108. The Lion and the Cub🔗

Once upon a time, a pregnant lioness attacked a flock of sheep while hunting for food. As she pounced on one of the sheep, the strain became too much for her and she died, giving birth to a cub.

The newborn cub could barely open his eyes. He made some sounds and moved about on the ground helplessly. The sheep saw the orphaned cub and felt compassionate towards him. You may wonder how sheep can feel compassion towards a lion cub. Understand, when the enemy does not disturb or hurt you, and you don't feel threatened in any way by his presence, you will feel compassionate towards him even if he is your enemy by nature!

Since the sheep did not feel threatened by the lion cub, they started showing love towards him. The sheep sensed that the cub was not going to attack them, so they were able to express compassion towards him. They looked after him, bringing him up in the manner they knew best. They showed him how to eat grass, drink their milk, live like them and even how to bleat like them - baaa, baaa!

The lion cub also picked up the body language of the sheep. Right from his birth, no one had ever told him he was a lion, so he never knew what it was like to be a lion. So the cub grew up continuing to live like the sheep. The sheep also were quite comfortable with the cub being one among them.

As the lion cub grew a little, he began to express his strength in the manner that was natural to him. When the other young sheep fought with him, he used to give them strong blows! The young sheep would complain to the mother sheep, 'He is hitting us!' The mother sheep would try her best to patch things up between the cub and the sheep by consoling the young sheep and advising them to forget about the fight.

One day a lion attacked the flock of sheep. The frightened sheep scattered in different directions. The lion then saw a lion cub also running away with the sheep, bleating like them! The lion could not believe his eyes! He could not understand why the cub was running away upon seeing him and why he was bleating like the sheep.

The next day the lion returned - not to hunt, but to look for the young cub. When he saw the cub, he slowly went up behind him and caught hold of him. The moment the lion caught hold of the cub, the cub started shouting, 'Let me go! Let me go! Baa, baa...' The lion said, 'Fool! Don't be afraid. I am not going to kill you. Don't you know who you are?' The cub cried, 'I am a sheep. Let me go! Let me go!' The lion said, 'Fool! You are not a sheep. Don't be afraid of me!'

But the young cub was terrified and not ready to listen to anything. Somehow he managed to break free and ran away.

The next day the lion came back to where the sheep were grazing. He managed to catch the lion cub again. This time he held him firmly. The cub was struggling under the grip, but while one part of his mind told him strongly to escape, another part of him felt good at being touched by the lion. The reassuring, comfortable feeling of the lion's touch awakened something deep within the cub. Seeing the struggle of the cub, the lion let him go, saying, 'I will come again tomorrow. But at that time, I will not be chasing you.'

The lion went back into the forest. The lion cub stayed awake the whole night, unable to sleep. His mind was filled with so many thoughts... 'I cannot accept what the lion said to me!... But I think there may be some truth in what he said..? No, I don't think whatever he said is correct! I know I am a sheep. I have known it from birth. What he says does not make any sense to me. He is just lying to get something from me.'

Understand, the lion has penetrated the cub in a way beyond the cub's logic. Let me be very clear, if the presence of the master affects you beyond your logic, the master in you has already been awakened! You cannot feel connected to the lion unless the lion in you awakens. If you feel some ecstasy, some comfort, through the thought of the master, the lion, and if you find yourself trying to recreate again and again the same feelings that came up in your memory when you were with the lion, even if it is through visualization, be very clear, the lion has touched you deeply! A part of you has already started feeling soothed. A part of you has already started feeling there is something in what the master says.

The next day, when the lion arrived, the cub was standing there waiting for him. The cub was standing patiently at the edge of the forest, watching for the lion. But when the lion appeared, the cub started moving away from him, toward the herd of sheep! But he did not turn his face away from the lion, as he did not want to lose sight of the lion!

He just took a few steps back cautiously, telling the lion, 'You stay where you are and I will stand where I am now. We can still talk. It is true that I am not able to forget you. But let us keep this distance between us.' The lion replied, 'That is alright with me. You stay where you are. Now let us talk.'

The lion continued, 'Understand, you are a lion! You are ignoring your true nature by trying to be something else! Look carefully and you will see the difference between you and those sheep.' The cub cried, 'No! No! How can that be? I eat the same grass as them. I live exactly as the other sheep do.' The lion said, 'Fool! Understand this very basic thing. See for yourself. No other sheep feels attached to me. No other sheep is waiting for me. They are all terrified of me. Only you are waiting for me. Understand from this alone that there is something happening within you. What is the need for you to wait for me here? Come with me to the river nearby and look at your reflection in the water. You will be able to see your face and mine.'

