The chariot stopped and the king beckoned to the beggar.
“Who are you?” he asked.
“One of the most unfortunate of your subjects,” said the beggar. “Poverty sits on my doorstep and follows me about like a dog’s tail. I haven’t eaten since yesterday afternoon!”
“Have you nothing for your king except a tale of woe?” said the ruler, putting out his hand. “Give me something.”
The beggar, astonished, carefully picked up five grains of rice from his bowl and laid them on the king’s outstretched palm.
The king drove away. The beggar’s disappointment was great. He raved and ranted and cursed the king again and again for his miserliness. Gradually, he calmed down when all his known curses were repeated many times. Then, he went on his rounds.
When he returned home in the evening, he found a bag of rice on the floor.
“Some generous soul has been here,” he thought and took out a handful of rice from the bag. To his astonishment, there was a small piece of gold in it. He realised, then, that the bag had been sent by the king. He emptied the rice on the floor, feeling sure there would be more gold pieces in it, and he was right. He found five gold pieces, one for each grain of rice he had given to the king.
“It is not the king who has been miserly,” thought the man sadly. “If I had been generous and given him the whole bowl of rice, I would have been a rich man today.”
Soul Searching
In trying hard to know others, one forgets to know oneself. At the spur of the moment one does such things because of the compulsion of his nature and character which force one to repent later.
49. Inner Nature
A sage was taking bath in a river. Suddenly, he saw a drowning scorpion. Out of pity, he picked the scorpion up on his palm. The scorpion at once stung him. He shook his hand out of pain. The scorpion fell in the water again. He again picked it up and again he was stung. The third time he was able to move a few steps towards the bank. But it stung again and fell down.
The sage tried again and again but the result was the same. Now, he was closer to the bank. Another person who was taking bath in the river said to the sage, “O Sage! Don’t try to take it out. It will sting you every time you pick it up. It is its nature. It should be killed. Leave it in the water to die. Howsoever hard you will try, it will not change its nature.”
Without turning towards the speaker, the sage picked it up again and threw it towards the bank, and said:
“This tiny insect will not change its nature. If humanity is better than animal nature then why should I change my inner nature which is pity and compassion?”
Eventually, the sage succeeded in throwing the scorpion on to the safe ground.
Soul Searching
Humanity is better than animal instinct; kindness is better than cruelty; virtue is better than vice; love is better than hate. We all know it yet we foster the negative qualities.
50. Detached Couple
It is an incident that occurred in the 18th century. After completing his studies, Pt. Shri Rāmanāth Tarka Siddhānta had established his hermitage in the Vidyā Kendra of the then Bengāl. He lived there with his wife as a sage. He had neither accepted stipend from any king nor would ask for anything from anyone.
One day, his wife informed him that there were only two fistfuls of rice in the house and asked, “What should I cook?”
He said nothing. He came out and sat among his students with a book to teach. When he was called for dinner, he found a bit of cooked rice and leaves. He ate and asked, “Bhadre! Which green leaves did you cook? They were delicious.”
“When you were going out, you looked at the tamarind tree.
I have cooked its leaves.” She answered.
“I had no idea that tamarind leaves are so tasty.” The husband reiterated and added, “Then we don’t have to worry about our food.”
King Shiva Chandra had heard of his reputation and financial crisis. One day, he went there with the sole intention to help the couple. After the preliminaries, he asked, “O learned teacher! Is there anything that you need?”
“I have completed the book and I don’t need anything.” His reply was simple.
“I am not talking of Tarka Shāstra. I’m talking about domestic need.” The king clarified.
“Now, that is not my responsibility. You can ask the house mistress.” The reply remained simple.
The king went inside and repeated the question to his wife. She gave a poetic and symbolic reply:
“O king! My hut needs nothing. My clothes have not torn up so much, so they are not to be replaced; the water pot is not broken and till the bangles are in my hands then I have everything in my husband.”
The king bowed low and touched the feet of the lady with his crowned head. He was blessed.
Soul Searching
The soul cannot be perceived by material means. One can’t definitely define the role of knowledge in understanding the soul. On the spiritual path, the knowledge gained would lead the knower to ultimate
peace.
