Take This Test: Check Whether You Are Stone or Gold || AP Neem Candies
Acharya Prashant: The gold is not a resource that I have. The gold is not there to serve me. I am at the service of gold. The gold has to sit and I have to work for gold." Because, honestly, you do know which of these two is more valuable? Stone or gold? Gold. If gold is more valuable, then obviously, stone has to work for gold. Why will gold work for stone? Now, you know why people work for money and riches? Because they know that money and riches are more precious than their own being. So, it’s a logical thing to do. The worthless one has to work for the stuff that is worthy. You know inside of yourself that you are a worthless being. Therefore, you keep serving gold.
Wherever you find gold, you bow down to it. Wherever you find gold, you want to add it to your life. Why? Because, internally, you are just a worthless piece of stone. Would have been all right, had all of this added up to something worthwhile. It doesn’t add up to anything. If you have a little gold, then you are a servant to a little gold. If you somehow manage to accumulate a lot of gold, then you are a servant to a lot of gold. Which means the more you accumulate, the bigger servant you are.
You are working hard to deepen your servility. You are working hard to fetch more masters to rule over you. How intelligent is that? Ask, do your resources exist for you? Or do you exist for your resources? Good, simple, fun, but creepily unsettling question to ask. Do they exist for you? Do you exist for them? Are you the owner of your house or the guard of your house? Are you inside your kurta or is your kurta all over you? "Technically, these two are the same questions." Really? No, not at all. Are you inside that kurta or is the kurta upon you?
You have all heard that story, right? Sufi’s story, Junaid’s, “Junaid and the Cow”. So, why should I narrate it, if all of you already heard it? Somebody has to say that he hasn't.
(One person from the audience raises his hand indicating he hasn't heard the story)
(Laughingly) See, he knows nothing and he is still so proud.
So, Junaid is going somewhere with a few of his disciples. In front of Junaid is a man walking with the cow, and the man is holding the leash and the cow is behind him. So, Junaid says, “Wait, this is a moment to learn something.” He asks his disciples, “Who owns whom? Does the man own the cow? Does the man lead the cow? Or does the cow own and lead the man?” The disciple says, “Sir, it is evident. The man owns and leads the cow.” Junaid says, “No, had the answer been so simple, why would I have asked the question?” He says, “Fine, any of you carrying a knife or a scissor or something?” He gets one. You know, insolent as fakirs are, he jumps to the man and cuts the cord. The leash has been now cut and cows are experts at utilizing such moments. She just sprints away. It’s already quite comical, a sprinting cow. She sprints away and the man is running behind. Junaid asks his chaps, “Now, you tell me who leads whom?” Now you tell me.
The bondage of the cow was at least material. For the cow to be kept in bondage, a material leash was required. But the bondage of the man is so subtle, the cow is leading the man with nothing to leash the man with, except the man’s own mind, self, ego. That’s a question you must ask. Do I own my things or do my things own me? What am I without these things? Who’s on leash?
In some sense, spirituality is all about unleashing yourself, which is freedom from bondage. The leash is the bondage.
Full article link: https://acharyaprashant.org/en/articles/stone-covered-in-gold-1_1702be1