The cub felt scared to go with the lion and told him, 'No. Let us just stand here and talk. You stand where you are, I will stand where I am. You say whatever you want to say. I will stay right here and listen.' Then the lion said, 'Alright, let me tell you this. If you allow me, I can show you your true self in the river and prove to you that you are like me. But I will not force you. I will return after one week. If you are ready, come back to this place and wait for me. I will then take you with me to the river. If not, just forget me. Don't even try to remember me!'

The lion then left. After a week as promised, the lion arrived. The cub's mind was still confused,

'Should I go or not go to meet the lion?' Deep within, the cub really wanted to meet the lion, but at the same time he was very afraid of the lion. Finally, the cub reached the place where he had met the lion the last time, and found the lion there. The lion looked up at him and stood up. He led the way and they slowly started walking towards the river.

As they were walking, the lion moved a little closer to the cub. The cub got scared and started shouting, 'No! No! You stay where you are. You just show me the path to the river. Please do not walk so close to me. I can walk to the river on my own!' The lion moved away a little and started telling the cub stories about when he was a cub himself, and how he grew up to become a fully grown lion. Listening to these stories, the cub got so engrossed that he forgot to keep the distance between the two of them.

As they walked, the lion started getting closer to the cub. The cub was completely involved in the stories of the lion and was asking him, 'Is that so? Is that how it happened? Did you also have all these problems?' Without the cub realizing it, the lion had slowly come so near that he was now touching the cub as they continued their walk! Suddenly the young cub noticed this, but he found that it did not make him afraid at all. He felt the gentle touch of the lion so relaxing! He did not protest.

The lion continued talking and the cub was saying, 'Oh! That is nice... that is interesting...' The lion was now almost holding the cub, but the cub was fully engrossed in the 'small stories' about the lion's early days.

As soon as they reached the river, the lion caught the cub and took him to the water. The cub knew now that there was no escape! But he was surprised that he no longer had any desire to escape! Understand, the cub not only knew that he could he not escape, but he also did not want to escape!

But then, a little ego hiding in a corner of his mind troubled him and he said, 'No! No! Let me go! What are you doing to me? Why are you holding on to me?' The cub still had some fear in him. The lion replied, 'I am not doing anything to you. Just look into the water.' The cub looked into the water and said, 'Okay, I am looking into the water.' The lion then asked, 'What can you see in the water? Can you see two forms?' The cub replied, 'Yes.' The lion said, 'Well, one lion is me and the other lion is you.' The cub repeated, 'Two reflections: one mine and the other yours.' Then suddenly he realized what he was saying. He could not believe it and started shouting, 'No! No! No! Both the reflections in the water must be yours!' The lion shouted, 'Fool! Look! I am raising my hand. See which reflection is raising a hand.' The cub pointed to the reflection in the water and said, 'Only that reflection is raising its hand.' The lion then said, 'Okay, now you raise your hand.' The cub raised his own hand, looked at the reflections in the river and cried out, 'Yes! Yes! Yes! I see! I see!' Then in a small, confused voice he asked, 'But... how can I be a lion? Am I not a sheep..?' The lion simply looked at him and said, 'I am not here to play with you.'

That is when a feeling of ecstasy began to rise up in the cub. He could sense something incredible was about to happen. But then again his mind stepped in and his mood went into a low and he started doubting in his mind, 'I think I have been hypnotized. This is not my true nature! Something has happened to me. This is not me. I have never felt so blissful, so joyful! This is not me! He is doing something to me. He has already done something to me!’ The cub still resisted. He struggled to escape, but it was only a half-hearted attempt, an act actually, because he had no real desire to escape. The cub started protesting, ‘No! No! No! Let me go! Let me go! I know that you are a great lion. As an offering for you, I will bring you the grass which I eat every day. I will bring you the milk which I drink every day. I will devote all my time to serve you. But don’t tell me that I am also a lion – that I cannot believe!’

Finally the lion thought, 'I should leave him now. He can only understand this much for now.' So he told him, 'Alright, be very clear, we shall meet again tomorrow. I will not come to the boundary of the forest to bring you here. I will be in my own home. If you want to see me, find out where I live and come on your own to meet me there. I have no time to waste by coming all the way to your place to bring you here! If you don't want to come to me through your own effort, let it be!'

The lion told him this and left. This time the cub did not run away as he usually would. He walked back very slowly. He did not want to go, but on the other side his mind was pushing him to go back to the sheep. Three legs of the lion cub were not moving! Only one leg was able to move. Big drops of tears began to fall from his little eyes at the thought of this farewell.

The next day the lion was seated in a majestic pose in his home. Slowly, very slowly, the cub approached him with freshly-cut green grass, thinking, 'This is the best grass available anywhere', and set it down in front of the lion saying, 'Please accept this offering I have brought you.' The lion watched and thought to himself, 'Alright, if I take this grass, this fellow will feel connected to me. He might even allow this relationship to become more intense. Through this he might feel more connected to me.'

