Parable about the search for a single seed of the Truth
Anastasia: I’d like to believe that people will indeed hear this. After all, this Knowledge is so unique…
Rigden: This Knowledge is unique for a person only when he or she already understands much beyond the patterns of the material world and when his or her Soul aspires to go beyond the horizon of events. But so many people… How many times has the Knowledge been given at different times. People tend to lose it with time. And why? Because the human mind complicates the simple so much that it becomes unable to see the Truth anymore.
There is, as it happens, one ancient Indian parable in this regard. It dates back to the time when women not only had equal rights with men but their spiritual wisdom was highly respected… “Once upon a time there lived a woman – a Mistress named Vidiya (translated from Sanskrit, this name means ‘Knowledge’). She had a disciple whose name was Amrit (‘immortal’). When the disciple had grown up, Mistress Vidiya told him, “You have grown up, now you can control your thoughts and emotions and subdue your anger. Go now and see the world. You are ready to find and know the single grain of the Truth.” Amrit asked: “Mistress Vidiya, I am grateful to you for your wise words and good deeds. They have taught me a lot. But give me at least a hint where to look for the single grain of the Truth.” Mistress Vidiya only smiled and replied, “Listen to your Soul, it will lead you in the right direction.”
No sooner had Amrit reached a big city than he heard the news that the Emperor of the land was holding a great council of sages to discuss the meaning of human life. The winner would be awarded a great prize – one hundred cows with horns adorned with gold. Amrit went to the council, hoping to get an answer to his question of where to find the single grain of the Truth. But something unexpected happened.
When the sages were asked “What is the meaning of life?”, each of them answered in their own way. One woman among the sages said: “This world for people is nothing more than a temporary haven. Man is born with clenched fists, trying to conquer it. But he dies with open palms, not taking a single speck of dust from the world. The meaning of life is in the birth of man’s desires, which form his fate in the afterlife.” A man from the sages continued the discussion: “Man’s desires are innumerable like sea sands. But his deeds are rare like granite stones. Man’s deeds make up his life. His ill or good deeds become his ill or good fortune. The meaning of human life is made up of what he does each time “here and now.” Another woman from the sages replied to him: “Deeds are merely consequences of man’s thoughts. If man acts with evil thoughts, suffering follows him like a cart’s wheel follows ox’s legs. If man acts with good thoughts, joy follows him like a shade from the bright sun. The meaning of man’s life lies in his thoughts.”
So the discussion continued until noon. Finally, one of the well-known gurus of that time, famous at the court for his learning, said: “Thoughts burst from emotions like fire erupts from lightning. The man of yesterday is different from the one tomorrow. To be able to learn from life means to live twice. The meaning of life is in the changes that come from toil and worries.” Silence followed these words. When none of the other sages replied, Amrit, standing among the ordinary people, decided to take part in the discussion and said: “Human life passes like a dream. In order to understand its meaning, it is necessary to wake up. Changes on the outside do good only if they come from the inner world of man. All that which exists and which doesn’t exist in this world is here – in the human Soul. Knowing this Truth is the meaning of life.” Common people rejoiced after these words, and the sages nodded approvingly, agreeing with the wisdom that came from this unknown young man. The Emperor’s prize was given to Amrit, and so in just one day he suddenly became rich and famous.
After the council, Amrit was approached by the well known guru who until that point had the better of all his opponents in the debate and from whom this young man had so unexpectedly taken away the victory. He asked Amrit why he had come to this land. And having found out about Amrit’s search of the single seed of the Truth, he rejoiced: “Oh, young man! You are unspeakably lucky! Today you have gained not only riches and fame but also a true friend and a wise teacher – myself. I am well known in this land. I teach different sciences, in which many grains of the Truth are hidden.” After this conversation with the famous guru, Amrit decided to become his student and spent all his money on learning worldly sciences from him. Soon, he became one of his best students, having mastered many languages and learned all the sciences of that time.
Full of pride for his achievements, Amrit came back to the house of Wisdom. Mistress Vidiya was in the garden. Delighted to see her, Amrit began telling her about all his travels: “When I had left the house of Wisdom, something unexpected happened. On that day the Emperor of the country held a great council of sages. I went there hoping to get an answer to my question. The meaning of human life was discussed at the council. I voiced my opinion and suddenly received the Emperor’s prize. In just one day, I became rich and famous. In order to know the single grain of the Truth, I decided to spend all the money on lessons from the famous guru. Now I have acquired great knowledge in many sciences and can tell you about many grains of the Truth in each of them…” So Amrit began recounting what he had learned. However, Mistress Vidiya, having listened to Amrit’s story about his achievements and the knowledge he gained, only smiled and said:
“You have shown your learning. All that you have learned is knowledge from the mind. It does not mean that you have found and known the single grain of the Truth. Multitude comes from the One. In order to penetrate the essence of the Sacred, you need the ability to feel as well as awareness and understanding.” Mistress Vidiya picked up from the ground a fruit from the nearest tree and showed it to Amrit: “You have studied what the material world is woven from, but you missed what it is created of and the reason why it all exists.” Mistress Vidiya divided the fruit in half. Having taken out the seed, she also divided it in half, showing the pulp within the seed to Amrit. “With your mind, you have known the visible core of the seed, thanks to which a big tree grows. But only through the ability to feel can you know the in visible, that life-giving emptiness, from which a big tree grows. The seed is just a vessel for this creating emptiness. The life-giving emptiness is woven from the single grain of the Truth, from which everything was born and into which everything will dissolve again.
When you set out on the Path, you already possessed this knowledge. Thanks to it, you gained riches and fame. But you used the riches for the mind while riches are given to understand responsibility. The riches of this world belong to this world, in which everything is transient and is subject to death. Had you used the riches for the benefit of people, you would have found and known the single grain of the Truth, a part of which exists in you, too.” “But what should I do now?” Amrit murmured nervously. “I don’t have the riches anymore to amend my mistake.” To which Mistress Vidiya replied: “Continue your way from the point where you stopped. Continue your way, building on the experience which you already have. You have acquired worldly knowledge, which people value and thus perceive the visible world. Go and teach people this knowledge and show them not only what the visible world is woven from but also show them what it consists of and why it all exists.”
Amrit was surprised: “How shall I show people what I do not know myself?” Mistress Vidiya smiled: “Become the one you don’t know. Become yourself, for you have a part of the single seed of the Truth in you. Man is just a vessel for the Soul – the source of his Essence. Find that One and perceive It. This is the most important thing. Having perceived the single seed of the Truth, you will know yourself.” Amrit asked: “But how do I do this?” Mistress Vidiya replied: “Use your mind for the benefit of people and gain experience. When your deeds coming from the feelings for the sake of the Truth outnumber words coming from your mind said for the Ego, you will then perceive the single grain of the Truth.”»
