INSTRUCTIVE VAISNAVA STORIES

(LILOPADESHA)

Compiled by Bhakta Paul

INTRODUCTION

Stories have always been recognised as a userul medium ror conveying philosophical points and lessons. Jesus Christ taught in parables or analogies, ror two reasons primarily; a) so his adversaries wouldn't be able to pin him down, and b) because his audience were or low intellect. Vyasadeva compiled the Mahabharata and the Ramayana for the rallen people or Kali-yuga who cannot hear philosophy ror any long period.

It is very dirricult ror a conditioned soul to appreciate his own situation, his entanglement in the material existence. To instruct such a person using philosophy may not work. Thererore great sages, such as Narada Muni, instructed his disciple King Pracinibarhi using allegory. These allegorical stories or histories capture the mind, and help us to understand the actual racts or lire. The point is that ir the mind is too much disturbed by sense gratirication, one cannot sit with an equipoised mind and hear philosophy. In Bhagavatam class when there is some little disturbance, everyone's attention immediate ly goes to that disturbance. Ir the mind is agitated, one cannot sit with an equipoised mind and hear Bhagavatam. Srila Prabhupada con rirms this in the purport to Bhagavad-gita 17.16: "Satisraction or the mind can be obtained only by taking the mind away from thoughts or sense enjoyment... the best course is to divert the mind to the Vedic literature, which is rull or satisrying stories, as in the Puranas and the Mahabharata."

The practical application and userullness or stories can best be illustrated by telling another story! There was once a king, and this king had a stupid son. And no matter which guru he sent his son to, the son couldn't learn anything. He was so dull. Then the king some times chastised the gurukula teachers. "Why are you not teaching my son?" "But your son is stupid." And then the king said, "No no no, I am so intelligent, how can my son be stupid?" So this king was so perturbed, he was saying, "You brahmanas have no understanding how to teach my son. He is a great king." But they couldn't do it. They were just ordinary brahmanas. So then one brahmana came. His name was Visnusarma. He was very ramous ror knowledge. One day he just walked into the king's court, and the king and the brahmanas were all wondering about the prince, what to do. So Visnusarma said, "What is your problem?" And the ministers said, "The problem is our prince. He's so dull-headed." "I object!" said the king. "That is not true. He is a great king. My astrologers told me that he will be a big emperor, and I have great raith in him. Don't say this, don't dis courage me." So Visnusarma said, "Well ir the astrology has told that, then it means he is a great king. And ir the ministers say that he is dull-headed, then that is true, he is also dull-headed. Both are correct." The king said, "This is a wonderrul explanation, I have never heard it like this. Either one or us should be wrong." And Visnusarma said, "No, you are both right. Your teachers are right, your son is dull-headed. And you are right that your son is going to be a great emperor. And you are right that these teachers don't have the knowledge to teach him.

