Once a hermit was walking along with his disciples through a dense forest. Suddenly, the skies darkened and it was evident that soon thundershowers were going to start. Assuming the worst, hermit told his disciples that they would rest at the nearest shelter till the rains stopped.
Soon a disciple spotted a dilapidated shelter and told his master that they could rest there. The hermit agreed. As they were about to reach the shelter a thunder struck and it was about to fall on the disciples. But wonder of wonders, it never fell, and seemed to hover above in mid air and all of them were surprised.
The hermit closed his eyes for a minute and prayed. After a minute he said “Students! One of us has done an unpardonable sin. The thunder is waiting to strike one of us who has sinned.”
The hermit also told them that each one of them should run over from the shelter to the tree right across. So as per the advice of their guru, the students went one after the other to stand under the tree. All the four disciples reached the tree unharmed and returned. They looked at each other and said “All of us returned unharmed. So that means our guru is the sinner. To think that we chose to be his disciples.”
Now it was the turn of the hermit to go across to the tree and return. As soon as he stepped out of the shelter, the thunder fell on the unsuspecting disciples and the four of them fell dead.
The hermit sat amidst the dead bodies and cried “Oh god! I am older than them, I should have died and you could have spared them their lives.”
Immediately a heavenly voice was heard. “Oh hermit! Don’t worry. It was their fate. Also, due to your powers they could have been saved, but since they doubted their guru, their sin doubled which is why they deserve death.”
!!!
So they were saved till then because of the guru’s goodness but doubting him sealed their fate?
How beautiful!! My eyes are wet!