Attachment - spiritual story

*From the diary of an alumnus*

  _Spirituality in one line_

 

Swami once asked us, "*What is spirituality? Tell Me in one line!"*

 

We thought and thought, but could not sum up spirituality in one line. The Divine Lord, the master of spirituality, finally, gave the succinct and revelatory answer.

 

*"Spirituality is nothing but to 'leave' when you are alive what you have to 'leave' when you die."*

 

One student decided to find an opportune moment to pray to Swami to clarify how we could leave things that we are so much attached to.

 

Therefore, when the student was blessed with a personal interview, he literally demanded that Swami graciously condescend to explain how to let go of attachment. "Swami, You are Divine, so it is easy for You to leave anything You want whenever You want; but for us it is not that easy to drop off our attachment to material things. Yet You so easily advise us to, 'Leave, leave, leave!' "

 

Swami did not give an oral reply, but called for a student and asked him to get Him a small bucket of water.

 

_Swami asked the student to hold the water filled bucket in his hand with his arm stretched out_

"_Don't lower the bucket till I ask you to!" Swami cautioned._

 

The student obediently took the small bucket of water and lifted it with his arm stretched out. In the beginning holding up the light bucket it was a piece of cake. But as the seconds changed to minutes, the bucket seemed to become heavier and heavier, and the student began to squirm uncomfortably to maintain his balance and keep the arm stretched out. If he held on, it was only due to the Divine command! But even so, soon enough, it became excruciatingly painful to keep the bucket in the desired position. The student desperately tried to meet Swami's eyes to show his extreme discomfort and his strength giving out! But Swami pretended not to notice him.

 

All life for the student was reduced to somehow using his will power to keep the bucket in position and trying to ignore his torturous ordeal. His muscles shrieked with pain and exhaustion and he felt that any moment the bucket would slip out of his grip. The pain was truly unbearable. He moaned and made sounds of pain to catch Swami's attention.

 

Swami's twinkling lotus eyes fell compassionately on the student struggling with all his physical strength and will power to keep the bucket in position. The Lord's beautiful lips shaped into a broad smile. "You can keep the bucket down now!" He said.

 

Those were the sweetest words that the student had ever heard in his life. The student promptly lowered the bucket with a loud sigh of relief and a couple of deep breaths!

 

*Swami asked him, "Tell Me now, what is easy to hold on or to let go?"*

 

_The student had his answer in the most practical way possible!