Stories from India, Volume Two
Yogananda Paramhansa
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85 pages. Temps de lecture estimé 1h4min.
The Wisdom Stories Series from the Teachings of Paramhansa Yogananda
They enter into our consciousness, captivating our imagination with interesting characters and fantastic storylines. Beneath the surface, they recount the age-old human drama with circumstances and plots not so very different from our own. Certainly parallels, and more importantly lessons, can be drawn that continue to instruct, and to change the way we live and relate to one another.
This second volume in the WISDOM STORIES SERIES picks up where volume one left off, with stories shared by the great yoga master Paramhansa Yogananda (author of the best-selling spiritual classic title Autobiography of a Yogi) and his close, direct disciple, Swami Kriyananda. These stories have been told for generations, imparting universal values of compassion and understanding, virtue, dharma (right action), and the ability to relate to another’s reality.
About The Wisdom Stories Series
Each story is followed by a “wisdom gem,” shedding light on such spiritually central topics as courage, unconditional love, faith, and wisdom. Whether you are a teacher, parent, student, or devotee, these stories are an excellent resource to turn to again and again for inspiration, sharing, and personal study.Excerpt from...Stories from India, Volume Two by Paramhansa Yogananda
Introduction
The research for Stories from India by Paramhansa Yogananda unearthed many wonderful tales that continue to inspire, offer deep insights, and overall, entertain our hearts and lives. It is our joy to offer to you this second volume.
Stories are a powerful teacher. They enter into our consciousness, captivating our imagination with characters and fantastic story lines. Beneath the surface, they reveal the age-old drama of humankind with circumstances and plots not so very different from the times we live in today. Certainly parallels, and more importantly lessons, can be drawn that continue to teach and change the way we live, the way we relate to one another.
I have met many people from around the world, reared on traditional stories unique to their culture. These stories have imparted lifelong traits of compassion and understanding, virtue, dharma (right action), the ability to relate to another’s reality. As a universal medium they reach into the hearts of all God’s children — young and old — delivering timeless truths in ways easy to digest and assimilate. Perhaps, more than anything, this is why Paramhansa Yogananda enjoyed sharing stories and why his direct disciple, Swami Kriyananda, did the same through his lectures, satsangs and many books. Such stories allowed people to relax, be fully present and receptive, and understand truths and subtleties they might otherwise have missed. Certainly these stories opened doors of understanding and continue to do so.
For your pleasure and reference, we have cataloged these stories according to their predominant spiritual quality in addition to the typical Table of Contents by title.
It is our hope that you enjoy these stories, take the time to be with them, and share them with your friends in the company of the master storyteller himself, Paramhansa Yogananda, in your own heart.
Boundless Blessings,Nayaswami Maria
Humility
The Most Humble God
Ages ago, Saint Bhrigu of India had a desire to find the most humble form God had ever taken. He wandered all over the Himalayan Mountains and the holy places in search of some incarnation of God he could accept as a guru. But, since he wished an example of humility to follow, he determined that the God must have this attribute. He met many Saints, whom he questioned as to where he could find such a god-guru. After a strenuous search, he found that all the Saints that he met gave him the names of the same three forms of God, Brahma, Shiva, and Vishnu, who was then incarnated as Krishna — and assured him that one of them was sure to be the right one.
Saint Bhrigu heard that Brahma could create anything, Shiva could destroy anything, and Krishna (Vishnu) could preserve anything from annihilation, for they represented the creative, destructive, and preservative principles active in all Creation.
Bewildered as to who was the humblest and greatest of the three, he conceived a queer plan to test them. His great powers, gained through meditation, enabled him to leave his body and find God, in the form of Brahma, on the astral plane. Without much ceremony of introduction, in a very disrespectful manner he began to criticize him. “Hey, Brahma, what is the matter with you? Why don’t you stand up and greet me when I come?”
Brahma inwardly was astonished at the audacity of this mortal man and retorted: “Do you know to whom you are talking?” “Yes sir,” said Bhrigu, “of course, I know that I am talking to that despicable God who is the creator of vermin, plagues, mosquitoes, diseases, criminals, and all ugly things in Creation. Why don’t you reform yourself and create only good things?” Brahma was beside himself with wrath and threateningly replied: “Get back to earth before I convert you into a stone by the gorgon gaze of my will.”
