Once Saint Dnyaneshwar Maharaj went out for a walk on the river bank in the morning. Near the river he saw a child diving into the water. At some distance, a monk was sitting meditating with his eyes closed. Then suddenly the child went into deep water and started drowning. Understanding the seriousness of the situation, Dnyaneshwar Maharaj immediately jumped into the river and brought the child out safely. After this he called the monk. When the monk opened his eyes, Dnyaneshwar Maharaj asked him – “Are you meditating?”
The monk replied, “No Maharaj, the mind wanders again and again.” Dnyaneshwar Maharaj again asked – “When the child was drowning, didn’t you see him?” The monk said, “I saw it, but I was sitting in meditation.” Hearing this, Dnyaneshwar Maharaj said with compassion – “How will you get success through such meditation? The Lord had given you the opportunity of service and service was your first duty. If you had followed that duty, your meditation would have automatically become stable. The Lord’s creation is His garden. If the garden is getting ruined and we only meditate on its beauty, then it is not devotion, it is neglect. If you want to enjoy the garden, you will have to learn to groom it also.”
This incident becomes more relevant in today’s times. If our neighbor is sleeping hungry and we are engrossed in worship, then it is self-deception to believe that we are doing some virtuous work. That hungry man is also an image of the same God whom we seek in temples. Providing food to the hungry, support to the sad and help to the helpless is as big a religion as chanting mantra or aarti. God has given sentience to man not only for worship but also for service. Devotion done by ignoring any creature, nature or society cannot please the Lord. True spiritual practice is that in which man tries to beautify God’s creation through his actions. Only spiritual practice related to service paves the way for spiritual peace.