So, even though a lion never eats grass, he picked up the grass, put it in his mouth and started eating it! He praised the cub, saying, 'This grass you brought me tastes really good!' The cub was very happy. The relationship started deepening between them when the lion began to eat the grass. Understand, the lion comes down and eats grass only to be able to bridge the gap between the cub and himself! Even though he never really eats grass, he acts as if he is eating it and loving it.

The cub immediately felt very comfortable. He could now connect with the lion. Now the cub decided, 'I must bring even better grass and fresher milk next time. I must do things the right way.' This is how the relationship started happening between the cub and the lion.

Now the cub started feeling free with the lion, and he started coming to the forest to see the lion whenever he felt like it. The cub started feeling very comfortable around the lion, very relaxed. He did not know the 'master' plan of the 'master' lion!

One day, when the cub came as usual with grass and milk, he saw the lion sitting with a large chunk of meat in front of him. The moment the cub saw the meat, he got afraid and started crying, 'Oh, what is this? You are eating meat?! Whom did you kill? Are you going to kill me also? Oh, I am so afraid! I must escape before you kill me! Baaa! Baaa! Help! Help!'

This time the lion did not take the time or energy to explain anything. He simply caught hold of the neck of the cub, picked up some meat and forced it into the cub's mouth! The moment the meat entered his mouth, the cub tasted blood - and something suddenly happened within him. The cub could not understand what was going on. He had tasted meat for the very first time - but he felt that this was his natural food! He was overwhelmed with the feeling that rose in him.

This is what happens during your first experience of bliss, satori! When you experience it, you will understand!

After tasting the meat, the cub suddenly let out a roar like a lion! He started roaring, announcing his true nature. He expressed his true nature.

Now the lion looked straight into the eyes of the cub and said, 'Tat tvam asi' - That thou art - you are That.' The initiation happened. That was all. The lion who thought he was a sheep became a lion at last!

His Holiness Paramahamsa Nithyananda is recognized today as a clear, legitimate, apolitical voice of Sanatana Hindu Dharma, and revered as a living incarnation of superconsciousness by millions worldwide. He is a Mahamandaleshwar (spiritual head) of Mahanirvani Peeth, the world's most ancient apex body of Hinduism. He is the most watched spiritual teacher on YouTube.com with over 19 million views, and the author of more than 300 books published in over 20 languages. His lectures are watched live every day on http://www.nithyananda. tv, as well as on multiple international television channels and via video conferencing.

Paramahamsa Nithyananda is considered the foremost authority in the world today in the field of Consciousness and Kundalini awakening. He has successfully demystified yogic sciences like THIR Eye Awakening℠, spiritual healing, levitation, teleportation, materialization, anti-ageing and going beyond the need for food.

A spiritual genius with an enlightened insight into everything from management to meditation, relationships to religion, success to spirituality, Paramahamsa Nithyananda brings to us a wealth of practical wisdom and techniques for lasting inner change.

Paramahamsa Nithyananda is the spiritual head of several non-profit organizations worldwide which enrich lives through personal transformation programs and courses, publications, spreading Vedic sciences and wisdom, spiritual healing and humanitarian services.

As a global humanitarian, Paramahamsa Nithyananda is working to promote global peace through the transformation of the individual. His spiritual mission includes ashrams and centres worldwide, which serve as spiritual laboratories where inner growth is profound and outer growth is a natural consequence.

Service activities include conducting meditation and de-addiction camps, free medical camps and artificial limb donation for the needy, support for education and vocational training, support for children in rural areas, conducting meditation camps for prisoners and disaster relief activities. Paramahamsa Nithyananda is also deeply committed to creating international awareness about Indian culture and the ancient Vedic tradition. As an enlightened mystic, a spiritual evolutionary, a trained yogi, a powerful healer and a siddha, Paramahamsa Nithyananda is an inspiring personality for millions of people worldwide. His authenticity, depth of experience and his rare gift for making spirituality both practical and enjoyable have allowed His teachings to reach far and wide. Paramahamsa Nithyananda has healed thousands of people of diseases ranging from depression to cancer, often with a single touch. Working and sharing with over 10 million people worldwide every year, Paramahamsa Nithyananda and His mission are committed to help humanity make the next big breakthrough: into Superconsciousness.

