IN THE FOREST OF THE WORLD

Once, a man was going through a forest, when
three robbers fell upon him and robbed him of all
his possessions. One of the robbers said, "What's
the use of keeping this man alive?" So saying, he
was about to kill him with his sword, when the
second robber interrupted him, saying: 'Oh, no!
What is the use of killing him? Tie his hand and
foot and leave him here." The robbers bound his
hands and feet and went away. After a while the
third robber returned and said to the man: "Ah, I
am sorry. Are you hurt? I will release you from
your bonds." After setting the man free, the thief
said: "Come with me. I will take you to the public
high way." After a long time they reached the
road. At this the man said: "Sir, you have been very
good to me. Come with me to my house." "Oh,
no!" the robber replied. "I can't go there. The
police will know it."
This world itself is the forest. The three robbers
prowling here are Satva, rajas, and lamas. It is they
that rob a man of the Knowledge of Truth. Tamas
wants to destroy him. „Rajas‟ binds him to the
world.
But Satva rescues him from the clutches of rajas
and tamas. Under the protection of Satva, man is
rescued from anger, passion and other evil effects
of tamas.
Further, Satva loosens the bonds of the world. But
Satva also is a robber. It cannot give man the
ultimate Knowledge of Truth, though it shows him
the road leading to the Supreme Abode of God.
Setting him on the path, Satva tells him: "Look
yonder. There is your home." Even Satva is far
away from the knowledge of Brahman.