A Yogic Story

I remember a story told by my meditation teacher Gurdeep, about two different spiritual seekers in ancient India. To give preface to this story, a certain character must be unwound, which is Muni. Otherwise known as Narada, the wandering divine soul never far from his vina, who sings the praise and messages of the Divine. Narada happened to come to Earth, not to say this was his first visit to Earth, for he is a busy wanderer of Eternity and the Cosmos, but happenstance he came to Earth. As Narada wandered through the forests of India, past hermits with dreaded locks maintaining their sacred fires and performing austerities, Narada heard a voice call out from one of these renunciates.

"Narada!" cried a voice.

Narada walked towards the sound from where his name was called out and saw a hermit stone-still in full lotus position, and upon his head birds had taken nest.

The hermits cracked lips parted, "Please blessed Narada, when next you are in heaven with the blessed Lord, will you ask how much longer must I sit here before reaching Moksha?"

"No problem my friend, next time I am in the celestial realm, I will ask. Is there anything else you'd like me to ask while I am there?" replied Narada.

"That is all, thank you Muni."

Narada continued in his wanderings and through the woods another voice arose, singing the Mahamantra.

The bhakti yogi saw Narada and joyfully inquired, "Narada! How auspicious you should be here. You know, I am so curious as to how many more lives must I incarnate before I return home back to the Lord and reach Moksha?"

Narada replied, "Oh yes, I now have twice the reason to return back to the celestial realm and talk with the Lord. I will surely ask for you."

The bhakti yogi bowed in respect and went along dancing and chanting his mantra.

Years passed before Narada had a chance to make it back to the heavenly abode of the Lord and even more passed before he came back to Earth. But when he did come back to visit Earth, he remembered the requests of the two yogis.

With even drier lips and more birds nested upon the hermits matted hair, Narada approached the hermit. Narada saw a smile break out in anticipation from the hermit.

"Dear Narada, you have returned! Now please tell me, what did the Blessed Lord say? how much time must I sit here and perform austerities before I attain moksha?" questioned the hermit eagerly.

Narada replied, "The Blessed Lord said that you only have ten more lives in incarnate before you attain moksha my dear friend, how bless..."

"TEN LIVES!?" interrupted the hermit, "What a scam! I cant believe, after performing ALL THESE AUSTERITIES, I must wait another TEN LIVES!"

In the hermits anguish the birds upon his head flew away and the pure emotion of the hermit shattered their nests.

"Please Narada, ask the Lord to reconsider this, ten lives is just such a long time."

Narada replied, "I am sorry to see you were so offended. But next time I am in the Heavenly abode of the Lord, I will ask this question for you."

Narada bid the hermit blessings and went back to his wanderings. And not far from where he had first met the bhakti yogi all those years back, he heard the Mahamantra ringing through the trees and remembered to answer the yogi's question.

"Hello my dear bhakti buddy, I have been to the heavenly abode and asked what you wanted of the Lord. Do you see that tree there?" asked Narada. "The Lord said that as many leaves are on that tree is as many lives that you have left before you attain moksha."

The bhakti yogi burst into a gleeful dance and sang, "oh the blessings of the Lord! How wonderful, that the lives I have left are countable. The Lord couldve said as many drops were in the ocean, how fortunate am I!"

At that moment a great light descended from the heavens and a messenger from God with a chariot came down.

The messenger said, "Bhakti Yogi, the Lord has requested you join us in heaven now. Because you were so willing to wait all that time without complaint, the Lord said you are ready for liberation now. Come with me and lets go back to the home of the Lord."

The bhakti yogi, with tears in his eyes, left with the messenger and ascended up to the home of the Divine.