The Greatest Sacrifice :
The old woman approached Buddha staggering on her legs, and offered to
him the pomegranate fruit. Buddha took it and immediately sounded the little
drum. The Maharaja asked Buddha: "I offered so much wealth to you. You did not
sound the drum. But you rattled it after receiving a small fruit. Is this a
great sacrifice?"
Buddha replied: "Maharaja! In sacrifice, it is not quantity that counts,
it is the quality of sacrifice that matters. It is natural for a Maharaja to
offer gold. But what great sacrifice is made when a hungry old woman offers the
pomegranate fruit to the Guru despite her hunger. She did not care even for her
life and gave the fruit. What greater sacrifice can there be? It is not
sacrifice to offer what is superfluous for you. True sacrifice means giving up
that which is most dear to you, that which you value most."
Source : Sanathana Sarathi, July 1998.
Om Sai Ram