Contents
Prayers ......... 11
1. Proper Lesson ......... 12
2. Teaching Right and Wrong ......... 14
3. Cycle of Evil ......... 16
4. No Escape: Taste Nectar Honey ......... 18
5. Headstrong Companion ......... 20
6. Adjustment ......... 20
7. Born, Ruled and Died ......... 22
8. Be a part of Delicious Cake ......... 26
9. Giving Life Back ......... 28
10. Pride for What! ......... 30
11. Theft of Wisdom ......... 32
12. Honour ......... 35
13. Worldly Dharma ......... 36
14. Ungovernable Temper ......... 38
15. Crooked Howler ......... 40
16. The Little Elephant ......... 42
17. May be ......... 43
18. Carrying Load in Mind ......... 45
19. Drum Beating ......... 46
20. Blind Man with a Lantern ......... 48
21. Winners or Losers ......... 50
22. Skill and Control ......... 53
23. Three Dolls ......... 54
24. Friendly with or against Time and Tide ......... 56
25. Who are you? ......... 59
26. Employment ......... 60
27. Wealthy, Warrior King ......... 63
28. Overstuffed and Overflowing ......... 64
29. Filling Sieve with Water ......... 66
30. Sinner vs Virtuous ......... 68
31. Medicine after Death ......... 70
32. Prospect ......... 72
33. Anger ......... 75
34. Biting is Prohibited not Hissing ......... 76
35. On the Roof ......... 79
36. The Palace: An Inn ......... 80
37. Extreme Patience and Tolerance ......... 82
38. Deeds and Misdeeds ......... 84
39. Final Lesson ......... 87
40. Inspired Performance ......... 88
41. Gratification through others’ Satisfaction ......... 90
42. Search for an Honest Man ......... 92
43. Association with the Wicked ......... 94
44. Time: A Leveller and Settler ......... 96
45. The Safest Place ......... 98
46. Different and Unique ......... 100
47. Imaginary Wealth and Fear ......... 102
48. Rice vs Gold ......... 104
49. Inner Nature ......... 106
50. Detached Couple ......... 107
Spiritual Quadruplets ......... 109
“Now pull out that one!”
“I am going to keep him here even if all the rest of you leave.
”
He did not see the steps in front of him
and fell, breaking his neck.
When there is no escape, then one must face life to get Bliss and Parmānad.
“See, here’s a poison fruit and I’m going to eat it!”
Guru Nānak picked up a rose, plucked out a petal and silently and steadily placed it on the milk.
“Oh no! I can’t read the book. It is my time for departure.”
In that moment of crisis, they realised the true value of life.
“Life is more important than the kingdom.”
“When I learnt you had borrowed it, I decided to give it to you.”
“Now I know what dharma is.”
He remembered the master’s words and checked his anger.
The innkeeper ran into the inn and locked himself inside his room.
“I wonder what is inside the drum?”
“Your candle has burnt out, brother,” replied the stranger.
The frogs synchronised their jumps and
participated so well that they won the race.
24. Friendly with or against Time and Tide
On a tree inclined towards a river, there was a dry thin branch. It was forked. At the forked end, it was divided in two in semicircular shape. Though dried up, they had a bit of life left.
One day, the smaller among them, said, “I’m ready to fall.
I can fall anytime. The branch will not hold us.”
The other was angry and said, “Why will he not hold us? We have come out of it. We can force it to hold us.”
But a westerly breezy wind came there singing, and speeded up near that forked branch and passed away. The force, though not very hard yet was enough to break the branch from the joint and separate the two semicircular dried up woods – thin and weightless.
Both of them fell into the flooded river whose fast currents were playing havoc. The smaller one felt the coolness and swiftness, and realised that the swings on currents will provide great pleasure. It smiled when it rose up and tried to catch water when it fell fast and was submerged in deep water for some unknown period of time. It flowed and covered a long distance as if it was relaxing on a wet bed.
It reached to a turning and was held there. It was a very exciting and adventurous journey for the small dried up branch.
The other one did not like the separation. It tried to disobey the breeze but fell into the river. It knew wetness. It had played during rains but the currents were different and tumultuous and misbehaved. It was angry. It tried to beat the water by jumping high and falling fast because it was being repeatedly beaten by the unruly currents. It fought bravely and resisted with all its might and intelligence, but every time it tried to oppose it was beaten hard. Soon fatigue overtook it. It wept but the currents were forcing their way ahead and were not in a mood to wait and see who was weeping and why.
At last, it reached the same turning. It was held there. It was tired, defeated and weeping. The small branch came close to the latecomer to soothe the feelings but said nothing, although it wanted to say a lot. The wounded branch also wanted to say a lot but was not feeling like telling the true feelings. It also did not say anything but wished to be closer to the first one and liked it.
Soul Searching
When there was nothing, there was time. After the creation, energy, force, opposition, birth, death and infinite number of subtle and material forms came into existence. Time rules over all.
Those who are friendly to time or surrender to it, get immense pleasure and bliss. Those who defy it, oppose it are wounded in numerous ways and at many places before falling into the final sleep.
A westerly breezy wind came there singing, and speeded up near that forked branch and passed away.
