One day, a scriptural scholar came to the edge a river and hired a ferryman to take him across in a boat. The scholar was proud of his intellectual learning and mistook such knowledge as being valuable in itself. The ferryman was simple and humble. While the boat was traveling across the river, the scholar started a conversation with the ferryman:
Scholar: “Well my friend, have you studied the Vedanta philosophy?”
Ferryman: “No sir, I have not.”
Scholar: “Oh, well then have you studied the school of logic?”
Ferryman: “No, I have not.”
Scholar: “Well surely then you must have at least studied the psychology of yoga?”
Ferryman: “No sir, I am an unlettered man.”
In this way the scholar kept on highlighting his own learning. Finally the scholar said:
Scholar: “Well, what can be done? It seems half your life has already been wasted.”
Just then, the waters of the river began to churn and became increasingly turbulent. The ferryman tried to control the boat, but it seemed that soon the boat would be capsized. The scholar began to get worried. Then the ferryman said:
Ferryman: “Learned sir, have you learned how to swim?”
Scholar: “No, I have not.”
Ferryman: “Well then. It seems your whole life is wasted! Good bye!”
With that, the ferryman dove out of the boat, and with all his might, started to swim for the shore.
There once was a sadhu (a monk) who built a small hut on the outskirts of a village. Under the instructions of his Guru (Master), he would live there and practice austerities. Everyday he would beg some food from the villagers. In this way he passed his time happily. His only possession was a piece of loincloth.
One day, he went for a bath and hung up his wet loincloth to dry. After he returned, he found that a rat had chewed holes in it. So he went to the village and begged for another piece of cloth. A few days later, the same thing happened again. Then a few days after that, again a rat chewed holes in his cloth. Not knowing what to do, he again went to the village and told some people of his problem. One villager suggested:
Villager: “Sadhuji, if you would only keep a cat with you, then the rats would stay away and you would not need to beg anymore new cloth.”
The monk thought it was a good idea and obtained a kitten and took it back to live with him. From then on the rats never bothered him again, and everyday he would spend some time feeding the cat with milk that we would beg from the villagers. After some days a villager told him:
Villager: “Sadhuji, it may be difficult for us to supply you with milk year round. But if you had a cow, then you would have no problem producing milk.”
So after a few days, the sadhu found a cow and took it back with him. But he immediately found that everyday he needed to beg some straw from the village to feed the cow. A villager then suggested:
Villager: “Sadhuji, you need not beg straw everyday. There are lots of uncultivated lands surrounding your shed. If you cultivate them, you will no longer need to beg straw.”
So the sadhu started tilling the land. After a while, he needed to engage some laborers to help him with the great work. Then he needed to build a barn to hold all the crops. Then eventually, he needed a wife to help him look after his large household. Now he passed his time like any hardworking householder.
After many days, his Guru decided to come for a visit. Reaching the place, he became puzzled and asked a servant of the household:
Guru: “There used to be an ascetic who lived here in a hut. Do you know where he has gone?”
The servant didn’t know how to reply, so the Guru ventured inside the house. Upon seeing his disciple he said:
Guru: “My son, what is all this?”
Feeling great shame, the disciple fell at his Guru’s feet and said:
Disciple: “My Lord, it is all for the sake of a loincloth!”
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