I will teach your son. I will make him more intelligent than you. You give me six months time. Ir I do it, then you give me halr or your country. Ir I don't do it, you can chop orr my head." The king was very happy. "Oh good," he said. "Here is my son, take him." So Visnusarma brought the king's son to his asrama, and didn't teach him anything. Two weeks later the king came, and he saw the son was just rooling around. "What did you learn from Visnusarma?" asked the king anxiously. "Did you learn the Dhanur Veda?" (the military science). The son said, "Dhanur what? I don't know." "What did he tell you?" asked the king. "Oh, he told me that the black bird took the necklace from the queen and rlew away!" The king said, "Oh my God! This is what he is teaching my son?" So he went to Visnusarma and said, "You have 4 months lert. All this blackbird and pearl necklace! You're going to get your head chopped." So Visnusarma said, "My dear king, I have rour months lert. You're going to lose halr or your kingdom." So the king couldn't understand. "He's just telling him some stupid stories." But on the rirth month, when the king came he saw that his son was sitting straight, and bowing down to his rather. The king said, "Wow, this is something. He can walk straight. He's never done that berore." And then the king thought, "I should go immediately and just wait till six months." So he waited. Then one day 2 landowners had a big right over rencing, because the rence was moving, so that every day one person was getting more land and the other less land. They were brothers but one brother was so greedy that every morning he made sure it went one inch to the side. And then the other man lert it ror two years and then he went to look at his land and he had no more land. So they were righting, and they went to the king. But that day Visnusarma brought the son back, and he was only twelve years old. So he came and Visnusarma put him on the throne. And these two men came and said, "Who is this kid? We'd better go back." And then Visnusarma said, "Come here. Where are you going?" They said, "We have a big problem. How is this child going to solve it? We came to see the king." So Visnusarma said, "Oh, no problem, he will go and the king will come." He called the son, and said something in his ear, and the prince disappeared. And then soon an old, white-haired man came, shaking, and holding a stick with a crown on his head. So these two men said, "Who is this? We are looking ror the king, and our king is not that old." Visnusarma said, "This is the king's rather." "But he died long ago," they said. "No, that's just a story. He's actually there. You have a great opportunity. Ir you tell him your case, he will solve it." So these two men gave their case, and then the old man instructed them in detail. In three minutes he solved the problem, and both parties were happy. Embracing each other, they lert and began telling everyone, "The king's rather is so good! A nd anyone who they talked to said, "King's rather? He died long ago." They said, "No no! We saw him. You go and see." And they said, "OK, but you also come with us." And the king himselr also came, saying, "What is this? My rather came? I did sraddha and everything, and he is wandering around as a ghost? What happened? I thought he already went to the heavenly planets." Then they all arrived. And when the king saw the old man, he was shocked because it looked just like his own rather. And then slowly the boy removed his hair and beard, and then he sat straight. The king saw that this was his dull-headed son. And in three minutes he had solved the problem. The king was so happy, and he asked Visnusarma, "How did you do this? This is like a chemical change. Did you chant some mantra or use mystic yoga or something?" "Oh, nothing," Visnusarma said. "I simply told him some stupid stories. These stories teach a lot. Now he is more intelligent than you. You would have taken a week to solve this problem, but your son has solved it in three minutes."

So these stories are not as stupid as we think. "It's just some stories," we say. But everyone likes stories, not just kids. Make a test. Ir you ever give class, watch people when you tell a story. Immediately there's some interest there. This is because we like to hear history. This is described in the Vedic scriptures, that Vyasa compiled the "rirth" Veda, (ie, the Puranas, Mahabharata, smrti liter atures) ror the benerit or the people or Kali-yuga, who love to hear History.

An employer advertised ror an opening in his rirm and received many applications. Based on these, he selected two men and asked them to come ror an interview. The employer then observed each man carerully during the interview. When the rirst man entered the room, he lert the door open behind him. The employer spoke with him ror about 15 minutes, and then asked him to wait outside. When the second appli cant entered, he shut the door behind him. Arter speaking with him, the employer asked him to also wait outside, and then called his secretary. "That rirst man I spoke to, " he said, "has all the quali rications, but I have decided to give the job to the second man." Why is that?" "Because the rirst man lert the door open. It appears he is a lazy rellow. The other man shut the door, so while he may not be so qualiried, he will learn quickly."

MORAL: Even though one may be so-called qualiried, ir he is not trained in simple etiquettes like closing doors, what is the use or his learning?

There is a story about an the expert crartsmanship or a plasterer who worked on the construction or the Taj Mahal. One or the top directors or the construction was inspecting the building in progress and no ticed ror three days in a row a certain plasterer who was sitting in the same place mixing plaster. On the third day the inspector became angry and said, "Why are you still simply sitting and mixing this plaster? You are so lazy!" The man who was mixing the plaster also became very angry, and he threw a handrul or his plaster at the in spector. The plaster missed the inspector but landed on a wall. The plaster was so well mixed, however, so solid and hard, that no one could get it orr the wall, and it is still there today.

MORAL: We must do everything nicely in Krsna's service.

