Gita's Yoga of Detachment
(continued)
The ascetic accompanied the king's men and on the way he picked up a small little puppy from the street gutters, hid it in his covers and walked along.
In a king's court there is great significance of seating arrangements, and who gets what seat. The seating arrangement is carefully assigned and the height of the seating shows respect and reverence. The king arranged for a blanket on the floor for the sadhu to sit on, and the king himself also sat on it along with the ascetic, so that the attention was taken away from the status symbol. The sadhu immediately on sitting down spread both his legs facing the feet towards the king. The king thought, this man is foolish and does not understand anything about being civilized! He probably has never gone into a king's court for a meeting and therefore does not know how to behave in a civilized manner.
The king asked him - Since when have to started spreading your legs like this?
The ascetic (sadhu) replied, since I withdrew my hands. When there is desire to gain something, then we spread our hands and withdraw our feet. But when there is no desire to take anything at all, then we withdraw our hands and spread out the legs. Saying so, the sadhu, sat back properly.
The king realized, that this man is not foolish, rather he is very intelligent, a renunciate, and he has come here to alert him. The king asked about the saint.
The sadhu replied, that such a saint is very great, a rarity.
The king asked - Did you live with him?
The sadhu said – Yes I have lived with him.
King said – You must have taken something from him?
Sadhu - No king, I did not take anything!
King - then you were left empty and deprived?
Sadhu - No, one who lives with such a saint, can never be empty and deprived. I did not take, but it remained.
King – What remained?
Sadhu - When you remove musk from the box, then too the fragrance remains. When ghee (clarified butter) is removed from the container, then too the grease, the stickiness remains in the container, similarly, when staying with a saint, his fragrance, his grease (stickiness) remains.
King – What is that fragrance, that stickiness? please share with me?
Sadhu - This is about us sadhus (ascetics) and penniless ones, not about kings. What will you do on knowing such things?
King - No Maharaj ! Please definitely share with us. (to be continued)
(to be continued)
From book in Hindi "Jit Dekhu Tit Tu" By Swami Ramsukhdasji
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If in doubt regarding the translation, please read the original Hindi message by Swamiji.
FOR MESSAGE IN HINDI PLEASE VISIT Date : 3rd November, 2011 – GITA KA ANAASAKTI YOG
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