THE SEVENTH JAR
When I was in college, I used to be fond of attractive wall posters with inspiring wordings on them. I remember one such poster. It had about six tiger cubs with their mother, all peacefully sleeping, cuddled to each other. "If you are comfortable with yourself, you are comfortable with the world." I loved those wordings, and the poster adorned our wall for some years.
When we are young, we rarely think about the 'world within' - the world of spirit. The 'world outside' - the world of matter, the material world, is what fascinates us. Success means the material success - more money, more fame, more power and prestige. Our search for success begins with such pursuit and continues relentlessly, there after. Like chasing a mirage, we chase Success. But, we remain unfulfilled, disillusioned, eternally running ... hoping to come to a stage when we can stop running, remain fulfilled, content and happy. What we do not realise is, that, so long as we depend on the 'outside stuff' to make us fulfilled, we would always remain unfulfilled, feeling empty. We are left starving.
It is only when we derive our sense of security, our happiness, from the spiritual well within us, that we stop chasing illusions, stop craving for more and more of that 'stuff' to fulfil us. I like the the story told by Shri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa to drill this message into our thick skulls.
There was this personal barber of a mighty, benevolent king. He lived peacefully with his family in a small house very close to the palace. Every day, he would visit the palace, attend to his duties, and return to his house when it turned dark outside. He was happy with whatever he earned from his services to his master, the king. His household ran smoothly. King took care of all his financial concerns.
One late evening, on his way home, he was passing by the old haunted tree. Suddenly, he heard a voice from the direction of the tree, "Hey, I am Yaksha. Do you wish to possess the seven jars of gold?". Stunned, and scared, the barber looked around... only to find none. Quietly, he began to move faster and faster. "You have not answered me," the voice echoed through the darkness, "Tell me, do you desire to own the seven jars of pure gold?" The barber began to sweat in fear. "Yes, yes... I do," he replied without even looking back, accelerating his pace. "Good. Then, go home and open your door... You will find what you desire," Yaksha declared.
In no time, the barber was at his doorstep. The moment he pushed open the door of his hut, he was almost blinded by the golden glow. He rubbed hard his eyes. The seven jars were real. He couldn't believe his sudden luck. He stood there gazing at the gold, touching them, feeling them... so happy, so ecstatic. Then, all of a sudden his eyes fell on something he did not notice so far. He saw, that, while six jars were overflowing with shining gold, the seventh jar was only half full! Seeing this, his heart sank. A sudden sadness enveloped him, a painful feeling of lack, emptiness. Following this, he began to feel restless with the desire to have the seventh jar filled with gold. He ran inside his house, and fetched whatever little quantity of ornaments his poor wife possessed. He dropped them in the seventh jar. But, that was hardly enough to fill it. He spent a sleepless night. The next morning, he took whatever savings they had, bought gold with the money, came home and tried to fill the seventh jar. That, too, was hardly enough. Frustrated, he began to work double shift, and with the extra money, bought more gold and poured it into the seventh jar. But, where would the seventh jar get filled!
Days of agony rolled by. Sorrow, emptiness and bitterness consumed our barber's life. He collected his courage to ask for a pay raise from the king. The king was always happy about his servant's work and loyalty. Hence, immediately doubled the pay. With the extra money came more gold to go into the seventh jar. But, the mysterious jar refused to get filled!
The barber was left shaken and broken. His only desire was to see the seventh jar full to the brim... if not overflowing. He was unable to drop that desire, that obsession. Finally, he started begging on the town streets... and, from those coins too bought whatever gold he could with the incessant hope of filling the seventh jar. But, that, too, was not to be. Not enough!
Then, one afternoon, the king noticed the barber, sitting all alone, shabby and heartbroken. "What is wrong with you, young man?" the Monarch asked the barber. "For so many years, you worked for me in the palace for half the salary you receive now... yet, you were so happy and fulfilled. Now, with even double the salary, I see you losing all the charm in life, frustrated and sorrowful. Tell me, what has gone wrong?" The barber stood up and bowed down before his master, without uttering a single word. Then, the king asked him, as if through a reflex, "By any chance, have you found those seven jars of gold?" The barber was shocked and frightened hearing his master's words. "Many years ago, Yaksha had asked me, too, whether I desired them, and I had replied him - 'Not unless I am able to use the gold, enjoy it'," said the king. He added, "I still remember how Yaksha disappeared, into the thin air, on my reply to him."
The barber broke down and fell on the King's feet. "Have mercy on me O king... Please save me from this misery," he prayed. The merciful king helped his servant to stand. "Young man, take those cursed jars of gold and dump them near Yaksha's tree."
The barber did. The jar inside, was full, all over again!
