AJIT KUMAR BISHNOI says in tough times, God helps those who follow dharma
The following story is of two girls who came from middle class families. let me name them Seema and Preeti. Seema was attracted to material objects from very early in her childhood. She would routinely pester her parents for new toys, things to eat, etc. Preeti, on the other hand, was a disciplined child. This phenomenon could be somewhat explained by the environment they grew up in. Seema’s father was a Government servant, who made extra money by taking bribes. He was careful to hide this fact from his children, but his lifestyle gave him away. He drank with friends and came home late quite frequently. This fact was not hidden from his children.
Preeti’s father worked in a private company, and tried to manage within the salary he earned. He had no bad habits. Contrarily, he was a devout Hindu and regularly went to temples. Preeti was always keen to accompany him. He also spent some time every day sitting in meditation. Preeti was an inquisitive child. She had many questions and her father was happy to answer them.
During the schooling years, Seema, though not such a good student, attracted a lot of attention from the boys in her class due to her good looks. And she loved it. Preeti was very different. Though she was of average looks but she also attracted a lot of attention from her peers, but due to an entirely different reason: She was brilliant in studies. Her group was the most disciplined in the class, whereas the children Seema spent time with were raucous. Teachers had to discipline them frequently.
Both girls finished school and went different ways. Seema could only get admission in an ordinary college, where children of many rich families studied. Preeti got admission in a prestigious college due to her excellent marks. Students in this institution were generally serious about their studies. Soon she found a good girl who also came from a similar background. Preeti was thrilled because she could discuss with her about religious and spiritual matters. She had a strong urge to know what dharma truly is. She wanted to live her life based ondharma. Meanwhile, Seema had found a few rich boys who were ready to splurge money on her. They bought expensive gifts for her. This fact did not remain hidden from her family, but they were unable to restrain her.
At this juncture of their lives, they faced entirely different challenges. Preeti’s father suffered a grievous fall and was incapacitated. He had to take premature retirement. Now they had to manage in less, but Preeti was not discouraged. She prayed to god for help and was soon rewarded. She won an elusive scholarship. This helped and the family could manage. Seema was in an entirely different world. Now she was meeting boys openly and came home late whenever she chose. Her family was aghast by her behaviour but they were unable to do anything.
College over, Preeti looked for a job. It was difficult for her due to her ordinary looks even though she possessed excellent credentials, but she persevered and, ultimately, landed a lucrative job with an MNC. Her family faced similar difficulty in finding a match for her but, again, success came; she was married to a like-minded person, which made her very happy. While Preeti’s life was improving by leaps and bounds, Seema was going from bad to worse. She got married to a rich boy, who soon divorced her.
What was the difference between the two girlsIJ Why did one succeed and the other failed miserably in spite of her good looksIJ The answer is: If someone followsdharma and is connected to god, he helps such persons in meeting challenges; they are able to cross all impediments which come their way. Those who are treading the path ofadharma and are faithless, end up as failures because problems in their lives turn into disasters with no help available from any quarters. I welcome your comments.
Bishnoi is a spiritual writer and can be reached at spiritual@ajitbishnoi.com