1 Nov 2020
Note: The path mentioned here is not meant for anything specific and it can be applied to any noble pursuit or higher values. It is also not specifically referring to author's path, but it is just a path Imagined for enlightened souls of future.
I.
Once upon a time, a master and his disciple are walking on a road, the disciple is deeply absorbed in thought and did not pay attention to the road , so he tripped over a stone and almost fell.
After coming into his senses, the Disciple suddenly asked his master,
"Dear Master, Will the ignorant and wicked inherit the world?, Can I be happy if I choose neither?"
Master replied with raised eyebrows and looking towards his pupil attentively,
"Curious friend!, May be they already inherited the world and always have been,
if you want happiness, stay ignorant or atleast act ignorant to hide from the wicked
or else they will show their wrath."
Disciple stopped walking after hearing this from his master, asked anxiously,
" But, but Master,
if there is no happiness in the Knowledge of truth, then why pursue it?
if there is no advantage in the honor, then why not embrace some wickedness like everyone else?"
Noticing the anxiety on the disciple's face, the master calmly replied,
"Wicked are the masters and ignorant are the slaves,
Slaves enable the masters and masters make the slaves,
Neither of them are noble,
Pure ignorance is a bliss, yet only few possess it, others are willingly ignorant,
an inquisitive mind like yours can never afford it. The more you ask, the more you are losing it.
Wickedness is a misery, many embrace it, but most regret it later,
some lie to themselves, but they can't escape the darkness of their mind,
It's you my honor bound disciple, who do less regrettable actions, can afford the freedom from this misery.
Knowledge cleanses ignorance and Wisdom cleanses wickedness,
A noble being should never run after the happiness alone, it being the result, but not a source,
A noble being can never choose an advantage if it comes at the cost of honor, otherwise he stops being noble"
After listening, the disciple felt a little confused but strongly reassured and carried on walking the path.
II.
Disciple continued walking on the path with his master,
On the way, a rich and successful man greeted the young disciple,
"Young man, why are you going on the path?,
You can invest your time to earn riches,
You can invest your motivation on getting fame,
You can invest your efforts on finding a secure life,
I achieved all these, I owned lands, properties and gold,
I slept with beautiful women,
I dined with royalty and had friends in very high circles,
I married into a wealthy family and have children akin to princesses and princes,
Now that I am old and secure, I can focus on pursuing the path confidently.
See yourself, you have nothing and you are walking on the path like a vagabond, invest wisely"
Advised the man while looking down upon the disciple.
The disciple immediately turned towards his master,
The master gestured with his eyes to disciple to tell what he had learned.
Then the disciple confidently replied,
"You must have put tremendous effort to earn all those riches, lands and fame, which is no ordinary feat.
You invested all your blood and sweat into every moment to be so successful,
For success don't often come to those who don't put the effort,
You invested all your life to gain name and fame,
You invested all your youth in the pursuit of women and pleasures,
You invested all your middle age for the success of your children,
But at the end, you desire the path of inner peace, and enlightenment of mind, because now you realised that this is the end goal of every noble soul,
Let me tell you about my investment,
I didn't invest in land and properties, even though they offer security,
I didn't invest in a typical career, even though it offers consistent income,
I didn't invest my time in gaining name and fame, even it feels gratifying.
I didn't invest my youth in the pursuit of women, even though my natural drives desired it,
I didn't invest in wide friend circles, even though they offer opportunities of success,
I didn't invest in family and children, even though they offer companionship and love,
But I invested in far more important aspect of life, I invested in nurturing my mind and soul, the only path to true enlightenment, the ultimate end goal of freedom,
it's no easy task , a lifetime of effort required to reach the gates of noblest of noble destinations,
A destination that has no end point.
"A question if I may ask,"
Asked the Disciple,
"You may ask", said the merchant
Disciple asked
"If I didn't put any effort or hard work on earning success and suddenly if I decide when I am old that I want to be rich and successful, but without having nurtured such a work ethic all my life, will I be successful?"
"No way" said the Merchant confidently.
"Similarly, you can't reach the higher goal of enlightenment and wisdom, when you invested your soul into shallow goals throughout your life,
You reap what you sow."
concluded the disciple.
"Are you crazy?, I can reap whatever I want because I have money and power. Don't tell me all that bullshit, I saw far too many things in life to come this far and you are nothing in front of me." left the merchant angrily.
The disciple looked towards the master with a disappointed look and asked,
"Master, did I say something wrong?, why the merchant was angry when I told him my honest outlook?".
The master said in a soothing voice,
"My dear friend, don't expect immediate acceptance of wisdom or truth from small minds, or else you will be utterly disappointed at every turn.
You will be met with hatred, jealousy, bullying, manipulation, mischaracterization, false advice from the unwise and wicked and You will be often looked down upon.
Small minds aren't even capable of thinking beyond their materialistic achievements.
So, any true and original wisdom is rarely appreciated in one's lifetime, it can even be perceived as insanity by
some of those who can't grasp what you said.
It is a very hard and lonely path, not for the faintest of the heart, it demands will of steel and character of diamond strength.
The merchant spent all his life on earning material belongings. At old age, he realized that it's not worth it, then the realization hit him hard with your acquaintance that it's too late for the cultivation of mind and soul.
It's the resistance from his inflated ego that made him react in such a way.
Such people are numerous in this world and don't let their words distract you.
If you pay attention to them, they will drag you to their lower level and falsely accuse you of their own poor character.
It's like fighting a swine in a muddy puddle, while aiming to remain clean.
However,
If you continue the path, you will eventually reach the gates of enlightenment,
then none of this will bother you because of the strength you gained during your great journey,
You will reach the nirvana even before death.
Your profound goal itself makes you unique,
it is what distinguishes you from them,
You can see and understand what is real and can break the chains of illusions,
Your happiness will be truly independent from the external factors,
You will no longer experience the fears that most suffer from,
You can see right from wrong,
Good from evil and varying shades in between,
But,
All these rewards depends on how you nurture yourself,
because, this not a divine blessing, it can be a
curse too for the undesired and unprepared,
Once you prepare the foundation,then only you can subsequently build further additions to any strong construction,
here the foundation is acceptance of the challenging path, then only you can learn further. Without this foundation, all the subsequent gains will collapse at the face of disappointment. "
Concluded the master.
"It is too much to digest master, I feel determined
and afraid at the same time, I fear that I might not have enough strength to pursue it for a long time, yet I have the will to persist, curiosity to quench. But I will remember what you said and will seek your advice if the doubt arises."
walked the disciple.
-Vijay Jampana