Do you sometimes feel torn between doing what feels deeply right, and doing what seems necessary to meet the demands of work, family, or society?
Are you able to make regular space for your spiritual growth?
Do you often hear the inner or outer refrain: This is not the time. You can do this later – after you retire, after you become successful, after life becomes easier.
Here is a story of a young boy who heard a similar warning from his father.
The Thief’s Advice to His Son
A thief once told his son:
“A guru has come to town. Make sure his words do not fall upon your ears. If you listen to him, our whole trade will be ruined.”
The boy was obedient. He asked, “Father, how can I make sure his words do not reach me?”
His father replied, “Do not go near him. Wherever you see him speaking, take another road.”
The boy asked again, “And if I meet him by accident?”
The father said, “Then cover your ears with both hands and run away.”
The Encounter
One day, while working in the street, the boy turned a corner and unexpectedly came face to face with the guru, who was speaking to someone nearby.
All the boy heard were these words:
“Why is it said that devas and devis cast no shadow?”
“A shadow is an absence of light. That which is filled with light radiates light.”
Remembering his father’s warning, the boy quickly covered his ears and ran away.
The Theft
That same day, the boy broke into a house and hid the stolen jewels as usual. But before he could return home, he was caught by the police.
They questioned him in many ways, but he refused to confess.
That night, the prison chief devised a plan. An actress was dressed as the Divine Mother and sent into his cell after midnight. She woke the boy gently, stroked his head, and said in a tender voice:
“My son, what has become of you? In another life, you were my devoted worshipper. People admired you. How did you fall into this path? Your actions bring dishonour to my name as well. But a mother forgives all.”
The tired and hungry boy believed the Mother herself had come to rescue him. He wept and fell at her feet.
“Save me, Mother.”
The Trap
The actress thought her plan had worked. She said:
“I can free you. See how I entered despite locked doors and guards? I can take you out the same way. But first, tell me where you hid the jewels.”
The boy was ready to speak. But then he suddenly remembered the words of the guru:
“Devis and devas cast no shadow…”
He looked behind her. There was a shadow. “If she is truly a goddess, how can there be a shadow?”
At once, he became alert.
The Escape
The boy fell again at her feet and cried:
“Where were you, Mother? Look at what they have done to your son. Whether in this life or another, I belong only to you. I do not care whether I get to leave the prison or not. Let me remain here and die at your feet.”
The actress grew frightened.
“Perhaps this boy truly is innocent. If I deceive a sincere devotee, the Goddess may punish me.”
She rushed back to the prison chief and said they must have made a mistake.
Meanwhile, the boy continued his act and followed her outside, clinging to her feet. “Grant me liberation, Mother. Free me from this mortal existence.”
The guards, now flustered, struggled to separate him and finally pushed him out of the prison grounds.
Meeting the Guru Again
Relieved to have escaped, the boy did not go home. He went straight to the guru.
He bowed and said:
“I heard only one teaching from you, and it saved me from prison. Please teach me the rest – so I may be freed from this life of theft, and from the messengers of death. I am at your feet, and I will not leave without learning.”
The Guru’s Wisdom
The guru smiled, seeing such sincerity in one so young. He spoke in a language the boy could understand.
Right Knowledge
Imagine you are locked out of your home. Many keys may be placed before you, but only one can open the door.
You have learned many things — cleverness, speed, deception, acquiring. Yet none can open the door of peace.
Seek the right key: true wisdom about life.
Right Company
Many lamps remain unlit. A lit lamp helps others see in darkness.
Spend time in the company of those whose inner lamp is burning. Their presence can help awaken your own light.
Right Actions
The babool tree is covered in thorns, though its seeds do not prick at first.
So it is with actions. Some seem pleasant in the beginning, yet later grow into sorrow.
Sow instead the seeds of truth, contentment, and compassion. In time, they bear the fruit of peace.
The True Treasure
You have spent your life breaking into the homes of others, searching for treasures outside.
But the real treasure is within your own home — the spirit within you.
The Divine qualities already placed in your heart are the wealth that remains with you in this life and beyond.
The Wisdom Across Traditions
This story reminds us that wisdom across traditions points us toward the same truth: the real treasure is within, and remembrance of the Divine helps free us from sorrow, confusion, and fear.
पारजातु इहु हरि को नाम ॥ The remembrance of the Divine is Parijaat, the wish-fulfilling tree.
कामधेन हरि हरि गुण गाम ॥ Singing of Divine qualities is Kamdhenu, the wish-fulfilling cow.
सभ ते ऊतम हरि की कथा ॥ Stories of the Divine are the finest stories.
नामु सुनत दरद दुख लथा ॥ Because hearing the Divine Name removes sorrow and pain.
– Guru Arjan Dev Ji, The Gem of Peace
Reflection Question
In the midst of daily life, what practices help you nurture your spirit? What helps you seek the right knowledge, sow the right actions, and reconnect with the treasure within?
Source credit
Jaswant Singh Parwana, Bahiye Padhiye Paas
The Sabad Project - Wisdom stories 
Leave a comment