An extract from the book “Snacks For The Soul” by Dada J. P. Vaswani.
There is a lovely story about a teacher who set out to seek God. He started off his journey in search of the heavenly world and, after much wandering, arrived at its gates. "Who are you'?" asked the gatekeeper. "A teacher," he replied. The gatekeeper told him to wait, "I shall go in and report." He returned after a while and told the teacher, "I'm afraid you will have to return. The Master says that there is no place in the heaven for teachers." True it was since so many teachers were no more than traders in words. They lived in a world of vanity and were proud of their little learning, and loved to parade it. How could there be a place in the heaven for such as them?
The teacher was disheartened and began to retrace his steps back to the earth. Just as he was about to leave the portals of paradise he heard a divine voice. "O teacher, the dust of dead words clings to thee. Go and wash thy self of this dust in the waters of silence" The teacher spent some time in silence. He entered, deeper and deeper, into the silence of the soul within him. Once again, he heard the voice, A true teacher is a friend. He is a friend to his fellow teachers, a friend to his pupils, a friend to all men and birds and animals. The true teacher is a friend to each and every creation of the Almighty Lord." The teacher understood well, the meaning of these words. He then spoke, "May I be a friend to all, a friend to men, birds and animals, a friend to all who suffer and who are in pain. May I be a friend to every tree and flower, every stone and stream! May I be a true friend to all!" Even as he breathed out this prayer, the portals of paradise opened to him. Angels from paradise came out to welcome him, "Blessed among mortals are you! Come in and behold the Master!"
Sadhu Vaswani Mission Web Site - sadhuvaswani.org