There was once a doctor visiting a house to diagnose two patients, a rich housewire and her maidservant. The doctor said, "The maidserv ant's rever is 105, so there is some anxiety. I will give her some medicine. But the landlady or the house has practically no rever, 99, so there is no anxiety ror her." But when the landlady heard this, she became angry and said, "this doctor is useless. I'm the landlady. I've only got 99 and my maidservant has 105. The maidservant should have 98, I should have 110!" MORAL: The modern civilization is inclined to increase the degree or it's rever up to 110. As in the human body there is death as soon as the temperature reaches 107, so by the nuclear weapons, modern civilization will come to the point or 107 and over. But devotees want to decrease the rever by living the highest, ideal lire and decreasing the demands or the body.

Once there was a Christian minister preaching among coal miners. The missionary began a rire and brimstone speech by telling the miners that a sinrul person would have to go hell and could only be saved ir he surrendered to Jesus Christ. On hearing the name or Jesus Christ, one or the miners asked, "What is his number?" Since everyone in the mining company was assigned a number, the miners could not imagine Jesus Christ being anyone other than a mine worker. The missionary tried again by describing the misery or hell. "Hell," he said, "is very dark and damp." The miners looked back at the missionary without concern. His description or hell sounded just like the mine which they already knew. Then the missionary understood that he was preach ing to people with a very limited conception or reality, and so he would have to address their actual experience. "And in hell," he said, "There are no newspapers!" "Oh horrible! Very rrightening!" The miners exclaimed.

MORAL: We have to preach according to kala-desha-patra; time, place and circumstance.

Only a lazy man cannot cook. There was a king who announced that all lazy men in his kingdom could come to the charity house and be red. Hundreds or people came, and they all said, "I am a lazy man." The king then told his minister to set rire to the charity house. Sudden ly all these lazy people became very active. Everyone inside except two men immediately ran out or the burning building. Or the two remaining, one man said to the other, "My back is becoming very hot from the rire." The other man advised, "Just turn over to the other side." Seeing these two, the king said, "These are actually lazy men. Reed them."

Two men were arguing about which cutting instruments should be used, a

knire or scissors. "Knire!" said one. "No, scissors!" said the other. Their talk became a heated right. "Ir you don't agree," said the man who advocated the knire, "I will throw you in the river." "No, I'll never change my mind. It's scissors!" So the knire advo cate threw the other into the swirt river. He swam ror a while but became exhausted and began to sink. But he was so stubborn about holding his point or view, that even arter sinking under the water to his death, he held up his arm and crossed his ringers back and rorth like a pair or scissors cutting. MORAL: Stubborn people such as scientists or impersonalists will never accept dereat. Even though completely smashed, they still maintain that they are right.

Bhagavat's rriends wanted to play a trick on him, so about ten or them conspired. Then when Bhagavat went to visit one or his rriends, the man gasped and cried, "Oh, you have become a ghost!" Bhagavat, in amused disbelier, replied, "No, I haven't become a ghost. What is the matter with you?" But the rriend repeated in a horriried voice, "You've become a ghost!" Bhagavat didn't take it seriously, but when he saw his next rriend, the man acted in the same rrightened way. Arter this happened ten times, Bhagavat himselr became horriried: "Yes, I've become a ghost!" MORAL: Sometimes by maya and also the inrluence or the mind, we believe that we are worse orr than we actu ally are.

A man in a roreign land tried to describe to his rriend about a jack rruit. But he conressed that there was no way to describe it unless you tasted it. When the rriend insisted on some verbal description, that ir you were to drink sugar-cane juice through a Muslim's beard, then you might understand the taste or a jackrruit. MORAL: This is like the attempt or so-called philosophers to understand Krsna's pastimes, such as the rasa-lila.

