Everyone Can Achieve Liberation
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Once there lived a holy man named Kaushika. One day, as he sat under a tree reading the scriptures, a crane sitting on the top of the tree pooped on his head. He looked up at the bird in anger. To his shock, the bird fell to the ground and died! Kaushika was upset to see the dead bird. He felt bad that his evil thought had killed an innocent bird.
A while later he got hungry and he went to beg for food.
He knocked at the door of a
house to receive food. The
housewife was cleaning dishes
when he came. Kaushika waited
in the hope that she would
attend to him after her work was
over.
In the meantime, the master of
the house returned. He was
tired and hungry. The wife
washed and dried his feet and
served him food. After
attending to her husband, she
came out with a meal for
Kaushika.
She said, "I am sorry to have kept you waiting. Pardon me." Kaushika was irritated and said, "Lady, you have made me wait for such a long time. This is not fair."
Kaushika said, “You are an arrogant woman! It is right and proper to attend on your husband, but a sanyasi should be treated with respect and not be kept waiting so long.”
“Don't be angry with me,” said the housewife, “Remember that I kept you waiting only because I was serving my husband. I am no crane to be killed by a hateful thought, and your rage can do no harm to a woman who devotes herself to the service of her husband.”
Kaushika was taken aback.
The lady continued, “I am sorry to be late attending to you, Brahmachari (monk). You do not know the secret of duty. You don't know that anger is the greatest enemy that dwells in man. Go to Mithila city and learn the secret of a good life from Dharmavyadha.”
Kaushika was shocked that the lady knew about the crane. He respected her words and replied, “I deserve your scolding. It will do me good. May all good come to you.
When Kaushika reached Mithila, he asked for directions to the man called Dharmavyadha. He walked along magnificent roads, between beautiful houses and gardens. Finally, he reached a butcher's shop. He was surprised to learn that this man was Dharmavyadha.
Shocked and disgusted, Kaushika watched him from a distance.
The butcher rose from his seat and asked, "Dear Sir, are you well? Did that kind lady send you to me?" Kaushika was stunned on hearing the butcher's words.
"Brahmachari, I know why you have come. Let us go home," said the butcher. He led Kaushika to his house. As it was meal time, Dharmavyadha began to first serve his parents their meal. Kaushika was impressed that the butcher served his parents with such devotion.
Kaushika learned from the butcher about dharma, a man's job, and duty. Kaushika returned home and began to serve his parents, a responsibility that became his spiritual practice.
Vyadha Gita, the teachings of the butcher to the Brahmachari, explains how a householder can achieve inner peace by serving out of a deep, energizing love and not just out of a false sense of duty.
There are many paths to enlightenment. They are all equal. Service is one of them.
Fill the words in the crossword:
Angry,
Ascetic,
Brahmachari,
Butcher,
Crane,
Devotion,
Dharmavyadha,
Directions,
Disgusted,
Distance,
Disregard,
Forgive,
Householder,
Instructed,
Kaushika,
Liberation,
Neglected,
Parents,
Sanyasi,
Scolding,
Serve,
Shocked,
Steadfastness,
Teacher,
Violent,
Vyadha Gita
