The futility of everything.

[Guest guest]

An emperor was coming out of his palace for his morning walk when he met abeggar. He asked the beggar, "What do you want?"

 

The beggar laughed and said, "You are asking me as though you can fulfill mydesire!"

 

The king was offended. He said, "Of course I can fulfill your desire. Whatis it? Just tell me."

 

And the beggar said, "Think twice before you promise anything."

 

The beggar was no ordinary beggar, he was the emporers past life master. Hehad promised in that life, "I will come and try to wake you in your nextlife.This life you have missed but I will come again." But the king had forgottencompletely -- who remembers past lives? So he insisted, "I will fulfillanythingyou ask. I am a very powerful emperor, what can you possibly desire that Ican not give to you?"

 

The beggar said, "It is a very simple desire. You see this begging bowl? Canyou fill it with something?"

 

The emperor said, "Of course!" He called one of his viziers and told him,"Fill this mans begging bowl with money." The vizier went and got some moneyandpoured it into the bowl, and it disappeared. And he poured more and more,and the moment he would pour it, it would disappear. And the beggging bowlremainedalways empty.

 

The whole palace gathered. By and by the rumor went throughout the wholecapital, and a huge crowd gathered. The prestige of the emperor was atstake. Hesaid to his viziers, "If the whole kingdom is lost, I am ready to lose it,but I cannot be defeated by this beggar."

 

Diamons and pearls and emeralds, his treasuries were becoming empty.Thebegging bowl seemed to be bottomless. Everything that was put into it --everything!-- immediately disappeared, went out of existence. Finally it was theevening, and the people were standing there in utter silence. The kingdropped atthe fet of the beggar and admitted his defeat. he said, "Just tell me onething. You are victorious - but before you leave, just fulfill mycuriousity.What is the beging bowl made of?"

 

The beggar laughed and said, "It is made up of the human mind. There is nosecret. It is simple made up of human desire."

 

This understanding transforms life. Go into one desire -- what is themechanism of it? First there is a great excitement, great thrill, adventure.you feela great kick. Somehting is going to happen, you are on the verge of it. Andthen you have the car, you have the yacht, you have the house, you have thewoman, and suddenly all is meaningless again.

 

What happens? Your mind has dematerialised it. The car is standing in thedrive, but there is no excitement anymore. The excitement was only ingettingit. You became so drunk with the desire thah you forgot your innernothingness. Now the desire is fulfilled, the car in the drive, the woman inyour bed,the money in your bank account - again excitement disappears. Again theemptiness is there, ready to eat you up. Again you have to create anotherdesireto escape this yawning abyss.

 

That's how one moves from one desire to another desire. That's how oneremains a beggar. Your whole life proves it again and again -- every desirefrustrates.And when the goal is achieved, you will need another desire.

 

The day you understand that desire as such is going to fail comes theturning point in your life.

 

The other journey is inwards. move inwards, come back home.

 

 

Regards,K.s.Vishwanathan.Tel No: 022-28738192.e-mail:kalpathyvs.