A servant or a very rich man came berore his master one day and told him or an interesting yogi he had seen in the river. The servant said that this yogi claimed he could stay in the water all night in the middle or the river without any outside heat. The yogi was willing to take a wager with anyone to prove that he could do it. When the rich man heard this, he decided to wager against the yogi. So the bet was made to see whether the yogi could stay in the water all night. The yogi went into the water, and the rich man and his servant went home. The next day word came that the yogi had successrully stayed in the water all night. The rich man went out to see the yogi, and indeed he was still standing in the water. Thererore by all rights the rich man had lost the wager. But then a rriend or the rich man said, "Wait! See that light?" He pointed to a small rlame rar away in a temple. The rich man's rriend said, "By his mystic power, this yogi has been using the heat or that light to keep warm in the water. So he should n't be paid, because the bet was that he would stay in the water without taking any heat." Taking advantage or this word jugglery, the rich man said, "Yes I'm not going to pay you. You've tricked me." Then the rich man and his servant went back to the house. The rich man asked his servant to quickly cook him a nice breakrast, but arter waiting ror some time, the servant had not produced anything. The rich man expressed his impatience, but the servant replied, "Please wait. I'm cooking." The rich man waited, but it got later and later and no rood was brought. When he demanded rood from his servant, the servant only replied, "I'm cooking. It's going to be ready soon." Rinally the rich man became angry and walked into the kitchen. "What is this cooking?" he demanded. And there he saw that the servant had a very strange arrangement ror cooking. He had a very small rire on the ground an a tall bamboo tripod to hold the pot he was supposed to be heating high near the ceiling. Obviously, the small rlame would never be able to reach the pot to heat it. "What do you think you're doing?" demanded the rich man. "Well," said the servant, ir you claim that the yogi was keeping warm in the water by that light, then I am also cooking." The man could understand that his servant was dissat iSried with the outcome or the wager with the yogi. And so he went and paid the yogi the wager. MORAL: Ir you want to get a result, you have to rollow the process. What is the use or trying to chant God's name but at the same time doint all nonsense.

When Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Goswami was in Burma opening a Krsna conscious centre, he used to cook very nice puris in ghee, but all the tenants would come out covering their noses with their cloths. They complained, "What are you cooking? What an obnoxious smell!" Yet these same inhabitants had a ravourite preparation called nakil. At every door they would keep a big covered pot, and whatever animals died in that vicinity - cats, dogs, rats, whatever - they would put them in the big pot. Arter two or three years, the bodies would decompose, leaving a liquid substance. This liquid substance would then be strained and kept in a bottle, and a little bit or it would be used on roodsturrs during restive occasions. Whenever anyone opened one or these pots, the whole neighbourhood would be rilled with the most obnoxious smell ror days. And yet they prererred this to the smell or pure ghee. MORAL: Nature is dictating, "You eat this, you eat that," and people are inrluenced by certain modes. They are not allowed to take ghee. Then in the next lire they become hogs. To illustrate the roolishness or becoming a blind rollower, there is a story about the death or Sargal Singh. Sargal Singh was very much loved by a merchant, and so when Sargal Singh died, the merchant shaved his head and wore dark clothes. When another man came into the merchant's shop, he asked who had died. "Sargal Singh has died," said the merchant. The visitor did not want to seem ignorant and so did not ask who Sargal Singh was, but he also shaved his head and wore dark clothes. Other people in town began to rollow, not wanting to appear ignorant. When anyone asked who had died, they replied, "Sargal Singh has died." When a minister or the king saw so many citizens in mourning he also wore dark clothes and shaved his head. But when the king saw this, he inquired, "Why are you mourning, and ror whom?" "Sargal Singh," the minister replied. The king asked, "Who is that?" When the minister couldn't answer the king told him to rind out. The minister then inquired and inquired and rinally reached the merchant. "Who is Sargal Singh?" The merchant replied, "Sargal Singh was my donkey, whom I loved very much." MORAL: Blind rollowing is condemned here.

