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rest of the water out without thinking. His Master saw, but it was too late to stop him. He admonished his disciple, “Why did you throw out the water?"
"It was too much for your bath, Sir,” he answered.
“Yes, but what about the plants? There is always some thirsty life around. You could have given a life something to drink instead of throwing it away on the barren soil. Now go and meditate on each drop of water. See how precious it is.”
The student took these words seriously. He spent hours and days meditating on them. At last, he went to the teacher. "Now I am no longer this name you gave me. I am Drop of Water. I am a precious drop of energy. Not a drop is to be wasted in this process of life. I am using each drop to guide my life to the ocean, to my destination.” The teacher's words had penetrated his consciousness and transformed his life. Now he saw the meaning of preserving and not wasting water, energy, life.
The young Munishree understood better why monks were careful to conserve water in order not to harm a life unnecessarily. Whenever he used the water for his personal cleanliness, he remembered this story and took only that which he needed, not a drop in excess. In the same way, he came to use his energy wisely, carefully, for the preservation of life and for directing himself to the answer to his quest.
Once the Master admonished the monks for a small transgression. That night he got up and shook his students.
“Wake up!" “Master, what is it?" “I could not sleep! I want to do ālochana.”
Usually it was the student who confessed a mistake before the guru. This time it was the guru who wanted to bow before his students.
"For what do you want to do alochana, Master?” "I used harsh words today. I chastised you." “But what you said was good for us."
"It was good for you, yes, but not for me! I could not get rest! I must ask your forgiveness.”
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