Saint Bhrigu laughed at him and left, saying: “O no, you cannot hate me or make me into a stone, for God and I are One.” Brahma suddenly awoke from his error and apologized. Then Bhrigu said: “I forgive you Brahma, but I am disappointed not to have found in you what I wanted to see.”
Then Bhrigu repaired to Shiva, who was seen getting ready to meditate on all the things beyond their prime that must be brought to an end. As soon as Shiva’s form met the gaze of Bhrigu, the Saint shouted savagely: “Hey, Shiva, you Grand Cosmic Killer, why don’t you stop shattering worlds, murdering innocent babies, and inventing ingenious death-dealing devices? Why don’t you cease destroying the beautiful and useful things and beings of the earth and get busy annihilating the wicked things?”
Shiva could not believe his ears, that a mortal man like Saint Bhrigu could be so audacious and free with his speech. He shouted: “Shut up, or I will reduce you to ashes with the burning magnetism of my Spiritual Eye.” Saint Bhrigu derisively retorted: “Fine use you will make of your Spiritual Eye. Go ahead, I dare you to burn up the God in me, you Grand Killer!” Shiva remained paralyzed with anger and speechless at the awakening words of Saint Bhrigu, who soon melted away from his sight, saying: “Oh, what a disappointment you are.”
At last, almost despairing because he could not find the world’s most humble God, he skeptically resorted to the third God — Vishnu, who controlled the preserving principle of the Cosmos. But this time he stayed on earth and sought out the prophet Krishna — in whom these great powers were manifesting. Saint Bhrigu found Prophet Krishna sound asleep on a sofa in his palace. He stood there watching the halo of peace radiating from the prophetic face of Krishna. Then, unable to think of any way to test him, in a fit of emotion Saint Bhrigu kicked Krishna on the chest, shouting: “You sleeping fool, wake up, see who is here.” Krishna awakened with the sweetest, most undismayed, loving smile, and quickly picked up the kicking foot of Saint Bhrigu, and while massaging it, he said gently: “Ah, my Lord Bhrigu, is your foot hurt?”
Saint Bhrigu, beside himself with simultaneous visitations of remorse and joy, cried out: “I have found him. I have found him. O, Prophet Krishna, Thou art the world’s most humble Being, even as God is. Thou art, O Krishna, the greatest, the most humble form of God. You can teach me. I accept you as my Guru. Will you accept me?” And Krishna accepted Bhrigu as his disciple.
Wisdom Gem
Now, dear friends, you realize that if you want to know the greatest of all Beings, the wisest in the Cosmos, our God, you must be humble, for the humble man makes a charming altar for God in himself, and establishes his altar of humility in every heart that he meets. — by Paramhansa YoganandaContents
Introduction xi
Humility
The Most Humble God The Three Gods and the Lord of Gods 10Sustainer of the Universe 16
Faith
The Fisherman and the Hindu Priest 21God Alone 25
Right Action (Dharma)
The Reward of Virtue 31The Story of a Man Who Was Healed by Suggestion 38
Self-Control
Sadashiva Takes a Vow of Silence 43The Saint Who Ate Fire 45Spiritual HappinessThe Himalayan Musk Deer 53The Philosopher’s Stone 55
Non-Attachment
A Fearful Disease 65The Man Who Wouldn’t Be King 67The Wishing Tree 73The Woman Who Loved God as Her Son 77The Power of Delusion 82The Man, the Donkey, and the Boy 85The Farmer Who Dreamed His Sons Were Killed by a Cobra 88
Truthfulness
Guru (Preceptor) Nanaka 93The Saint Who Went to Hades Speaking Truth 97
Devotion
The Story of Sri Chaitanya 109Radha, the Greatest of the Gopis 113
Willpower
The Holy Squirrel 119The Bandit and the Bull 124
Wisdom
Getting Out of Delusion 133Six Blind Men and the Elephant 135That Moral Backbone 140
Indices
Index: Stories Listed by Their Spiritual Qualities 145Index: Spiritual Qualities Listed by Their Stories 152
Bibliography 158
About the Storyteller — Author Paramhansa Yogananda 160
Further Explorations 163