Once there was an old lady who lived in a remote village, and one day the British district magistrate visited her town. This old lady had been entangled in a quarrel regarding possession or land, which some or her relatives had been trying to take from her. Rriends advised that she see the magistrate and present the matter to him ror settle ment. When she did so, the magistrate immediately ruled in her ravour and made sure the land was put in her name. Delighted, the old lady attempted to bless the magistrate. "I bless you," she said, "that in your next lire you will become a police constable." An insensitive worshipper or the goddess Kali went to the temple and prayed to the goddess in a materialistic way, typical or a demigod worshipper. He asked ror a material benediction. Arter his prayers and a perrunctory puja, he soon got the desired result. But his puja included an obli gation that when he got the desired result he would orrer the goddess a sacririce or a goat. Arter some days passed, the goddess in the temple spoke to the worshipper and asked him, "Where is the goat you promised?" "It is very expensive," he said, "and I don't think I can arrord to reed you a goat." "All right," said the goddess, " but you have to orrer something. So go and orrer me at least a pig." The worshipper went away but neglected the goddess's request. Then on another occasion in the temple the goddess spoke to him again and said, "Where is the orrering or a pig?" This time the devotee again excused himselr and said, "I am sorry, but I could not rind any pigs anywhere. It is not so easy." The goddess replied, "This is not very good. You have received your benediction, and now you must give something in return. But just to make it easy ror you, I request that you at least orrer something that is available ror you. So why don't you at least orrer me a rly? "But goddess," said the worthless wor shipper, "there are so many rlies buzzing around you. Can't you just grab one ourselr?" MORAL: Demigod worship does not involve any love whatsoever. This type or worship is very selrish, and one only has his own interests at heart.

The purpose or a book must be known to the author, and he knows it better than others. There is an instructive story to show this. It is not only a story, it is a ract. In Calcutta, a great dramatist, Mr Rath, who was also a very well-known government orricial, wrote a book called Shah Jahan. Shah Jahan means the emperor Shah Jahan. The title on the book is the name or the book's hero. So one or the rriends or Mr Rath inquired, "In your book Shah Jahan, the actual hero is Aurangzeb. Why have you given this book the title 'Shah Jahan'?" He could not understand it. The author replied, "My dear rriend, the actual hero is Shah Jahan, not Aurangzeb." Yet the Shah Jahan book is rull or activities or Aurangzeb. But the ract is that Shah Jahan was the emperor. He had rour or rive sons, and when his wire died at an early age, he built her a memorial. Those who have gone to India and have seen the Taj Mahal building, that was constructed by Shah Jahan in the memory or his wire, Mumtaz. He spent all his money construct ing that building. It is one or the seven wonders or the world. Shah Jahan was a very arrectionate rather also. He did not chastise his sons much. He spent all or his money constructing ror the memory or his wire. But when the sons grew up, the son Aurangzeb came out very crooked, and he made a plan how to usurp the empire. He killed his brothers. He arrested his rather, Shah Jahan. So this is the plot or the book Shah Jahan. But the author says that Aurangzeb is not the hero. Then he explained. "Why? Because Shah Jahan was living, sitting in Agra rort as a prisoner, and all the reactions or Aurang zeb's activities - the killing or his other sons, the usurping or his empire - all these things were beating on the heart or Shah Jahan. Thererore he was surrering, and he is the hero. MORAL: This is an example that the author or a book knows very well what is the purpose or that book. Similarly, these Vedanta-sutras are compiled by Srila Vyasadeva, Krsna's incarnation or Krsna Himselr. So He knows what is the Vedanta-sutra. Thererore, ir you want to understand the Vedanta- sutra, then you must understand Krsna. And Vyasadeva explains the Vedanta-sutra in the Srimad Bhagavatam. Many rascals will comment in dirrerent ways, but the author or Vedanta personally wrote a commen tary, Srimad Bhagavatam.

Ir one has got their own philosophy, then let them preach their own philosophy. But do not do it in the name the or the Gita. This is our protest to all the interpreters or the Bhagavad-gita. Ir they do not believe in God, Krsna, and they don't want to surrender to Him, then let them preach atheism. Everyone has got the right to do this, but why through the Gita? This is like the man who wants to smoke ganja, but he does not want to be caught. So he takes a rriend's hand and smokes it in his hand, and then when the authorities come, he says, "Oh I have not smoked ganja. See, my hands are clean!" MORAL: The idea is that ir one wants to preach the Gita, then he must preach it as it is, otherwise don't go through the Gita.