26. Employment
An M.A. in English, a brilliant student who was well equipped in the art of teaching and writing English language and literature, was unemployed and hungry. He had tried to get some articles published in newspapers but of no avail. He tried to get tuitions but was informed to wait for three months. All the students are engaged. After the results, he would be needed and get tuitions on higher payment. He was sure to clear the NET in the first go but his luck didn’t favour. When he gets employed as a lecturer on the new pay scale then he would lead a cozy life.
But at present, he was unemployed and hungry. He looked around and saw a zoo. Without much self-discussion, he entered the zoo and went inside the office. Some persons were working but one man was doing nothing.
He went straight to him and without any preliminary thought said, “Who or what am I is not important. Even my educational accomplishment is not important. The most simple and straight forward truth is that I’m hungry, have no money and ready to do anything to earn enough to feed the ever hungry body.”
The man was looking at him like a hawk and listening to every bit of said-unsaid fact.
“Oh yes! There is a vacancy for a deer. You can fill it,” he said.
And the M.A. in English became a living deer in the zoo. The dress was not cozy and smooth but he did not dare to lodge a complaint. He was out in the wide green field among trees. He kept on moving. He may have fallen asleep under a tree. He had no idea. When he opened his eyes, he saw a big lion coming towards him. He was at his wit’s end. His legs lost power. His mind was almost blank. He was expecting food for becoming a deer. He was not ready to be the food of a not so hungry lion.
He started praying to God, “O God! Have mercy on me! I’m not an original deer. I’m an M.A. in English.”
He kept on repeating the same prayer again and again,
“O God! Have mercy on me! I’m not an original deer. I’m an M.A. in English.”
He felt a full blow of human palm on his head and heard known musical sound, “Oh! Shut up! I’m M.A. in Hindi!”
With happiness and fear, he opened his eyes and found a tall man wearing the dress of a lion, and holding the mask of the head in his left hand. He had extended the right hand either to shake hands or to help him rise up.
Suddenly, as if a spring has been activated, he jumped up high and hugged the man hard.
Soul Searching
Specialised teaching forces on to move on a single track. The variety and variations in life remain untouched. Neither the ability to face and handle different difficulties of life grows adequately nor is one strong enough to do some physical labour. No physical strength, lack of general skill and one-sidedness forces one to wander uncared for.
27. Wealthy, Warrior King
A king built his great empire by conquering kings, places and by killing people. He had accrued treasures from all over the world. Now, he was old. He asked, “Everything that I have amassed must be displayed for me and others to see.”
When everything was ready, he came to see them. For several hours, he looked at gold ornaments and coins; precious stones and jewels; diamond-studded crowns and other priceless objects.
Suddenly, he began to cry. He told his courtiers, “Throughout my warriors-days, I kept on killing people. I have slain tens of thousands of people, causing thousands of women widowed and children orphaned for these precious objects. In the process I lost my soul. Yet, not even the smallest piece of gold can go with me now that I’m about to die.
So, now I order you, when you take my body to the burial place extend both my empty hands outside the coffin. I wish to let people know that with all my wealth, I left the world empty-handed. No material wealth can go with the dead.
Soul Searching
The state of no mind come when one is truly humble and has no ignorance and no knowledge; when there is neither a question nor the need of an answer.
‘Oh! Shut up! I’m M.A. in Hindi!’
“O Master! The cup is overstuffed and overflowing.”
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br /> He waded into the water and threw the sieve far out into the sea.
“The first stone is to be hit by the person who is completely pious; who has never committed a sin in life.”
“Will I take the medicine after death?”
32. Prospect
Once, the ass of a washerman and the ass of a magician met in the small park in a rich residential colony. They had been enjoying the soft Italian grass in the drain like cricket pitch. They saw each other happily and affectionately touch the neck of each other.
Then the customary introduction was performed. The ass of the washerman said:
“I work with a very busy washerman. He is mostly busy in washing and collecting clothes and in returning the ironed clothes to the customers and collecting money in lieu thereof. Occasionally, he would place a not so heavy weight on me and I had to carry it to the drying river. Rest of the time, I’m free to enjoy the greenery in all the three small parks in the vicinity. He was never in danger as he was not allowed to go to the crowded main road.”
Oh! It is not a good thing to show one’s art before the rowdy, unintelligent crowd. It is no life at all to keep on moving from one residential area to another wandering, showing playfulness for money. My master also works for money but the known person of our residential area come and pay with honour. It is the wages of our hard labour.’
The ass of the magician showed mixed reaction: “Oh! You’re intelligent. Whatever you are telling is true! I like your statement! I’m pleased! But you don’t know the high prospect in my job.”
50 Soul Stirring Stories Page 5