I was reading a story "Hans in Luck" by Joseph Jacobs to my 6-year-old granddaughter a couple of days back. It was the story of a man called Hans who gains permission from his master to visit his poor mother. The master rewards him for being a faithful servant for the past 7 years with a lump of silver as big as his head.
Hans carries the chunk of silver on his shoulder and leaves to see his mother. Soon he comes across a man on a horse. Exhausted from walking the distance carrying the silver, he trades the silver for the horse, thinking that now he has a ride. In parting with the silver, he tells himself that it has saved him a great deal of trouble carrying the heavyweight. Wanting the horse to go fast, it throws him off. A shepherd driving a cow grabs onto the horse. Hans tells himself that riding a horse is no joke and trades the horse for the cow, thinking that he can milk it when thirsty. When trying to milk the cow, he finds out that the cow is dry. It gives him a kick. A butcher driving a pig along helps him to his feet. Telling Hans that the cow was only good for the slaughterhouse, they exchange the animals. Coming across a man carrying a goose, he is told that the villagers were looking for one who stole a pig and ran off. Fearing that this could be the pig, he makes yet another exchange. Entering the village with the goose, he comes across a tool grinder, sharpening knives and scissors. Hans thought, if only he had one, he too could make money like him. Hans is given a grindstone that lies beside the villager in exchange for the goose. Hans makes his way to see his mother. He stops to have a drink of water in a river flowing by. He lays the stone by his side, but it rolls into the river. Contrary to thinking that he would cry at having lost the stone, Hans rejoices instead. As he watches it sink, he springs up and dances in joy. With tears in his eyes, he falls on his knees, and thanks heaven for its kindness in taking away the heavy stone. He tells himself that no one is as lucky as him. With a light heart and free from all his troubles, he walks on.
Does this story remind of us? I guess our journey here is quite similar to his. Indeed, we are forever seeking something else, always eyeing the other and wanting it too. So too is it in our religious and spiritual ventures. Our eyes are set on a target and a goal, just as in the material world. Then again when the divine showers its grace and gives us gifts, we could reject them, or should we choose them, we need to be prepared to let go when the calling comes. Eventually, we too rejoice in shedding the weight that we carry with us. Finally, we realize that there is true joy only in letting go.
Would the very first sage have seen the target or have it shown to him? Who was his guru? Was there a path laid out there for him to travel? I doubt it. I believe he made the path by walking it and experiencing it for others to follow. He must have chosen to reveal it to others too. I guess that is the reason Agathiyar wants me to share too.