Firefox https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/chennai/2014/sep/16/Drop-t...

Home ∠ Cities ∠ Chennai

Drop the Many Layers of Pride to Discover

Thy Self
Only your consciousness is real, pride and obsession about the body are worthless. And one who doubts the
enlightened loses all merit

Share
Published: 16th September 2014 06:06 AM  |   Last Updated: 16th September 2014 06:06 AM "    ||     A
A++ A
A   A
A--

pride
By Shri Shri Nimishananda
For this, let me narrate an incident that happened to the great sage Vyasa’s son — Shuka. Shuka was an
accomplished yogi who had marvelous powers and great knowledge. He had become Urdhvareta. His seminal
fluid moved only upwards. He was known for practising celibacy. Though he had acquired vast learning, Shuka
was without peace. Vyasa knew this and that king Janaka was destined to solve his problems.

One day, father said, “Oh my dear son Shuka, king Janaka, the sovereign of this land, is an extraordinary
enlightened being. Though he lives in the body, he is in the state beyond the body. Go and study with him, and he
will enable you to be centered with your inner self.”

Shuka went to king Janaka. He discovered to his horror that the man with whom he was supposed to study was
sitting on a golden throne, wearing a crown.

Shuka was a great Avadhut, a great ascetic; he had achieved the heights of renunciation and wore only a loin
cloth. He thought, “This king is nothing but a sensualist. What can he teach me?” and he returned to his father.

Vyasa asked him, “Did you see king Janaka?” “Yes,” Shuka replied. “But I don’t think he can help me. A guru
should be as luminous as the sun but without its heat, a guru should be as cool as the moon, but without its
stains.”

Again and again Shuka went to Janaka’s court and again he returned. Each time Shuka returned his father would
send him back to the king, saying, “You can get peace only from him.” after the ninth time, he encountered an old
ascetic who asked, “Did you see the king as he was or did you see him according to your own mind’s projection?
Shuka Muni, know that the truth is beyond both enjoyment and renunciation. Only a few people know that truth.
One who doubts or criticises such an enlightened being loses all the merit he might have earned as a result of his
past good deeds. Don’t be stupid any longer. You can receive knowledge of the truth only from him.”

With that, the old ascetic disappeared. The moment Shuka heard these words, he became aware of his stupidity.
“Janaka is a pure being, and because of my ignorance I have projected my own stupidity on him,” he thought.

He was so shocked that he collapsed. After he regained his consciousness he went back to the king. King Janaka
instructed his guards not to let him into the palace. “Let him stand outside for three days.” Shuka stood like a log
outside the palace for three days. Then, Janaka said, “Now keep him in the inner palace where my queens live.”
He instructed the queens to take good care of him. Shuka’s name had become proverbial for celibacy. During
these three days, the queens tried to initiate him in their own way, some bathed him, some rubbed sandal paste
on his body, but he was not affected at all.

Finally the king sent for him. When Shuka entered the King’s court, he was amazed by what he saw. The king was
seated on the throne and his beautiful maid servants were applying sandalwood paste and perfumes on his one
leg and massaging it and his other leg was lying in the midst of blazing fire. Now he realised that the king was
neither a sensualist nor a renunciate. He prostrated before Janaka and said, “Please show me the way to peace.”

It is traditional for a great guru to ask a disciple for an initiation fee called dakshina. He might ask for anything.
So, Janaka asked, “What dakshina will you give me?”

1 sur 2 23/03/2021 20:58

Firefox https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/chennai/2014/sep/16/Drop-t...

Shuka had astonishing siddhis and his father was so great that even god would bow to him. So, he said, “Ask for
anything. I’ll give you whatever you want.”

“In that case,” said the king, “Bring me something that is of no use to anyone on earth.”

“That won’t be difficult at all. I can get you any number of things,” said Shuka.

Shuka went out in search of something absolutely useless. By the power of his yoga he could travel anywhere and
everywhere. But no matter where he went and what object he laid his hands on, he found that it had some use or
the other. When Shuka felt he could not find anything, he felt very humiliated. Dejected and exhausted from his
long search, he started on his way back to Janaka’s court.

On his way, he stopped under a tree to rest. When he opened his eyes, he saw excreta lying on the ground next to
him. He looked at it carefully holding his nostrils. “This is the perfect object.

Instead of going back to my Guru empty handed, I will take him this. It surely won’t be of any use to anybody. As
he proceeded towards picking it up, the excreta said, “Don’t touch me. You are waste!” Shuka felt as though he
had melted into water. His incurable pride about his knowledge, his learning, the power of celibacy and his
perfect self control vanished into thin air. He was left completely humble. So, Shuka addressed the excreta
politely, he said, “My brother, will you kindly explain to me why you have honoured me so highly by calling me
waste?” “Do you know who I am?” questioned the excreta.  “Before I was picked up by a human being like you, I
was a sweet, a fruit and a delicacy. I was showcased in the most popular sweet shop with honour. But, as a result
of passing through the human body, this is what has happened to me. You have already reduced me to such a
terrible condition. You better not touch me.”

Shuka thought, “What is there about this body to be so proud of?” He rushed to the king and said, “I have found
the most useless object in the world.”

“What is that?” asked the king. “It is this. Shuka said and laid his body flat in front of his Guru. “Now, you are
worthy of my teaching,” said King Janaka. He made Shuka sit close to him and said, “You have become perfect
now because are aware that only consciousness is real and pride and obsession about the body is worthless.”
Janaka then initiated a mantra to Shuka and touched him, and instantly Shuka was in total peace.

Extract from ‘The Force of Nirvana’ by Shri Shri Nimishananda

More From The Section

•1•2•3•4•5•6

2021 Assembly polls: Parks of Chennai's A bumper catch at Assembly polls: How Hyderabad biryani
DMK's Udhayanidhi Chitlapakkam Chennai's Tiruvottiyur Chennai's Kolathur is comes to Mambalam
Stalin gets grand intro crying for attention Assembly seat for hot seat for DMK chief
in Chennai's Chepauk since lockdown Assembly polls 2021 MK Stalin

N
Noow
wwwee aarree oon
nTTeelleeggrraam
m ttoooo.. FFoolllloow
wuuss ffoorr u
uppd
daatteess

2 sur 2 23/03/2021 20:58