Wheels within wheels!!!

"Kaupeena samrakshanardham ayam patatopam" - My dad used to tell me this story many times. The way he tells it is very interesting. It sort of shows that PG Wodehouse's statement "Know my friend, there are wheels within wheels" is very true and that humans can never limit their desires.

There was a sage in a nice village bordering a river bank. All peaceful and wonderful, this sage loves meditating under a big tree on the river bank. Attaining nirvana is his only aim in life. However, there is a problem. No, it was never about a house or a hut or food or anything unnecessarily material, he has only two loin clothes and there were a lot of rats in the area. Each time, he used to go bathing, the rats destroyed one of his only worldly possessions.

The sage visits the village for alms the next day and looking at the forlorn face, the villagers ask him the problem. "Rats", he says. "They just dont let me meditate". The villagers advice him to buy a cat. "Cats are good hunters of mice", they said. The cat did a wonderful job. But the cats also wanted milk.

The sage visits the village for alms the next and looking at the forlorn face, the villagers ask him the problem. "Cats", he says. "They need milk and I dont know how to get them". The villagers advice him to buy a cow. "Cow solves your problems", they said. The cow was good. Cows gave milk and milk kept cats happy and cats ate mice and sage was happy. But... the cows needed grass to eat and forest food was not right.

The sage visits the village for alms the next and looking at the forlorn face, the villagers ask him the problem. "Cows", he says. "They need grass and I dont know where to get it". The villagers advice him to get some land and help him procure some. "Grow your grass and feed the cow", they said. The grass and land were good. Land gave grass and cows gave milk and milk kept cats happy and cats ate mice and sage was happy. But... who should tend the grass and feed the cow.

The sage visits the village for alms the next and looking at the forlorn face, the villagers ask him the problem. "Land", he says. "To tend a grass, i need a helper and I dont know how to get it". The villagers advice him to get married and helped him find a nice girl and get married. "Share your time between prayer and work", they said. Wife was good. She helped in work and land gave grass and cows had grass and gave milk and milk kept cats happy and cats ate mice and sage was happy. But... how should the wife bide her time during penance.

The sage visits the village for alms the next and looking at the forlorn face, the villagers ask him the problem. "Wife", he says. "She tends to get bored when I am not with her. How do I keep her happy?" The villagers advice him to have kids. "Kids will keep your wife occupied", they said.

 

Kids, they never allowed him to meditate at all :)

Somewhere, it all comes back to the starting point.

"OM POORNAMADAH POORNAMIDAM POORNAAT POORNAMUDACHYATE POORNASYA POORNAMAADAAYA POORNAMEVAAVASHISHYATE"