Water, not Ghee

By Acharya Shri Chandanaji

This incident happened when I was very young. My entire family had been invited by a neighboring village for a communal meal. We all went there and were very happy in partaking in the meal. Rice was being served together with lentils. I said to my mother, ‘Mother! I want ghee with the rice, please can I have ghee.’ Understanding the moment and the circumstances, mother replied with neither a yes nor a no. Instead she took a few drops of water from a glass and put them on the rice as if it was ghee.

Her silence and affection made me understand everything and without uttering a word, I started eating the rice as if the water was indeed ghee. Today, remembering that incident, I bow down respectfully to my mother. Had she really wanted to, she could have scolded me at that time. She could have admonished me and told me that we should not ask for things at other people’s houses or that if for one day, you have to eat rice without ghee, then what is the worst that can happen? Without reprimanding or criticizing me, my mother resolved the issue with love and spontaneity. Mother took my ignorance and innocence in her stride and came up with a solution which did not cause me any hurt.

Whenever I recall this incident, it matters not whether the solution was the right one or not; much more important is that the solution did not hurt my feelings at all. I express my deepest gratitude to my mother for planting in me as a child these nectar like seeds which have bloomed into flowers of spontaneity, straightforwardness and understanding.