Page 97 - Kailaspati: Paramhans Hansdevji Avadhoot

Fifth Taranga
Once our Baba told us that, human beings are so engrossed with things illusory that very few people want him lovingly. hardly few feel sorry for not being able to see or meet him. To make this point clear, our Baba gave us an instance. On coming to know that a sage had come to a certain place, people went to visit him. To assess if those people had come with a feeling of detachment, he asked his men to have the road to his place strewn with coins. Many people collected them and put them in their bags and returned home. and those who did not feel tempted to take the coins found silver coins being thrown on their way to the sage. and having collected the silver coins, they returned home, forgetting all about the sage. and a few who were not bothered about the silver coins saw gold coins being thrown in front of them on the way to the sage. They felt fortunate to have collected the gold coins and returned home. Without being attracted by the golden coins, those few pressed forward to see the sage saw many a gem and pearl being thrown in front of them. a few who got over the greed of gems and pearls and moved onward were fortunate enough to eventually meet the sage of all the sages and the Kings of all.
Our Baba, on telling the tale, explained the meaning. The sage of all sages was none but God, the owner and the repository of coins coupled with ordinary happiness; gold coins coupled with everything earthly and gems coupled with heavenly bliss. Baba told us that ordinary people fail to overcome the greed for familial happiness, earthly gains, prosperity, power, and pelf (money when gained in a dishonest way) and even heavenly bliss. and it is because of their being engrossed in things petty and mundane that they cannot reach God. and those conscientious people who have been able to purge themselves of all desires and attachments are graced by God.
To make us realise the exact difference between attachment and detachment, our Baba told us a story. Once a monk met a rich merchant. While the merchant embodied attachment, the monk
Third Volum: Fhftd TiTanT 75