geomkbt
18th January 2005, 07:27 AM
We Are Slaves Of Our Wishes
Alexander the Great, as he was about to return from India, rememberedthat his people had asked him to bring with himself an Indian yogi. He setout in quest and found a yogi sitting, in a forest, underneath in a tree, insilent meditation. Alexander went and sat in front of the yogi, in silence.When the yogi opened his eyes, Alexander found that they were lit upwith a strange light. He said to the yogi :- "Won't you come with me toGreece? I will give you everything you need. A section of the palace will bereserved for you. Servants will wait in attendance and do your bidding." The yogi smiled. "I have no needs," he answered. "I donot need servants to do my bidding. And I have no desire to go to Greece." The point-blank refusal upset Alexander. He was enraged. Unsheathing his sword, he said to the yogi :- "Do you know, Ican cut you into pieces? I am Alexander, the world conqueror." The yogi smiled again and said quietly :- "You have made twostatements. The first is that you can cut me into pieces. No, you cannot cut me intopieces. You can only cut the body which is but a garment I have worn. I amimmortal, deathless, eternal. And your second statement is that you are a worldconqueror. May I tell you, you are only a slave of my slave?" Intrigued, Alexander said :- "I do not understand." The yogi explained to him :- Anger is my slave: it is under mycontrol. But you are a slave of anger: how easily you lose your temper! Therefore,are you a slave of my slave!"
Alexander the Great, as he was about to return from India, rememberedthat his people had asked him to bring with himself an Indian yogi. He setout in quest and found a yogi sitting, in a forest, underneath in a tree, insilent meditation. Alexander went and sat in front of the yogi, in silence.When the yogi opened his eyes, Alexander found that they were lit upwith a strange light. He said to the yogi :- "Won't you come with me toGreece? I will give you everything you need. A section of the palace will bereserved for you. Servants will wait in attendance and do your bidding." The yogi smiled. "I have no needs," he answered. "I donot need servants to do my bidding. And I have no desire to go to Greece." The point-blank refusal upset Alexander. He was enraged. Unsheathing his sword, he said to the yogi :- "Do you know, Ican cut you into pieces? I am Alexander, the world conqueror." The yogi smiled again and said quietly :- "You have made twostatements. The first is that you can cut me into pieces. No, you cannot cut me intopieces. You can only cut the body which is but a garment I have worn. I amimmortal, deathless, eternal. And your second statement is that you are a worldconqueror. May I tell you, you are only a slave of my slave?" Intrigued, Alexander said :- "I do not understand." The yogi explained to him :- Anger is my slave: it is under mycontrol. But you are a slave of anger: how easily you lose your temper! Therefore,are you a slave of my slave!"