In his book, Like a Thousand Suns, The Bhagavad Gita for Daily Living, Volume 2 (page 220-221), Eknath Easwaran tells a story he learned from the Hindu scriptures. In the story, a young prince is kidnapped by robbers. He is raised to ride and shoot with a bow and arrow. His livelihood is earned by ambushing people and stealing their money and goods. One day the king's spiritual advisor happens to ride by him, and pauses. Despite the coarseness of the young man, the advisor sees in him a glimmer of his true heritage. He knows without a doubt that this bandit is the missing prince. He even goes so far as to give him a hug and address him as "your royal highness."
Well, the bandit at first rejects the advisor, and no doubt does not appreciate the hug. However, the advisor continues to talk to him about his childhood, about how the father would carry him on his shoulders and how his mother would sing him to sleep with a mantra. Slowly, the young man begins to remember and realizes that he is much more than a bandit; he is a prince. The young man then puts his arms around the teacher, and exclaims, "You're my greatest friend. You helped me to remember who I am!" The prince then returns home.
May we all embrace our divine inheritance. Let us learn to really see ourselves and one another. It is then that we will recognize the Holy One in each of us. This is surely the path to peace, and our way home, prodigal sons and daughters no more.
My gratitude to Sagrada, a beautiful shop in Oakland, for attaching this photograph to one of their posts. We, too, glimmer with such light.
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