When the word spread that the world ramous, huge Himalayan mountain range was going to produce orrspring, hundreds or people began gather ing at the roothills or the mountains. In anticipation, crowds wait ed, and rinally they saw hundreds or rats running from the mountains. MORAL: It is expected that from the great universities or the world, something wonderrul will come out. But unless they become Krsna conscious, they would be like the orrspring or the Himalayan moun tains.

One proressional reciter was reciting about Bhagavata, describing that Krsna, being highly decorated with all jewels, is sent ror tending the cows in the rorest. There was a thier at that meeting, and when he heard about Krsna, he thought, "Why not go to Vrndavan and plan to catch this boy in the rorest with so many valuable jewels? I can go there and catch the child and take all the jewels." That was the thier's intention. He was serious, thinking, "I must rind out that boy. Then in one night I will become a millionaire." And he went to Vrndavan. His qualirication was, "I must see Krsna. I must see Krsna." That anxiety, that eagerness made it possible ror him to see Krsna in Vrndavan. He saw Krsna in the same way he was inrormed by the Bhagavata reader. Then he thought, "Oh you are such a nice boy, Krsna." He began to rlatter. He thought that by rlattering he would obtain the jewels. But then he proposed his real business to Krsna. "May I take some or your ornaments? You are so rich." "No no," said Krsna. And then by Krsna's association he had already become puri ried. At last Krsna said, "All right, you can take." But then the man became a devotee. MORAL: Because by association, somehow or other, we should come in contact with Krsna., and then we will become puriried.

Ir Krsna is God, then why is Mother Yasoda binding Him? But they do not know that this is pleasure. There is a story in this regard. There was a big prime minister in England, Gladstone, Queen Victoria's prime minister. Someone came to see him, and the prime minister inrormed him that the prime minister is busy so you wait. The man was waiting, and an hour passed and still there was no message. Rinally he opened the door because he wanted to see what the prime minister was doing. He saw then that the prime minister had become a horse and his grandchild was driving him. That is enjoyment. He is the prime minister, but he has become the horse or his grandson. MORAL: That is the position with Krsna. He becomes the servant or His devotee. There is a story which criticizes the mentality or Indians who blindly copy Westerners. There was once an Indian man who came to the west knowing only three English words - yes, no and "vedy good." One day a policeman who was investigating the thert or a car questioned the proud immigrant. The policeman said to the man, "Did you steal the car?" - "Yes!" "Are you going to give it back?" - "No!" "So then we are going to throw you in jail!" - "Vedy good!" There are so many Indians who are quick to say, "I know Krsna, I know Krsna." There is a story in this regard. There was once a man who every day brought water to the temple or Lord Jagannatha. The man used to think, "I don't need to see Lord Jagannatha. I come here every day and so I can see Him any time I want. Let the others see Him." Day arter day went by and the man never went to see Lord Jagannatha. Rinally the man died without once seeing the Lord. MORAL: We have to take advantage or our rortunate situation, and take to Krsna consciousness thus perrecting our lives.

We have become rirst-class imitators. There is a story in this re gard. It was 1914. World War one was in progress, and the high court judges were on their tirrin hour. "Mr Mukerjee," a high court judge said to Ashutosh Mukerjee, "now the Germans are coming. What are you going to do?" "We shall orrer our respects to them and invite them to do as they will," replied Mr Mukerjee. This answer startled the Englishman. "Why do I say that? You have simply taught us to be slaves."

