the difference between a rajayogi and a brahmayogi!! read and enjoy!!!

[Guest guest]

The Ideal of Forgiveness

 

 

Once there was a great king named Vishwamitra. One day he learned

that there was a saint in his kingdom whom everybody adored. The name

of this saint was Vashishtha, and everyone gladly touched his feet.

Now, although Vishwamitra was a very great king, nobody used to come

and touch his feet. People were afraid of him, and they would tremble

before him. But with Vashishtha it was different. People gladly

touched Vashishtha's feet with deepest appreciation and admiration.

So Vishwamitra was extremely jealous of Vashishtha.

 

 

Vashishtha was a very great saint. After praying to God for many,

many years, Vashishtha had realised God and could speak to God face

to face. Vishwamitra knew that this was the reason why everybody was

adoring Vashishtha instead of him, so he too started praying to God.

He prayed to God for a couple of years very seriously, often fasting

but still he did not realise God. Then he became impatient. He went

to Vashishtha and said, "You have realised God, but I have not been

able to. I wish you to tell the world that I have also realised God,

like you."

 

 

 

Vashista replied, "How can I say that?"

 

 

 

"You can say it," the king insisted. "If you tell people, everybody

will believe you, because you yourself have realised God. You know

who God is you speak to God. Tell everyone that I have realised God.

Otherwise I shall kill your children!"

 

 

 

Vashishtha said, "You can kill my children, but I cannot tell a lie."

 

 

 

Vishwamitra was a most powerful king. One by one he had the hundred

sons of Vashishtha killed. The hundred sons were very well educated,

kind and spiritual. They had studied the Vedas, the Upanishads and

other religious and sacred books. Nevertheless, the notorious king

killed them all.

 

 

 

Even after doing this Vishwamitra was not satisfied because

Vashishtha still refused to announce that he had realised God. After

a few months he thought, "This time he has to tell the world that I

have realised God, or I shall kill him!"

 

 

 

With this idea in his mind he went to Vashishtha's small cottage.

Before knocking at the door he stood outside quietly listening to the

conversation inside. Arundhati, one of Vashishtha's wives, was saying

to her husband, "My lord, why don't you say that Vishwamitra has

realised God? If you had said it I would still have all my children.

They were such nice, kind, devoted children. They were all jewels.

But just because you wouldn't say that he has realised God, he has

killed all my children, and who knows what he will do next!"

 

 

 

Vashishtha said, "How can you ask me to do that? I love him. He has

not realised God. How can I tell people that he has realised God? I

love him and that is why I cannot tell a lie." Even though

Vishwamitra had killed the hundred sons of Vashishtha, the father

could still say that he loved him!

 

 

 

When Vishwamitra heard what Vashishtha said, he came running in and

touched Vashishtha's feet, crying, "Forgive me, forgive me, forgive

me, my lord. I never knew that anyone on earth could love a person

who had killed all his children."

 

 

 

Vashishtha placed his hand on Vishwamitra's head and blessed him. He

said, "Today you have realised God, because today you know what love

is, what truth is. God is all forgiveness. I am forgiving you because

the God in me is forgiving you. Today you have realised God."

 

 

 

What do we learn from this story? We learn that the ideal of

forgiveness is the supreme ideal. When we pray to God we see God's

qualities: love and forgiveness. When we receive love and forgiveness

from God we can behave like God towards other people. Vashishtha's

hundred sons were killed, yet even then he loved Vishwamitra. Then,

when Vishwamitra begged for forgiveness, Vashishtha gave it

immediately, as well as giving him his inner Light, Joy and Power.

Like Vashishtha, we always have to forgive people when they do wrong

things. In this way we give them our Light, our Truth, our Joy.

 

 

>From this story we also learn the importance of associating with holy

men. When we are in the company of a spiritual person, even for a

second, what transformation takes place in our life! Our life is

changed in the twinkling of an eye.

 

this is the beauty of satsangha!!

 

courtesy- chinmoy.org

 

**********************************************************************

 

love

[Guest guest]

Dear Adi,

 

The story is nice. But just for the records, the story

of how "Viswamitra" got be a brahma rishi isnt exactly

the same way as depicted in this story!!

 

Infact Viswamitra wasnt even his actual name. The

moral of the story is however good.

Ravi

--- adi_shakthi16 <adi_shakthi16 wrote:

> The Ideal of Forgiveness

>

>

> Once there was a great king named Vishwamitra. One

> day he learned

> that there was a saint in his kingdom whom everybody

> adored. The name

> of this saint was Vashishtha, and everyone gladly

> touched his feet.

> Now, although Vishwamitra was a very great king,

> nobody used to come

> and touch his feet. People were afraid of him, and

> they would tremble

> before him. But with Vashishtha it was different.

> People gladly

> touched Vashishtha's feet with deepest appreciation

> and admiration.

> So Vishwamitra was extremely jealous of Vashishtha.

>

>

> Vashishtha was a very great saint. After praying to

> God for many,

> many years, Vashishtha had realised God and could

> speak to God face

> to face. Vishwamitra knew that this was the reason

> why everybody was

> adoring Vashishtha instead of him, so he too started

> praying to God.

> He prayed to God for a couple of years very

> seriously, often fasting

> but still he did not realise God. Then he became

> impatient. He went

> to Vashishtha and said, "You have realised God, but

> I have not been

> able to. I wish you to tell the world that I have

> also realised God,

> like you."

