Song of the parrots!

[Guest guest]

PraNAms to all

 

During the last camp in Washington D.C. Pujya Gurudev Swami Chinmayanandaji told

us an incredible story. I cannot do justice to his words but I will give the

essence.

 

The story goes like this:

 

There was once a sage living in a forest. He found a number of parrots migrated

to that forest and he developed found compassion for them and sharing with them

whatever food he has. He then noticed some hunter was going around the forests

to catch birds. He did not know how to protect the parrots. He wanted at least

to teach them so that they can protect themselves. So to the few of the parrots

that are coming to him everyday he started teaching a song:

 

Oh dear parrots! Oh dear Parrots! You should be careful! You should be careful!

 

A hunter will come one day! A hunter will come one day! He will spread the

seeds! and then he will spread the net! He will spread the seeds and then He

will spread the net!

 

Oh! dear parrots! Oh! dear Parrots! You should be careful! You should be

careful!

 

Do not go after the seeds! Do not go after the seeds! You will get trapped in

the net! you will get trapped in the Net! Oh! my dear parrots! Oh! my dear

parrots!

 

He started teaching the parrots to sing that song and within few days all the

parrots start singing that song together.

 

In addition, when they were repeating the other parrots started learning the

song and repeating - thus guru-sishya parampara was established. In no time the

whole forest was reverberating with the song - Oh! Dear parrots! Oh! Dear

Parrots! etc.

 

As expected the hunter came to that forest carrying his seeds and the net, and

as usual he spread the seeds and cast his net. Then he heard the song of the

parrots. When he heard and understood, he realized that it is going to be waste

of his trip since all the parrots know that he is coming to catch them. Any way

since he has already spread the seed and cast his net, he decided to relax and

have a nap so that he can go to the next forest after some rest.

 

After an hour when he opened his eyes because of incredible noise, he was

startled to see all the parrots got trapped in the net. He was so happy and he

collected the net which is now very heavy and slowly carrying to his village. As

he was going through the ashram of the swami, the parrots trapped in the net

started singing.

 

" Oh dear parrots! Oh dear Parrots! You should be careful! You should be

careful!

 

A hunter will come one day! A hunter will come one day! He will spread the

seeds! and then he will spread the net! He will spread the seeds and then He

will spread the net!

 

Oh! dear parrots! Oh! dear Parrots! You should be careful! You should be

careful!

 

Do not go after the seeds! Do not go after the seeds! You will get trapped in

the net! you will get trapped in the Net! Oh! my dear parrots! Oh! my dear

parrots!

 

Swami saw the situation and realized what a waste of his time!

 

-------------

 

After the story swamiji looked deep into our eyes said - do not be like parrots

repeating without understanding - let that understanding become part of you -

not something to repeat like a parrot but something to assimilate as your own

understanding reflecting that understanding in all your transactions.

 

That was the last teaching of Swamiji.

 

My prostrations to that compassionate guru.

 

 

Hari Om!

Sadananda