There is a parable in the scriptures of Vedanta. A gentleman borrowed some money and started a business. He was duped in business and went bankrupt. When his creditors asked him for repayment, he assured them that by doing some job or business he would clear all his debts. He did join a job or business he would clear all his debts. He did join a job nut could hardly earn enough to meet his own bare needs. So how could he ever repay his debts? Therefore he was always pestered by his creditors.
Someone advised him, “How can you clear your debts by doing this petty job? For that you will have to go to a rich man. Work for him without a salary, with the spirit of selfless service. By the power for him without a salary, with the spirit of selfless service. By the power of selfless service you will become his own man. When you become his own, your reputation will become his own reputation, your debts will become his debts, your happiness will become his happiness.”
This seemed to be a sound advice to him. He joined the service of a reputed rich man. He worked sincerely and would just have his food and receive some basic necessities from his master. He did not accept money for any other thing. This went on for six months. The rich man was greatly impressed by his honesty. He was gradually promoted to the post of the accountant. Seeing that he now held a high post, his creditors were assured that he would clear his debts and hence kept cool. One day when the gentleman went to the market, his old creditors surrounded him and scolded him and scolded him left and right for not repaying their loans even after being promoted to a good post. Disturbed by their scolding, he came to the rich man with a forlorn look on his face. The rich man asked him, “Why are you said?” The gentleman related his whole story to him. The rich man said, “Brother! You are crazy. Why should you be troubled when you are living with me? Had you told me about this earlier I would have cleared all your debts. Now tell me, will you agree with whatever decision I take in this regard?”
“I agree.”
The rich man called his creditors and told them, “Will you agree with whatever decision I take regarding your demands?”
“Yes”.
The accumulated interest was deducted and the principal amount paid. This story is narrated in the scriptures of Vedanta. It is a parable intended to illustrate a lesson. Now, whom do the rich man, the creditors and the gentleman actually stand for?
The jiva , the individual soul is the gentleman. He comes to this samsara and loses all his spiritual wealth by joining forces with the robbers in the form of lust, anger etc. he becomes a bankrupt having lost all his spiritual prowess.
Now a pauper, he goes to a temple priest and says, “Have mercy on me, Maharaj! Give me this, give me that..” the priest says, “Take this bell, ring it and please this God, that goddess, those gods..”
Whatever merit he earns by that, is just enough for leading a hand to mouth life. He fails to clear his debts. Someone advises him, “Go to a generous rich man. The generous rich man is the Self-realized saint. Go to him; worship and serve him, but do not ask for any returns. You just willingly surrender yourself to him. And then when he comes to know about you being asked by Nature and Time to clear your debts accumulated on account of having been looted by robbers in the form of lust, anger, etc. he will mediate between you and Nature and Time for Several lives; and by thus clearing your debts owed to them, he will finally awaken you into the Truth that is beyond the touch of Time and Nature.”
You will get nothing being a slave to petty people or by taking up pitty jobs.
‘The slave (imperfect master) meets the slave;
how can they then be freed?
But serve the boundless Master,
Who is slave to none, And in a moment He will set thee wholly free.”
Someone advised him, “How can you clear your debts by doing this petty job? For that you will have to go to a rich man. Work for him without a salary, with the spirit of selfless service. By the power for him without a salary, with the spirit of selfless service. By the power of selfless service you will become his own man. When you become his own, your reputation will become his own reputation, your debts will become his debts, your happiness will become his happiness.”
This seemed to be a sound advice to him. He joined the service of a reputed rich man. He worked sincerely and would just have his food and receive some basic necessities from his master. He did not accept money for any other thing. This went on for six months. The rich man was greatly impressed by his honesty. He was gradually promoted to the post of the accountant. Seeing that he now held a high post, his creditors were assured that he would clear his debts and hence kept cool. One day when the gentleman went to the market, his old creditors surrounded him and scolded him and scolded him left and right for not repaying their loans even after being promoted to a good post. Disturbed by their scolding, he came to the rich man with a forlorn look on his face. The rich man asked him, “Why are you said?” The gentleman related his whole story to him. The rich man said, “Brother! You are crazy. Why should you be troubled when you are living with me? Had you told me about this earlier I would have cleared all your debts. Now tell me, will you agree with whatever decision I take in this regard?”
“I agree.”
The rich man called his creditors and told them, “Will you agree with whatever decision I take regarding your demands?”
“Yes”.
The accumulated interest was deducted and the principal amount paid. This story is narrated in the scriptures of Vedanta. It is a parable intended to illustrate a lesson. Now, whom do the rich man, the creditors and the gentleman actually stand for?
The jiva , the individual soul is the gentleman. He comes to this samsara and loses all his spiritual wealth by joining forces with the robbers in the form of lust, anger etc. he becomes a bankrupt having lost all his spiritual prowess.
Now a pauper, he goes to a temple priest and says, “Have mercy on me, Maharaj! Give me this, give me that..” the priest says, “Take this bell, ring it and please this God, that goddess, those gods..”
Whatever merit he earns by that, is just enough for leading a hand to mouth life. He fails to clear his debts. Someone advises him, “Go to a generous rich man. The generous rich man is the Self-realized saint. Go to him; worship and serve him, but do not ask for any returns. You just willingly surrender yourself to him. And then when he comes to know about you being asked by Nature and Time to clear your debts accumulated on account of having been looted by robbers in the form of lust, anger, etc. he will mediate between you and Nature and Time for Several lives; and by thus clearing your debts owed to them, he will finally awaken you into the Truth that is beyond the touch of Time and Nature.”
You will get nothing being a slave to petty people or by taking up pitty jobs.
‘The slave (imperfect master) meets the slave;
how can they then be freed?
But serve the boundless Master,
Who is slave to none, And in a moment He will set thee wholly free.”
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment