From the book by Don Miguel Ruiz, The Mastery of Love:
“Once, long ago, a Teacher was speaking to a gathered crowd, and his message was so remarkable that everyone felt touched by his words, filled with love. In the crowd there was a man who absorbed every word spoken by the Teacher. This man was very humble and had a great heart. The Teacher’s words touched him so deeply that he wished to invite him to his home. When the Teacher finished speaking, the man made his way through the crowd, looked him in the eyes, and said: ‘I know that you are busy and that everyone needs your attention. I know that you have very little time even to listen to me, but my heart is so open and so full of love that I wish to invite you to my home. I want to prepare the best meal for you. I do not expect you to accept, but I simply wanted you to know.’
The Teacher looked into the man’s eyes and, with the most beautiful smile, said: ‘Prepare everything. I will come,’ and then went on his way.
At these words, the man’s heart filled with strength. He eagerly awaited welcoming the Teacher and expressing his love to him. This was going to be the most important day of his life—the Teacher would be with him. He bought the finest food and the best wine and found the most beautiful clothes to offer the Teacher as a gift. He went home to prepare everything for the Teacher. He cleaned the entire house, prepared wonderful dishes, and set the table exquisitely. His heart was shining with joy, for the Teacher would soon come.
The man waited anxiously when someone knocked on the door. He opened eagerly, but instead of the Teacher, he saw an old woman who looked him in the eyes and said: ‘I am terribly hungry. Can you give me a piece of bread?’
The man was a little disappointed, because this was not the Teacher. He looked at the woman and said: ‘Please, come into my home.’ He seated her in the place he had prepared for the Teacher and gave her the food he had prepared for him. The man, however, was restless and could hardly wait for the old woman to finish and leave. The woman, touched by the man’s generosity, thanked him and went on her way.
The man set the table again for the Teacher, and hardly had he finished when there was another knock at the door. This time it was another stranger, traveling through the desert. He looked the man in the face and said: ‘I am thirsty. Will you give me something to drink?’ The man was again a little disappointed, since once more it was not the Teacher. He invited the stranger into his home and seated him in the place prepared for the Teacher. He gave him wine intended for him. When the stranger left, the man prepared everything again for the Teacher.
There was another knock. When the man opened the door, there stood a little boy. He looked at him and said: ‘I am freezing. Can you give me a blanket to cover my body?’
The man was again slightly disappointed, but he looked into the child’s eyes and felt love in his heart. He quickly gathered the clothes he had intended to give to the Teacher and covered the child with them. The child thanked him and went on his way.
The man prepared everything again for the Teacher and waited until it became late. When he realized that the Teacher would not come, he was disappointed, but he immediately forgave him. He said to himself: ‘I knew that I could not expect the Teacher to come to this humble home. Even though he promised to come, perhaps something much more important has taken him elsewhere. The Teacher did not come, but at least he said he would come, and that is enough for my heart to be happy.’
He slowly put away the food and the wine and went to bed. During the night he dreamed that the Teacher had come to his home. The man was glad to see him, but he did not know that he was dreaming. ‘Teacher, you came. You kept your word!’
The Teacher replied: ‘Yes, I am here, but I was here before as well. I was hungry and you fed me; I was thirsty and you gave me wine to drink; I was cold and you clothed me. Whatever you do for others, you do for me.’
When he awoke, his heart was filled with happiness, for he understood the Teacher’s lesson. He loved him so much that the Teacher sent him three people to give him the greatest lesson:
The Teacher lives in everyone.
When you give food to someone who is hungry; when you give water to someone who is thirsty; when you clothe someone who is cold—you give your love to the Teacher.”**
Note: The quoted passages are translated from Bulgarian.
