The doors will break
Why is man afraid of man? Nature has given equally to all men. Yet discrimination in behaviour is more marked within mankind than in anything or anywhere else. The inequality of his behaviour has plagued man as much as none other.
This incident happened at that time when we were walking from Meerat towards Agra. It was afternoon and we wanted to take a break and stop somewhere. We saw a lot of hustle and bustle occurring near the road. There were some shops there including one which seemed empty. We decided to stop here, and we asked the people who were around, ‘Is there any possibility for us to rest here’. One shopkeeper said, ‘Yes, you can stay.’ The day passed and the shopkeeper said, ‘We are now returning to our village and you should also leave now. No one stays here at night, this place is not safe for you people. This bus which is standing in front here is the last bus. Now, no traveller will come here. Take this bus and go somewhere else.’ Walking to another village after sunset was not possible for us. Pujya Bade Maharaj said, ‘We will stay here, close the doors and pass the night sitting inside.’
It was around 11pm at night and some four or five people started banging on the door. We said from inside, ‘We will not open the door.’
The hoarse voice of one of the men’s was audible from outside, saying ‘Kick and break down the door.’ Another said, ‘No, we should not destroy the shop, otherwise how will we conduct our business? If with our straight talk they do not open the doors, then let us try abusive language.’
Upon hearing this, Bade Maharaj, shielding us, opened the door and facing them, said, ‘We, sadhvis, only have blessings to give, we have no money or possessions. We are your guests.’
All were armed. One man, sounding drunk, raised his weapon and said, ‘Old woman, be quiet! Otherwise, I will hurt you.’ Another remarked, ‘Whoever stops here is not destined to see the sun in the morning.’
I was not comfortable remaining quiet and sheltering behind in safety. Pujya Bai Maharaj was holding me back from stepping outside. However, I broke from her grip, stepped outside and said, ‘Brothers! Will you behave like this with your mother and sisters? When I have said you are a brother, then you have to observe the duties of a brother. Still, if you want to hurt us, then we are standing. We are not afraid to die. You have to decide.’
With those words it seemed as though a miracle had unfolded.
Before I could say anything further to them, they folded their hands, and said, ‘Mataji, we have made a grave mistake, please forgive us. We will stay outside here and protect you. You take rest.’
They all had calmed down and were in a position to listen to me. I took advantage of this opportunity and added, ‘In future also you must behave well with others. If you behave like good humans, then people will listen to you and there will be no need to threaten to break down the door.’
They responded respectfully, ‘Mataji! We make a promise that from today we will not do anything bad.’ I kept thinking that in fact human beings are not criminals from within. Due to lack of good values in life, a person turns in the wrong direction. This is why there is a need for a guru in life, who can sculpt a beautiful statue out of stone.
