TT is 'woman and gold' that binds man and robs -
*- him of his freedom. It is woman that creates the
need for gold. For woman one becomes the slave
of another, and so loses his freedom. Then he
cannot act as he likes.
The priests in the temple of Govindaji at Jaipur
were celibates at first, and at that time they had
fiery natures. Once the King of Jaipur sent for
them, but they didn't obey him. They said to the
messenger, "Ask the king to come to see us." After
consultation, the king and his ministers arranged
marriages for them. From then on the king didn't
have to send for them.
They would come to him of themselves and say:
"Your Majesty, we have come with our blessings.
Here are the sacred flowers of the temple. Deign to
accept them." They came to the palace, for now
they always wanted money for this thing or
another—the building of a house, the rice-taking
ceremony of their babies, or the rituals connected
with the beginning of their children's education.
Saturday, December 29, 2012
THOSE WORTHLESS THINGS!
BODY and wealth are impermanent. Why go to
take so much trouble for their sake? Just think of
the plight of the Hatha yogis. Their attention is
fixed on one ideal only—longevity. They do not
aim at the realization of God at all. They practise
such exercises as washing out the intestines,
drinking milk through a tube, and the like, with
that one aim in view.
There was once a goldsmith whose tongue
suddenly turned up and stuck to his palate. He
looked like a man in Samadhi. He became
completely inert and remained so a long time.
People came to worship him. After several years,
his tongue suddenly returned to its natural
position, and he became conscious of things as
before. So he went back to his work as before.
These are physical things and have nothing to do
with God. There was a man who knew eighty two
postures and talked big about yoga-samadhi. But
inwardly he was drawn to 'woman and gold'. Once
he found a bank-note worth several thousand
rupees.
He could not resist the temptation, and swallowed
it, thinking he would get it out somehow later on.
The note was got out of him alright, but he was
sent to jail for three years.
take so much trouble for their sake? Just think of
the plight of the Hatha yogis. Their attention is
fixed on one ideal only—longevity. They do not
aim at the realization of God at all. They practise
such exercises as washing out the intestines,
drinking milk through a tube, and the like, with
that one aim in view.
There was once a goldsmith whose tongue
suddenly turned up and stuck to his palate. He
looked like a man in Samadhi. He became
completely inert and remained so a long time.
People came to worship him. After several years,
his tongue suddenly returned to its natural
position, and he became conscious of things as
before. So he went back to his work as before.
These are physical things and have nothing to do
with God. There was a man who knew eighty two
postures and talked big about yoga-samadhi. But
inwardly he was drawn to 'woman and gold'. Once
he found a bank-note worth several thousand
rupees.
He could not resist the temptation, and swallowed
it, thinking he would get it out somehow later on.
The note was got out of him alright, but he was
sent to jail for three years.
WHY YOGI SLIPS DOWN FROM HIS YOGA
AT Kamarpukur I have seen the mongoose living
in its hole up in the wall. It feels snug there.
Sometimes people tie a brick to its tail; then the
pull of the brick makes it come out of its hole.
Every time the mongoose tries to be comfortable
inside the hole, it has to come out because of the
pull of the brick.
Such is the effect of brooding on worldly objects
that it makes the yogi stray from the path of yoga.
in its hole up in the wall. It feels snug there.
Sometimes people tie a brick to its tail; then the
pull of the brick makes it come out of its hole.
Every time the mongoose tries to be comfortable
inside the hole, it has to come out because of the
pull of the brick.
Such is the effect of brooding on worldly objects
that it makes the yogi stray from the path of yoga.
THE JAR OF DESIRE CAN NEVER BE FILLED UP
A BARBER who was passing under a haunted tree,
heard a voice say, "Will you accept seven jars full
of gold?" The barber looked around, but could see
no one. The offer of seven jars of gold, however,
roused his cupidity, and he cried aloud, "Yes, I
shall accept the seven jars." At once came the
reply, "Go home, I have carried the jars to your
house." The barber ran home in hot haste to verify
the truth of this strange announcement. And when
he entered the house, he saw the jars before him.
He opened them and found them all full of gold,
except the last one which was only half-full. A
strong desire now arose in the barber's mind to fill
the seventh jar also for without it his happiness
was incomplete. He therefore converted all his
ornaments into gold coins and put them into the
jar; but the mysterious vessel was, as before,
unfilled. This exasperated the barber. Starving
himself and his family, he saved some amount
more and tried to fill the jar; but the jar remained
as before. So one day he humbly requested the
king to increase his pay, as his income was not
sufficient to maintain himself. Now the barber was
a favourite of the king, and as soon as the request
was made the king doubled his pay. All this pay he
saved and put into the jar, but the greedy jar
showed no signs of filling. At last he began to live
by begging from door to door, and his professional
income and the income from begging—all went
into the insatiable cavity of the mysterious jar.
