Conquer Ego to conquer the world | Sudhanshu Ji Maharaj

Published by Sudhanshu Ji Maharaj at May 20, 2022

Conquer Ego to conquer the world

Upon completion of his studies a student went to his Guru to express his gratitude towards him. He said, “O respected Satguru, with your grace I have completed my education, I have been able to discover myself; I have peace of mind and a feeling of great satisfaction. I now earnestly feel that I should make an offering of gratitude to you. Kindly tell me what I can humbly offer you.”

Responding to the request of his disciple, he said, “If you wish to give me something then bring something that is most useless in the world and which has no value, which cannot be used for anything, and, which is disliked by everyone in the world.” The student started looking around for that useless thing and is of no use to anyone. He found stones and pebbles useless. He picked up one to check it out. He heard an invisible voice, “You are making a mistake to consider me as useless.

That one is very valuable indeed.

These stones help lay the foundations of homes. Huge and beautiful forts and palaces are standing on these stones / rocks; the idols of Gods and Goddesses are made out of stones.” Upon hearing this, the student came to realize that these stones are of great value and use.

The disciple moved forward and found a piece of rotten dry wood lying on the way. It was an old and rotten piece and has no owner. He decided to pick it up since it was lying on the way serving no purpose. As he bent down to pick it up he heard, “You think that I am useless and of no value. I have been useful to humans from his birth to death.” Then the wood started recounting its utility and usefulness. The disciple was surprised and realized that this useless object is of great value and use.

The wood further said, “You are indeed a novice. From your birth and in your upbringing, I am used in yagnas, rituals and even in cremation.” Upon hearing this, the eyes of the disciples opened wide and came to realize that anything and everything that is made by God is useful and of great value.

Everything from a straw to a stone is useful

He wondered as to what he should present to his Guru. He even tried to pick up the trash lying on wayside but then he heard, “Everything is valuable and useful. With this trash manure is naturally formed and the soil becomes fertile due to which food grows and fills up your stomach. If we do not transform ourselves into fertilizer the soil becomes inert and no grain or food could grow there; To provide man with nutritional food, milk and butter, fertile soil plays a major role and we, as trash, energize soil as fertilizer.”

Now with this exposure the disciple got disenchanted. He bowed before the Guru and said, “There is nothing in this world which is useless and of no value. Everything is valuable in their respective places. It is like each and every tooth in the mouth is useful in its respective place. Even the dead body is not useless. It is also put to many uses. I have now come to realize that nothing in this world is useless. If there is anything which is useless and of no value it is my ego. Ego is of no use to anyone in this world.”

The Guru felt very happy with the reply of his disciple. He smiled and said, “I am now sure and confident that the seed of knowledge that I have sowed in you has germinated successfully. This ego, my son, is the greatest enemy of man. This is world’s most useless thing. It is of no value to anyone. This ego does not allow anyone to grow and to
surrender or lie low. If man is not humble, does not bow low or surrender, he cannot rise.”

Satguru told his disciple

“O my dear son, this offer of gratitude to the Guru was a mere excuse. I wanted to test your wisdom and knowledge after obtaining education under your Guru. I wanted to be sure that you move forward in life with confidence and humility. If the man is able to recognize that ego is worthless and is able to overcome his ego, then he has the capacity to conquer the world.”