A Tale of Indra
Posted: Fri Nov 28, 2008 9:08 pm
After destroying a great monster with his thunderbolt and saving the world Indra said, "what a great boy am I."
So thinking this Indra goes to the cosmic mountain and decides to build a palace worthy of such as he. The carpenter of the gods quickly has a palace built but every time Indra comes to inspect it he isn't satisfied and wants it bigger. The carpenter realizes they are both immortal and there is no end to Indra's desires so he is caught for eternity. The carpenter decides to go to Brahma, the creator god and complain. Brahma sits on a lotus, the lotus grows from the navel of Vishnu, the sleeping god, whose dream is the universe. The carpenter tells his story to Brahma. Brahma wispers into Vishnu's ear and tells the carpenter to go home he'll fix this problem.
The next morning a beautiful boy appears at the gates of the palace being built. The boy is brought before Indra who asks him, "what brings you to my palace?" "Well", says the boy with a voice like thunder, "I have been told that you are building such a palace as no Indra before you ever built."
Indra says, "Indras before me? What are you talking about?"
The boy says, "Indras before you. I have seen them come and go, come and go. Just think, Vishnu sleeps in the cosmic ocean and the lotus of the universe grows from his navel. On the lotus sits Brahma the creator. Brahma opens his eyes and a world comes into being, governed by an Indra. Brahma closes his eyes and a world goes out of being. When a Brahma dies, the lotus dies and another lotus is born and another Brahma. Then think of the galaxies beyond galaxies in infinite space, each a lotus, with a Brahma sitting on it, opening his eyes and closing his eyes. And Indras? There may be wise men in your court who would volunteer to count the drops of water in the ocean or the grains of sand on the beaches, but no one could count those Brahmin, let alone all those Indras."
While the boy is talking an army of ants parades across the floor. The boy laughs when he sees them, Indra's hair stands on end, and he says to the boy, "Why do you laugh?"
The boy answers, "Don't ask unless you are willing to be hurt."
Indra says, "I ask. Teach."
So the boy points to the ants and says, "former Indras all. Through many many life times they rise from the lowest conditions to the highest illumination. Then they drop a thunderbolt on a monster's head and they think, 'what a good boy am I.' and down they go again."
The boy who was Vishnu disappears.
Indra is sitting on his throne completely disillusioned.
Indra says, "I'm quitting the building of this palace, I'm going to become a yogi and do nothing but meditate."
Indra's queen, the beautiful, Indrani sits before him and says, "You are in the position of king of the gods with many responsibilities. You are a manifistation of the mystery of Brahma in this field of time. This is a high priviledge. Appreciate it and honor it by dealing with life the best you can as who you are."
So Indra finds that in this life he can represent the eternal as a symbol, you might say, of Brahma.
So thinking this Indra goes to the cosmic mountain and decides to build a palace worthy of such as he. The carpenter of the gods quickly has a palace built but every time Indra comes to inspect it he isn't satisfied and wants it bigger. The carpenter realizes they are both immortal and there is no end to Indra's desires so he is caught for eternity. The carpenter decides to go to Brahma, the creator god and complain. Brahma sits on a lotus, the lotus grows from the navel of Vishnu, the sleeping god, whose dream is the universe. The carpenter tells his story to Brahma. Brahma wispers into Vishnu's ear and tells the carpenter to go home he'll fix this problem.
The next morning a beautiful boy appears at the gates of the palace being built. The boy is brought before Indra who asks him, "what brings you to my palace?" "Well", says the boy with a voice like thunder, "I have been told that you are building such a palace as no Indra before you ever built."
Indra says, "Indras before me? What are you talking about?"
The boy says, "Indras before you. I have seen them come and go, come and go. Just think, Vishnu sleeps in the cosmic ocean and the lotus of the universe grows from his navel. On the lotus sits Brahma the creator. Brahma opens his eyes and a world comes into being, governed by an Indra. Brahma closes his eyes and a world goes out of being. When a Brahma dies, the lotus dies and another lotus is born and another Brahma. Then think of the galaxies beyond galaxies in infinite space, each a lotus, with a Brahma sitting on it, opening his eyes and closing his eyes. And Indras? There may be wise men in your court who would volunteer to count the drops of water in the ocean or the grains of sand on the beaches, but no one could count those Brahmin, let alone all those Indras."
While the boy is talking an army of ants parades across the floor. The boy laughs when he sees them, Indra's hair stands on end, and he says to the boy, "Why do you laugh?"
The boy answers, "Don't ask unless you are willing to be hurt."
Indra says, "I ask. Teach."
So the boy points to the ants and says, "former Indras all. Through many many life times they rise from the lowest conditions to the highest illumination. Then they drop a thunderbolt on a monster's head and they think, 'what a good boy am I.' and down they go again."
The boy who was Vishnu disappears.
Indra is sitting on his throne completely disillusioned.
Indra says, "I'm quitting the building of this palace, I'm going to become a yogi and do nothing but meditate."
Indra's queen, the beautiful, Indrani sits before him and says, "You are in the position of king of the gods with many responsibilities. You are a manifistation of the mystery of Brahma in this field of time. This is a high priviledge. Appreciate it and honor it by dealing with life the best you can as who you are."
So Indra finds that in this life he can represent the eternal as a symbol, you might say, of Brahma.