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Photo copyright Suresh Gundappa 2007
Sufi fable and Story by Suresh:
After landing at Rumi’s tomb I was eager to pray. After years of planning finally I was in Konya and near Rumi’s tomb. I was waiting near the tomb’s door to open as I landed early before scheduled open time. I decided to take a walk and I was in great mood,
As I walked across the road I met a Fakir begging on street, he asked
“Nawab, Please spare me some coins?”
I smiled back at him and said ” why coins? let me give you a note and I am in good mood today as I am going to get into Rumi’s tomb for prayer? “
he didn’t get excited but asked me” Have you been here before? ; I said”no, this is my first time”
Fakir looked into my eyes and asked me “What are you going to ask BABA(Rumi)?”
I went blank for a minute and said ‘ the usual stuff, praying for wealth, health, good luck to me and my family”
Fakir laughed at me and said ” you seems to be bigger beggar than me, I am only asking for few coins and I have everything in this world – a song, a dance and Air conditioned weather, Sunbathing beaches. but you seems to be beggar in disguise of a gentleman, looks like you are constantly begging God for one thing or the other”
While holding a note in my hand i was stunned, I didn’t know what to say, only thing I knew for sure is I am bigger beggar than Fakir.
Fakir walked away with a blessing to me and small question to me” why not ask for God himself if you are going to beg anyway? why just wealth and health?
Lightning struck me at that moment and Later when I prayed at the tomb , I couldn’t ask for anything. Since then I have praying without reason. Prayer it’s self has been such a blessing, i don’t think I need anything more!
End of fable.
Meditation is art of prayer without reasons. Meditation is the ultimate prayer you can offer, Meditation is nothing but being grateful to whole existence for no reason. Meditation is the realizing that you are an emperor inside.
Love and lots of it.
Suresh
Yes, the bigger beggars are the so called highly admired emperors. We blame beggary and our beggars. Where’s life? Yes, the way of existence is indeed a big mystery. Let we sophisticated beggars be transformed into “real emperors”! Thanks Suresh for the photo spot and the stunning story.
What a wonderful story of explaining how we all are beggars once in a while or more often. Back to pray for praying sake, no asking, open to receive and welcome whatever comes your way. thanks Suresh.
Gurudas had written a somewhat related great piece… when I see a begger where he says…
At the risk of going completely tangential…
Just a couple of days back on seeing Bin Laden’s latest video, I was wondering that if prayer could really be used to get whatever we want, someone like Bin Laden might be praying for all the wrong things. Wonder if he prays for forgiveness as well in some holy place once a year so that he could start off with his agenda for the next year with a clean slate.
But well maybe even Bin Laden is only an image of what lies within oneself, and thats where we really need to work, and thats where the conclusion of your post makes so much sense Suresh.
Beggar is the Bigger
Good revealing reading there in the comment lines of ‘radiantwoman’ and Sanjay.
By the way, who is bigger: the emperor or beggar. The emperor gives. The beggar receives. Many of the time we give something to the other just to elate our ego. At least a beggar is there to receive your ‘alms’(i.e. your ego), so be grateful to the poor beggar. Someone is there to receive your ‘dirty linen’. Suppose if the beggar tells on your face, “I dont want your alms, throw it in the dustbin”, then the emperor’s ego ‘ll be shattered into pieces. So the beggar is bigger – he is there to receive and elate your ego.
my understanding is that no body can be bigger. the very act of receiving requires giver and The act of giving requires a receiver. This whole universe works on exchange. one of the most mystical discoveries of science has been on energy, Energy is neither created nor destroyed.It just changes it’s form. Emperor and beggar are two sides of a same coin!
Great story. Really makes you think about what you value in life, what you need.
‘Yes’ to Existence
To say ‘yes’ to the existence is the way to bliss. Life is multidimensional. In the domain of our daily chores and tears things like ‘bigger vs smaller’, ‘giver vs taker’ do operate. But in the paradigm of reality and existence the things like ‘giving or taking’ or ‘small or big’ just do not matter or exist. A flower just blooms and overflows with fragrance and beauty. It’ never ‘thinks’ or ‘stinks’ in terms of ‘giving’ and such other things of our mundane ‘daily dealing’ domain. There, it’s just ‘being’, less of ‘becoming’.
Wow, Suresh. You’ve given us all food for thought, food to gnaw mentally as we go through our day, and what wonderful iamges you conjure.
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~ Excerpt from Power of Now – Echkart Tolle – the rest of the page and the book makes for a good read as well!