Story 247 - A fool's joy at the theft of his horse

One day a man was distributing the edible offerings (Prasad) in a temple, as a token of gratitude to" the gods and was very much rejoicing. Someone enquired of him the reason of his unusual happiness. He replied: 'I have gained a second life. I have been spared from the clutches of the thieves. They have stolen away my horse, but, thank God, I was not there at that moment on the horse, or else they would have stolen me as well. I am happy, because I have been saved.

You might be laughing at the reply of this fool. He could not understand that had he been on the horse it could not have been stolen at all, nothing to say about his own theft by the thieves.

O dear friends! If you ask any one 'Who are you?' he would not say a word about the rider; he would only talk about the horse; he would give you the address and introduction of his body only. He would say that he is employed in such and such office and that he is earning this much of salary. He would give you his caste, his parentage, residence and his age. He may also let you know his qualities or the distinctive phases of his life etc. This is the description of the body, the horse. But you are not the body or the horse. You are the master of the body or the rider of the horse. Do you know who you are? Why don't you reply? Why are you silent? Lost, lost, lost!! What is lost? Why this hue and cry? Have you lost your horse? No. The horse is already there, but rider (soul) is lost. What strange is it! What a joke!!

I would like you to peep into your own inner Self to see what is going on there. Is the horse missing or the rider?

Vol. 5 (110-111)