Out to Sell a Stone

The Sage and His Disciples

At the foot of a hill lived a sage. A brook flowed by, and the forest beyond it was abundant with sweet fruits. The sage had several disciples who studied scriptures and learned yoga under his guidance. Although many wished to enroll as his disciples, it was not easy to do so. The sage initiated a man only after he had stayed in his ashram for two or three years, if not longer. Many who arrived with the desire to become disciples lost patience and eventually left.

Shekhar’s Determination

However, Shekhar was not one of those restless souls. He had come to the sage with a firm determination to become his disciple. After two years of ungrudgingly following the guru’s orders—ranging from tending cows to sweeping the ashram area—he was finally going to reach his goal. The sage had promised to initiate him on an auspicious day that was approaching.

The Day of Initiation

On the designated day, Shekhar woke up long before dawn. He bathed in the brook and gathered flowers from the forest, preparing himself for the ceremony. As day broke, the other inhabitants of the ashram began their daily chores. Shekhar anxiously approached the sage’s hut, peering inside repeatedly. The sage appeared engrossed in reading some palm leaves and seemed to have forgotten about the ceremony—so Shekhar thought.

A Moment of Waiting

With a heart full of anxiety and expectation, Shekhar entered the hut and said, “Sir! You promised to initiate me this morning. I am ready. Will you please do the needful now?”

“You are ready, are you? Very well. Come here,” replied the sage without lifting his head from the palm leaves. Shekhar approached the master, and upon the sage’s indication, he sat on the floor. The sage looked up for a moment and whispered, “Utter the name of Lord Rama!”

Shekhar sat there, repeating the name of Rama. An hour passed, and then the guru rose to attend to other matters. “Sir, what about my initiation?” Shekhar asked, fumbling. “You are already initiated, my child. Haven’t I passed on the mantra to you?” the guru replied and left. Shekhar felt disappointed. After two years of patient waiting, all he received as a mantra was the name of Lord Rama! Who does not know that name? What was so secret or mysterious about it? Although he did not voice his concerns, he could not shake his gloom.

A New Task

A week passed, and one day the sage called Shekhar into his hut, handing him what looked like a small block of white stone. “Take this to the bazaar. Ascertain its price from various merchants, but do not sell it,” instructed the sage.

Excited, Shekhar set out for the bazaar the following morning. As he entered the bustling area, he spotted a fishwife opening her basket. “Would you like to buy this?” Shekhar asked her.

The Search for Value

The fishwife looked at Shekhar and the stone with curiosity, then said, “Do you think I have time to waste with a madman like you? What on earth would I do with a worthless stone? Go away unless you wish to buy some of my fresh fish.”

Shekhar moved on. A shopkeeper had just opened his stationery store. Shekhar extended the stone towards him and asked, “How much would you pay for this?” The shopkeeper examined it and said, “With a bit of whetting, this could become a nice stone for sharpening knives. I can offer you a rupee for it.”

Shekhar took it back and approached a toy shop. “Would you like to buy it?” he inquired. “This could serve as a crown for one of the big dolls. I can offer you five rupees,” said the shopkeeper.

After meeting a few more merchants, each willing to pay higher prices for various reasons, Shekhar finally entered a jewelry shop and showed the stone to its owner.

“My God! Where did you find this? This is the most precious diamond I have ever seen. I can buy it for one lakh rupees if you give me time to arrange the money. I would have to sell everything I own to afford such a sum.”

The Lesson Learned

Shekhar took back the diamond and returned to the ashram. “My son!” the sage said, addressing Shekhar even before he reported on his dealings with the merchants. “The name of Lord Rama is like this diamond. To someone who does not recognize its significance, it holds no worth. Yet, it is invaluable to those who understand its value. Do you understand?”

Shekhar realized he had no reason to feel disappointed. Indeed, the guru knew what was essential for him. He remained in the ashram and, in due course, evolved into a true yogi under the sage’s capable guidance.