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| A cobbler in his workshop in the back streets of Varanasi, India |
Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche: Tilopa killed fish, Saraha was an arrow smith, and Shavaripa a hunter. Anyone you meet, therefore, could actually be a fully matured bodhisattva who has assumed an ordinary appearance, or even an offensive one; so you should respect all beings and regard them as teachers.
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(from "Bijoy Krishna Goswami - His divine life and sermons"):
Often Bijoykrishna used to go to the secluded Eden Garden of Kolkata and engage in prayers. On going there he often used to see a cobbler repairing shoes. One day having got his own shoe repaired he offered money to the cobbler. The cobbler kept a little money and returned the rest to him. Bijoykrishna was greatly impressed by the cobbler displaying no greed. As the cobbler started walking on finishing his work, Bijoykrishna followed him. He noticed that the cobbler, after keeping his belongings inside the hole of a tree in a lonely place took a bath in the Ganga, applied tilak, etc., and walked towards Khidirpur. Bijoykrishna followed him silently. After some time that man entered a Math (monastery). Bijoykrishna too entered the Math and expressed his wish to meet the mahant to a volunteer. After some time that volunteer took Bijoykrishna to the mahant.
Bijoykrishna was shocked to see that it was the same cobbler sitting on the seat of the mahant and several volunteers were serving him. To clear his doubt he asked the mahant, "Why are you engaged in such a lowly profession as that of a cobbler in spite of being the mahant of this big math?" With tearful eyes, the mahantji said, "Everything is Guruji's grace! Entrusting me with the task of serving the guests my Guruji had told me, "Have your meals only after feeding all the guests." One day I had eaten earlier due to greed. Omniscient Gurudev came to know of it. He rebuked me saying, "Your nature is that of a cobbler. Why have you eaten before feeding the guests?" After some days prior to leaving his mortal frame, Guruji made me sit on his seat thus making me the mahant. Getting the grace of my benevolent Guruji and following his words, as a penance, I am doing the job of a cobbler. I cease doing that work as soon as I earn an amount sufficient for my food. There is no dearth of food in the math, but I manage my expenses with the profession of cobbler."
He was charmed to see the mahatmaji's manner devoid of pride and ego! Bijoykrishna returned after bowing down to him. He thought, 'who knows how many mahatmas are hiding by disguising themselves. From that day onwards whenever he walked on a road, he bowed down mentally to every person he saw. By doing this he earned the grace of many unknown mahatmas.
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