Story of Three Princes
Sage Vasishta was explaining to Sri Rama the illusory nature of mind. He said that since the mind itself is not real, all the imaginations of the mind are also not real. However, if we believe that all we see is true then our mind will never be at peace. To illustrate this, he narrated the story of three princes which is both comical and philosophical.
A small, wide eyed child once asked his mother for a funny story. The mother who wanted to entertain the child narrated the following story.
Once upon a time, there was a beautiful non-existent city in void. This city had three princes who were known for their bravery, strength, and beauty. Two of the princes were never born and the third had not been conceived.
One day, bored with their daily lives, the princes decided to leave their city and go on an adventure. It was a hot and humid day. The princes got extremely tired as the day progressed and they fell into a swoon. In utter exhaustion, they reached three big trees. These trees were laden with fruit and provided a cool shade. Two of these trees did not exist and one was not planted at all. After resting in the shade of the trees and eating the fruits to satisfy their hunger, the princes began moving forward.
After a while, they reached the banks of three rivers. The rivers flowed with pristine water, speedy currents, and sparkling waves. Two of the rivers did not have water and the third one was dry. Parched from their arduous journey, the princes quenched their thirst and took a refreshing bath in the last river.
It was now nearing sunset and the princes started looking for a place to rest for the night. They found a huge city that was about to be built. In this city, there were many buildings of marvellous construction. But the eyes of princes rested on three beautiful palaces. Two of the palaces had not been built and the third had no bricks, walls, or any support. The princes decided to stay there for the night and started preparing dinner.
They searched for vessels to cook and to their luck found three golden vessels. Two of these vessels did not exist and the third one was bottomless. The princes started cooking in the bottomless vessel. They took 6 measures of rice and removed 10 measures from it and cooked the same. Once they were done with the cooking, they invited three holy men to partake the dinner. Two of the holy men did not have a body and the third one did not have a mouth. The princes waited patiently for the holy men to eat and then ate the rest of the food. They were all incredibly pleased. The princes, having found a place to live which had good food, spent their time hunting and in other pursuits and lived happily for a long time.
With this, the mother concluded the story. The innocent little boy clapped with joy and rested in the sincere belief of the genuineness of the tale.
“O Rama, this world is as true as the story just told. People like the child, believe it to be true while all the activities seem to be happening in the non-existent world. We get attached to this illusory world and get tossed up and down by anxieties, greed, jealousy, happiness, and grief etc. A person of true wisdom will see through this trick, remains unaffected and is always at peace”, concluded the Wise Sage Vasishta.
(Author’s Note : This story is from Utpatti Prakaranam of Yoga Vasishta)
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For those of us who are not able to read or remember this tome of a spiritual treatise, Yoga Vasishta, it is a great service to offer this blog with snippets from the treatise. So, thanks!
This particular story is interesting, and the summary is well done. My reflection on this as I re-read this story leads me to conjecture something for which I have no real basis. I just wonder if there are subtler meanings attached to it, that’s all. Regardless, at the delight of being a greater fool in this blog, let me say this:
I find this story interesting on two levels: 1) it highlights that we process illogical things differently based on how “near” or “far” away from felt experience they are, and 2) the use of “three” things in the story is striking, meaning the author could have made up just two or four of everything in the story and so why settle on the number three – also note how the author splits the three things into two of one kind and one of another kind. So, elaborating on these two points:
1) When we engage in worldly things, whether someone is a chef or accountant or doctor or engineer etc, we have the intellectual capacity to detect and deal with (i.e. reject) illogical things. We don’t engage in illogical decision making as it may lead to a patient dying or livelihoods lost etc. Typically these are actions that tend to be ones where our experience (of decision making) is not central to our individuality or identity – and therefore it is easier to be objective.
