Monday, February 18, 2008

The Kingdom is Yours

This is a story of ancient time. The king was passing the last days of his life and was also very much tensed; not because of death, but because of his son, to whom he would handover his kingdom. He was unable to decide to whom he should hand over the power of kingdom, because it should be given in those hands whose mind is peaceful? It was too difficult to decide who is peaceful amongst three? Which examination should be taken? How to know that who is suitable for the kingdom and who is not? Which examination should be taken? How to know that who is suitable for the kingdom and who is not?
Some things can be measured externally. But whatever is important in life can not be measured by any weighing scale. Some things can be identified from outside. But whatever is important in life, there is no way out to identify them from outside. How can it be identified, how can it be known, what should be the way - the king asked the saint. That saint showed a way. Next morning he called his three sons and gave all of them 100 rupees and said that the three palaces which are in your name, fill them with such a thing worth rupees that not even a little place should be left vacant. One who will be most successful amongst the three will become the king.
The palaces of the three princes were very big. The first prince thought that how could the palace be filled with the amount of 100 rupees. He went to casino and gambled 100 rupees. He may win by gambling and get large amount of money to fill the palace because the palace was too big. It couldn’t be filled with 100 rupees. But as it happens usually, those who gamble to earn more, they lose even what they had. Similarly that young prince also lost and came back home and his palace remained vacant.
The second prince thought that 100 rupees is a small amount and such big palace can’t be filled with diamonds and gems. There is only one way that the garbage, which is thrown out of the village, should be purchased and the palace should be filled. All the garbage, which was sent out of the village, was purchased and the palace was filled. But the palace started stinking. It became difficult even to pass from there.
The third prince also filled the palace. Filled with what? It will be clear within sometime. The decisive moment arrived. The king came to examine. First prince’s palace was vacant. The prince said “Please forgive me, 100 rupees were too less. I thought I would win in gambling and then I would fill the palace. But I lost and the palace is empty.
Going near to the second palace was terrifying. It was so stinky. Whole palace was filled with garbage and sewage. The prince said that there was no other way. Only wastage could be purchased. What else could be bought for 100 rupees?
Then the king went to the third prince’s palace. The examiners were surprised. The judges were stunned when they smelled the fragrance near the palace. Then they entered into the palace. It was a new moon night. But whole palace was illuminated with oil lamps. The king asked “with what have you filled the palace?” The prince replied “with light and luminosity”. Oil lamps were lit in each and every corner. Whole palace was illuminated, the fragrance was sprinkled and every door and window of the palace was decorated with flowers. That palace was full of light and fragrance. The third prince became the king. He became the monarch of the kingdom.
It is very difficult that one of us can become the king of life. First of all we have staked our lives and every stake is in the hope that we will get something and then we could live. And as it happens at every stake, we go on losing and the palace of our life remains vacant. Some of us have decided to fill the palace with garbage. Whatever is waste in life; we buy it and bring it in the palace. We collect all those which is lastly worthless; which is lastly valueless at our home. We have a justification that we have such a small life, such little energy, with that the palace can not be filled with diamonds and gems. With such less energy the palace can be filled with wastage, so we are filling it with wastage.
But we don’t know that the palace which we are trying to fill, the stink of that palace don’t allow us to live within it. It will be difficult for us to live and it has become difficult for us to live. We are so restless, so sad, so tensed. Why? This tension and restless neither comes from the sky nor from the stars and the moon. This tension and pain does not come from anywhere else other than that palace which we have filled with stink and garbage. All restlessness, tensions and pain arise from there itself. This is the outcome of our hard work, effort, attempt and endeavor. These two types of princes are within us. But the third type of prince is not within us, who can fill the palace of the life with light and fragrance.
I invite you to attend the first level program of Oshodhara so that we can tell you something that how could the oil lamps be lighted in the palace and how could the flowers appear into the palace. The fragrance can be filled and you may become the monarch of the kingdom of God. Who knows that in the exam of life who will pass and how? But one thing is for sure that one who lights the lamp till the end of life, which fills the palace of life with fragrance, one who becomes music himself, wins the race. If there is God anywhere, if there is any bliss anywhere, if there is any treasure, then definitely he becomes the right owner. I hope this story will act as an inspiration for all of you so that the palace of your home does not remain empty, does not fill with garbage. It can be full of light and music. This can happen. Then the Kingdom is yours.

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