Premanand Maharaj
Premanand Maharaj: In Indian culture and especially in Hindu religion, blessings are always taken from elders by saluting them or touching their feet. This tradition has been going on in Indian culture since ancient times. We all bow to our elders and touch their feet. After this we receive blessings from the elders.
However, many people believe that when someone younger than us touches our feet or pays obeisance to us, our virtues start decreasing due to the blessings we give him. A devotee asked this question to Premanand Maharaj.
Premanand Maharaj said that if someone younger than us touches our feet, respects us, or takes our blessings, then his reverence reaches us and we provide him blessings in return. This is considered a virtuous transaction. There is no loss for anyone in this. The virtue of both increases. Premanand Maharaj gave an example to explain his point.
Sometimes virtue decreases by giving blessings – Premanand Maharaj
Premanad Maharaj said that just as pouring water in a river increases its water, similarly by giving blessings the virtue never diminishes or decreases, rather it only increases. Premanand Maharaj said that the day the thought comes to our mind that our virtues will be lost by touching the feet of a small child or a poor person, that day ego will destroy all our virtues. Virtue grows from humility.
This tradition is not for loss of virtue.
The more we bow down to God, the more virtues will fill our pockets. People who do not touch feet close the doors of their virtue. Told Premanand Maharaj that it is clearly written in the scriptures that whoever’s feet we touch, his virtue increases 100 times. When a disciple salutes his Guru, the virtue of the Guru increases. The tradition of paying obeisance and touching feet is not to diminish virtue, but to distribute and increase it.
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