>

>

>

> Vashista replied, "How can I say that?"

>

>

>

> "You can say it," the king insisted. "If you tell

> people, everybody

> will believe you, because you yourself have realised

> God. You know

> who God is you speak to God. Tell everyone that I

> have realised God.

> Otherwise I shall kill your children!"

>

>

>

> Vashishtha said, "You can kill my children, but I

> cannot tell a lie."

>

>

>

> Vishwamitra was a most powerful king. One by one he

> had the hundred

> sons of Vashishtha killed. The hundred sons were

> very well educated,

> kind and spiritual. They had studied the Vedas, the

> Upanishads and

> other religious and sacred books. Nevertheless, the

> notorious king

> killed them all.

>

>

>

> Even after doing this Vishwamitra was not satisfied

> because

> Vashishtha still refused to announce that he had

> realised God. After

> a few months he thought, "This time he has to tell

> the world that I

> have realised God, or I shall kill him!"

>

>

>

> With this idea in his mind he went to Vashishtha's

> small cottage.

> Before knocking at the door he stood outside quietly

> listening to the

> conversation inside. Arundhati, one of Vashishtha's

> wives, was saying

> to her husband, "My lord, why don't you say that

> Vishwamitra has

> realised God? If you had said it I would still have

> all my children.

> They were such nice, kind, devoted children. They

> were all jewels.

> But just because you wouldn't say that he has

> realised God, he has

> killed all my children, and who knows what he will

> do next!"

>

>

>

> Vashishtha said, "How can you ask me to do that? I

> love him. He has

> not realised God. How can I tell people that he has

> realised God? I

> love him and that is why I cannot tell a lie." Even

> though

> Vishwamitra had killed the hundred sons of

> Vashishtha, the father

> could still say that he loved him!

>

>

>

> When Vishwamitra heard what Vashishtha said, he came

> running in and

> touched Vashishtha's feet, crying, "Forgive me,

> forgive me, forgive

> me, my lord. I never knew that anyone on earth could

> love a person

> who had killed all his children."

>

>

>

> Vashishtha placed his hand on Vishwamitra's head and

> blessed him. He

> said, "Today you have realised God, because today

> you know what love

> is, what truth is. God is all forgiveness. I am

> forgiving you because

> the God in me is forgiving you. Today you have

> realised God."

>

>

>

> What do we learn from this story? We learn that the

> ideal of

> forgiveness is the supreme ideal. When we pray to

> God we see God's

> qualities: love and forgiveness. When we receive

> love and forgiveness

> from God we can behave like God towards other

> people. Vashishtha's

> hundred sons were killed, yet even then he loved

> Vishwamitra. Then,

> when Vishwamitra begged for forgiveness, Vashishtha

> gave it

> immediately, as well as giving him his inner Light,

> Joy and Power.

> Like Vashishtha, we always have to forgive people

> when they do wrong

> things. In this way we give them our Light, our

> Truth, our Joy.

>

>

>

> From this story we also learn the importance of

> associating with holy

> men. When we are in the company of a spiritual

> person, even for a

> second, what transformation takes place in our life!

> Our life is

> changed in the twinkling of an eye.

>

> this is the beauty of satsangha!!

>

> courtesy- chinmoy.org

>

>

**********************************************************************

>

> love

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

 

 

 

 

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[Guest guest]

yes dear!

 

vishwamitra's original name was vishwaratha and he was the son of

king Gadhi!!

 

why do not you post your version- this way members can enjoy both

versions- but, you got the idea!! a real yogi is forgiving and not a

puffed up Bhoghi!

 

 

love

[Guest guest]

here is another version of the same story!! please, narrate your

version, if different!!

 

vishwamitra was born as a kshatriya king but became an ascetic and a

yogi. he observed many austterities, penances and

performed tapas etc. but somehow, he could never attain the

status of a BRAHMARISHI like sage Vashishta. this

aggravated sage vishwamitra and he was very envious of sage

vasishta .

ishwamitra's antipathy to sage Vasishta

went to the extentt of even contemplating the

destruction of the sage. Viswamitra was hovering near the

ashram when he overheard a conversation betweeen

Vasishta and his spouse Arundhati. Arundhati expressed her

admiration for the beautiful unblemished light the full moon

was shedding that night. Immediately Vasishta

observed, "Tonight's full moon is shining untainted like

the pure penance of Viswamitra." On hearing these

words, Viswamitra realised how mistaken he was regarding

Vasishta and rushed into the ashram, fell at the feet of

Vasishta and prayed to him to forgive him.

Vasishta lifted Viswamitra and hailed him as "Brahmarishi"

(a sage who has realised the Supreme Self).

Vasishta, who had previously described Viswamitra as a

Rajarishi (a royal sage), spontaneously hailed him as a

Brahmarishi. Viswamitra could not contain himself and asked

Vasishta on what grounds was he called a Brahmarishi.

Vasishta said, "Viswamitra! hitherto you were filled with

self-conceit. You were born with ego, grew with ego, and never

bowed your head to any one. Today you put an end to

your ego and fell at my feet. This is the significance

of egolessness. A Brahmarishi is one who is free

from egoism, acquisitiveness, pride and arrogance."

 

enjoy

 

ps - was it not vishwamitra who composed the famous gayatri mantra?

the story goes , it was revealed to him in a dream. is this true,

ravi?