An Emperor’s Taste…
Monday, July 23rd, 2012
Likes and dislikes are but fancies of the moment; the mind wavers, flits from one thing to another. One has to realise this and be steady, adhering to the good and avoiding the injurious, says Bhagawan narrating a beautiful story from the life of Mughal Emperor Akbar.
The Emperor of Delhi, the famous Akbar, was melancholy and depressed. His Empire was prosperous and safe from enemies, both internal and external. The cause of his sadness lay elsewhere. It was the food he ate every day. Of course he had himself shown the preference; the cooks, or Birbal, the Superintendent of the Imperial Kitchen, were not to blame. Nevertheless, he had developed a disgust for meat, for, it was meat, meat, meat—morning noon, evening and night.
So, he called into the Presence, Birbal and commanded that the menu be soon changed. And, the command was obeyed. Birbal racked his brains for a long while and decided on brinjals for a change. He procured baskets of brinjals, fresh and fine.
He got prepared chutney salad, soup, cutlet, sweet, savoury bitter—all from brinjal. Akbar relished every item; he praised Birbal to the skies. It was brinjal breakfast, brinjal lunch, brinjal dinner. Thus it went on merrily for a few days— but, for a few days only!
Akbar grew disgusted with brinjals, too. He poured all his wrath on Birbal. And, Birbal had to switch on to something else. For, likes and dislikes are but fancies of the moment; the mind wavers, flits from one thing to another. One has to realise this and be steady, adhering to the good and avoiding the injurious. Establish Mastery over the Mind; or, the Mind will ride you into, ruin. The Mind is a bundle of Desires. Give up Desire; the mind disappears.
II Samasta Lokah Sukhino Bhavantu II
Posted in Storytime With Baba |