Months passed, and the condition of the miserable
and miserly barber grew worse every day. Seeing
his sad plight the king asked him one day: "Hallo!
When your pay was half of what yon now get, you
were happy, cheerful and contented; but with
double that pay, I see you morose, care-worn and
dejected. What is the matter with you? Have you
got 'the seven jars'?" The barber was taken aback
by this question and replied, "Your Majesty, who
has informed you of this?" The king said: "Don't
you know that these are the signs of the person to
whom the Yaksha consigns the seven jars. He
offered me also the same jars, but I asked him
whether this money might be spent or was merely
to be hoarded. No sooner had T asked this
question than the Yaksha ran away without any
reply. Don't you know that no one can spend that
money? It only brings with it the desire of
hoarding. Go at once and return the money." The
barber was brought to his senses by this advice,
and he went to the haunted tree and said, "Take
back your gold, O Yaksha." The Yaksha replied,
"All right." When the barber returned home, he
found that the seven jars had vanished as
mysteriously as they were brought in, and with it
had vanished, his life-long savings too.
Those who do not understand the difference
between what is real expenditure and what is real
income, lose all they have.
heard a voice say, "Will you accept seven jars full
of gold?" The barber looked around, but could see
no one. The offer of seven jars of gold, however,
roused his cupidity, and he cried aloud, "Yes, I
shall accept the seven jars." At once came the
reply, "Go home, I have carried the jars to your
house." The barber ran home in hot haste to verify
the truth of this strange announcement. And when
he entered the house, he saw the jars before him.
He opened them and found them all full of gold,
except the last one which was only half-full. A
strong desire now arose in the barber's mind to fill
the seventh jar also for without it his happiness
was incomplete. He therefore converted all his
ornaments into gold coins and put them into the
jar; but the mysterious vessel was, as before,
unfilled. This exasperated the barber. Starving
himself and his family, he saved some amount
more and tried to fill the jar; but the jar remained
as before. So one day he humbly requested the
king to increase his pay, as his income was not
sufficient to maintain himself. Now the barber was
a favourite of the king, and as soon as the request
was made the king doubled his pay. All this pay he
saved and put into the jar, but the greedy jar
showed no signs of filling. At last he began to live
by begging from door to door, and his professional
income and the income from begging—all went
into the insatiable cavity of the mysterious jar.
Months passed, and the condition of the miserable
and miserly barber grew worse every day. Seeing
his sad plight the king asked him one day: "Hallo!
When your pay was half of what yon now get, you
were happy, cheerful and contented; but with
double that pay, I see you morose, care-worn and
dejected. What is the matter with you? Have you
got 'the seven jars'?" The barber was taken aback
by this question and replied, "Your Majesty, who
has informed you of this?" The king said: "Don't
you know that these are the signs of the person to
whom the Yaksha consigns the seven jars. He
offered me also the same jars, but I asked him
whether this money might be spent or was merely
to be hoarded. No sooner had T asked this
question than the Yaksha ran away without any
reply. Don't you know that no one can spend that
money? It only brings with it the desire of
hoarding. Go at once and return the money." The
barber was brought to his senses by this advice,
and he went to the haunted tree and said, "Take
back your gold, O Yaksha." The Yaksha replied,
"All right." When the barber returned home, he
found that the seven jars had vanished as
mysteriously as they were brought in, and with it
had vanished, his life-long savings too.
Those who do not understand the difference
between what is real expenditure and what is real
income, lose all they have.
WORLDLY GOODS ARE NOT THINE FOR EVER
THE steward of a certain rich man was left in
charge of his master's property. When asked by
someone as to whose property it was, he used to
say: "Sir, this is all my property; these houses and
these gardens are all mine.'' He would speak in this
strain and go about with an air of vanity. One day
he happened to catch fish in a pond of his master's
garden-house in contravention of his strict
prohibition. As ill-luck would have it, the master
came upon the scene just then, and saw what his
dishonest steward was doing. Finding out the
faithlessness of his servant, the master at once
drove him away from his estate, disgraced and
dishonoured, and confiscated all his past earnings.
The poor fellow could not take with him even his
rickety box of utensils which was his sole private
property.
Such is the punishment that overtakes
false pride.
charge of his master's property. When asked by
someone as to whose property it was, he used to
say: "Sir, this is all my property; these houses and
these gardens are all mine.'' He would speak in this
strain and go about with an air of vanity. One day
he happened to catch fish in a pond of his master's
garden-house in contravention of his strict
prohibition. As ill-luck would have it, the master
came upon the scene just then, and saw what his
dishonest steward was doing. Finding out the
faithlessness of his servant, the master at once
drove him away from his estate, disgraced and
dishonoured, and confiscated all his past earnings.
The poor fellow could not take with him even his
rickety box of utensils which was his sole private
property.
