Hi,
I was reading this story which brought a tear to my eye. Enjoy!
One day in a village, a Holy Man was holding satsang—giving a spiritual talk and answering questions—in the town center near a well. At the conclusion of the talk, a wealthy merchant who gave liberally to worthy causes asked the Holy Man how long it would take him, the merchant, to exhaust all his karma and reach the divine abode. After a moment of contemplation, the Holy Man said that because the merchant had been a very good man for many lifetimes, it would only be twelve lifetimes before he had a sacred vision of the divine beloved and achieved freedom from all his karma. The merchant was overjoyed and thanked the Holy Man profusely.
Then a wandering mendicant who lived only on alms and the kindness of strangers asked the same question. The Holy Man again went within and answered that only three more lifetimes would be required. The mendicant could not believe his ears. “Three more!” he thought. “That’s ridiculous.” Out loud he said, “You mean that even after all of the deprivation and suffering I have undergone in this life, I still have to live three more lifetimes?” The Holy Man nodded yes. “Then I’m going to enjoy what time I have left in this one.” And he threw down his mendicant’s donation basket and began a life devoted to satisfying all his sensual desires.
Finally, a thief timorously approached the Holy Man and asked the same question. After a brief inner contemplation, the Holy Man pointed to a nearby tall tree and spoke: “You see that tree? Well, as many leaves as there are on that tree, so many lives it will take for you to work out your karma,” he said. The thief began to dance in ecstasy and shouted out in joy, “How compassionate is God! After all the bad things I’ve done, God still gives me a chance to reach Him, and it will only take that many lifetimes? Oh, how fortunate I am!” At that moment, the Grace of the Supreme manifested and the thief achieved moksha, or spiritual liberation, on the spot. The intense and pure devotion of the thief in that moment had invoked the Grace of God, and his mountain of karma was instantly burned to ashes.
-"Mantra Meditation" by Thomas Ashley Farrand
Best wishes,
Stephen
I was reading this story which brought a tear to my eye. Enjoy!
One day in a village, a Holy Man was holding satsang—giving a spiritual talk and answering questions—in the town center near a well. At the conclusion of the talk, a wealthy merchant who gave liberally to worthy causes asked the Holy Man how long it would take him, the merchant, to exhaust all his karma and reach the divine abode. After a moment of contemplation, the Holy Man said that because the merchant had been a very good man for many lifetimes, it would only be twelve lifetimes before he had a sacred vision of the divine beloved and achieved freedom from all his karma. The merchant was overjoyed and thanked the Holy Man profusely.
Then a wandering mendicant who lived only on alms and the kindness of strangers asked the same question. The Holy Man again went within and answered that only three more lifetimes would be required. The mendicant could not believe his ears. “Three more!” he thought. “That’s ridiculous.” Out loud he said, “You mean that even after all of the deprivation and suffering I have undergone in this life, I still have to live three more lifetimes?” The Holy Man nodded yes. “Then I’m going to enjoy what time I have left in this one.” And he threw down his mendicant’s donation basket and began a life devoted to satisfying all his sensual desires.
Finally, a thief timorously approached the Holy Man and asked the same question. After a brief inner contemplation, the Holy Man pointed to a nearby tall tree and spoke: “You see that tree? Well, as many leaves as there are on that tree, so many lives it will take for you to work out your karma,” he said. The thief began to dance in ecstasy and shouted out in joy, “How compassionate is God! After all the bad things I’ve done, God still gives me a chance to reach Him, and it will only take that many lifetimes? Oh, how fortunate I am!” At that moment, the Grace of the Supreme manifested and the thief achieved moksha, or spiritual liberation, on the spot. The intense and pure devotion of the thief in that moment had invoked the Grace of God, and his mountain of karma was instantly burned to ashes.
-"Mantra Meditation" by Thomas Ashley Farrand
Best wishes,
Stephen
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