Dark Spotlight

Dark Spotlight

In one of the weekly discourses to a small group of disciples from the country, the subject of egoism was raised on several successive occasions. The speaker remarked that people who had done a little training were of course aware that they ought not to perform their good deeds to the sound of trumpets, as it were. “But,” he added, “there is a way of coughing when putting a gold coin in the collection bowl, which is really the same thing. Let our motto for a few weeks be: ‘No coughing when practising virtue.’”
As they left to return to the country, one woman disciple confided to her friend, “I cannot understand why when we are there the teacher keeps on talking about egoism as a great barrier.”
“Perhaps he thinks we are egoistic,” replied the other. “I always try to examine my conduct afterwards and usually find something on those lines.”
“You can speak for yourself of course—I have nothing to say about that. But me—how could anyone think me egoistic? I always keep in the background. I do all that service without any attempt at getting recognition for it. Why, I’m famous for my love of obscurity!”