Once there was a king, who was very pious and spiritual. He had three questions about God, but he was unable to find anyone who could answer these questions to his satisfaction.
Once there was a king, who was very pious and spiritual. He had three questions about God, but he was unable to find anyone who could answer these questions to his satisfaction. One day, he announced that whoever answers those three questions to his satisfaction would be rewarded with half of his kingdom. However, if they failed to give satisfactory answer, then s/he would be hanged.
Many people tried to answer his questions, but unable to come up with a satisfactory answer lost their lives.
The king, restless at not getting satisfactory answers, ordered his minister, who was the most intelligent man in his kingdom to help him find the right answer or he too will have to face the same fate as others.
The minister went home worried as he did not know how to satisfy the king since the questions were a matter of faith. Looking at the worried face of his father, the minister’s son asked him the reason for his worries and the minister described all that had happened in the king’s court. He mentioned the king’s three questions: Where does God exist How to see him And what does God do
The minister’s son assured his father that he need not worry any more as he would answer the king’s three questions.
The next day, when the child arrived in the court, he asked the king to get him a bowl of milk. The king laughed and ordered the milk. When the bowl of milk was given to the child, he started rotating his finger in the bowl.
Amused at the child’s behaviour, the king asked what he was doing. The child said that he is trying to find butter in the milk. The king laughed and said, “You are still a child. You do not know how to find butter in the milk”.
The child said “Why do you say so oh dear king! Doesn’t butter exist in milk ”
“No doubt butter exists in the milk”, replied the king. “But to separate butter from milk, first milk has to be set into curd and then churned. It’s after churning that butter separates from the curd”.
The child then said to the king, “I have answered your first two questions. God resides in the whole universe, but to separate Him from the universe, you need to first still your mind and churn the still mind with contemplation on God. Only then can you separate God from the universe and see him”.
Fully satisfied with his answer, the king offered his reverence at the feet of child and sought the answer for his third question, as to what does God do.
The child asked the king that after having offered his reverence at his feet, whether he was asking this question as a king or as a pupil. The king felt ashamed and said that he is asking the question as a pupil. Then the child said, “if you are asking this question as a pupil, how can you be seated on the throne higher than me and make me stand on the floor ”
The king immediately descended, requested the child to be seated on the throne, while he himself stood on the floor with folded hands.
Child said, “Oh king! This is what God does. He brings down the higher ones to the lower levels and uplifts the lower ones to higher levels”.
The king, fully satisfied with the answers, bowed at the feet of his new guru who had enlightened him with the secrets of God. He realised that God exists everywhere in the universe but to see him we need to still our mind, shift focus from worldly matters and contemplate over him repeatedly. Sri Rameshji is a modern age spiritual guru and founder of Poorna Ananda, a centre for spiritual evolution and joyful living. Visit www.poornaananda.org
