“Science seeks to understand why things happen, but the greatest scientist is one who understands themselves.”
In 17th-century North India, a province existed named Rajgirnal, where a king ruled with a unique governance approach. This King, every week, would personally attend to the grievances of his people, a practice that garnered him immense respect and admiration. People from all corners of the province, from states to villages, would flock to him, seeking his aid, and he would never turn them away, embodying the very essence of a benevolent ruler. His unwavering commitment to his people instilled a sense of trust and security in them.
On a day that would change the course of his village, his face etched with worry, the head of a town embarked on a long and arduous journey to the King’s court. Bowing before the King, he spoke, ‘Great King, I have come from a nearby village grappling with some grave and pressing issues.’
‘Please be comfortable and tell me about your problem without hesitation. I will surely help to resolve your issue,’ said the King.
‘Oh lord, For a few months, one fakir, a beggar, came from the other state to our village and stayed. The village people welcomed him. As he is alone and quite old, many people in the village have offered him a place to stay. But he rejected those offers; he sat near one tree and did a whole meditation session. Day. In the grave heat wave, he lives for all these months under that tree, eating tiny, just some fruits. Even though the village people give him food, he never touches it. He seems to be very peaceful but rarely talks to the people.’
‘What’s the problem here?’ The King interrupted. ‘If that fakir is just taking some space, he is not bothering anyone, so why would you worry?’ The King asked.
‘Everyone is worried about why he would come to our village. He does not seem a normal fakir; sometimes he seems a great sage, but sometimes it feels he is planning some deceitfulness.’
The King laughed. He said, ‘This is an extraordinary kind of problem. A fakir who never gives anyone a bad time, living his way and doing the meditation. Are you saying he is bothering the entire village?’
‘Why can’t you call him your court and find out if he is a sage or if he is planning something which affects the people of the village?’ said the head of the village.
The King commanded his minister to bring the fakir to the court. The fakir, deep in meditation, was abruptly brought before the King. He spoke, ‘Oh Price, these people forcefully brought me here; I was meditating.’
‘Oh respected fakir, the village you are staying in, their people complain about you, as you are not taking any alms or touching their food. Can you tell the court why you came to this village? What is the purpose?’
A fakir said, ‘I am the wanderer. I visited different states, visited many villages, met people, solved their inquiries, and moved to another. Meanwhile, I spend my day meditating and sitting alone under that tree. I have never bothered anyone.’
‘That is the problem for the village; while you are not bothering anyone, that’s bothering them,’ King said.
‘The people of this village have been incredibly generous to me, offering alms, food, and a place to stay. However, they must have also informed you that they have resorted to using abusive language when I refused their offerings. I did not take their alms, their food, their shelter, or their abusive words. Perhaps this refusal is causing them distress,’ the fakir responded, his voice resonating with the serene calmness of his nature.
The King looked at the head of the village and asked, ‘Is this correct? You disrespected this poor fakir,’
‘Please forgive, great King; once he refused to take anything, people got angry and abused him, but Fakir did not mind. We aim not to disrespect him, yet believing that nothing affects him doesn’t let us stop worrying about him.’
‘Oh dear fakir, this is making me curious too; I am eager to know about you; for me, listening to this, I am torn between the belief that you are either a tremendous spiritual ascetic or a furious person?’
Fakir said, ‘You recognise me correctly. I am a mad person who lives in his joy, yet living the life of a beggar. I won’t worry about small things. Let me clear out the worry of the people of this village. When I came to this village, I saw people struggling with their lives, daily work, and small fights within their lives. They offered me sweets, and I refused them, and a few people abused me. I declined it. I told you I wouldn’t take your harsh words, and I said that if you were done with your words, I would go back to my meditation. So these people got worried; how could this happen? If you say harsh words to someone, he will say something back to you. These harsh words are any other talk you do like we are now. You said it, and I heard it, but I didn’t find any sweet nectar.’
The words of Fakir amazed the King. ‘I knew you were not a simple fakir who turned out to be a trouble for people of the village.’ The King ordered his minister to bring the chair for Fakir and requested Fakir to please sit. ‘Please don’t refuse this time. You are my guest.’
The fakir smiled and sat on the chair. The kind said, ‘Could you please light us with your wisdom, my esteemed fakir?’
‘I pity those who feel troubled by me. But people’s words won’t affect me. It’s the same as their sweets. For me, harsh words and sweets are the same. When I didn’t take their sweet, what would they have done? They gave it to the children and didn’t throw it away. Besides, when I refused their harsh word, they didn’t throw it, but they were supposed to throw it away. They take it back and share it with their family. Their worry was the evidence of it. You can’t give me anything until I am ready to take it, be it anything you try to offer. I am the owner of myself.’
The kind asked, o fakir, ‘Could you please tell me how to become one owner?’
‘First, you become the observer of your thoughts and mind activities. Next, you step to the listener of your actions, then move to the last step to become aware of yourself. You gain that knowledge that would allow you to become a knower, buddha.’ In that state, buddha, you become the only actioner who will become the one who knows of things that are supposed to be known. So, knowing oneself means knowing everything. Science is understanding why things happen, but gaining knowledge of self is reaching a stage of self-awareness, where you become a great scientist and owner of the self.
The King descended from his throne and said to the fakir, ‘I bow down to you.’