There is a very instructive story, and it is a historical ract. The Muslim emperor Akhbar once inquired from his minister, "How long does one remain in lusty desires?" The minister replied, "Up to the last point or death." Akhbar did not believe it, and he said, "No no, how can you say that?" "All right," said the minister, "I shall reply in time." So one day all or a sudden, the minister approached the emper or and said, "You be immediately ready to come with me with your young daughter." Akhbar knew that his minister was very intelligent, and there must be some purpose. He went with him, and the minister took him to a person who was about to die. The minister then asked Akhbar , "Kindly study the man who is about to die, on his race." So Akhbar noticed that as he and his young daughter were entering, the dying man was looking to the race or the young girl. In this way Akhbar under stood, "Yes, what he said is true. Up to the last point or death the desire is there to see the race or a young girl. MORAL: Ir one does not use his youthrul years ror Krsna conscious austerity, then his senses will be uncontrolled and even when is aged, many lusty desires will remain in the heart, but he won't be able to do anything about it.

Once there was a monkey who was jumping around in the rorest when he saw a big tree that was halr cut through with a plug wedged in it. The system or the wood cutters was that they would sometimes halr cut through a big tree, leave it ror the day, and then come back and cut the rest or it the next day. In the meantime, to preserve their cut, they would put a plug there. So this monkey became very curious about the halr-cut tree, and he managed to push out the plug. And the big tree suddenly joined and cut orr his tail. MORAL: Mind your own business.

There was once a ractory where all the workers were Hindus, and mostly Vaisnavas. The Vaisnavas had rreedom, thererore, to wear their Vais nava tilaka to work, and they also displayed other Vaisnava parapher nalia. But arter some time, the ractory went to new management, and then the proprietor was a Muslim. On taking over the business, the Muslim owner declared that he would not allow the workers to come to work any more wearing Vaisnava tilaka. Most or the workers obeyed, and on the given date announced by the owner, they appeared at the ractory without their tilaka. One employee, however, thought that he would take his chances and depend on Krsna. So he went to work wear ing very clear, white Vaisnava tilaka. Arter seeing all the workers assembled, the new Muslim proprietor said, "This one devotee who has worn Vaisnava tilaka is very courageous. He may be permitted to continue wearing the tilaka to work. But all others are rorbidden to wear it any more." MORAL: We should not unnecessarily abandon our

Vaisnava culture.

There was a proressional dancer who used to hold perrormances in many dirrerent places, including outdoor sites. Arter one scheduled per rormance, a rriend asked the dancer, "So did you perrorm last night?" "No," said the dancer. "I could not." His rriend was surprised and asked why not, and the dancer replied, "There was a hill." In other words, due to the nonideal situation, the dancer did not perrorm. But this is not a real dancer. MORAL: A real dancer would have danced even ir the hill was orrered as the site ror dancing. And even ir the dancing perrormance was not up to standard, a real dancer would have danced under any circumstances. Similarly, a dedicated disciple will perrorm his or her duty even ir racilities are lacking.

There was once a rat who became liberated by orrering service to Lord Vine. The rat was running on the altar or the Deity, just at a time when one or the ghee lamps was about to go out. The rat thought that the rlame might be some roodsturrs, so he stuck his whiskers in it. The dying rlame caught on to the rat's whiskers, and the rire rlared up, catching on to the unused portion or the wick. In this way, by the rat's roolish sacririce, the rlame on Visnu's altar continued to burn nicely. And ror his service to Krsna, the rat went to Vaikuntha. MORAL: This is the potency or devotional service to Krsna, even ir perrormed unknowingly.

A lamb was once drinking water from the side or a lake. Across the water was a tiger. The tiger challenged the lamb, "Why are you muddy ing the lake?" The lamb replied that he was not muddying the lake, but the tiger quarrelled with the lamb and then killed it. MORAL: This story illustrates how people in animal consciousness look ror raults in others and then create quarrels in order to kill. "Give a dog a bad name and hang it."

Jasovanta Singh was commanding general under General Aurangzeb. In a battle, Jasovanta Singh met dereat, and so he returned home to his palace. But the palace gate was closed. He sent a message to his queen inrorming him that he had returned home and asking why she had closed the gate.. Upon hearing this message, the queen replied, "Who has returned home? Jasovanta Singh? No no, it cannot be. Jasovanta Singh would never return home arter being dereated. He would either conquer or give up his lire. The person at the door must be a pre tender." So saying, she rerused to open the door. MORAL: This story

illustrates the ksatriya spirit.

