My favourite myth/parable of all time is a quaint yet profound story found in the Vishnu Purana (a Hindu text) about a sage - Narada, asking Lord Vishnu to explain to him why people are deluded into living a life of illusion when all along they could be living in Truth, Sacred Time, and in ONEness Awareness...
Lord Vishnu offers to do so, but asks Narada in the meantime to fetch a cup of water.
Narada goes to the nearest house and knocks on the door to ask for the water. A beautiful and attractive young woman opens the door. Narada is completely captivated by her beauty, forgets about his fetching a cup of water for the Lord, forgets that he is an avowed celibate; and he woos and wins her hand.
They live together in a house after getting married and in due course, two beautiful children arrive in successive years. While they are living in contentment, suddenly a flash flood engulfs their neighbourhood and even their home. They have to try to escape as the flood waters rise and the current becomes stronger.
It becomes so strong that first one child, then the other, and finally his wife are swept away by the raging waters. Narada himself is barely able to maintain a precarious hold on a tree and is feeling terribly shocked by the tragedy that has befallen him.
While waiting thus, he hears Lord Vishnu's call asking him, "Where is the cup of water?".
Narada suddenly realizes that he was all the while standing on the firm ground and only a few moments had passed...
Lord Vishnu said, "Now you see how easy it is to fall into Illusion - as easy as going to fetch a cup of water...which itself is just a product of your imagination"
Lord Vishnu offers to do so, but asks Narada in the meantime to fetch a cup of water.
Narada goes to the nearest house and knocks on the door to ask for the water. A beautiful and attractive young woman opens the door. Narada is completely captivated by her beauty, forgets about his fetching a cup of water for the Lord, forgets that he is an avowed celibate; and he woos and wins her hand.
They live together in a house after getting married and in due course, two beautiful children arrive in successive years. While they are living in contentment, suddenly a flash flood engulfs their neighbourhood and even their home. They have to try to escape as the flood waters rise and the current becomes stronger.
It becomes so strong that first one child, then the other, and finally his wife are swept away by the raging waters. Narada himself is barely able to maintain a precarious hold on a tree and is feeling terribly shocked by the tragedy that has befallen him.
While waiting thus, he hears Lord Vishnu's call asking him, "Where is the cup of water?".
Narada suddenly realizes that he was all the while standing on the firm ground and only a few moments had passed...
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