Fear of pride
Once there lived a farmer in a village. He was an extremely simple person, kind-hearted and a man of virtues. He was loved and respected by other villagers. Pleased with his conduct, God appeared before him and said, “I am very happy about your behavior and I want to give you a boon; May I give you the power by which if you touch a person with your hand, he will get cured of his diseases?”
The man said, “Oh, no. That will make me too proud and arrogant. I don’t want it”.
The God said, “Then I will make you a pundit so that you can teach others”. The man said, “No. It will make me a proud person who boasts about his knowledge. I don’t want it”.
The God said, “I will make you a Guru; you can be an example for others to emulate”. The man refused it again and said “No. Others will start glorifying me and fall at my feet. I will get very proud if it happens”.
“Then choose what you want,” said God. The farmer said, “Please bless me that wherever I am and whoever I meet, let goodness happen to others, without my knowledge. Let people who get benefitted by my presence should not even know that it happened because of me”. God felt very pleased and he blessed him.
The man lived his life as usual. Wherever he went ane whomsoever he met good things happening around him. Neither he felt it nor anyone could sense that he radiated such a power. But somehow people started calling him “shadow of compassion”.
