Mankind’s journey of life is variously described as a journey of life and greed. In this journey, he forgets the true purpose of his life and gets stuck in the material world.
Here is a parable taken from the Jain literature which best describes the journey. The words/phrases in parenthesis endeavour to give an interpretation which one can relate to in his spiritual quest. This interpretation is said to be provided by Haribhadra Maharaj, a Jain monk from the 7th century.
A man (Soul), seeking fortunes (Salvation) was passing through a thick jungle (Cycle of rebirths). Suddenly, a wild elephant (Death) with upraised trunk charged him fiercely. He tried to run fast, but his path was blocked by an evil demon (Old Age). The only escape route now was to climb the huge, tall, banyan tree (Path to salvation). He ran and reached the tree but could not decide if he had the will and power to climb the mighty tree. Right below the mighty tree was a deep well (Human Life), all covered with grass and reeds. “This well (Human Life) would save me”, he thought, and jumped in it.
As he was falling through the grass and the reeds, he looked below and was terrified. Right below him lay many terrible snakes (Passions which impede human judgment) enraged and hissing fearsomely. To make matters worse, deep down below was a black and mighty python (Hell) with angry red eyes. Afraid, he held on to a clump of reeds hanging from the top and clung on to it. He thought, “My life will only last as long as these reeds hold fast” and he looked up.
There he saw two large mice (The day and night – the passages of time), one white and one black, their sharp teeth ever-gnawing at the roots of the reed-clump. Up above, the wild elephant (Death) was charging, repeatedly, at the banyan tree (Path to salvation). This disturbed the beehive hanging from a branch right above him. The angry bees ( Diseases of Life) swarmed down on him and his whole body was stung. Just then, as he was looking up and cursing himself for not climbing the tree, a drop of honey (trivial pleasures) fell on his face and somehow reached his lips.
That was a moment of sweetness. He looked up again, forgot all the dangers around him and just craved and waited for more drops of honey to come down his way. In his excited craving for yet more drops of honey, he lost awareness of the reality – the python (Hell), the snakes (Passions), the mice (the day and night the passages of time), the elephant (Death), or the bees (Diseases of Life).
It is for each one of us to understand and appreciate the parable in its true spirit as we journey through life.
