and said “Really you are a great teacher” and from that moment he didn’t stop progressing.

The same thing is in spiritual life also .You see when little things happen in one's life, very often people put in on such a big platform, forgetting the greatness that such a little thing can show.

So, if one forgets about the tiny things, the ego, the pride and is humble one will attain discipline, one will attain His love and one will get greater things.