re:: Self-Inquiry Shambhala press #4

[Guest guest]

"How the thief sought to "ruin" King Janaka story."

 

I reseached it on the Net. Its long but worth while.

 

 

The Dream of King Janaka

How King Janaka became a Karma Yogi and surrendered all his actions to God.In

the Silver Yuga there lived a great king called Janaka to whom the Gita has

referred as the model example of a Karamyogi. In spite of being a great king,

he was called Janaka Videhi, or one who has transcended body consciousness. He

performed all his kingly duties in selfless manner. What is important for us to

know is how King Janaka was able to achieve God consciousness. What method did

he adopt to acquire the state of mind, where he became free from all

opposites.Being a householder and a king he had to perform al1 types of worldly

activities, but how did it happen that his actions become desireless. The story

goes that once Janaka felt restless and because of his worried mind could not

sleep. He tossed and turned until he finally dozed. He dreamed that his enemies

had conquered his whole kingdom and he ran to the jungle to save his life. He

felt terribly hungry, and in a certain village he begged from a Brahmin for

some food. The Brahmin woman said that there was no cooked food in the house

but offered him rice and dal to cook for himself. The king accepted these foods

and attempted, with great difficulty, to cook it.. Being a king he was not

accustomed to this type of work and was experiencing great discomfort. After

some time, he succeeded in cooking the food but before he could eat it, two

fighting bulls dashed his meal on the ground. The king was badly shocked at the

misfortune and began weeping bitterly. With this the king woke up with a start.

He realised that he had been merely dreaming, and he began to think, what is

all this? A few moments before he had been a beggar, crying for a mere mouthful

of food. Now he realised that he was back to being the great king of Vidarbha

who enjoyed all the luxuries of life. He remembered vividly his state of being

a beggar. And now he was living the life of a king. Which of these two states

of mind was true ? Was he a king or beggar? While being a king is he dreaming,

or is his state of being a beggar an illusion ? The questions made the king so

pensive that he wanted nothing but to know the truth of the matter for himself.

Therefore, the next day he made a proclamation to his people that whosoever

could satisfy the king in his question would receive his entire

kingdom.''Therefore, a huge building was constructed for the purpose of

receiving those who were willing to answer the king's question. A gate keeper

guarded the door allowing entry only to those who wished to attempt to answer

the question. Inside there was a high throne for the one to sit who could

satisfy King Janaka with the answer to his question. That seat of honour was

reserved for him who the king took to be his preceptor. Either sides of the

throne were lined by seats for the contestants. Whoever approached to answer

the question was warned that if the proper answer was not given a punishment of

imprisonment would follow. The great learned men of the time congregated in the

hope of answering the king's question.The king's question was, "Is this true,

or is that true ?"Everyone tried in his own way to give a satisfactory answer

to the question by such answers, "the world is untrue, only Brahm is true". But

these superficial answers did not shatter the doubt of King Janaka, and so one

contestant after another were taken away to the prison.In the city, there lived

a small deformed boy by the name of Ashtabakra, whose father also had

unsuccessfully answered the king's question and had been imprisoned. One day

his playmates teased him by saying that he was the son of a prisoner. This

touched his heart and he returned home to find out the truth of the matter. His

mother told him the whole story and said that his father would only be released

if the proper answer to the king's question could be given. Young Ashtabakra

said that he would release his father, and so determined, set off for the

King's court. He entered the court boldly, full of confidence that he could

satisfy the king's doubt. At the sight of so young a child, appearing to answer

the king's question, all the sages who had gathered on the occasion began to

laugh.Ashtabakra went up the throne and seated himself there. Because of his

disfigured appearance and his youth, the whole court laughed at him. But he

laughed back and said, "O King, why have you called this meeting of people who

like a cobbler see only the outer form of my skin and are ignorant of inner

spirit. How can they, who laugh at my appearance, whose vision is only

skin-deep, answer your question ? The King and the court were shocked to hear

such a description from the young child, regarding the gathering comprised of

learned scholars. But Ashtabaka went on to say that these so-called religious

teachers had but bookish knowledge of God and the soul. They were not able to

perceive truth beyond the external body. None of those present was a seer of

the Truth, because an enlightened soul is one who visualises the same soul in a

cow, elephant, dog as well as in a Brahmin. It is only the body, which is fair

or dark, thin or fat, but, not the soul. Just as sugar cane is knotted outside

but inside the juicy fibres run smooth and straight, so the outer appearance of

human beings may vary, but the inner soul remains the same. Janaka was satisfied

by this explanation, and so, according to that procedure, the Kings minister

stood to read out the King's question. But before the question could be read,

Ashtabakra interjected with his objection that if this were the King's

question, then it must be the king himself who should read it to him. The King

came forward in a most humble manner to ask it "Is this true or is that true ?

"Ashtavakra replied, "Neither this is true nor that is true."Now the king was

astonished, and begged to know, what was the reality. Ashtavakra replied that

is only the Holy Name and the Divine Light which is true and permanent and all

permeating. To realise the ultimate truth some read books, some perform

penances, but none of those methods lead to the realisation of the truth within

oneself. If you are very eager to know the truth you must make obeisance for

it.Janaka was ready to surrender everything in order to attain the knowledge of

Truth. He offered Ashtvakra the entire kingdom but Ashtavakra told him it was

only his vanity which believed the kingdom to be his own personal property. He

said, "Even your father and grandfather claimed to be the owner of this

kingdom. But neither the kingdom nor the members of your family can be truly

called yours". The king then surrendered himself as the price to be paid for

this truth. Ashtavakra accepted this offering and imparted to him the

mysterious knowledge of the Holy Name, asking the king to meditate upon it, fix

his mind upon it at all times and to perform his duties as king. Thus did Janaka

receive knowledge which made him able to perform actions desirelessly by fixing

his mind on the Shabd Brahm within. By the practice of the Shabd Brahm he was

able to gradually disconnect himself from the body and attain Supreme

Consciousness. It is only by knowing the Holy Name of God (Shabd Brahm) and

constantly practising it that man can get detached to worldly objects and

render himself fit for the performance of the desireless action.The central

theme of the Gita is performing one's duties by fixing the mind on the inner

self-effulgent Light and unmanifest Word.