Image hosted by Photobucket.com

Friday, October 06, 2006

Neo speaking,
Once upon a time, there was a young man who gave up his entire inheritance, upon completing his education, and left the mundane world to become a holy man who lived alone in the Holy Forest. After meditating for a long period of time, he developed strong psychic powers, and was filled with inner bliss.
One day, the holy man travelled to the city of Menarls when he ran out of provisions. He spent his first night in the royal garden of Menarls. The next morning, after he had washed himself, tied his tangled hair into a knot on top of his head and dressed in a black antelope skin, he folded up the robe which he usually wore which was made of red bark, and went to the city to collect alms food.
While the ascetic was on his way to the city, King Menule caught a glimpse of the holy man when he passed by the palace gate. "This man is a perfect picture of complete calmness and serenity," thought the kinf when he saw demeanour of the holy man.
He, then, had his servants invite the holy man into the palace, seat him on a luxurious couch and offer him an abundance of the very best foods around. When the holy man thanked the king, the king said: "You are welcome to live in my royal garden permanently. I will provide you with all the necessity you need. By doing this, may i gain merit leading to a good reincarnation in a heavenly world."
The holy man accepted his kind offer. He spent the next 16 years staying in the royal garden of Menarls. During that time, he taught all of the royal family members, and received necessities from the king to live.
One day, King Menule had to leave for the borders to quell a revolt that was arising there. Before he left, he instructed Queen Tender-Heart to care for the needs of the holy man. Diligently, the queen prepared food for the holy man everyday.
One day, the ascetic was late for his meal. While waiting for the holy man, Queen Tender-Heart decided to use the time to take a perfumed bath, refresh herself and change into fine clothes and jewellery, before laying down on a couch.
Meanwhile, the ascetic had been meditating ina particularly joyful mental state. When he realised how late it was, he used the powers he had acquired through meditation to transport himself back to the palace.
When Queen Tender-Heart heard the rustling sound made by his bark robe, she rose quickly from her couch. In her haste to receive him, her blouse accidentally slipped down for a moment - and the holy man caught a quick glance of this from the window as he entered. He was surprised by the unusual sight of the queens great beauty.
Lust, which had been subdued and not erased, surfaced within him. It was just like a cobra rising and spreading its hood from the basket in which it was kept. He lost his purity of mind completely. He was wounded, like a crow with its wings clipped.
The holy man could not eat his food. He took it back to his dwelling in the royal garden, and placed it under his bed. His mind was enslaved by the fleeting sight he caught of the queens loveliness. His heart was burning with desire. He remained on his bed, without eating or drinking, for the next seven days.
Finally, the king came back from his expedition. He circled the city and then went dirctly to visit the holy man. Seeing him in bed, he thought that the holy man was sick. So the king ordered everyone out of the room and sat down next to him. While massaging the holy mans feet, he asked: "Reverend sir, what happened to you? Are you ill?"
The holy man replied: "Oh great king, I am plagued by the sickness of craving and lust."
"What is it that you crave for?" asked the king.
"Queen Tender-Heart, my lord"
"Your reverence," said the king. "I will give Tender-Heart to you. Come with me."
When they arrived at the palace, King Manule had his queen dressed in her finest clothes and jewellery. Then the king gave her away and she left the palace with the holy man.
When they passed through the main gate, she turned to the holy man and said: "We must have a house to live in. Go back and ask the king for one." So he backtracked his steps, returned to the king and asked him for a house. The king gave them a tiny run-down hut that people had been using as an outhouse. But when the holy man took the queen to their new home, she refused to enter.
"Why, my dear?" he asked.
"Cannot you see it is filthy! Go back to the king and get a shovel and basket," she said.
He obeyed and when he returned, she ordered him to do all the cleaning. He even had to plaster the walls and floor with fresh cow dung!
When he had finished those chores, she commanded him to go to the palace and get her a bed, then a chair, then a lamp, bedlinen, a cooking pot and a water pot. She ordered him to get all these things one at a time, and each time he obeyed dutifully. She sent him to get water for her bath and many other things. He set out the water for her bath and then made up the bed. Finally, they sat down next to each other on the bed. Suddenly, she grabbed him by the whiskers, shook him back and forth, pulled him towards her and said: "Do not you remember that you are a holy man and a priest?"
Only then did he jolted out of his mad infatuation and realised the state he was in.
"Oh, what have become of me! I have been blinded by my desire into behaving like a slave. Although it all first started with a sight of a woman, this mad craving could lead me into pits of hells. My body was burning, as if I had been shot in the heart with an arrow of desire, yet there was no bleeding wound! Not seeing her body for what it really was, my own foolishness caused all my sufferings!"
Then he spoke out loudly: "On this very day, I will return Queen Tender-Heart to the King. And I will fly back to my home in the forest!"
Saying that, he took her back to the king." Great king, I do not want your queen anymore. Before I had her, she was my only desire. After I got her, one desire led to another, leading only
to a bottomless hell."
In perfect calmness, the holy man rose into the air, preached to the king, and then magically flew back to the Holy Forests. He never returned to the ordinary world again. After meditating for years in peace and joy, he died and was reborn in one of the higher levels of the heavenly worlds.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
What feelings you felt for the holy man after you had read the story?
Did you reflect yourself upon the story?
Did you put youself into the holy mans shoe?
What do you think is the moral of the story?
The moral of the story is: Desire enslaves us, but wisdom and love liberates us.


Hung Up @ 9:09 pm

+-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_--+


Get awesome blog templates like this one from BlogSkins.com