Jealousy is not the answer

There was once a spiritual Master who had about forty disciples. These disciples were extremely jealous of one particular disciple named Khaga. In front of him they used to show false love, false concern, false respect. But when he was not there, they used to meet together and speak ill of him and mock him.

The Master felt very sorry for that particular disciple. The Master said to himself, "He is so devoted to me, he is so spiritual." One day the Master invited all the disciples to come to him. Needless to say, Khaga also was there. In front of Khaga, the Master said to all the disciples, "Now look here. You are all jealous of my Khaga. Tell me, are you people sincere?"

They said, "Yes, we are sincere."

"If you are really sincere, let me ask you one thing. Is there anybody who loves me more than Khaga does? Then stand up."

Nobody stood up. "Is there anybody who is more devoted to me than Khaga is? Stand up."

Nobody stood up.

"Is there anybody who is more surrendered to me than Khaga? Then stand up."

Nobody stood up.

"Look at you! Here is the proof that he loves me much more than you do, that he has devoted his life to me and surrendered to me much more than you people have done. Such being the case, does he not deserve my utmost love? Does he not deserve to be my closest disciple?

"Just because you are sincere, you could not stand up. You know perfectly well that he loves me most and has surrendered to me most. I deeply admire your sincerity."

Then the Master called up one of his disciples to come and stand before him, and he said, "Dikka, among the disciples who are jealous of Khaga, you are the worst. Here, I am giving you a mirror. Look at your nose; then look at your eyes. Your eyes, according to me, are much more beautiful than your nose. But your nose is not jealous of your eyes, because you consciously feel that your nose and your eyes belong to the same body. You feel that they are one. Now look at your toe and look at your forehead. Your toe is so dirty and your forehead is so beautiful. But your toe is not jealous of your forehead.

"Now here is the thing. When you have established your oneness with something, then you do not feel jealous. If something in you is not as good as something else, you don't feel jealous, because both the things belong to you. The thing that is inferior is yours and the thing that is superior is also yours. So how can you be jealous of anything?

"There are two things that usually go together. One thing is jealousy and the other thing is hatred. Just because you people are jealous of Khaga, you think that he hates you. He knows all about your jealousy, but I wish to tell you that he does not hate you at all. On the contrary, he suffers. Because you are jealous of him, his loving heart has not been able to establish oneness with you. You people ought to feel sorry that you do not love him the way he loves you.

"It is I who have made him closest to me. It is I who can make you closest to me if I want to. But just because you are not devoted, because you are not surrendered to me the way he is, you are not closest to me, to my heart and soul. By becoming jealous of someone, you cannot become closest to me. Become like him in every way, and only then will you be close to me. Through love, devotion and surrender only can you become closest to the Master."