2003-2014

• Yoga, meditation and spiritual counseling centers and camps touching over 15 million people in 150 countries • Over 9000 ordained spiritual healers healing 20,000 people globally every day • Over 1000 ordained teachers guiding thousands in yoga, meditation, spiritual sciences and life solutions • Live online morning satsang by Paramahamsa Nithyananda via live streaming and video conferencing, viewed in thousands of places in over 40 countries every day • Annadaan - 10,000 free meals distributed every day at ashrams, schools, medical camps and to the needy • Weekly medical camps offering conventional and alternative medical care, oral health, eye surgeries, prosthetics, etc. - including free consultation, medicines and follow-up. • Over a dozen Vedic temples and ashrams worldwide housing 3720 energized deities, including some of the tallest deities in the world. • Free kriya & meditation programs in prisons and schools • Nithyananda Lakshmi, a non-profit micro-financing scheme for rural entrepreneurs • Nithyananda Grama Seva Yojana (NGSY) empowering over 300 villages in Karnataka by creating opportunities for their socio-economic development. • Nithyananda Vidyalayas - Schools blending modern education with the Vedic system of learning • Support for schools in rural areas, including school uniforms, books, stationery and infrastructure

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Vedic Hindu Tradition

• Protecting, preserving and promoting Vedic Hindu tradition through Vedic Temples in India, USA, Canada, Malaysia and other countries

• Inspiring families to live the Vedic tradition through over 400 Paduka Mandirs housing 3720 energized deities where daily worship is performed in the authentic Vedic tradition

• Nithyananda Sacred Arts to promote, support and preserve ancient temple arts and sculpture as the largest producer of metal, wood and stone deities in India

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• Daily morning live satsang by Paramahamsa Nithyananda viewed online in over 40 countries through two-way video conferencing and Nithyananda TV.

• Daily spiritual talks by Paramahamsa Nithyananda viewed on various TV channels

• Over 20 different types of meditation programs at various levels offered in corporates, schools, prisons, etc.

• Nithya Yoga & Nithya Kriya - authentic yogic solutions for 108 physical & mental disorders

• Scientific & safe initiation into mystical yogic sciences like kundalini awakening, levitation, hunger-free Sammyama etc.

• The Nithyananda Sannyas Order for spreading and continuing the sannyas parampara (tradition)

• Nithyananda Gurukuls and eN-Vidyalayas offering holistic traditional and modern education in a healthy environment

• Inspiring the youth to be the ambassadors of Vedic tradition by enriching them through scripture study, rituals and kriyas

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ANNADAAN : FREE FOOD FOR ALL

FREE MEDICAL SERVICES : HEALTH WITH CARE

DISASTER RELIEF : HELPING TO HEAL

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PARAMAHAMSA NITHYANANDA WORKS WITH DOCTORS & RESEARCHERS to understand and revive yogic sciences like kundalini awakening, levitation, teleportation, materialization, living on prana, etc.

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INTERNATIONAL HEADQUARTERS OF NITHYANANDA DHYANAPEETAM located near Bangalore, Asia's fastest growing city

• A kalpa vriksha (boon giving tree) that has manifested millions of sincere prayers till date • Body and mind are calmed and refreshed by the powerful positive vibrations here • Thousands experience miraculous healing of diseases by meditating under this tree • Lord Dakshinamurti graces the space and radiates blessings to all

• Deities of Shiva & Devi measuring 7 ½ feet in height and weighing 2 ½ tons • Deities are made out of panchaloha (combination of five metals) • A rare ancient swayambhu lingam found under the banyan tree is consecrated here • Thousands gather for worship here on special occasions

• Majestic 21-foot shivalingam which has been made using Nava Pashana (a strong natural medicine made of healing herbs) and 1008 sacred herbs. • Water from six fountains bathes the lingam and falls into Vaidya Sarovar, the healing pool below • Even a single dip in this medicinal water can heal many diseases

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Anyone who has attended His Holiness Paramahamsa Nithyananda's vibrant satsangs will surely recall the many 'small stories' with which they are sprinkled.

Drawn from just about anywhere - various spiritual traditions, folk-tales, comic books, the internet and from His own unique experience - these stories are small only in size.

Hidden deep in each is a profound insight into human nature, which He draws out with characteristic bubbly humor.

In Paramahamsa Nithyananda's own words, each story is a 'new-clear bomb' that can create a powerful cognitive shift in the listener.

108 of the best-remembered 'new-clear bombs' from Nithya Satsang have been presented in this book.

His Holiness Paramahamsa Nithyananda is recognized today as a clear, legitimate, apolitical voice of Sanatana Hindu Dharma, and revered as a living incarnation of superconsciousness by millions worldwide. He is a Mahamandaleshwar (spiritual head) of Mahanirvani Peeth, the world's most ancient apex body of Hinduism. He is the most watched spiritual teacher on YouTube.com with over 19 million views, and the author of more than 300 books published in over 20 languages. His lectures are watched live every day on http://www.nithyananda.tv, as well as on multiple international television channels and via video conferencing.

Ebook ISBN: 979-8-88572-021-2