It happened that a man was in search and he came upon a man on the path who said: ’There is a well-hidden in the caves. Go there and ask a question. If you sincerely ask, the well replies. It is a miracle only known to great adepts.’
The man searched. It was difficult to reach to the well, but somehow he reached. Leaning down in the well, he asked: ’What is life?’ No reply came. The well only echoed. He repeated his question, and the well repeated: ’What is
life?’ But the man was really sincere, so he continued. It is said for three days, day and night, he asked again and again: ’What is life?’ – and the well only resounded his own voice. But he was not
tired – he continued.
If you work with the mind for many many days, years, the mind will not give you the key; it will simply resound you. But a sincere seeker goes on and on and on; he is not tired.
After three days it is said the well realized that the man was sincere and that he was not going to go. So the well said: ’Okay, I will tell you what life is. Go to the town nearby. Visit the first three shops and come back and report.’
The man was puzzled because what type of answer was this? But, ’Okay, if the well says it has to be done...’ He went to the town and visited the first three shops, but he was even more puzzled and bewildered. There was nothing.
In the first shop there were a few people working with some metal pieces. He went into the next shop; a few other people were there, and they were preparing some strings. Into the third shop he went; it was a carpenter’s shop, and people were working with wood. He said to himself: ’This is life?’
He went back to the well and said: ’What do you mean? I went there, I visited. This is my report, but I don’t see the point.’
The well said: ’Now, I have shown you the path. You travel it. Someday you will see the point. I have indicated the way, now you go on it.’
The seeker was simply angry and said: ’This has been a deception! What have I gained by asking this well for three days continuously? What have I gained by putting my heart with such sincerity
before the well? This has been a deception. I have not gained anything.’ Frustrated, he went away.
After many years of wandering he came near a garden one day. It was a moon night, a full moon night, and somebody was playing a sitar. He was enchanted. The magic worked. As if pulled by a magnet, he came into the garden. He didn’t ask permission. He went up to the player and the man was deep in his meditation, playing on the sitar. He sat there he listened. In the moonlight he looked at the man, the instrument. He had never seen that instrument before.
Suddenly, he realized that those carpenters were working on things like this. They were preparing sitars. And the people who were working on metal – those pieces were also on the sitar. And the strings.
Suddenly, as if the clouds disappeared and there was a breakthrough, he started dancing. The musician became aware; he stopped the music. But now nobody can stop the dance of the seeker.
The musician asked: ’What is the matter? What has happened to you?’
The man said: ’I have understood. Life has everything. Just a new combination is needed. I looked into three shops. Everything was there, but there was no sitar. Everything was separate. An order
was needed; everything was in chaos. Everything as there; whatsoever was needed was there. Just a synthesis, just a unity was needed – and such beautiful music comes out of it. Life has everything
– now I have understood. Just a new order is needed.’
You have everything that you need. God never sends anybody as a beggar into the world. Everybody is born an emperor but lives like a beggar, not knowing how to arrange things.
Mind should be the servant, consciousness should be the master – and then the instrument is ready, and then a great music is possible.
And there comes a moment when the instrument is not needed at all. It is said that whenever
a musician becomes perfect he throws the sitar because then it is useless, because then the
inner music has come in. The outer sitar just helped to move withinwards. Whenever an archer
is perfect, he throws the bow. Then there is no need for it. Whenever there is perfection, it becomes
unconditional.
First make the sitar of your life and then be able to retire the mind completely. Then you have gone beyond the circle of birth and death. And that’s what God is.
That’s what this beautiful story is saying: ’TO REMIND ME’ – so that I don’t fall again and again a victim of the old pattern: mind, the master; and myself, the servant. ’TO REMIND ME’ – that I am
the master.