Devotion

Mukhi was the head organizer in the ashram of the old master. He was largely responsible for running the day-to-day ashram business. He and the master loved each other immensely. There was little doubt that once the master transitioned into the beyond, Mukhi would take over the duties of the ashram.

Each night, Mukhi would massage the master's feet. It would also be the time for Mukhi to ask about spiritual matters. The master spent the day in meditation and normally was not available for any questions. But at night, when everything was calm, the master was more susceptible to inquiring spiritual minds.

However one particular night, Mukhi's question was not quite spiritual, "Master, who is your greatest disciple?" he asked. There was no doubt in his mind that it was Mukhi who the master would pick

A small hint of smile caressed the master's lips. It seemed like he was expecting this question from Mukhi. After pausing for a minute he said, "I would have a hard time deciding about that, but Mohna comes to mind."

Mukhi's heart froze.

Usually when the master answered Mukhi's question, Mukhi would not ask anything back; rather, he would ponder over it on for a day or two and then ask further questions. But today Mukhi's heart was trembling and he couldn't think straight.

So he blurted out, "Why?"

The master smiled, "That you have to see for yourself." This was said in a tone which clearly marked the end of the conversation.

That night was a difficult one for Mukhi. There was no doubt that Mohna was a good and decent person - he would come to the ashram once in a while and sometimes sit in meditation - but him the greatest disciple?!! In fact, Mukhi remembered several times when Mohna had not attended the main meditation session they held monthly.

Mohna lived about two hours walking distance from the master's abode. Mukhi decided to visit him the very next day. Mohna was overjoyed to see him. When Mukhi informed him that he planned to stay there for a few days, Mohna was overwhelmed and with tears, thanked him profusely.

In the following days, Mukhi kept a sharp eye on Mohna's daily routines. Quite surprisingly, Mohna did not wake up until 6 am. And even more shockingly, Mohna sat down for meditation for only 5 minutes before setting off to his farm. Mohna spent the day at the farm and at night, after dinner he did 5 minutes of meditation before dozing off.

After observing Mohna's schedule for a few days, Mukhi was quited baffled. He did not see a single spiritual thing that Mohna did that made him worthy of being the master's greatest disciple.

What Mukhi noticed was that Mohna was an extremely busy person. He worked very hard on the farm and was exhausted when he got home. He was so tired that he had trouble just staying up for supper. During meditation too, Mukhi saw him dozing off on several occasions. Mukhi repeatedly asked Mohna if indeed this was his daily routine; to which Mohna replied, "It gets even busier in the Summer."

After a few days, Mukhi, greatly perplexed, made his way back to the master. At the first chance he got, he blurted out, "Why is Mohna the greatest disciple? He spends all his day on the farm. In fact, he only meditates for 10 minutes everyday!"

"Only 10 minutes", Mukhi emphasized.

The master smiled and asked Mukhi, "And how much spare time does Mohna have?"

It was then that it all dawned onto Mukhi's mind.
"10 minutes," he dreamily replied.