Parables of Rama
by Swami Rama Tirtha | 102,836 words
Stories in English used by Swami Rama to illustrate the highest teaching of Vedanta. The most difficult and intricate problems of philosophy and abstract truths, which may very well tax the brains of the most intellectual, are thus made not only simple and easy to understand but also brought home to us in a concrete form in such an interesting and ...
Story 204 - The dilemma of an intoxicated man
One man sold away his house under the intoxication of alcohol. When he came to his senses, he submitted an application to the concerned court to the effect that, since he had sold away his house under the influence of alcoholic liquor, (when he was not in his proper senses), he disowned his previous deed. In the same way the man says, "O God! my all is dedicated to Thee. I am thine, my property is Thine, and my very life is Thine. Everything is Thine". But, he goes home and his wife says in an angry mood "my hair pin has been worn out, the daughter has to be married and soon and so forth". At that time he has to swallow such bitter pills from his wife that all his God intoxication is gone. Consequently, he takes back the previously surrendered body, mind and wealth from God. He is again imprisoned in the dungeon of egoism. However, in a way, it is also very good to dedicate his all to God, though only for a short time, under the temporary intoxication of wine of love for Him. But the permanent and real renunciation conies through gyan, the thorough understanding or the realisation of Self. While in perfect senses, if a man desires, he can do away with the curtain of duality forever. The method is to continue to reduce thickness of the layers of the curtain. Thus the curtain will become thinner, till it becomes so thin that there is no curtain at all.
To allow the curtain to slip down for a while is like a temporary meditation and to remove the curtain for good, by gradually, thinning it down, is "Realisation of Self".