Shukadeva, the son of Vyasa, went to King Janaka in search of knowledge.
"O King Janaka, please be my guru!" said Shukadeva. "I wish to be your disciple and to learn from you about the infinite and eternal Reality called Brahman."
"I can teach you about Brahman," agreed Janaka. "But you will have to pay the gurudakshina in advance."
Shukadeva looked confused. "But the payment should come after the disciple's studies are complete."
"I know," said Janaka. "But after you understand Brahman, you will no longer see any difference between guru and disciple, and that means you won't pay me."
Inspired by: Tales and Parables of Sri Ramakrishna
Notes: This is story 170 in the book. You can read about Shukadeva at Wikipedia, which also discusses his connection to King Janaka, but which does not include this particular legend. You can also read about the Brahman.
No comments:
Post a Comment