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 ...
A man was suffering from two diseases. He had a disease of the eyes and a disease of the stomach. He came to a doctor and asked him to treat him. The doctor gave to this patient two kinds of medicines, two kinds of powders. One of the powders was to be applied to the eyes. It contained Antimony or lead Sulphide, and if taken internally, it is a poison. It can be applied to the eyes and the people in India use this powder for the eyes. So the doctor gave him the powder for the eyes containing antimony or lead sulphide. Another powder he gave him to be taken. This powder contained pepper and chillies; chillies which have a very cold name, but which are very hot. He gave him one powder containing chillies to be taken. This man being in a state of confusion just interchanged the powders. The powder which was to be taken he applied to the eyes, and the antimony and the other things which were poisons he took in. Here were the eyes blinded and the stomach worsted.
That is what is being done by the people, and that is the cause of all the so-called sins in this world. Here is the Atman, the Light of lights within you, and here is the body, the stomach, so to say. What is to be done to the body is being done to the Atman and the respect and honour and glory of the Atman are being paid unto the body.
MORAL: Misapplication of the qualities of the body to the Atman and of the nature of Atman to the body is the cause of sin.