When it comes to experiences closer to our being, say emotionally involved things, as in when listening to a story, we find great joy in being absorbed in the story. Even before a storyteller (or movie or some performance) begins we want to “lose ourselves” in it as we have defined enjoyment that way. In these experiences, logic has less value – it is the experience of a feeling or emotion that is the prize. In fact we can’t even describe in words how these “feelings” make us feel or why so. That is the state of mind of the child listening to the story filled with illogical things. In these situations, our mind gives a big discount for the illogical, fills in holes and makes it complete in experience without the need for additional words.
I have to say that when I read the story in the blog I felt quite absorbed in it myself, and the illogical part didn’t bother me, until of course I read Sage Vasishta’s words in the last para telling Rama not to be like the child in the story and then I thought “of course, it’s all so illogical” – i.e. I immediately introduced a distance between me and the story scene and then it was ok for logic to rule. Another way to look at it is unless pointed out (by a wise one), illogical stuff rules our life, including not knowing our own true identity.
It is nice that this story serves as one more reminder that we indeed have blindspots in our awareness that we need to accept or recognize.
2) The use of “three” things in the story where two of them are of one kind and third one was of another kind really attracted my attention. An example is this line from the story: “Two of these trees did not exist and one was not planted at all”. All three things are illusory, but two of them are illusory in one way and third one is illusory in another way. This reminds me so much of Bhagavan Ramana’s definition of waking, dream and deep sleep states (analogous to the “three” things in the story):
“Consciousness plus waking we call waking.
Consciousness plus sleep we call sleep.
Consciousness plus dream, we call dream”.
In waking and dream we as an individual are “present”, but in sleep we are “absent”. All three are illusory for sure, according to Bhagavan and other Sages. It is fascinating that Bhagavan makes it a point to invite us to reflect on why is that we covet the sleep state where we are supposedly “absent”. Is Vashistha highlighting this as well with phrases like “..and one was not planted at all”? Well, maybe I’m reading too much into this. I’ll let you decide!
Very interesting observations .
I also wondered about this number three as well as two entities clubbed together and third one separate,even though all three are illusory . I also thought of three states of existence (Jagrut,swapna,Sushupti)but could not map satisfactorily . Also where to fit in Turiya in this story was in mind. Still thinking…
ON MOODAMATHE
I am philosophic, yet my question is should the existence and activities or the karma performed by us be deemed as Maya? Don’t we sometimes say that we dwell on certain pleasant thoughts such as the boyhood life in a certain place or the purposeful and interesting life we led with someone whom we loved most, such thoughts do bring pleasure and peace of mind? We recall such thoughts as nostalgia since they happened. Our birth and death are destined, activities are determined by our karma, and accordingly, life takes a shape. Nothing is in our hands, our scriptures remind and warn us that this second is yours and decide on it; the next second may not be available for you to decide.
If I happen to visit the places of Ramayan or visit Mathura where Lord Krishna had taken birth, I will become ecstatic, feel the holiness and show my obeisance by worshipping the Gods with the firm belief that those were the holy places where incarnations of the supreme dwelt, and am blessed to visit the places. Someone may act in a drama as a rich person; it is real and true that he was a rich person and lived in opulence throughout the drama, once the drama is over, he is no longer a person but has acted as a rich person is real and is not an illusion. The greatest philosophy concealed in the word delusion and illusion is attached detachment, to avoid grief and disappointment. The narration of stories by the writer as told by Vashistar is commendable. Philosophic thoughts have been explained well without complexity. The story of Three Princes, the child enjoys as a funny story; but the story as such is unrealistic The child after some years may recall how lovingly his mother had told funny stories, which is real, perchance his mother may not be alive at that time. But, the truth is his mother had lived with him and had told him stories. I understand illusory in the sense of not having attachment though everything is real as long as one has the breath. For those with a philosophic bent of mind and aspiring for the ken on Vedanta and Upanishads and the one like the writer has taken, it will be like a herbal feast. Read and enjoy, realize oneself, be stoic to all that happens in the trail of life.
While with the thinking of three stages of existence, Jagrut, Swapna n Sushupti but unable to draw the dilution n illution naratted, for me still a long way to go understand maya… I am thinking of Tatwamasi …. Which will enlighten … Swamiye saranam ayyappa