Once a while I like to read light-hearted spiritual stories which teach us about the truth in life. Here are the three timeless stories which were taken from the book titled “108 New-clear bombs” by HDH Bhagawan Sri Nithyananda Paramashivam.
A small story #1:-
There were four fools in a village. They went to the village Guru and asked for a spiritual practice. The Guru said: “Practice gratitude. Be grateful for everything.”
The four fools decided to follow this practice very sincerely.
Once, they used a boat to cross a river. After crossing the river, they decided: “We should be grateful to this boat which helped us cross the river. We should not leave this boat like an orphan here and go away!”
So, all of them started carrying the boat on their heads and going around. Whenever people asked: ‘What are you doing?’, they would reply: “We are being grateful to the boast which helped us cross the river!”
Here is the truth – a good technique can take you a little further on the path. But if you cling on to the technique even after it has become useless for you, you are like the four fools carrying the boat! Knowing when to drop the technique is intelligence.
A small story#2:-
There is a story in the traditional literature of Hinduism, it is the story of Rishi Jadabharata. This rishi was staying on the banks of a river. He had renounced all worldly pleasures and was spending his life meditating for enlightenment.
One day he saw a mother deer gave birth to its baby on the riverbank. Soon after giving birthing, the mother deer died. Seeing the helpless orphaned fawn, the rishi was overwhelmed with pity. He started taking care of the fawn. Gradually, the rishi began to get attached to the fawn. Slowly and slowly, the attachment grew so much that even at the time of his death, Rishi Jadabharata was continuously thinking about the deer, worrying about the deer and wondering what would happen to the deer after his death. Due to his strong attachment, the rishi was reborn as a deer and came back to live with the deer.
Here’s the truth – the uninterrupted flow of mind towards one object had happened in Rishi Jadabharata, even at the time of death. But finally, what was the result?
See, the last thought we cherish before leaving the body determines the next body we assume. He had to take birth as a deer and come back to live with the deer. He missed enlightenment which was his life purpose due to attachment!
Dhyana, meditation happens when the mind which is meditating and the object of the meditation, both lose their boundaries. When the boundaries are lost, you experience Samadhi (falling in tune with the Source, Adi) where the extraordinary powers and realization happens. The proper experience of meditation leads one to Samadhi.
A small story#3:-
There was once a merchant who used to sell puffed rice (poha). He was a big miser. Once he was selling puffed rice during a temple festival in his village, many Bairagi Sadhus and wandering mendicants came to the festival. Many of them went to him for alms, but he did not even give a handful of puffed rice to them, instead he chased them away.
Even the temple priest asked him for a handful of puffed rice for the temple deity as naivedyam (sacred food), but the miserly merchant was not ready to give him anything!
Suddenly, there was a strong wind. The puffed rice that the merchant was selling was lifted into the air and started scattering everywhere on the floor. Now this guy couldn’t do anything. So, in his desperation, he looked at the puffed rice on the floor and his great renunciation and devotion was suddenly awakened, he started chanting “Narayanaarpanamastu! Narayanaarpanamastu! I offer all this to Narayana, to the Lord!”
Here’s the truth – Renouncing because you don’t have anything left to renounce is not renunciation! Renouncing because you don’t have any other choice is also not renunciation. The real renunciation happens when you must first have it, then you can offer it to the Lord! Namaste 😀