Enlightenment

 Enlightenment

Page 4

Chapter 2

*Dispassion or Dejection*

 *Once a person came to King Janaka's court and he said to Janaka, "Everybody calls you as

wise man. They say you are the enlightened one. But you wear silk cloths and sit in the court

happily. You eat in silver plates. You have all types of pleasures around you. Who calls you

enlightened? Are you really enlightened? How can you ever be enlightened?"*

 So Janak told this poor critic, a Brahmin (in most of the Indian stories there is a poor

Brahmin in the town, this is how most Indian stories begin, this story has as poor Brahmin

too), that he would be hanged in one week. King called his soldiers and told them that the

Brahmin was to be get hanged in one week, but that he was to be given good food, comforts

and all the pleasures. 

 *He told them, "Give him all that he wants. If he wants to be paraded

around the town in the golden chariot then fulfil that wish also. But he should be hanged

seven days from now. This is his punishment".*

 As the day passed all types of pleasurable objects were brought before he was to be hanged,

Janaka went to see him. The Brahmin had become weak and worn out. 

 *Janaka asked him,

"How is it that in spite of all the good food and pleasure placed in front of you, you have

become so weak? Why are you like this? You should have been healthily enjoying all these pleasures".*

 The critic replied, "I have lost interest in everything. Anyway I am going to die.

You are going to hang me tomorrow. Every passing day takes away one day of my life. I am

counting every minute now. So, I could not have interest in any of these things."

 *King Janak

told him, "I am also living my life in a similar manner. Once you have the knowledge of

death, then you will not have interest in anything. I am the King of this kingdom and even

though I am the King, I am not lost or touched by any of these pleasures. Do you understand

this now?"*

 The Brahmin repented and fell at Janaka's feet, begged his pardon and said, "You

are truly the enlightened one". The King released him and sent him away.

*There are people who assume that one who carries his Kamandal (water pot) and walks naked all the time is enlightened.*

 What is the sign of the enlightened?

 *All of you wonder, "How can a person who travels in a

car be enlightened? How can a person be enlightened when he is wearing good clothes?"

You all think this way.*

 They tell us to live in untouched by objects, to do all your family

duties well, to behave well and to love people.

But do not take all the things they say as it is. Isn't it the height of foolishness to sit and worry day and night about who said what to you? Aren't you being stupid? 

 *The memory of the

event is making you foolish. When you remember that all of us are going to go away one day,

it will bring down all the fights in the family. Fights between son and son-in-law, daughter-in-law, and mother-in-law, will all decrease and go away.*

 All the unwanted complaints will

vanish and the mind will become pleasant.

 *What does memory do? It pulls you on either side. it is a skill to arrange the memory

towards yourself and move towards bliss.*