“Blessings” are thrown around and used by almost anyone causing its real meaning to be downplayed to such an extent that people often ask the question: How can we calculate the “amount” of blessings one may possess? This is a very difficult question to answer but its dynamics can be deduced from one simple story.
One day, a king decided that his desert kingdom was in dire need of a temple or place of worship so that his community could pray together and enjoy the benefits of communal worship. The problem that the king encountered in his particular kingdom was that there were very few people who wanted to help build this temple and even fewer who were healthy and fit enough to do the hard tasks. The problem was solved by depending heavily on horses, cattle, camels and other work animals to move the heavy boulders and transport them to the site. The desert land was harsh; food and water were scarce and the building of the temple became a daily struggle with many obstacles facing the king, his people and the animals upon which they depended. However, after some time, the temple was finally completed and the king was very proud of how it was constructed. The king decided to give out an award to the hardest working person that aided tremendously in the building of the temple. He was in a quandary, however, and had to ask his guru for advice.
Upon receiving the guru’s guidance, the king called all the workers and told them that he was going to give out an award to the hardest working person. All the workers were happy and were eager to receive this great award. They all thought that they worked harder than the next person and so on. In the crowd, the king pointed to an old bent woman that can barely stand due to her condition. The crowd separated and when the people saw who he was pointing too, they became perplexed and annoyed at the king’s decision. The old woman herself was confused as to why the king was pointing in her direction. The king smiled and went up to her. He then asked the old woman to explain to the crowd what she did to help in the construction of this temple.
She explained, “Oh king, I am confused as to why you have chosen me. However, as my King, you have instructed me to say what I have done. I cannot even support myself. I cannot stand straight. I cannot walk further than a few yards. I cannot lift anything but my walking stick. I wish I could have helped in some way in the construction of the temple but my physical condition has stressed me greatly. However, as time went by and food and water became scarce in this desert heat, I realised that the animals were becoming weaker and weaker and if they weren’t strong enough, the temple would never be completed. I tried my best to feed them and give them water during the night when everyone slept. After some time, I could not find enough food and had to use the roof of my hut and the straw from my bed to feed them. I didn’t mind, I knew that they needed it more than I did and without them the temple would never be completed. This is all king, this is all I did.…”
When the crowd heard what this woman did, they realised that the sacrifice she made was far greater than all of them put together. Prayer, fasting and meditation helps one receive blessings. However, the “yoga of action” as Shri Krishna states in the Bhagwat Gita is far greater in helping us to achieve more and receive more blessings. Her actions resulted in the award. The “blessings” that she received was as a result of the greater actions that she performed. Therefore, the answer is simple: Our blessings are calculated by the actions we perform. The greater the actions and sacrifice, the greater the blessings we receive.
By Pundit Varistha Persad
