Transcribed by Hina
(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Cranberra March 2011)
There are many stories about Birbal and Akbar. Birbal who was Akbar’s minister was very famous. Once Akbar asked Birbal:
“How long is it that a man in his life is actually being plagued with lusty desires?”
Birbal said:
“Your majesty, it will go on till the very end!”
“Come on…come on Birbal! A really old man with a stick. It can’t be! No!”
One day Birbal suddenly called Akbar:
“Come… come right now! Oh and bring your daughter”.
Akbar brought his young beautiful princess daughter. They came into a room of a 90 year old dying man and immediately the eyes of the old man were on the daughter!
Akbar saw this and he said:
“Yes! You are right!”
So this is ignorance. Ignorance that we are going for the illusion. It’s an illusion – he is 90 years old – he is dying and in total illusion – he’s looking at that princess – it’s just foolishness.
There are more serious things to do at that time, but somehow or other his mind is being drawn into the temporary illusory pleasures.