GERALD D'CUNHA
When we are young, we rarely think about the 'world within' - the world of spirit. The 'world outside' - the world of matter, the material world, is what fascinates us. Success means the material success - more money, more fame, more power and prestige. Our search for success begins with such pursuit and continues relentlessly, there after. Like chasing a mirage, we chase Success. But, we remain unfulfilled, disillusioned, eternally running ... hoping to come to a stage when we can stop running, remain fulfilled, content and happy. What we do not realise is, that, so long as we depend on the 'outside stuff' to make us fulfilled, we would always remain unfulfilled, feeling empty. We are left starving.
It is only when we derive our sense of security, our happiness, from the spiritual well within us, that we stop chasing illusions, stop craving for more and more of that 'stuff' to fulfil us. I like the the story told by Shri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa to drill this message into our thick skulls.
There was this personal barber of a mighty, benevolent king. He lived peacefully with his family in a small house very close to the palace. Every day, he would visit the palace, attend to his duties, and return to his house when it turned dark outside. He was happy with whatever he earned from his services to his master, the king. His household ran smoothly. King took care of all his financial concerns.
One late evening, on his way home, he was passing by the old haunted tree. Suddenly, he heard a voice from the direction of the tree, "Hey, I am Yaksha. Do you wish to possess the seven jars of gold?". Stunned, and scared, the barber looked around... only to find none. Quietly, he began to move faster and faster. "You have not answered me," the voice echoed through the darkness, "Tell me, do you desire to own the seven jars of pure gold?" The barber began to sweat in fear. "Yes, yes... I do," he replied without even looking back, accelerating his pace. "Good. Then, go home and open your door... You will find what you desire," Yaksha declared.
In no time, the barber was at his doorstep. The moment he pushed open the door of his hut, he was almost blinded by the golden glow. He rubbed hard his eyes. The seven jars were real. He couldn't believe his sudden luck. He stood there gazing at the gold, touching them, feeling them... so happy, so ecstatic. Then, all of a sudden his eyes fell on something he did not notice so far. He saw, that, while six jars were overflowing with shining gold, the seventh jar was only half full! Seeing this, his heart sank. A sudden sadness enveloped him, a painful feeling of lack, emptiness. Following this, he began to feel restless with the desire to have the seventh jar filled with gold. He ran inside his house, and fetched whatever little quantity of ornaments his poor wife possessed. He dropped them in the seventh jar. But, that was hardly enough to fill it. He spent a sleepless night. The next morning, he took whatever savings they had, bought gold with the money, came home and tried to fill the seventh jar. That, too, was hardly enough. Frustrated, he began to work double shift, and with the extra money, bought more gold and poured it into the seventh jar. But, where would the seventh jar get filled!
Days of agony rolled by. Sorrow, emptiness and bitterness consumed our barber's life. He collected his courage to ask for a pay raise from the king. The king was always happy about his servant's work and loyalty. Hence, immediately doubled the pay. With the extra money came more gold to go into the seventh jar. But, the mysterious jar refused to get filled!
The barber was left shaken and broken. His only desire was to see the seventh jar full to the brim... if not overflowing. He was unable to drop that desire, that obsession. Finally, he started begging on the town streets... and, from those coins too bought whatever gold he could with the incessant hope of filling the seventh jar. But, that, too, was not to be. Not enough!
Then, one afternoon, the king noticed the barber, sitting all alone, shabby and heartbroken. "What is wrong with you, young man?" the Monarch asked the barber. "For so many years, you worked for me in the palace for half the salary you receive now... yet, you were so happy and fulfilled. Now, with even double the salary, I see you losing all the charm in life, frustrated and sorrowful. Tell me, what has gone wrong?" The barber stood up and bowed down before his master, without uttering a single word. Then, the king asked him, as if through a reflex, "By any chance, have you found those seven jars of gold?" The barber was shocked and frightened hearing his master's words. "Many years ago, Yaksha had asked me, too, whether I desired them, and I had replied him - 'Not unless I am able to use the gold, enjoy it'," said the king. He added, "I still remember how Yaksha disappeared, into the thin air, on my reply to him."
The barber broke down and fell on the King's feet. "Have mercy on me O king... Please save me from this misery," he prayed. The merciful king helped his servant to stand. "Young man, take those cursed jars of gold and dump them near Yaksha's tree."
The barber did. The jar inside, was full, all over again!
GERALD D'CUNHA
Comments
Greed has got its no end. The more you desire, more you are entering in its ocean. As One thing is accomplished the desire for other things automatically arises. At the end of our life we realise that our life is spent in filling the seventh jar. Thks for this lovely story.
Love,
GERRY