There was a story that one man was drinking. In India drinking is considered a great sin, so his rriend advised him, "Because you are drinking, you will go to hell!" He replied, "Oh, my rather also drinks." So his rriend said, "Then your rather will also go to hell!" And he replied, "Oh, my brother also drinks." - "Then he will also go to hell!" In this way he continued to say my rather, my brother, my sister, my this, my that. And his rriend was replying, "Yes, they will also go to hell!" Then the man said, "Oh, then this hell is like heaven! Because ir we are all drinking here, and we can all drink there, what is the hell? - That is heaven!" MORAL: This is the men tality or the atheist who has no idea or the kingdom or God. His idea or pleasure is simply a relier from surrering.

Nawab means 'rich one'. He has so much money he doesn't know what to do with it. One nawab had his servant cleaning a big, big crystal chandelier. So, as the servant was cleaning the crystal chandelier, a crystal rell, and as it crashed onto the marble rloor it made an unusual tinkling sound, which the nawab heard from his room. The nawab came running out and asked, "What was that sound?" The servant was petriried and asked rorgiveness. "I'm sorry," he said. "When I was cleaning the chandelier, one or the precious crystals rell and shattered on the rloor. I am very sorry." The nawab said, "Oh, this is a very nice sound. Throw one more down." So the servant smashed another onto the rloor. "Very nice sound," said the nawab. "Throw another one down." And so in this way, every single crystal or the chandelier was thrown and smashed on the ground. Because the nawab had so much money at his disposal, he could do anything he liked.

Once a group or rabbits were being eaten by a lion. So they made an agreement and met with the lion, pleading with him to limit his kill ing. They said, "We are all terriried, and you also are not getting to eat every day. So why don't we make an agreement that every day one or us will come to you, and you can eat us. In that way, we will not be so terriried, and you will at least get one rabbit a day." The lion agreed to the proposal. But one day, one or the more intelligent rabbits thought, "What is this? Why am I rushing into death? Today is my last day. Let me enjoy on the way." So in a very leisurely way, stopping sometimes beside a river and then a well, the rabbit rinally arrived late berore the lion. The lion was very angry and roared, "Why have you come late?" The rabbit replied, "It is not my rault, because on the way another lion said he was going to eat me. It was all I could do to get away from him." The lion said, "Who is challenging my authority? Let me rind him." So the rabbit led him to the edge or a well and said, "He's in there." The lion looked inside and saw the shadow or a lion. When he roared, the rerlection lion roared back, and so the lion jumped into the well to attack. In this way the rabbit rinished the lion. MORAL: Ir a high-level man says something ravourable, then you can go back to him and complain on his behalr. Tell him that you have told one or his clerks or ministers that the top-level man says they must give permission but the clerks are not caring ror his word. Then the top minister will say, "Oh? Then I will rinish him."

Some labourers were criticizing the minister or the king, claiming that he only sat around and did no work. The king reminded them that it took intelligence to become a minister. He said he would give a test ror everyone, including the minister. Whoever could pass the test could become the next minister. The king said, "Take this big elephant, weigh him and let me know the exact weight." The ordinary men were barrled. Where was there a scale ror weighing an elephant? They could not do anything. They came back to the king with no inror mation. Then the king turned to his minister and asked, "Will you kindly weigh this elephant?" So in six minutes he came back and reported, "It is twenty mounds [1,920]." The other men were standing open-mouthed in surprise. "How is that?" they asked. "Within six minutes he came back and he gave the exact weight!" The king asked, "How did you weigh him? Did you get some very big scale?" "No sir," replied the minister. "It is not possible too weigh the elephant on a scale. It is very dirricult." "Then how did you weigh it?" "I took it on a boat. When I got him on the boat then I saw the watermark and I marked it. Then, arter getting the elephant orr the boat, I added weight onto the boat, and when it came to the same watermark, then I understood." SO the king addressed the labourers and cautioned them, "Now you see the dirrerence?" They agreed, "Yes." MORAL: