THE VOICE WITHIN

Thoughts are like guests. Even after they leave, their aura remains and can have an impact on others. It is best to watch which thoughts to entertain, and which ones to show the door at once. To illustrate this point, Sacinandana Swami told his disciples a story about the power of thoughts.

In the capital city of a small kingdom in ancient Bharata, there once lived a merchant who was a very close friend of the king.

On one occasion, the king rode in his chariot followed by his entourage. As the royal ensemble headed for the street where the merchant lived, he rushed out of his house to greet the king. Their eyes met and they exchanged smiles; but within the king’s mind, a little hatred manifested itself.

Upon arriving at his palace, the king immediately called for his trusted and wise minister. He then sadly revealed to the latter about the momentary but inexplicable ill feelings he had experienced towards his dear friend the merchant. “Find out why it happened,” the king directed.

The next day, the minister set out to pay the merchant a visit at midday. The merchant was delighted to receive the honoured guest and requested him to partake of lunch.

After the meal, the minister went to the backyard to wash. A huge pile of sandalwood there caught his attention. Back inside the house, the minister asked about it, upon which the merchant poured out his tale of woe.

He had thoughtlessly invested a large sum of money when the consignment of sandalwood suddenly became available. But since then, no customer had been forthcoming.

“If the sandalwood is to be sold at one go, it could only happen if the king were to die, for all of it would be needed to cremate him. The other day, when our beloved king was passing by my house, this thought struck me and I was highly mortified,” the merchant confessed.

The minister smiled, “Don’t worry, I shall relieve you of your burden”. He then ordered his officials to take away all the sandalwood immediately and pay the merchant in full from the royal treasury.

Concluding his story, Swami explained: “When the merchant saw the king, he thought of his precious sandalwood and for an instant, he unintentionally wished for the untimely death of his benefactor. In turn, the king felt a surge of ill feeling towards his friend”.

It was a simple exchange of bad vibrations — unwanted evil thoughts which nearly ruined a friendship.

— the harbinger

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