010 – Divine happiness
In those days, there was a Brahmin who was born in high rank family. He realized the disadvantage of desires so he renounced his position, went into Himmapan forest to become a hermit and practice meditation. After he had succeeded the highest level of meditation, he accepted many disciples until he had five hundreds disciples.
In the rainy season, he with five hundreds disciples arrived at Varanasi and was welcomed by the king of Varanasi. The king offered the hermit master and his disciples to be in the royal garden.
At the end of rainy season, the hermit bid farewell to the king. The king asked “My noble, you’re old. It’s not good for you to be in Himmapan forest. You should send your disciples to Himmapan forest and stay here.”
The hermit master accepted and sent all his disciples to Himmapan forest and he was stay in the royal garden.
Among the five hundred disciples, there was one leader. He had ever been a king before becoming a hermit and he also succeeded the highest level of meditation.
The leader wanted to see his master, he said to all disciples “I’ll go to see the master. Don’t be annoyed. Please be here. I’ll come back when I had seen the master.” Then, he left Himmapan forest and headed for the royal garden. After he had met the hermit master, the leader laid himself in the hermit master’s place.
The king thought that he should go to see the hermit master, so he went to the royal garden and paid respect to the hermit master.
Although the leader saw the king, the leader didn’t stand up and greet the king. The leader still laid down and exclaimed “So happy, So happy !”
The king felt neglected so he said to the hermit master “This hermit must be full of food so he didn’t stand up.”
“My majesty, this hermit had ever been a king like you. He thought that when he was the king he still had not much happiness like this,” the hermit master explained, “One who looks after no one and be looked after by no one usually be happy.”
The king was glad with the hermit master’s words. He bid farewell to the hermit master and went back to his place.
The leader finally reincarnated as Pattiyadera, a Buddhist saint. The hermit master finally reincarnated as the Buddha.
Happiness is a state of mind that really depends how we see the situations in our lives each day. you can have all the riches in the world but still see it as a lonely place.~..