Such is the punishment that overtakes
false pride.
THAT OPPRESSING STENCH OF WORLDLINESS
Once, a fishwife was a guest in the house of a
gardener who raised flowers. She came there with
her empty basket, after selling fish in the market,
and was asked to sleep in a room where flowers
were kept. But, because of the fragrance of the
flowers, she couldn't get to sleep for a long time!
She was restless and began to fidget about. Her
hostess saw her condition and said, "Hello! Why
are you tossing from side to side so restlessly?" The
fishwife said: "I don't know, friend. Perhaps
the smell of the flowers has been disturbing my
sleep. Can you give me my fish-basket? Perhaps
that will put me to sleep." The basket was brought
to her. She sprinkled water on it and set it near her
nose. Then she fell sound asleep and snored all
night.
gardener who raised flowers. She came there with
her empty basket, after selling fish in the market,
and was asked to sleep in a room where flowers
were kept. But, because of the fragrance of the
flowers, she couldn't get to sleep for a long time!
She was restless and began to fidget about. Her
hostess saw her condition and said, "Hello! Why
are you tossing from side to side so restlessly?" The
fishwife said: "I don't know, friend. Perhaps
the smell of the flowers has been disturbing my
sleep. Can you give me my fish-basket? Perhaps
that will put me to sleep." The basket was brought
to her. She sprinkled water on it and set it near her
nose. Then she fell sound asleep and snored all
night.
THE TIGER THAT LURKS BEHIND WORLDLY JOYS
GOD is like the wish-yielding tree of the celestial
world (Kalpataru), which gives whatever one asks
of it. So, one should be careful to give up all
worldly desires when one's mind has been purified
by religious exercises.
Just listen to a story: A certain traveller came to a
large plain in the course of his travels. As he had
been walking in the sun for many hours, he was
thoroughly exhausted and heavily perspiring; so he
sat down in the shade of a tree to rest a little.
Presently he began to think what a comfort it
would be if he could but get a soft bed there to
sleep on. He was not aware that he was sitting
under the celestial tree. As soon as the above
thought rose in his mind, he found a nice bed by
his side. He felt much astonished, but all the same
stretched himself on it. Now he thought to himself,
how pleasant it would be, were a young damsel to
come there and gently stroke his legs. No sooner
did the thought arise in his mind than he found a
young damsel sitting at his feet and stroking his
legs. The traveller felt supremely happy. Presently
he felt hungry and thought: "I have got whatever 1
have wished for; could I not then get some food?"
Instantly he found various kinds of delicious food
spread before him. He at once fell to eating, and
having helped himself to his heart's content,
stretched himself again on his bed. He now began
to revolve in his mind the events of the day. While
thus occupied, he thought: "If a tiger should attack
me all of a sudden!" In an instant a large tiger
jumped on him and broke his neck and began to
drink his blood. In this way the traveller lost his
life.
Such is the fate of men in general. If during your
meditation you pray for men or money or worldly
honours, your desires will no doubt be satisfied to
some extent; but, mind you, there is the dread of
the tiger behind the gifts you get. Those tigers—
disease, bereavements, loss of honour and wealth
etc.,—are a thousand times more terrible than the
live tiger.
world (Kalpataru), which gives whatever one asks
of it. So, one should be careful to give up all
worldly desires when one's mind has been purified
by religious exercises.
Just listen to a story: A certain traveller came to a
large plain in the course of his travels. As he had
been walking in the sun for many hours, he was
thoroughly exhausted and heavily perspiring; so he
sat down in the shade of a tree to rest a little.
Presently he began to think what a comfort it
would be if he could but get a soft bed there to
sleep on. He was not aware that he was sitting
under the celestial tree. As soon as the above
thought rose in his mind, he found a nice bed by
his side. He felt much astonished, but all the same
stretched himself on it. Now he thought to himself,
how pleasant it would be, were a young damsel to
come there and gently stroke his legs. No sooner
did the thought arise in his mind than he found a
young damsel sitting at his feet and stroking his
legs. The traveller felt supremely happy. Presently
he felt hungry and thought: "I have got whatever 1
have wished for; could I not then get some food?"
Instantly he found various kinds of delicious food
spread before him. He at once fell to eating, and
having helped himself to his heart's content,
stretched himself again on his bed. He now began
to revolve in his mind the events of the day. While
thus occupied, he thought: "If a tiger should attack
me all of a sudden!" In an instant a large tiger
jumped on him and broke his neck and began to
drink his blood. In this way the traveller lost his
life.
Such is the fate of men in general. If during your
meditation you pray for men or money or worldly
honours, your desires will no doubt be satisfied to
some extent; but, mind you, there is the dread of
the tiger behind the gifts you get. Those tigers—
disease, bereavements, loss of honour and wealth
etc.,—are a thousand times more terrible than the
live tiger.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)