Mind Trap

It seems, once the gods were so pleased with a poor man’s prayers and devotion that, they gave him a magic conch shell that would fulfil any wish expressed by him. Even if the man asks for a palace, immediately a palace would appear for him. If he asks for food, there would be a great feast laid out before him. The poor man was very happy, as he started enjoying all the good things in life.

One day a priest who was passing through the town halted at this man’s palace for a night’s rest. He had heard about the magic shell and wanted to possess it. He too had a conch shell which he called “Maha-shankha”, the great conch shell. So, the priest told his host, ”Your shell is nothing compared to mine. I too practiced many austerities and the gods favored me with this Maha-shankha. You ask for a thing and it gives you two.”

Now as is human nature, the man’s greed was awakened. He said, ”Show me the magic of your conch shell.”

The shrewd priest took out the Maha-shankha and placing it before him said, ”I want a palace.” The conch said, ”Why one? I shall give you two?”

The host was impressed. He immediately gave his conch shell to the priest and took his Maha-shankha in return. The priest took the magic shell and soon left.

The man asked the conch, “I want Rs. one lac.” The shell said,”Why only one lac, I will give you 2 Lacs.” The man said, “O.K. Give me 2 Lacs.” The shell said, “Why 2 Lacs, I will give you 4 Lacs....” And this went on. The conch only promised, but never delivered anything. All it could do was talking without any results.

The poor man frantically searched for the priest, but he had already disappeared into thin air along with the magic conch....

Moral of the Story ....

Friends, our mind is just like the “Maha-shankha”. Whatever God gives us, our mind says, ”Why only this much, why not more?”

The mind is only a babble of words. It is all lies. It can produce nothing. But we let go of God and cling to the mind. For the mind talks in a duplicity that sets fire to our greed. Just think friends, has our mind ever given us anything? Have we ever attained anything through the mind? One need not fall a victim to one’s mind trap.

The mind can give neither knowledge nor existence, it can only give promises, untruth. Thus, one who listens to the mind falls into falsity.